Weekday Homily

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Friday, 30 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings focus on one particular theme if we have paid close attention to what we have heard earlier on. The words of the Lord spoke to us regarding the matter of Wisdom, the Wisdom that He has imparted and bestowed upon us, but which we have often disregarded and refused to make good use of, and we often used the knowledge and intelligence of this world, our own abilities and thoughts instead of allowing God to perform His wonderful acts and Wisdom through us. We often closed our hearts and minds to the Lord speaking in the silence of our hearts and minds, as the Lord kept on patiently knocking on our hearts that we may come to know His truth and receive His Wisdom, and live our lives worthily according to what He has taught us to do.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth, we heard of how St. Paul spoke to the faithful regarding everything which the people of God had received from him and from the other Apostles and disciples, the missionaries sent to them to reveal to them the truth and Good News of God. He reminded all of them not to veer away from the words or truth and all the things which he had taught and shown them, the Wisdom of God revealed through none other than His own Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all mankind and the whole world. And the Lord also gave His Wisdom through the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, Whom He had sent into His Church, through His Apostles, and which had encouraged and strengthened all those who believed in the Lord.

St. Paul spoke of how to the Jewish people and to the Greeks, which represented the main parts of the population at the time, referring to those who have not yet believed in the Lord, what he had taught the faithful were seen as folly and nonsense because they saw things from the eyes of the world and their limited understanding rather than through the eyes of faith and true Wisdom which God had imparted to His faithful ones. To the Jewish people, they considered the Lord Jesus Christ, the Crucified Messiah to be a blasphemy and erroneous teachings, as they refused the fact that the Almighty and All-Powerful God could have had a Son, and worse still, a Son Who had become incarnate in the flesh, to walk in their midst as the Son of Man, and then suffered and died a most humiliating and painful death on the Cross.

In the meanwhile, to the Greeks and the other pagans, many of them considered it folly that the Christians believed in just one God, as they commonly believed in many gods and beings that came from their inspiration from their surrounding natural world, using those elements and observations to create and invent gods and divinities such as the Greek pantheon of pagan gods that very much mimic the people in their own behaviours and actions. But St. Paul showed the faithful and all those who were willing to listen to him and accept God’s truth that whatever those Jewish and Greek pagans believed, were in fact the erroneous and folly ones, while the truth and the reality lies with the Lord and with Him alone, He Who is the one and only True God, the Master of all things.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the well-known parable of the Lord to His disciples and to the people listening to Him, the parable of the five wise handmaidens and five foolish handmaidens. In that parable we heard how ten handmaidens were waiting for the start of a wedding celebration, which was commonly celebrated at night. And in the past, before the advent and discovery of electricity, nights were very dark, unlike today’s light-filled environment. Therefore, it is crucial that the handmaidens brought their lamps with them to help to illuminate the place and also to make the celebration more festive. However, as we heard, the bridegroom was delayed, and therefore those handmaidens had to wait for the coming of the bridegroom to welcome him into the celebration as was what they were expected to do.

The five handmaidens who were wise brought their extra backup of oil supply to ensure that they had enough oil, while the other five, foolish ones did not bring any extra oil with them, resulting in them having their lamps low on oil before the bridegroom arrived, and when they went out to buy more oil for their lamps, the bridegroom came to the venue and the celebration started without the five foolish handmaidens, who were henceforth excluded from the celebrations. This parable is in fact a representation of how we should be prepared for the Lord and His coming, with the bridegroom representing the Lord Himself, and the handmaidens representing all of us. That the bridegroom came at a most unexpected time is a reminder for us all that the Lord will come again just as He said He would, but He may do so at a time that we least expect.

And we certainly do not want to be caught unprepared by the Lord’s coming, caught at the time when we are unfortunately unable to respond appropriately to His coming. We cannot and should not assume that we still have the time to prepare ourselves, as we do not want to be caught unprepared and then end up in eternity of regret. That is why, having been reminded and warned through our Scripture readings today, let us all continue to live our lives ever more worthily for the Lord, doing our very best so that we will always be exemplary in our lives and that we may inspire many others around us in how we all ought to live our lives with great faith and dedication to God. This is what we have been called to do, to be truly faithful to God in all things and to lead others towards Him.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us and bless us all with His Wisdom, so that in everything that we decide to do, and in the path we walk in this life we will continue to strive to follow what He has shown and taught us, and not to be easily swayed by the temptations of this world. May we continue to trust in the Lord’s guidance and in His Wisdom, and always strive to live lives that are truly worthy of God in all things. Amen.

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Thursday, 29 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah. This Passion refers to the moment when St. John the Baptist suffered for his faith and dedication to the Lord, similar to that of the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, which we commemorate during the Holy Week in each liturgical year. On this day, we honour St. John the Baptist who had shared in the sufferings of the Lord, as the one who had prepared His path as His herald, and who therefore suffered and died before his own Lord and Master, courageously defending what he had believed in and everything that he had laboured for throughout his whole life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord reassured His people in the kingdom of Judah, to whom the Lord had sent Jeremiah to, that they should not be afraid or fearful of all their enemies and all those who sought to destroy them because He would be with them and protected them much as how He had done so in the earlier ages and eras. The Lord had always been with His people despite their many insubordinations, rebellions and refusals to obey Him and His Law, His commandments and ways. He had built His protections and barriers around them, coming in between them and their enemies, destroying many of those who plotted against them and sought their destruction on many occasions.

And yet, they still hardened their hearts and minds against Him despite all these things which He had done for them. The Lord had patiently helped and showed them His messengers, His servants and more to help and lead them towards Him. Many of these were persecuted and oppressed by those who refused to listen to their words and reminders, which brought about God’s anger against them and their stubbornness. Yet, despite having shown them this displeasure and anger, warning them of the dangerous consequences should they continue in their rebellious paths, which was one of the major message theme that Jeremiah brought to the people of Judah, the Lord also reassured them at the same time that He would be willing to welcome them back should they choose to repent from their sins and trust in Him again.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the account of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist himself, as this faithful servant of God had been arrested when he criticised and rebuked King Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, who had entered into an adulterous relationship and marriage with his own brother’s wife, Herodias. According to tradition this was because Herodias’ former husband, Philip who was Herod’s own brother, was still alive at the time, and according to both Jewish and Christian traditions and beliefs, this is an act of adultery as the bond of marriage is something that is sacred and indissoluble. Furthermore, the fact that the daughter of Herodias was exactly named as such, indicated that this daughter was from the union between Philip and Herodias. That union having thus been consummated, cannot and should not be broken.

Yet, Herod and Herodias both gave in to the temptations of worldliness and decided to live in a state of sin, falling into the corruption of evil. When St. John the Baptist rebuked both of them, Herodias took it particularly badly and she harboured great hatred towards the man of God, desiring to destroy him. St. John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned for this courageous act of rebuking the king and queen for their immoral behaviour, and while Herod showed remorse for his actions, and willing to listen to St. John the Baptist, Herodias plotted for the death of this man of God which happened as detailed in our Gospel passage today, at the time of the celebration when she managed to trick the likely drunk and mesmerised Herod to order the execution of St. John the Baptist before his nobles and officials.

Through what we have discussed and heard today, we can see how living our lives and following the Lord is not something that is easily done, and we may often have to make plenty of sacrifices and face many challenges in our path as we continue to move forward as disciples and followers of our Lord. Like St. John the Baptist and many of the martyrs of the Church throughout its long history, many of whom had endured prison, tortures, all sorts of persecution and hardships, opposition even from those who were close and dear to them. Yet, they did not allow all those to dissuade them from following the Lord faithfully and courageously, just as what St. John the Baptist himself had done. As Christians, that is what we should be doing in obedience to God, to His Law and commandments.

Therefore, as we reflect on the life and actions of the most courageous and faithful servant of God, St. John the Baptist, particularly in his sufferings and martyrdom, the memory of his Passion which he had gone through for the sake of the Lord and all that he has been entrusted to do, let us all therefore reflect upon our own lives and ask ourselves what we can do to commit ourselves to the Lord with the same fervour, dedication, zeal and commitment, not fearing the hardships and persecutions of the world. We should not allow ourselves to be dissuaded by the opposition, challenges, troubles and difficulties that we may have to endure, and instead, like St. John the Baptist, we should strive so that our lives and examples may inspire those around us so that we may help others who are struggling in their faith in God to remain strong and firm in their faith and commitment.

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith and may He encourage and empower us to persevere through the many challenges and trials that we may have to face in the midst of our journey in life, in our dedication and faith in Him, at all times. May St. John the Baptist, His herald and faithful servant continue to inspire us all and pray for each and every one of us, holy and beloved people of God as we keep on going with our daily struggles and perseverance in faith. May God bless us in our every endeavours, good works and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 28 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we continue to be reminded through the words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, in which we are all called again to be truly faithful to God in all things, in our every words, actions and deeds, in every moments throughout our whole lives so that we may indeed be fully committed in all of our ways, in everything that we carry out in life so that we may always inspire others around us to be ever more faithful and committed to the Lord. As Christians we have to be truly sincere in our faith, obedience and dedication to God, to do whatever we can so that by our lives we may truly proclaim the Lord our God to everyone whom we encounter in life, and be the shining beacons of His truth and Good News, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard St. Paul the Apostle continuing with the exhortation to the people of God and the faithful Christians in the city and region of Thessalonica in what is now part of Greece. The Apostle exhorted the faithful people of God to obey the Lord and to do whatever they can so that they would do their part as members of the Church of God, to live their lives virtuously and righteously in the manner that the Lord has shown and taught us. At that time there were those who thought that since the Lord was coming soon, then they did not need to do anything and since they had been saved, then they could just enjoy and await the Lord’s coming, which is contrary to what the Lord had entrusted to them that is the mission to proclaim His truth and Good News, to evangelise to the whole world.

And there were also others who did not do their part as Christians because they were afraid of persecutions, trials and challenges that they were facing amidst their lives among the mainly still pagan populations of the Roman Empire. St. Paul strengthened them and reminded them and others that to be disciples of Christ, sufferings and hardships are part of the journey, and that they must not easily lose heart because the Lord would be with them throughout their journey, and they would not be alone. That is why, like St. Paul and the other Apostles themselves had shown them by example, they all should support one another, helping each other to remain firmly faithful in the Lord, resisting the temptations of worldly wickedness and sins, while living righteously as God’s holy and beloved people.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we still heard of the continuation of the same discourse on the woes and rebukes against the Pharisees by the Lord, Who has criticised the Pharisees for their elitist and discriminatory attitudes against those whom they looked down upon, those whom they disagreed with and considered to be less worthy than they themselves were. The Lord rebuked those Pharisees as they did not truly have genuine faith in the Lord, focusing more on their actions and ways which were meant mostly to glorify themselves and to gain more fame for themselves. They liked to parade themselves and their piety before everyone to see, but inside them, there was not much space for the Lord, because it is their own ego and pride that they were so full of.

And it is this same pride and ego which prevented them from truly being able to follow the Lord faithfully. This is because they hardened their hearts and minds, thinking that they could not have been wrong in their attitudes and approach in observing the Law of God. The Lord came telling them and all the other people that they had wrongly understood and interpreted the meaning, purpose and intention of God’s Law, and He revealed to them what the Lord truly wanted from them, and how they all should have practiced their lives with faith. Ironically, it was those whom the Pharisees were prejudiced against and condemned, who were closer to the Lord, as they were willing to listen to Him and embrace whatever it is that He had told them to do. It is therefore a reminder for us not to fall into the same trap of ego and pride as the Pharisees had experienced.

As Christians, it is important that all of us must be willing to listen to the Lord and to accept criticism and correction when it is due. We must not allow our pride, ego, hubris and desire to turn us away from the path of the Lord. We must realise that if we want to remain truly faithful to the Lord, we must always strive to put the Lord at the heart of our every actions and every parts of our lives. He should always be the focus of our lives and existence, and we should always remind ourselves not to lose sight on this focus. We must also not be idle in our faith and should do whatever we can, in each and every opportunities that God had provided to us, as St. Paul had exhorted and reminded the faithful people of God in Thessalonica.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, the great and renowned Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman Africa, one of the four original Doctors of the Church. Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of his mother, St. Monica, whom I have mentioned as a great and devoted mother, who patiently cared and prayed for the conversion of her son and family. St. Augustine of Hippo grew up in an influential Roman noble family, and he had the best philosophical education. However, in his youth, St. Augustine was unfortunately led into the wrong path by his peers, giving in to the many temptations of the world, becoming a Manichaean, indulging himself in all sorts of wicked behaviours and even fathered a child out of wedlock. One can only imagine the frustrations that St. Monica might have to experience for her son’s misbehaviour.

And yet, St. Monica went through it all patiently, always there to pray and support her son, praying for his conversion and change of heart. Slowly but surely, this impacted the members of her family, beginning from her husband, a Roman pagan noble who converted to be a Christian before he passed away, and then St. Augustine of Hippo himself, who was called by God and then, under the tutelage of St. Ambrose of Milan, finally embraced the Christian faith and the Lord fully, abandoning his past wicked way of life. St. Augustine of Hippo henceforth became a great servant of God, committing himself thoroughly to the Lord and to His people. St. Augustine of Hippo was renowned for his many great theological and other works, which are still influential and important to this very day, such as ‘De Trinitate’, the great treatise on the Trinity, as well as the famous ‘City of God.’

Through the examples of St. Augustine of Hippo, we can see how we can truly change our lives when we have the right focus in mind. St. Augustine found his refuge and satisfaction in the Lord, which no worldly pleasures or philosophical discourses he sought for earlier in his life could afford to give him. Therefore, since we have heard of his examples, let us all therefore be inspired to follow in his footsteps and continue to do our part in contributing to the works and missions of the Church. Let us all put the Lord back at the centre of our lives, and let us all inspire many others to come ever closer to God, through our actions and efforts which hopefully become good inspiration for others around us. May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us, and bless our every works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 27 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Monica (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Scriptures where we heard about the continuation of the discourse on the woes of the Pharisees in our Gospel passage today as the Lord continued on His criticism and rebuke on the Pharisees, the religious elite of the Jewish community who often opposed the Lord in His ministry and works, as well as the exhortation by St. Paul to the faithful people of God in Thessalonica on how they ought to stand firm to their faith in God, not allowing themselves to be easily swayed by falsehoods and temptations around them, to prevent them from falling into sin. Through all these, we are all reminded that we should continue to be faithful as Christians in all of our lives and actions, to be truly faithful to God and not merely be outwardly pious but having no love for God in us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Thessalonica, in what is now part of Greece, continuing from what we heard in yesterday’s passage, the Apostle reminded the people of God not to be easily swayed and tempted by various false messages and misleading details which might tempt them to give up their faith in God. That is why the people of God must have strong and enduring faith to persevere amidst the various challenges, trials and temptations surrounding them. There were a lot of misleading teachings and messages going around even since the very earliest days of the Church as evidenced in that Epistle that St. Paul wrote and sent to the Thessalonians. There were quite a few of those who tried to appropriate Church and Christian teachings to suit their own agenda.

That was why they mixed parts of the Christian teachings and truth with their own misinformation and ideas, which resulted in not few among the Christians to be swayed into their erroneous and heretical paths. St. Paul was working hard against all those heretics and all the false prophets and messengers, all those irresponsible and wicked people who sought to lead the people of God into the wrong paths for their own selfish agenda and benefits. He persevered through the challenges to slowly and patiently guide the people of God to return back once again to Him, and to return to the path of virtue and righteousness, abandoning whatever wrong and misguided ideas that they had been exposed to through those false leaders and heretics.

In our Gospel passage today, as mentioned earlier we heard from the we heard the continuation of the woes and criticism, rebuke and words that the Lord Jesus had against the Pharisees, who were the religious elites of the Jewish community at that time. The Pharisees often looked down on others around them and considered themselves as superior in matters of faith and piety, as the guardians of the Law and commandments of God. They also adopted a rather strict interpretation of God’s Law, the Law revealed through His servant Moses, and this brought great difficulties upon the people as many of them had to face tough challenges and hardships amidst obeying the many precepts and tenets of the Law of God.

What the Lord harshly criticised and rebuked the Pharisees for is their inconsistency in applying the rules of the Law, which were meant to advantage and benefit themselves. The Pharisees liked to parade their piety and obedience to God, their prayers and practices, but they themselves did not truly obey and follow the Law of God faithfully and sincerely as they should have done. Worse still, they also made it difficult for many others to follow the Lord and closed the doors to many of those whom they judged and deemed to be unworthy, being prejudiced and biased against those like the prostitutes and the tax collectors, those afflicted with diseases and possessed by evil spirits among others.

All these people were ostracised by the Pharisees and the rest of the Jewish community, but the irony is that they were the ones who were seeking the Lord the most earnestly and hence were closer to the Lord’s salvation than the Pharisees themselves. Those Pharisees were blinded and misguided by their own ego and pride, by their own mistaken knowledge and understanding of the Law, which is similar to what St. Paul had warned and advised the faithful in Thessalonica against, that they must not fall into this wrong path, to the path that does not lead towards God. This is why we are also reminded not to walk down this path, and we should indeed spend more time to connect ourselves well to the Lord and to renew our faith in Him. We should also help one another to remain true to our faith in God.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Monica, the mother of the well-known St. Augustine of Hippo, and who is the patron saint of mothers. St. Monica is a truly great saint who can be our great inspiration in how we should live our lives as faithful and holy people of God, in her tireless commitment to her son, her prayers and patience in guiding him towards the Lord. St. Monica was a Christian married to a Roman pagan influential man, and her son, St. Augustine of Hippo was a brilliant young man, but he was easily influenced by the many debauched and wicked influences of his time, and became a Manichaean, indulging himself in all sorts of wicked behaviours and even fathered a child out of wedlock. One can only imagine the frustrations that St. Monica might have to experience.

And yet, St. Monica went through it all patiently, always there to pray and support her son, praying for his conversion and change of heart. Slowly but surely, this impacted the members of her family, beginning from her husband, who converted to be a Christian before he passed away, and then St. Augustine of Hippo himself, who was called by God and then, under the tutelage of St. Ambrose of Milan, finally embraced the Christian faith and the Lord fully, abandoning his past wicked way of life. St. Monica was by her son’s side throughout the whole entire journey, and has always shown her love to him, reminding us all what it means for us to be a Christian and a disciple of Christ, in how we ought to love one another and to help one another in our path towards the Lord’s salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to do our best to proclaim the Lord ever more faithfully in our whole lives, and do our part as Christians to be good role models and inspirations for everyone around us. May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to bless and guide us in our journey, strengthening us all to walk ever more faithfully in His path, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 26 August 2024 : 21st 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 to be truly faithful to God and not to be merely paying lip service to Him, or to be like hypocrites and all those who did not truly have genuine faith and trust in the Lord. Each and every one of us as Christians must always be sincere and genuine in our faith and belief in the Lord, and we should not merely be living our lives without commitment and the desire to live them in accordance to the faith and belief which we have in God. In each and every moments of our lives, we should always strive to do our best, to be exemplary and role model for one another in all things, to be true Christians not just in name, but also in our every efforts, endeavours, our words, actions and deeds.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians in which St. Paul greeted the faithful people of God in Thessalonica, in what is today part of Greece, praying for them and encouraging them amidst the many challenges and trials that they had to endure in their path and commitments as Christians, as those who have faith in the Lord and believed in Him. St. Paul reminded the faithful that the Lord would always be with them and they should not give up in enduring the many persecutions and challenges because rich would be their rewards in the Kingdom of God, the assurance that the Lord Himself has given to them, that they would be well taken care of, and no one who had made commitment and sacrifices for the Lord would be abandoned by Him.

This letter from St. Paul to the Thessalonians highlighted the reality of being a Christian, a follower and believer of Christ at that time, during the early years of the existence of the Church. At that time, the Christian faith was still a relatively new faith and faced many opposition and challenges from those who disagreed with the Lord’s teachings and from the pagans and also the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. Being persecuted and enduring trials and tribulations were part and parcel of being Christians then, and many among the faithful had to face these difficulties on a daily basis. And yet, this did not discouraged many of them from continuing to follow the Lord faithfully as the persecutions in fact strengthened their desire to continue to serve and follow the Lord faithfully.

From the Gospel passage taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew today, we begin the next few days of discourses on the woes of the Pharisees, as the Lord launched a series of criticisms at the Pharisees for their lack of faith and genuine commitment to the Lord, for their many hypocrisies in enforcing very strict laws and regulations as according to their interpretation of the Law of Moses, and yet, they themselves did not practice those laws with sincere faith, true commitment and understanding of the Law of God, His precepts and rules. They made it difficult for the people of God by applying very strict laws and regulations, and yet they themselves did not obey them wholeheartedly, making excuses and exceptions that contradicted themselves.

Not only that, but the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often took great pride in their supposed piety and obedience to the Law of God. They often showed off their faith and sought praise and glory from whatever they had done, taking great joy and satisfaction in being treated preferentially and respected by the others in the community. This attitude was also complemented by their exclusivist and elitist attitude as they often showed great prejudice and disdain against those whom they deemed to be less worthy than they were, those whom they condemned as sinners, like those tax collectors and prostitutes, those who were afflicted by diseases and possessed by evil spirits, as well as the pagans and non-Jewish people whom they deemed to be unworthy of God and His salvation.

It is all these attitudes and behaviours that the Lord had warned all of His disciples against, so that they would not adapt the same attitudes and ways. As His disciples and followers, the Lord expects each and every one of us to walk in His path, to be always humble in our disposition and our attitudes, not allowing ourselves to be swayed by worldly glory and pride. We should not allow ourselves to be taken over by the desire for greatness and superiority over others, like what the Pharisees had suffered from, and like the Lord Himself has shown and taught us, we should constantly remind ourselves that what God wants from us is not empty proclamations and hubris-filled piety. Instead, the greater and better we are, all the more we should be humble and be willing to help others around us.

As Christians, we should always lead by example in all of our actions, words and deeds, in each and every moments of our lives. We should always be centred on the Lord in all things, doing our best at all opportunities given to us to proclaim Him through our examples, even in the smallest things that we do. We should never underestimate the impact of what we are doing, as often we may not realise that our every actions have wider consequences and implications that we may not be aware of. Through our actions and deeds, even the smallest and seemingly least significant ones among them, we may either show many others the truth and love of God, calling many more towards Him and His salvation, or we may end up scandalising His Holy Name instead, turning many away from God and His grace.

The decision on which path we are to embark on is ours alone, brothers and sisters in Christ. God has given us all the free will to decide and choose our path, and we should consider carefully how we are to proceed from now on so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path. Let us all henceforth renew our commitments from now and beyond, to continue to glorify the Lord by our lives and to do our best so that in everything that we say and do, we will continue to be the faithful and committed disciples and followers of the Lord in all things. May the Lord be with us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 25 August 2024 : Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday all of us are yet again reminded of our responsibilities as God’s people, as His disciples and followers and as all those who have been called to obey the Lord wholeheartedly and to trust in Him with all of our heart and might. Each and every one of us as Christians should always remained strong in our faith and trust in the Lord despite the many challenges, trials, difficulties and even oppressions which we may have to endure in our path and journey forward as faithful followers and disciples of the Lord. We must not allow ourselves to be easily dissuaded and discouraged by those obstacles that we may encounter or have to endure in our lives as faithful Christians, knowing that the Lord Himself is by our side, present with us all throughout the journey.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Joshua in which the occasion when the Israelites gathered before Joshua, their leader and the successor of Moses, when Joshua was already very old and was about to pass away. Joshua reminded the people of Israel of their obligation and responsibility to serve the Lord, their Master and King. He told them all to remain faithful to the Lord and not to be swayed by the false gods of their ancestors and the people who lived around them, the Canaanites and their idols. Joshua reminded them all that God had made a Covenant with them and their descendants, bringing them all to live in the land which had been granted to them to settle in. The Israelites then responded with faith, proclaiming their faith, fealty and loyalty to the Lord.

Unfortunately, if we were to read up further about the lives of the Israelites after the passing of Joshua, we would realise just how fast they went back on their words, not following and obeying the Law and commandments of God. They did not remain firmly faithful and committed to what they had pledged before Joshua and God on what they would do. They quickly turned away from the Lord and embraced the wicked ways of the world, worshipping pagan idols and false gods, building up shrines and altars to honour those idols instead of worshipping and obeying their Lord and God, the One and only True God. They did not remain truly faithful to the Lord because they likely found obeying and following the laws and precepts of the Lord to be demanding and difficult, as opposed to following the wicked ways of the pagan idols that often suit their worldly desires.

Then, from our second reading taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, we heard of the words of St. Paul reminding the people of God there to be good and faithful to the Lord, as well as to be committed in their respective parts and roles in the community, exhorting husbands and wives to be devoted and faithful to one another because they are all parts of the same one Body of Christ, that is the Church of God. St. Paul kept on highlighting this fact and the unity that all the faithful had in the Lord, which all would be explained through the discourse of the Bread of Life in our Gospel passage this Sunday and previous Sundays. Through His giving of Himself, His most Precious Body and Blood, He has united us all to Himself and brought us all together into this unity in the Church, to become part of His Body.

And that is why, each and every one of us as Christians are expected and called to live our lives worthily of the Lord so that in everything that we say and do, as we ourselves are the bearers of God’s light and truth, and His Presence is within us through the Most Precious Body and Blood that He has given us, and which we partake, as well as through the Holy Spirit that He has bestowed and blessed us with, dwelling in each and every one of us. Therefore, we are all part of the same sacred and holy Body of Christ, the Church, the Temple and House of God’s Holy Presence, and as such, we are all expected to do our best to live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God at all times. Each and every moments of our lives should indeed be filled with God’s grace and love, and we should always ever be faithful to Him at all times.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John, we heard the continuation of the discourse on the Bread of Life which we have covered in the past few Sundays. In this occasion we heard how the Jews who listened to the Lord speaking to them about Him giving them His own Body and Blood for them to share and partake, found it really difficult to accept as a truth and reality. He however did not shy away from telling them this truth, reminding them all that whatever He had told them was none other than the full truth, that He is indeed the Bread of Life, the Lamb of God, Who would soon lay down His own life on the Cross, breaking His own Precious Body and shedding His own Precious Blood so that all of us who share and partake in His Body and Blood may be saved and have new life in us.

We heard how many of the disciples of the Lord left Him after this occasion because they could not reconcile themselves with what they have heard from Him, with many of them probably disgusted upon hearing that the Lord would give them His own Body and Blood to consume and partake, not understanding and willing to open their hearts and minds to listen to Him, or to welcome the truth into their hearts. They prefer to follow their own judgments and thoughts rather than to believe and trust in the Lord, and despite everything that they themselves had witnessed and seen with their own eyes. But the Twelve remained faithful to their Lord and Master, trusting in Him and following Him regardless, and renewed their commitment to Him with the words spoken by St. Peter, who faithfully reaffirmed their faith and loyalty to Him before everyone. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore as Christians do our part in reaffirming our own faith and trust in the Lord, not just with mere words only but also through concrete and real actions. We must not be like those Israelites in the past who professed to have faith in the Lord and yet, they quickly gave up their faith in God and followed the false path of the pagans and their false idols. We must not merely be paying lip service of our commitment and faith in the Lord, but we must always strive to do our best, to truly embody our faith and trust in the Lord through our firm belief in what the Lord Himself has shown and taught us. And this means that we should live our lives worthily of Him, knowing that He has given us all His own Precious Body and Blood to partake, gathering us all to be part of His one Body, the Church of God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to strengthen and guide us all in our journey through life, so that in everything that we say and do, in our every good efforts and commitments to Him, we will continue to do our best to glorify Him by our lives. May all of us be the shining beacons of Our Lord’s truth and Good News, and continue to inspire many others to come ever closer towards God and His salvation, all through our own worthy and exemplary actions, in each and every moments of our lives. May God bless us always in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 24 August 2024 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the Twelve Holy Apostles of the Lord, namely that of St. Bartholomew the Apostle. The name Bartholomew had its origin from the patronymic name, Bar-Tholomew, indicating that this St. Bartholomew was the son of someone named Tholomew, Tholomaios or Talmai. In the Scriptures and Apostolic tradition, he was also known and associated with Nathanael, as we all heard his story today from the Gospel according to St. John. Regardless of his actual name, on whether it is Bartholomew or Nathanael, or whether it is Nathanael bar Talmai/Ptolemy or Nathanael son of Talmai/Ptolemy as some Biblical scholars proposed, what matters is that this faithful servant of God has lived his life in commitment to God and has done many wonderful deeds in His service.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Revelations of St. John about the vision of St. John the Apostle who saw the vision of the great city of New Jerusalem, the City of God that has come down from Heaven. This vision of the heavenly and new Jerusalem is the symbol of the coming of the eternal Kingdom of God, the restoration of everything that had fallen into disarray by our disobedience and sins. Everything would be restored to how God had intended it to be at the beginning of time and creation. God had always meant for us all to enjoy the fullness of His love and grace, to share in everything that He had created and prepared for us, the eternal joy and happiness which He has meant for us to have with us. And St. John saw the vision of the twelve gates of the city decorated richly with precious stones, with the names of the Twelve Apostles written on them.

From what we have heard in this account of the heavenly vision of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the ultimate destination which we all have in our lives, that is to be reunited completely and fully with God, with our loving Father and Creator. The heavenly and new Jerusalem present at the end of time, after all the tribulations, trials and sufferings which St. John witnessed in his visions, showed us all the end of all of our journeys and hardships, as we endure all those in our path to seek God’s salvation and to be reunited with Him. We must not give up easily on this journey, as in the end, all of us will have a share in the eternal glory of God, and we are meant to live and exist with Him in an eternity of joy, free from all hardships and sufferings. The Apostles themselves have also received this same assurance, and they would indeed be the ones by the side of the Lord, honoured greatly as the pillars of His Church.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus called the person named Nathanael to Him, and when He convinced this same Nathanael to join Him in His mission to the people of Israel. As mentioned earlier, this Nathanael is likely the same as Bartholomew, by his patronymic ‘son of Talmai or Ptolemy’, and this Nathanael was a rather wise and learned man, as someone who was knowledgeable in the Scriptures and the prophets. When it was mentioned that the Lord Jesus hailed from the area of Galilee, Nathanael knew that no prophet or great man would come from that region, showing his knowledge and understanding of the prophets and the Scriptures, but he did not know that the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea just as the prophets had prophesied about Him and His coming.

The Lord then told Nathanael that He knew of what he was doing and where he was, a truly supernatural experience and ability which convinced Nathanael that the Lord Jesus was truly the One Whom the prophets and the Scriptures had predicted, the Messiah or the Saviour of the whole world. He told them that he and the other Apostles would see even more great and wonderful things, all the signs and wonders that He would perform before them, and ultimately, in the end of their respective journeys, they would be among the first to experience the beatific vision of Heaven, of the Angels of God glorifying the Lord, the One Whom St. Bartholomew himself had seen, witnessed and interacted with. His faith and commitment to the Lord would truly be rewarded by the Lord, and they would share in the glory of their Lord and Master just as St. John had seen and shared with us.

St. Bartholomew according to the Apostolic traditions would go on to carry out the mission which had been entrusted to him by the Lord after He has accomplished His works, His Passion and death, and after He has risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven. St. Bartholomew went on missionary journeys to many places, such as Mesopotamia, Parthia, Armenia, Lycaonia, Ethiopia and even as far as India. He worked tirelessly to proclaim the word of God to those places, ministering to the people of God and proclaiming God and His truth to many more people who have not yet known Him. St. Bartholomew spent his life to do whatever he could to evangelise the truth of God to more people, committing himself to the service of God.

According to Apostolic tradition, St. Bartholomew went to Armenia where he managed to convert Polymius, the local Armenian king, who became a Christian. This resulted in the riot and rebellion from the local pagan population, which led to the king’s brother to order the arrest, torture and execution of St. Bartholomew. Yet another related and popular tradition stated that St. Bartholomew was martyred in the nearby region of what is today Azerbaijan, where he was skinned alive and then beheaded. Regardless of the details of the sufferings and martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, what was clear is that he has truly devoted himself to the service of God, proclaiming His truth and Good News to the far ends of the world, suffering many things amidst his efforts and works, not fearing the persecutions, oppressions and tribulations that he had to face in the midst of doing so.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the examples of St. Bartholomew the Apostle and remember that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, we have the shared responsibilities to continue the good works and ministry which the Apostles and disciples of the Lord, our predecessors have started. We should continue to do our best in whatever opportunities that have been given to us so that we may always be exemplary and good role models for our fellow brethren, and that our whole lives may truly shine with God’s ever present and wonderful light. May God continue to empower and bless us all in all of our endeavours, and may St. Bartholomew, Holy Apostle of the Lord continue to intercede and pray for us sinners still struggling and persevering daily in this world today. Amen.

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Friday, 23 August 2024 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all heard in our Scripture readings today, we are all reminded to do our part as Christians to truly obey the Lord in all things and to follow Him ever more wholeheartedly in our way of life so that through our commitment to God and our obedience, our faith and love for Him, we will continue to be strengthened and renewed in our lives, to be blessed always with His Holy Spirit and be ever thankful for the lives which He has given to all of us. That is why we must always remember our two most important priorities in life just as contained in His many laws and commandments, to love Him first and foremost before anything else, and then to show that same love to our fellow brothers and sisters around us, to our neighbours and everyone whom we encounter in our respective lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel we heard of the vision of Ezekiel who saw a great valley full of dried bones in vast numbers, and how God told him to speak to those great bones, which resulted in those dry bones regaining their previous shape and structures, restoring their muscles and skin, and all the parts which was likely very remarkable to behold and to be seen by the eyes of Ezekiel, how those many bones eventually turned back into a vast host of people, albeit those without the presence of life and spirit in them. It was then that the Lord sent His Spirit to those vast throngs of the multitudes of people, returning them all back to life, a truly vast multitudes of God’s people. This vision is a representation of what the Lord Himself would do for the sake of His beloved people, to rescue them from the darkness and to restore them back to His light.

What the vision showed us is God’s desire to restore His people to righteousness and grace, showing His love and compassion to all those who have fallen into disobedience and sin, and hence fell into the darkness and suffer from the consequences of death. He has created us all good and perfect, wonderful and amazing, and yet, in our disobedience and through the sins which we have committed, we have brought the punishment for our many sins. And death came to us because of our sins as due to sin, we have been sundered and separated from God’s love and grace, from Him Who is the Master and Lord of life. That is why we have to suffer from death, to endure the consequences of our rebellion and disobedience against Him. And yet, God does not abandon us, as He loves each and every one of us, and that is why, He wants to restore life to each and every one of us. 

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard from the Lord Jesus speaking to a teacher of the Law who went to ask Him which of the commandments and rules of the Law of God was the greatest among them, that the whole entire Law can be summarised into two main rules, namely that of loving God with all of one’s heart, with all of one’s might and ability, and then to love one’s fellow men and women, one’s fellow neighbours in the same manner as well, as much as one loves oneself. This is truly what the Law of God is all about, and what He has provided to us to teach us about love, and how to love Him and practice the same love in our own everyday moments in life. And we are all called to practice this love in our lives, to be truly genuine in loving God and our fellow men, and doing whatever He has told us to do.

As Christians, each and every one of us are expected to do our part in following what the Lord has taught and shown us to do. While God has always ever been generous in loving us and in caring for each and every one of us, and while He desires to forgive us our many faults, mistakes and sins, He wants and expects us all to follow His ways, His Law and commandments, and to play our part in fulfilling our side of the Covenant which God Himself has established with us. We cannot and should not be idle in how we live our lives as Christians, in doing God’s will in each and every moments of our lives. Otherwise, we are no better than unbelievers and hypocrites who say that they believe in something and yet, they do not live their lives or act in the manner according to what they believe in.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Rose of Lima, a renowned and holy woman of God who was also the very first saint from the New World, referring to the Americas. St. Rose of Lima was born in what is today Peru in a family of mixed heritage, during the early decades of the Spanish colonisation of the region. She was born as Isabel Flores de Oliva, and only gaining her later epithet and popular name of ‘Rose’ or ‘Rosa’ from an experience where a servant apparently witnessed her face turning into a rose. She was also well-known for her great beauty which led to many men try to pursue after her as she grew up and became more beautiful. To dissuade all those suitors, St. Rose of Lima rubbed peppers on her face and did other things to discourage those men.

St. Rose of Lima was also determined to lead a life of holy virginity which was opposed by her parents as they wished for her to marry. She dedicated her time and efforts to care for the poor and the needy, those who were sick and dying. She often practiced fasting and abstinence to restrain any worldly desires and temptations, taking upon a vow of perpetual virginity. And according to a well-known story, St. Rose of Lima also wore a heavy crown made of silver adorned with small little spikes on the inside for self-mortification and in emulation of the Crown of Thorns that the Lord Himself wore at the time of His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross. She devoted herself completely to God with great piety and devotion to the end of her life, as a sign of great holiness and great role model to everyone around her and to many more who listened to her experiences and faith.

May the Lord, our ever loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to bless us and guide us in our journey, and may He continue to empower each and every one of us so that we may always be faithful to Him in all things. Let us all do our best so that our lives, our existence and our every actions and efforts will always bring glory to God and we will continue to inspire everyone around us through our obedience and faith in God, to be faithful like how St. Rose of Lima had been faithful to God. May all of us be restored by God’s love and may His Holy Spirit continue to inflame our hearts so that we will continue to grow ever stronger in our love and commitment towards Him, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 22 August 2024 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which takes place seven days after the earlier great celebration of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is to show just how connected this celebration we have today is to that of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As we celebrate it last week, the Assumption of Mary commemorates the moment when Mary, the Mother of God met the end of her earthly life and journey, when she was raised up body and soul to the glory of Heaven. And we have discussed it earlier at that time, that all this happened because she, as the Immaculate Conception, conceived without any taint of sin, and remaining sinless and full of God’s grace throughout her whole life, she could not have suffered the consequences and punishment for sin, which is death.

That was why the Church, since its very earliest days have always believed in this core belief and tenet of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, no doubt also supported by the evidences and traditions from the time of the Apostles themselves, who have experienced the events surrounding the moment of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven. This is why, although the Catholic Church has only formally defined the Dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1950, barely over seven decades ago, but it was merely a confirmation and formalisation of what the Church and the faithful had always believed in the past two millennia of our Christian history and faith. Thus, today, which follows up from that glorious celebration of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven, we honour Mary in her Queenship, in her many titles as Queen, accorded to her through her status as the Mother of God.

Mary has been known by many titles of Queen throughout history of the Church, the most well-known of which being the Queen of Heaven or Regina Caeli, which is also the name of one of the four important Marian antiphons. She is also known as the Queen of All Saints, Regina Sanctorum, as the Queen of Apostles, Regina Apostolorum, the Queen of Peace, Regina Pacis, and many others. And some of those who did not understand the significance of Mary’s importance and role in the history of our salvation misunderstood this great honour which we have given to her, in honouring her as the greatest among all of God’s created beings, being honoured with the responsibility and privilege of being the Mother of God, bearing within her the Divine Son of God Most High, and becoming hence, the Ark of the New Covenant.

Some thought that we honour Mary as if she is a goddess or a deity, like that of in other beliefs and polytheistic faith. But this mistaken belief came about from misunderstanding of how we honour Mary in her Queenship. She is not a Queen by her own power or might, but her Queenship came about because of her being the Mother of God, Who is Our Lord and King, the King of the whole entire Universe and all of Creation. Therefore, she is Queen by virtue of her being the Queen Mother of Heaven, as the one honoured by her Son, Our Lord, Saviour and King Himself. And if Our Lord Himself has honoured His mother in such a manner, how can we then refuse to honour her in a similar way as well? It is not right for us not to do so, and if we truly love and honoure the Lord our God, then how can we not honour the one whom He Himself honours as well?

In the Scriptures, we heard an example of Bathsheba, the wife of King David of Israel who was honoured after her son, Solomon, ascended the throne as King Solomon. As the king’s own mother, Bathsheba was the Queen Mother of Israel, and was accorded a position of honour in the kingdom and a truly honoured position by the side of the King, who also asked her for advice and help on matters on the ruling of the kingdom. There were other Queen Mothers referred to in the Old Testament as well in the Book of Kings and Chronicles of Israel and Judah, highlighting how in the Scriptures itself, the position of a Queen Mother is something that has been existing since the ancient times and is a well-respected position because of the association with the King and ruler of the Kingdom.

And in history, there had been many Queen Mothers and Dowagers, Empress Dowagers and others who had been respected in the similar way in various states and countries. Not only that, but even if the aforementioned Queen Mothers, Dowagers and Empress Dowagers were not royalty themselves, as some of them were of simpler birth, they were deemed as worthy to be the Queen or Empress by virtue of their motherhood of their sons, who became Kings and Rulers in their own right. For example, Emperor Constantine the Great was the renowned Roman Emperor who ended the official persecution of Christians throughout the Empire and also extended toleration to the Christian faith, and his mother, St. Helena, was a Christian of relatively lower rank who was already divorced by his father, the previous Emperor Constantius who married another high-class woman to bolster his position as Emperor.

While St. Helena was never an Empress when she was married to the father of Emperor Constantine, she was treated well by her own son, and when he became Emperor later on succeeding his father, he would honour his mother St. Helena as an Empress, officially given the title of Augusta, a great title reserved only to the Empresses of the Roman Empire. In such a manner therefore, while St. Helena herself was never a royalty by her birth or by her marriage, she gained her majesty and title, honour and respect through her son, the Emperor, and was greatly honoured throughout the Empire for her great devotion to her son, as well as her personal piety and holiness, renowned later on for her role in the discovery of the True Cross in Jerusalem.

That is why, based on all these, we truly honour Mary as a Queen, as if the world has honoured and recognised the mothers of their kings and rulers as queens and queen mothers, then how can we not honour Mary, the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour, Our King, the King of Kings from Whom all the kings and rulers of this world gained their authority from, in the same manner as well? That is why we rejoice this day because Mary is our Queen, the one who is now seated by the side of her Son’s Throne in Heaven. More importantly, through her, we have a truly great ally and a loving mother who is our greatest intercessor, as one who has always been concerned towards us, loving us and praying for us constantly, asking her Son to show us His mercy and compassion.

Let us also follow the great examples that Mary, our Mother and Queen has shown us all in her own exemplary faith, dedication and commitment to God, and to everything that had been entrusted to her. Mary’s perfect obedience and faith in the Lord allowed the salvation of God to be accomplished through the Incarnation of the Divine Word of God in her, through the descent of the Son of God Himself in the flesh, that the Saviour might be born and revealed to us. Not only that, but Mary also remained firmly committed to her mission throughout her whole life, dedicating herself to love her Son and to follow Him. We should also therefore be inspired to follow Mary’s great examples, to commit ourselves thoroughly to the Lord from now on.

May the Lord continue to give us the strength and guidance to live our lives faithfully as Christians from now on. May He empower each and every one of us to be good role models and examples in faith at all times. And may His blessed and most loving Mother, our Mother and Queen, Mary most holy and blessed, continue to pray and intercede for us sinners, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 August 2024 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Pius X, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

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 all of us to embrace God’s call and listen to Him calling us to follow Him. And as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, we have also been tasked with the various missions, responsibilities and opportunities through which we are expected to do our part as members of the Church of God, to do our actions and deeds in accordance to what God Himself has shown and taught us to do. Each and every one of us have these responsibilities and duties that God has entrusted to us, and we should not ignore or neglect them, because then the Lord will ask us to account for everything that we have done, and what we have failed to do, in the end, at the time of Judgment.

In our first reading today, we heard of the passage from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel in which the Lord issued strong rebuke and condemnation against those shepherds of Israel who have not done as they should in guiding and taking care of the people of God, the flock of Israel, God’s own beloved people. This was a reference to how the kings and the other leaders of the Israelites had not done what they were supposed to do in leading the people of God and shepherding them properly as they should have done. They instead misled them down the path of sin, by disobeying God’s Law and commandments, worshipping pagan gods and false idols that led the people away from the worship of God, the one and only True God Whom alone they ought to worship.

In their lack of faith and obedience to God, that was why the Lord warned all those wicked shepherds, leaders and guides, reminding them all how misfortune and sufferings would befall them as a just consequence for their lack of virtue and commitment to the missions entrusted to them. And to us all, this is a reminder that we ourselves are also entrusted with similar tasks, missions and responsibilities in our own paths and journeys in life. And if we do not make the necessary efforts to live our lives worthily of the Lord and be the good role models and inspirations for one another, then we shall also be held accountable by the Lord as well. We must not this happen to us, and we should always remind ourselves to be ever more committed and true to our faith in God at all times.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew in which we heard the words of the Lord to His disciples as He told them the parable of the workers in a vineyard, called and chosen by the master of the vineyard to be working in his field at different appointed times, right up to the very last moments. In that parable we heard how different people responded to the master’s call at different times, some earlier while some later, and in the end, they all received the same pay and compensation from the master of the vineyard, a silver coin each as he had agreed with each and every one of them. But as we heard, some of those people were unhappy because they had answered the master’s call earlier and worked for longer, and yet, they were not rewarded more. They had likely expected that they would be awarded more for their efforts.

This is an important reminder for each and every one of us that we should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by worldly desires, ambitions and the seeking of attainments and achievements in this world. God gives us all freely His love and salvation, assuring each and every one of us of His equal and most generous love, but He does not discriminate us by our efforts, nor that we can be more worthy or any better than our fellow brethren simply by us thinking that we have done more good things and deeds in our lives, or that we have observed more of God’s Law and commandments. This was in fact also a veiled criticism that the Lord directed towards the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law of His time, many of whom had elitist attitudes and often looked down on those whom they viewed as inferior and unworthy of God’s salvation, love and grace.

Instead of being jealous of one another or thinking that we are in any way superior than one another, we should help each other in our path towards the Lord. And rather than comparing ourselves with others, thinking that we are superior and better, or by being endlessly preoccupied with finding out whether we are more worthy or not, we should instead focus our thoughts, efforts and attention to reorientate our lives towards the Lord and to do our best at every opportunities that have been given to us so that we may remember to do our works, our every actions, efforts and deeds all for the sake and glory of God instead of for our own glorification, fame, power or benefits instead. If we allow the temptations of our ego, pride and desire to corrupt and turn us away from the focus that we ought to have in God, then we may end up falling through the slippery slope of sin instead of coming closer to God and His salvation.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Pius X, a great and holy Pope well-remembered for his great piety and devotion to God, his many works and contributions to the Church, especially in championing the easier access to the Sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist to the children of a younger age, that he is now known as the Pope of the Eucharist. Pope St. Pius X was born into a poor Italian family as Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, the second of ten children. His parents, while poor, was very devout to the Lord and valued education and formation for their family, ensuring that the young Giuseppe was properly educated despite their poverty and situation. Eventually, Giuseppe Sarto continued to do well in his education and eventually received a scholarship to continue with his priestly formation in a seminary, eventually ordained as a priest.

During his priestly ministry, he was well-known for his great holiness and care for his flock, and was very dedicated in one occasion as the Archpriest of Salzano, where he helped to restore the church that had been run down at the time and building expansion to the local hospital, which he managed to support from his efforts, including even begging and other things that he had done for his flock. He also cared greatly for the people under his care during an epidemic of cholera that struck the area. Eventually this gained the attention of the diocese, and he was trusted as a canon of the Cathedral and then as the Chancellor for the Diocese of Treviso in northern Italy. He continued to do his best to care for the needs of the people entrusted to him, placing a lot of emphasis on the youth, on their education and upbringing, which he would continue as the Pope many years later.

Then, the future Pope St. Pius X was appointed and ordained as the Bishop of Mantua, continuing with his many earlier good works and efforts. He was made a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and then soon after the Patriarch of Venice, entrusted with the care of one of the largest and the most prominent dioceses in the Church at the time. He continued to labour hard for the sake of his beloved flock, being a very pastoral shepherd to his people, reaching out to them and being concerned about their needs, both physical and spiritual. Then, he was eventually elected as Pope, taking the name of Pius, in the Year of Our Lord 1903, during whose Pontificate, he was truly well known as mentioned, for his championing of the cause of earlier age for the reception of the First Holy Communion by the young children as long as they have reached the age of reason and received proper catechesis and preparation.

He was also renowned for his hard work against the dangers of modernism that was then harming the Church and the Christian community. He continued to work hard to the very end, dying heartbroken over the terrible wars that began in Europe, which would become the First World War. To that very end, Pope St. Pius X showed us that he was truly a great and loving shepherd to all of God’s flock and people, whom he has always been concerned about, thinking about them at each and every moments, worrying about their well-being and salvation at all times. The courageous and faithful life, work and dedication of Pope St. Pius X, holy man of God should indeed be great inspirations for all of us to follow in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we remembered what we have just discussed from the Sacred Scriptures regarding the need for all of us as Christians to live our lives to the fullest and focus ourselves on the Lord instead of upon our own selfish desires and ambitions, and inspired by the great examples of Pope St. Pius X, his dedication and commitment to God, in everything that he had done throughout his life from his early years up to his Pontificate and leadership of the Universal Church, let us all hence do our part as holy and beloved people of God so that we may truly live our lives worthily of the Lord from now on if we have not done so. Each and every one of us have been called by the Lord to follow Him, to do what He has tasked and entrusted us to do, and let us all hence do our best to live up to what He has expected us to do in each and every moments of our lives henceforth.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to empower each and every one of us so that we may continue to draw ever closer to Him, and continue to focus our efforts and attention on Him, putting Him as the focus and centre of our whole lives and existence. May God be with us all His Church and His beloved disciples and followers, and may He empower us all to continue to be able to persevere and to be strong in our Christian faith and living, despite all the challenges and trials that we may have to face, now and always. Amen.