Weekday Homily

by

Friday, 22 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all called and reminded to be truly faithful and committed to God in all things, in all of our lives and in everything that we say and do. We should be genuinely faithful and dedicated to God, and we should not be merely just paying lip service or be only faithful externally but not embodying our faith in all aspects of our lives. We have to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and do our very best in following everything that God has shown and taught us to do, and we have to truly have deep understanding and appreciation of what our Christian faith is all about. We have to constantly resist the temptations of worldly glory, ambitions and desires present all around us, and strive to be good and committed Christians, at all times.

In our first reading today, this is what St. Paul in his Epistle to St. Timothy spoke about, as he wrote to his protege and to all of us therefore, of the need for us to be truly committed and faithful to God in all things, and live our faith with the correct disposition and attitude, so that we may not end up falling into the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, just as St. Paul highlighted the examples of the false and corrupt leaders, the false teachers and prophets who twisted the message of God’s truth and Good News for their own selfish purposes and ambitions, for financial gain and achievements, rather than to serve God and carry out His works as they all should have done. Those were the ones who misled the faithful into the wrong paths, and which in the pursuit of their ambition and desires, ended up ruining everything and falling into their downfall.

Instead, St. Paul told St. Timothy to propagate the truth of God and the right way how all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved and holy people, should be living our lives in this world. Each and every one of us should do our very best to distance ourselves from the many worldly temptations, especially the pursuit of wealth and treasures, properties and other forms of financial advantages and attachments. All those things had led many to their ruin, and to be estranged from God, and hence, all of us are reminded not to allow those temptations to ruin us as well. But first of all we must also understand that money and finances are not themselves wicked or evil by nature, and neither are the possessions and things in this world. They can both be used for good and evil purposes, in various ways.

Rather, it is our preoccupation and attachment to them which led us to sin against God, and to walk down the path towards ruin. It is the love for money which St. Paul mentioned in today’s Epistle that is the root of many evils, and this is indeed true, as when our love and attention for money, for worldly comforts, glory and other attachments in life become greater than that of our love for God and for our fellow brethren, that is indeed when we become selfish, self-centred and self-loving, seeking to enrich ourselves and to gather those things that we crave and desire, without regard for those around us, and in the process, as what history has shown us, we may even end up hurting others and exploiting those who are less fortunate than us, or those that we are in position of exploiting, so that we may gain more benefits for ourselves.

This is why we should always remind ourselves to stay vigilant and be careful of the temptations and attachments to worldly goods and desires. Instead, we have to keep on reminding ourselves to stay true to our faith and to the things which the Lord had instructed us to do, and which He had guided us to do, so that we will always be ever faithful and true in our path, in walking down the path of God’s righteousness and virtues, and in loving Him and our fellow brothers and sisters, instead of oppressing and manipulating, exploiting and making those around us and those whom we encounter to suffer because of our selfish and irresponsible actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore renew our commitment to live a most worthy and faithful Christian living, in all of our words and actions, and in our every moments in life, so that in all that we do, and in our every interactions, we will always put God and His commandments, His Law and will above everything else, and that we will not selfishly put our own greed and ego, and our selfish desires which may lead to us causing sufferings and hardships to those who are around us. We have to be good role models and inspirations to one another, in how we all live our lives, in even the smallest things that we do, so that by our works, actions and our whole lives, we may be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth.

Let us all not be hypocrites in our Christian faith, and let us all be true and genuine disciples and followers of our Lord and God. It is very easy for us to end up being swayed to do what is wicked and unworthy of God, if we are not careful, or if we allow ourselves to be swayed by those temptations mentioned earlier. Let us therefore always keep in mind God’s Law and commandments, His teachings and all that He has shown us, throughout our whole lives. Let us all not be idle any longer in the living of our lives, but let us all instead be ever more committed and active in living our every day moments in serving God and in glorifying Him by our exemplary and faithful lives.

May the Lord our most loving God and Master continue to guide and help us all, strengthen and encourage us all throughout our whole lives so that we may always strive to do His will, and that we will always do our best to live worthily in His path, and to be good role models and examples, at all times. May all of us be strengthened, that despite the many challenges and temptations that we may face in our journey, we will always ever be strong and dedicated, at all times, in all that we do, for the greater glory of God, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 21 September 2023 : Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the great Feast of one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, and who happens to be also one of the Four Evangelists, that is St. Matthew the Apostle, also once known as Levi, the tax collector. As Levi, St. Matthew was a tax collector likely collecting the taxes on behalf of the Roman overlords of the region, and perhaps also the local rulers like the Herodians. Regardless of the details, the tax collectors living and working at the time of the Lord Jesus were really reviled and hated by almost everyone, and the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law in particular despised them and portrayed them as evil and wicked, unworthy of God’s grace, unclean and sinful in their lives and actions.

Why was that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because of the nature of their work, collecting the taxes on behalf of the state and rulers of the time, and by default, no one liked to be taxed or have part of their income and property to be subjected to tax. Then, historically, we must also understand that the Jewish people by the time of the Lord Jesus and His ministry were rather fiercely protective of their nation identity and freedom, as they were not that long ago put under rather intense persecution by the Greek rulers which eventually led to the well-known Maccabean revolts and uprisings, in which the Jewish people managed to free themselves from the tyranny of the Greek kings and overlords, establishing their own independent state, known as the Hasmonean Kingdom.

But this relative freedom and independence did not last long, as the Romans came into the region and became the new overlords of the realm, subjugating the Jewish people under their control, with some conflicts and divisions, some uneasy arrangements that were generally resented by the Jews. Not only that, as the Romans also arranged that another foreigner, from among the Idumeans, living as neighbours to the Jews, to be the ruler of the land, in the person of Herod the Great and his descendants. That was why the tax collectors were often reviled and hated, because they represented those overlords and rulers whom the people disliked, with the added fact that they had to shoulder the additional burden of paying taxes.

Yet, the Lord Jesus went to reach out to those same tax collectors, speaking with them and spending time among them, and even going so far as to have dinner at one of their houses. Such actions were frowned upon by the leaders of the Jewish people, like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, and hence, the Lord was questioned and criticised for having done so. But the Lord made it clear that He came to this world, in order to seek those who have been lost to Him, all those who have fallen into the darkness and into the clutches of sin. He came to gather them all back, His lost sheep, heal them and reconcile them once again to His heavenly Father, our Lord and Creator. He did not forget about them, and wanted everyone to know that they were truly equally beloved by God.

And by calling Levi to be His disciple, and eventually as one of the Twelve Apostles, the Lord showed that everyone has the potential and capacity for greatness in God’s grace and love. The tax collectors had been reviled, hated and looked down upon by many of the people, and yet, they showed greater faith and desire to love God than that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who stubbornly refused to believe in God despite having witnessed, heard and seen so many of the Lord’s works and wonderful teachings. Those tax collectors came to the Lord, seeking His mercy and forgiveness, wanting to listen to His words and desiring the grace of God, while the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, although they knew the Law and the Prophets well, refused to listen to the Lord or to believe in His truth.

St. Matthew, whose name change indicated his commitment to a new life and service to God, dedicating himself wholeheartedly to the cause of the Lord, eventually did many great and wonderful works for the sake of the Lord and His people. Not only that he wrote one of the Four Gospels, mainly aimed at the Jewish community at the time, in showing Who the Lord Jesus truly was, but he also ministered to the faithful and proclaimed the Lord and His Good News, to the Jewish people in Judea, and also further afield, in places such as Ethiopia, where according to Apostolic traditions, St. Matthew was martyred for his faith, having convinced the virgin daughter of the king of Ethiopia to be a Christian and to consecrate herself to the Lord. St. Matthew was martyred when the new King of Ethiopia, who lusted after the consecrated virgin and nun daughter of the previous king, was rejected and the latter was also rebuked by St. Matthew for his immoral attitude and behaviour.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the examples set by St. Matthew the Apostle and many others of our holy predecessors should remind us all that we are all called to a life that is truly dedicated to God, in our every words, actions and deeds. Just as St. Paul had written in his Epistle to the Ephesians, our first reading passage today, that each and every one of us have been given distinct gifts by the Lord, the gifts, blessings and opportunities which may allow us to do His will in various ways and means, in whatever it is that we are called to do in our lives. And St. Matthew has shown us that even those who have been hated and reviled by the community, dismissed and ostracised as sinners and those deemed unworthy, can indeed do wonderful and great deeds, and can be fruitful in their lives and works, and be great saints and role models like St. Matthew himself, among many others.

Today, as we rejoice in memory of the faith, commitment and works of St. Matthew the Apostle, Holy Apostle of the Lord and Evangelist, let us all do our very best so that in our lives, we may always be ever faithful and be ever more committed in each and every one of our actions and works, so that in all that we say and do, we will always strive to do God’s will, and that we will always ever be filled with God’s grace in all things. Let us also not be judgmental or be biased upon others just because we think that we are better than them or that we deem others to be less worthy than us. May the Lord always be with us all, and may He empower us with the strength and grace to do His will at all times. May He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 20 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all reminded that the path which the Lord has shown us, and that we are all called to follow His path, to do what He has told us to do and to be ever faithful and committed to His cause so that we may always strive to do our best in obeying His Law and commandments, and in doing everything so that we may always be inspirational and exemplary to one another in our Christian commitments and devotions. We must always put the Lord at the centre and as the focus of our whole lives and existence, or else we may end up being easily swayed and tempted into the path of worldliness and sin, or to despair in the midst of sufferings and persecutions in life. We must always trust in the Lord and have firm hope in Him, at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard about the words of the Apostle reminding St. Timothy and all the faithful of the Lord of how they are all expected to live their lives in the path and manner that their Lord has shown them, in everything that He has taught and revealed to them, so that they might indeed be the most worthy and faithful witnesses and bearers of His truth and love in this world. As we have also heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord showed us just how the world can never be satisfied by the ways and the truth of the Lord, always ever preferring their own prejudices and biases, their wants and their judgments on what they deemed to be good and right. But the path of the Lord and His Wisdom is never changing, and has always been constant amidst the ever-changing demands and standards of the world.

That is why today all of us are reminded and called to be true and faithful disciples of the Lord in all things and at all opportunities, resisting the many temptations and pressures from all around us, not allowing them to keep us away from the path of God and His righteousness, from all the virtues and goodness that He has taught and led us towards. We must always be committed to the Lord and seek to proclaim His truth and Good News, living our lives faithfully as God’s followers regardless of how others may perceive us, and how we may be treated or considered by those who are around us. We must always be full of genuine faith in God, and embody our faith and beliefs in everything that we say and do, so that just like how the saints and martyrs, our holy predecessors, had inspired many of us, we too may inspire many others around us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Korean Martyrs, marking the memory of those who have struggled and perished amidst the series of brutal and oppressive persecutions against Christians in Korea, both the missionaries and the local populations, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Back then, Korea was a land where the Church and the Christian faith had not taken root yet, and some of the Christian missionaries who were sent to Asia went to Korea to begin planting the seeds of the faith there. These included the pioneer of the Church in Korea, St. Laurent Imbert, who helped other Christian converts in Korea, that were clandestinely established there by some missionaries from China, to begin the foundation of the Church in Korea. There had been persecutions against those Christian population and the missionaries previously, as the government then was very hostile to the faith.

This was when St. Laurent Imbert and other French missionaries from the Society of the Paris Foreign Missions came in secretly to Korea, ministering to the faithful in Korea and began to spread the Good News to more and more people, under the constant threat of government persecutions and oppressions. St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean to be ordained as a priest in Macau also succeeded to enter Korea and he also began to minister to the Christian faithful, without fearing the constant threats of persecutions, which in time would result in the deaths of over ten thousand martyrs throughout the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Many of those martyrs chose to suffer and die rather than to give up their faith in God, and many of the missionaries chose to die with their flock, suffering grievously the pain and the hardships, shedding their blood for the Church and the faithful.

St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon was arrested and persecuted, but courageously proclaimed his faith in the letter that he wrote just before his martyrdom, and he also proclaimed bravely and courageously before his torturers and executioners just before he was to be beheaded, confessing his undying faith and commitment to God, proclaiming His salvation and Good News to everyone who wished to follow Him while also saying that God’s wrath and judgment will come upon those who refuse to know and believe in Him. Earlier on, St. Laurent Imbert, the first Vicar Apostolic of Korea, also suffered martyrdom after he surrendered himself upon hearing that the authorities would offer to spare the lives of the Christians under his care if he and two other foreign missionaries were to surrender themselves.

St. Laurent Imbert therefore encouraged the two other foreign missionaries to surrender themselves, with the words that he quoted from the Lord Himself, ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep’, and therefore, as the shepherd appointed to care for the flock of the Lord’s faithful, he chose to lay down his life for the good of the faithful people of God. Thus, St. Laurent Imbert and the two missionaries surrendered themselves, and were martyred just like many other Christians, and while the authorities clearly did not honour their words of sparing the people if St. Laurent Imbert and other missionaries surrendered themselves, but the courage and faith of St. Laurent Imbert and many other martyrs had invigorated, encouraged and strengthened countless faithful Christians to remain firm in their faith amidst the heavy persecutions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we also able to emulate and follow the good examples of the holy Martyrs of Korea, in all that they had done in enduring all the sufferings and hardships, persecutions and challenges, so that we may also be strong in our faith, and be inspiration for others around us in how we ought to live our lives. May God be with us all and may He bless our every efforts and endeavours, in our lives so that we may do our best to glorify Him by our every actions, words and deeds. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 19 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that as Christians we must always be faithful to God and put our trust in Him at all times, believing that in Him alone that we shall have an everlasting and true joy that will last forever, and not merely just a temporary attraction or satisfaction that lasts just a moment, and then fails us when it has run its course or when it is gone. We must also be good role models and examples for one another, inspiring our fellow brothers and sisters through our exemplary and holy lives, so that we may help many more people around us to come ever closer to God and to His grace, as we should have done as faithful and devoted, holy people of God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard of the Apostle laying out the rules, expectations and the criteria for the selection of those who would become bishops and deacons in the Church, which by extension also included the priests, and essentially laying out the expectations of what it truly means for one to be chosen as the shepherds of God’s flock, in their respective ministries. Back then, the office of bishop, priest and deacon were not yet clear cut in their proper functions and works, unlike today, but as the Church grew rapidly in size and numbers, therefore, the demand and need grew for the Church to have proper leaders and shepherds, ministers and all those who were involved in the management of the Church and the people of God.

And as St. Paul had mentioned to St. Timothy, all of those who were considered and chosen to be those important parts of the mission and works of the Church should be exemplary and faithful in their lives, and they should be worthy, righteous and virtuous in their way of life and actions. St. Paul mentioned and explained how they should be respectable and good in their lives so as to become good examples and inspiration for others, and to be good and worthy managers of the Lord’s Church. This was indeed important because good and dedicated servants of God and the leaders of the Church in the history of the Church had led so many people closer to God and inspired many to come to righteousness through their works and examples, but there were those wicked and unworthy leaders and ministers who scandalised and turned away many people from the Lord through their wickedness and evil deeds.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great miracle which the Lord Jesus performed in the small town of Naim, in which He raised the dead son of a widow who lived in that area. Through this well-known and great miracle, the Lord showed us all that He is truly the Lord, our God, the One with the power over all things, over the living and the dead. Each and every one of us in this world are called to be part of His flock, and He showed us all that death has no power against Him and His love for us. He raised the widow’s dead son to show us all that if we have faith and trust in Him, then we shall be led into the eternal and true joy in Him, to enjoy the fullness of God’s grace and love, forevermore. He is our Lord and Shepherd, Whose life, ministry and examples in our midst became example and inspiration to all of the faithful, to those whom He had called to lead the Church that He has established in this world.

The Lord cared for the needy and all those who have the great need for His love and compassion, His mercy and forgiveness. Throughout the Gospels we can see just how much effort and works that the Lord had put into reaching out to all of us, especially the ones among us who have fallen into the darkness and have been away from Him. He did not shun the wicked and the sinful ones, but instead reached out to them with love and compassion, even those who have resisted and stubbornly refused and opposed Him. The Lord did His works in perfect obedience to the will of His heavenly Father, and showed us all the meaning of true and genuine love and faith that all of us as Christians, as God’s people should always have to the Lord, our God and Master.

Through these readings of the Sacred Scriptures and what we have discussed, let us all discern carefully therefore our path in life, and our works and missions in doing God’s will and in following the path that He has shown to us. Let us all ourselves be good and worthy of being called as Christians, just as St. Paul had elaborated it to St. Timothy. His criteria for the selection of the faithful ministers of the Lord should also be seen as a guide for all of us, in how we ourselves should carry out our own lives. That is because what St. Paul had told St. Timothy, is also how all of us as Christians should live our lives and carry out our words, actions and deeds in our daily moments, so that we may become good and worthy inspirations for one another in our communities this day.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Januarius, a great and holy servant of God, whose life and commitment to God should serve as a great example and inspiration for all of us to follow in our lives. St. Januarius was the Bishop of Benevento in what is part of southern Italy today. He is famously today the patron saint of the great southern Italian city of Naples, where his blood relic miraculously undergoes liquefaction at important events especially on his feast day such as today. He was known for his dedication and commitment to his people, as the shepherd of the Lord’s flock, who were then suffering under the great persecution by the Roman state during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. It was told by Church traditions and contemporary accounts that he helped to hide and protect Christians from being persecuted and arrested, and eventually he himself was arrested, persecuted and martyred for his faith, ever faithful to the Lord, to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the great examples of the saints and martyrs, and that of our Lord Himself, so that each and every one of us, in every opportunities and at every occasions, may always guide and strengthen us all in our resolve and desire to serve and follow Him ever more faithfully in all things. May all of us also be great inspiration and examples for one another, that we may truly show God’s righteousness and truth to all the whole world. May God bless our every efforts and endeavours, and help us to live our lives worthily at all times. Amen.

by

Monday, 18 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to have faith in the Lord, our God, in everything that He has done for us, in loving and caring for us, in showing us His ever patient and good providence, so that all of us may gain righteousness and salvation through Him. All of us are reminded as always today, to be ever more committed and faithful to the Law, commandments and the path that God has shown us and taught us. Without God, all of us are truly nothing, and we cannot achieve anything on our own if God had not guided and helped us, through His blessings and providence, in every moments of our lives. That is why we should always do our best to follow the Lord and to entrust ourselves to Him, just as the army centurion in our Gospel reading today showed us.

Beginning with our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, the Apostle wrote to his protege speaking and urging all the faithful to pray for all those in power and entrusted with authority, that every one of them ought to remember and focus their attention on the Lord, their God, the one and only Mediator of the New Covenant which He Himself has established with every one of us. St. Paul reminded all the faithful once again of everything that God had done for those who are beloved to Him, all of us, by sending unto us all His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Divine Word, to be incarnate in the flesh, so that by becoming the Son of Man, He might show us the perfection of God’s love and glory, and lead us all once again to His loving Presence, and reconcile us fully with Him.

All of us have been separated and cast out of God’s loving presence due to our sins and wickedness, by our disobedience against His Law and commandments. But this does not mean that God does not love us anymore. On the contrary, His love and commitment to us, and to the Covenant that He has established with us, is ever wonderful, enduring and great, and His sending unto us of His Son, manifesting His love and compassion, His merciful outreach and attention to us highlight to us the ever enduring and persistent love He has for each and every one of us, sinners and delinquents, who have disobeyed Him and rebelled against Him. Much like a father who patiently cared for and loved his children, thus the Lord our God has done the same towards each and every one of us.

Unfortunately, many of us are often not appreciative of the love, kindness and grace that God had given to us, and we place our trust rather in our own strength and power, in our arrogance and greed, in our various worldly means and attachments, which prevented us from realising that we have walked down the wrong path, because we have always followed the whim of the many worldly temptations and desires present all around us. That is why many of us persisted in our errors and faults, in not doing what God has taught and commanded us all to do in our lives, and instead, did what we desired to do, in our many pursuits for worldly pleasures and satisfactions, turning a deaf ear to the Lord’s call and reminders for us to turn back towards Him and His path towards righteousness and salvation.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the great faith that a high ranking Roman military officer had shown to the Lord, in his faith and trust in the Lord, in entrusting to Him all things, even the life of his beloved and dear servant. That Roman military officer or centurion was also highly respected in the community because of his generosity and charitable actions, in helping to build the local synagogue, and in general we can conclude that he was truly a very upright and worthy man, who was although a Roman, and therefore largely a pagan in the eyes of the Jewish people at the time, but his actions and righteousness put even most of the Jews and their religious leaders at that time to shame. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because he had such great faith in the Lord, just like some other examples shown in the Gospels, more than those self-righteous fellows that the Lord criticised for their lack of faith and hypocrisy.

That Roman military officer, being highly ranked and respected at that time, could have told or even commanded the Lord Jesus to come to his place to show His miracles and healing in getting his servant to be healed. But, he humbled himself and showed his great faith and trust in the Lord, telling the Lord by the words that I am sure we are all very familiar with, ‘I am not worthy that You, the Lord, should enter under my roof. But only say the Word, and my servant would be healed and made whole.’ These are similar words to what we always say at every moments right after the Most Holy Presence of Our Lord, the Eucharist, is shown unto us, right after the Agnus Dei, and just before we are about to receive the Lord in Holy Communion. Those words that we utter are reminders for us, that the Lord has come unto us to heal us and to help us to be reconciled with Him, and by His grace we have been made whole again.

And rightly, we should be inspired and touched by the good example shown by the Roman military officer who humbled himself before the Lord and showed such great faith in God, that he believed even without needing to witness the miraculous works being done in person. In order to understand this even better, we should also contrast his response and attitude to those of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law who frequently demanded that the Lord should perform more miracles and wonders, signs and other amazing deeds before them, stubbornly refusing to believe in Him despite having witnessed so many of those miracles and wonders with their own eyes. All the signs and the words that the Lord had spoken, all pointed to Him being the Messiah, the Holy One of God, sent into this world, and yet, those same religious elders and influential leaders allowed their ego, pride and arrogance to blind and prevent them from recognising the truth before their very own eyes and senses.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we reflect upon the words of the Scriptures and what we have just discussed, let us all strive to renew our faith and trust in God, allowing Him to lead us in our path and journey towards Him. Each and every one of us must remember that we are truly so fortunate that God has loved us so much and has always ever been patient towards us, in reaching out to us with His ever generous mercy and compassion. We should therefore follow the examples of the faith of the Roman centurion, and do our very best in living our lives righteously and worthily at all times, reminding one another to always be committed in following God at all times. May God be with us always, and may He continue to empower us all in every opportunities and at every moments throughout our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Sunday, 17 September 2023 : Twenty-Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us are called to be full of love, care and compassion for each other, to be forgiving and merciful just as our Lord Himself has been loving, caring and merciful towards us. Each one of us should be filled with God’s ever generous mercy and love, in our every actions, words and deeds, so that in all the things we say and do, we will always radiate God’s love and compassion, and be ever ready to forgive one another our faults and mistakes, which is what our Christian faith and calling are all about. Just as the Lord Himself has shown us all the love and compassionate mercy, thus we too, as His disciples and followers, should always be filled with the same love and kindness to one another.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the words of the prophet Sirach in which we are all reminded that as God’s faithful people and believers, each and every one of us should always be filled with love and forgiveness, patience and humility. All these virtues and values are very important for all of us, as these are what the Lord Himself has shown us, all these while, in His ever patient love for all of us, His most generous and tender mercy, all the compassion He has shown us despite our frequent and constant rebellions, disobedience and wickedness in our lives. If God Himself has not despised or hated us for all of these, and still continued to love us all regardless, then why can’t we do the same as well, brothers and sisters?

The prophet Sirach also mentioned how we have to learn to forgive one another first and to show mercy on others around us, before we can even expect to be forgiven our own sins and mistakes by God. That corresponds very well with what we all know in the Lord’s Prayer, in the phrase, ‘Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us’. And as we have seen from that example of the Lord’s Prayer, which we all should know very well, forgiveness and compassion, love for one another is at the very centre and heart of our Christian existence and lives. We cannot claim to be true and genuine Christians unless our lives, our every words, actions and interactions with one another show the kind of love, compassion and mercy that God Himself has shown us ever so generously all these while.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the famous parable of the unforgiving and ungrateful servant, in which we are reminded yet again that unless we show the same kind of love and mercy that God has shown us, then no love and mercy will truly be shown and given to us. We must always be ready to forgive one another, to be charitable and compassionate, and to be patient with each other, as after all, just as others had wronged us, or made us angry and unhappy, there are likely moments and times when we ourselves have made others to be angry with us, or when our own words and actions had caused hurt or hardships to others. That is why, we should forgive each other our faults and mistakes to each other, and not to hold grudge or hatred against anyone else, reminding ourselves that God had forgiven us far greater sins that we have committed against Him.

In that parable, the king, who represents our Lord and God, had forgiven a servant who owed him a huge sum of ten thousand pieces of gold, a truly phenomenal amount, when that servant begged the king to give him more time to settle the account, and not to punish him and his family for the debt. The king was so generous that he did not just do that, but proceeded to cancel the whole entire debt, representing just how wonderful is God’s love and mercy to us, that despite our innumerable sins, He still graciously and willingly forgave us when we came to Him, seeking His forgiveness and mercy. Yet, that same servant then went on to threaten and force another servant who owed him merely just a hundred pieces of silver, which while it may seem to be a significant sum of money, but it paled in comparison to ten thousand pieces of gold that he had been forgiven from by the king.

We heard how that servant refused to budge or forgive his fellow servant the much smaller debt that he was owed, and how his uncharitable and wicked actions came to be known by the king, who then ordered the ungrateful servant not only to pay his debts in full again, but to face the full severity of his punishments, for his lack of charity towards his fellow servants and brethren, and for lacking in gratitude and appreciation for the mercy and love that he had been shown. This is therefore a very important reminder to each and every one of us that we must always show kindness, compassion and mercy to each other, and to be ready to forgive and to let go of our hatred and anger, with our fellow brothers and sisters. This is of course easier said than done, but unless we keep our focus and thoughts on the right things in life, that is on God and His Law and precepts, then with time and effort, we should be able to do what we have been expected to do.

Often times, the main obstacle to our ability to forgive others and to love one another as we should, is our own pride and desire. Our pride and ego often became stumbling block in our path because we end up being so focused on our wants and desires, our ambitions and pursuits that turn us inwards and behaving exactly like that ungrateful and wicked servant, whose self-interest and selfish wants and pursuits ended him in great trouble, because he could not look past his own desires and the ego he had. In his attempts to gain things for himself, therefore, he faltered and fell into disobedience against his master’s will, who definitely wanted all of his servants to follow what he had done, in forgiving and being generous to one another.

This is also what St. Paul briefly mentioned in our second reading passage today from his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Rome, in which he mentioned how everyone lived and ought to live for the sake of the Lord, and that when they die, they ought to die in the Lord, reminding all of them how Christ, their Lord and Saviour had suffered and died for them, through His Cross, by which He saved all of us from the darkness of evil, sin and death, and brought us all to the assurance and hope of eternal life and the light of His grace and salvation. It reminds us all that our lives should not be centred on ourselves and our own ambitions, but rather, be centred on God. As Christians, we should always have the love first and foremost for God, and then, to love our brethren, our fellow men and women, in the same manner.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have been reminded of these passages from the Scriptures, let us all therefore strive from now on, to be ever more loving and forgiving to our brothers and sisters around us, to be merciful and compassionate, following the examples set by the Lord Himself. He has kept on loving us and caring for us despite our constant disobedience and rebelliousness, and He has always patiently reached out to us with ever generous love. He has forgiven us despite our repeated wayward actions and betrayals. Like the king in the parable who had forgiven that servant who owed him a lot, the Lord has forgiven us our innumerable sins and wickedness.

Therefore, are we able to follow His path and examples, and love ever more generously, be more forgiving in our every actions, ways and interactions? Can we purge from our hearts and minds the poison of hatred, anger, envy, jealousy and all the things which may end up causing us to hate one another and cause hurt to each other. Let us all instead cultivate the culture of forgiveness, compassion and selfless love, in all of our actions and dealings. May the Lord be with us always in our journey, and may He continue to bless us all in our every efforts and endeavours, for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

by

Saturday, 16 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr, and St. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians, that is as God’s followers and disciples, to truly obey and follow the Law and commandments of God in all things, and in all of our words, actions and deeds. Otherwise, our faith is empty and meaningless, and have no bearing upon us and our identity as God’s people, those whom the Lord had called and chosen to be His own people and beloved ones. We have to be genuinely and truly faithful to God, knowing and appreciating His Law and commandments, that we may indeed embody our faith in all the things we say and do, at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard of the Apostle telling St. Timothy of the fundamental belief that all of us Christians believe in, that we all believe in the salvation that we all have attained through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Whom God the Father had sent into this world, so that by His coming and entry into our world, all of us might be brought into the new life and existence that He has revealed to us, the Lord Jesus, the Son of God, our Saviour, might lead us into full and complete reconciliation with God, our loving Father and Creator. We may be freed therefore from the threat of eternal damnation and sufferings in the darkness and in hellfire, reserved to those who have rejected God and disobeyed Him. Without the grace of God and His salvation, we would have ended up in the same fate as well.

But the Lord showed forth His compassion and great mercy, His desire to be reunited with us and through all of these, He has opened for us the certain and sure path to His grace and salvation, by sending unto us His Son, to bear the Cross that contained our sins and our innumerable iniquities, so that by His loving sacrifice on the Cross at Calvary, He might crush the dominion and tyranny of sin that have burdened us all these while, and through Him, we have seen the light of sure hope and grace, the path out of the darkness that surrounded us and kept us away from the fullness of God’s love and care. Yet, many of us still do not have true, strong and genuine faith in God, and many of us still allow ourselves to be easily swayed by the temptations and wickedness present all around us.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Lord speaking to His disciples that no good trees produce bad fruits and vice versa, and using that parable to teach them all how those who are good in their hearts draw upon those goodness to do what is good and righteous in their lives, while those whose hearts and minds were steeped in evil and wicked things, would inevitably draw upon those and commit what are evil and wicked in the sight of God and men alike. He also used another well-known parable, comparing two people with different attitudes towards God’s truth and teachings, likening them to people who built their houses upon two different types of foundations, be it foundation of solid rock, or a house that was not built on any foundation or support at all.

These all showed us how faith in God is truly very important for each and every one of us, and is here represented by that foundation in the Lord’s parable. For without faith, we can live our lives and do our actions and works, but what we say, do and carry out in our lives may not bring us to the fullness and true righteousness and virtues, grace and salvation that are found in God alone. If we put our trust in our own achievements, power and ability, and in worldly desires and means, then sooner or later we will realise that none of those things can truly satisfy or guarantee us, as none of those last forever, unlike putting our trust and faith in God, through which we can truly gain assurance of salvation and true glory and joy, the guarantee of eternal life and true satisfaction in life, which the world cannot give to us, no matter how many things we possess or how powerful we may be in this world. We must always trust in the love and mercy of God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of two great and holy men, whose faith and lives can and should indeed give us the inspiration and courage to carry out our lives and actions in accordance with God and His path. Pope St. Cornelius was the leader of the Universal Church during the time of great persecutions against the Christians throughout the Roman Empire, and also during a time when the Church was torn apart by great disagreement and schisms, particularly by those who disagreed with the practice of readmitting those who had lapsed in their Christian faith, or practiced pagan ways in order to protect themselves and avoid the harsh persecutions common at that time. Those who refused to allow those lapsed Christians who repented to rejoin the Church were known as the Novatianists after their most prominent leader, whom they elected as a rival Pope or Antipope.

That leader, Novatian, rejected the election of Pope St. Cornelius as the leader of the Church succeeding the martyred Pope St. Fabian because to the former, the latter was too lenient in allowing the lapsed Christians to rejoin the Church as according to the Novatianists, once a Christian has lapsed in the faith, then they can no longer be forgiven or be readmitted in their lives, in a rather self-righteous and almost Pharisaical kind of attitude, without understanding and appreciating how the Lord Himself would have reached out to those lapsed Christians and those who had been lost, like the ones who during the time of the Lord’s ministry were deemed as unworthy and sinful, like the tax collectors, prostitutes and those who suffered from ailments and demonic possessions. In the same manner therefore, Pope St. Cornelius and his compatriot, St. Cyprian of Carthage, another renowned leader of the Church, sought to champion this true ideal of the Church.

Essentially, as what we all still believe to this day, all of us believe that the Church is not just a museum for the ones who are holy, but is also a hospital for sinners. The Church is the Lord’s manifest outreach to the whole world, to all of the children of mankind, that each and every one of them may come to know the Lord, and be part of the one Body of Christ, called and chosen from the world to walk once again righteously in the path that God has shown them. The Church should not close its doors to those who truly and genuinely repented, and have been willing to carry out the penance for their sins, if the sinners desired to return to the Lord and to seek His mercy. After all, that is what the Lord Himself entrusted to His Church through St. Peter, as He entrusted to him the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, the power to bind or loosen those on earth that they may also be either bound or loosened in Heaven.

Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian both courageously led the Church and resisted against all the efforts of those who sought to exclude the lapsed Christians from returning to the Lord, and their great efforts and works eventually prevailed, as the support for the Novatian heretics floundered and the Church kept its open arms and doors, ever ready to welcome those sinners who come seeking God’s forgiveness and grace. This is therefore also a reminder to all of us that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by the sense of pride and self-righteousness, which may end up causing us to behave in the same Pharisaical and prideful way as those Novatianists, but instead, we should always be caring and concerned about our fellow brothers and sisters, many of whom are in need of our help and assistance in their struggles to live lives worthy of the Lord.

Let us all therefore today resolve to live our lives ever more worthily of the Lord, by doing what He has willed and commanded us to do, obeying Him as best as we are able to, in every moments and opportunities. Let us all remind one another of God’s ever gracious and generous love for us, His mercy and compassion which have always been generously given to us, at all times. Let us also help one another to walk with ever greater dedication in the path of our Christian faith, and be great role models, examples and inspirations to one another, now and always. May God bless each one of us in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

by

Friday, 15 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, which is very much tied with the celebration the day before of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Just as we remember the glory of the Cross of Our Lord and Saviour yesterday, in everything that He had done for our sake, in submitting most humbly to the will of His heavenly Father and bearing His Cross, therefore today we remember the one person who has always remained firm and committed in following her beloved Son, throughout all of His ministry and works, and even to the foot of the Cross, where He hung, suffering and dying for the salvation of the whole world. Mary, the Mother of Sorrows, had endured the worst that a mother would have to do, in seeing, witnessing and experiencing her own Son’s suffering and death.

In the very well-known art work, called the Pieta, crafted and made by the famous Michaelangelo, we see the figure of the sorrowful Mary, Mother of God, holding in her own hands the dead body of her beloved Son, after His mission had been accomplished and completed, as He gave up His Spirit and died on the Cross, to redeem all of mankind, by offering Himself as the perfect and most worthy sacrifice, an offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, to be offered and broken on the Altar of the Cross, as the Lamb of God, as well as our Eternal High Priest. Mary watched everything unfolding before her very own eyes, and we can only begin to imagine the kind of sorrow and heartache that she had to experience as she witnessed the sufferings and the trials faced by her Son.

That is why Mary, as Our Lady of Sorrows, has always been so attentive to all of us, having been entrusted with all of us as her own children, and she has become our own Mother, loving and caring for us, even from her heavenly abode. This is what we have heard in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. John, when just before He gave up His Spirit, the Lord Jesus told St. John, His beloved disciple, to take care of His Mother, and then He also told Mary that St. John there was to be like her own son, which was actually a symbolic entrustment of Mary to all of us, represented by St. John, to be our own loving mother. Mary has always therefore loved us all just as how she has loved her Son throughout all of His life in this world.

Why is that, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because Mary herself had witnessed what any mothers should not have seen and witnessed, seeing her own Son’s death, and not just any death, but death in the most humiliating, painful and terrible way, and all of those things happened because her Son willingly took upon Himself all the punishments and consequences that were meant for us, to save us all from the sins and wickedness that we have committed, that we do not end up in eternal damnation in hell, by our disobedience, sins and evils. Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, have shown us all the perfect example of obedience, as we heard in our first reading today, from the Epistle to the Hebrews, that He would become for us, the Source of eternal salvation and life.

Each and every one of us, the children of mankind, have been subjected to sin and death by our disobedience against God, through our refusal to obey God, His Law and commandments. And if not for the enduring and persistent love which God has always shown us, we would have been condemned to an eternity of sufferings and pain, an eternal death in hell, in which we are forever separated from God and His love. But that is not what the Lord wanted to happen to us, because He Who had created us with love, and out of love, wants us to be reconciled with Him once again, and to experience the power of His mercy and forgiveness. Otherwise, if He had not done so, and if He has not intervened through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour we would have been cast out into the eternal darkness and hell, to suffer the whole consequences of our sins and evils.

Thus, Mary, who has experienced the sufferings and struggles that her Son had to endure in saving us from the depth of our wickedness and sins, certainly does not want any of us to suffer the destruction that we have been going towards, especially because her Son had suffered so that we may have new life and hope through Him. That is why Mary kept on interceding for us, guiding and helping us on our way, as she does not want us, her beloved children, to be lost to her, and she still wants us to be reunited with her and her Son, Our Lord and Saviour. That is why, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, had made so many apparitions, appearances meant to help remind us mankind to turn away from our sins and wickedness, a common theme of her apparitions, and that we should embrace the Lord and His merciful love once again.

That is why, the phrase of ‘to Jesus through Mary’ is indeed very popular and appropriate, reminding us how Mary is indeed the very sure path for us to follow in our desire to seek the Lord and the redemption in Him. Her great faith and dedication to God, her commitment to the mission and the path that has been entrusted to her are great examples for all of us to follow in our own lives, so that in everything that we do and say, in our every actions and interactions in life, we will always glorify God, and that we will always be obedient to Him and His Law, His commandments and path, in doing what He has called and entrusted to us to do. Let us all no longer be subjected to the tyranny and dominion of sin, evil and death, after everything that the Lord had done for us.

Let us all remind ourselves and one another of the great and ever enduring love which God has for us, and how His blessed Mother, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, who is also our loving mother, have always loved us and watched over us. Let us all appreciate just how fortunate we are to have been beloved in such a manner, and we should always ever be thankful for all the blessings and love, the grace that we have received from God and His most generous mercy. May the Lord, and His blessed mother, Our Lady of Sorrows, continue to help us in our journey of faith towards the Throne of God’s love and mercy. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 14 September 2023 : Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, marking the very significant moments when the Holy Cross of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is triumphant and glorious, over the enemies of the Lord and over all those who oppose Him, in three distinct events which are all commemorated together today on this great Feast. These events are first of all, the finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, and then the Dedication of the churches that had been built and dedicated by the same Emperor Constantine the Great at Mount Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre, marking the site of the Lord’s Crucifixion, and lastly, the triumphant entry of the True Cross into Jerusalem, the Holy City, after it had been taken away by the Persians, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Heraclius, who managed to regain and restore the True Cross.

Regarding the first event, it was told according to history and traditions that St. Helena, the mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, travelled to the Holy Land in search of the True Cross of the Lord, and managed to find this very important relic and historical artefact, when she discovered three crosses hidden and buried at the site of the Crucifixion outside Jerusalem, which had been hidden and forgotten for several centuries. St. Helena identified the right Cross by touching the crosses to a person suffering from sickness, and one of the three crosses made the person to be immediately healed, which identified that cross as the Cross on which Our Lord was crucified. The other two crosses belonged to the two thieves who were crucified besides the Lord.

That discovery of the True Cross also came about at a very important time in the history of the Church, as it happened just shortly after the victory and triumph of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great over all of his enemies and rivals, many of whom persecuted Christians, following that of the earlier Emperors and rulers of the Roman state. Emperor Constantine the Great was the first Roman ruler who extended official toleration of Christians, ending centuries of terrible and harsh persecutions and oppressions against them, with the famous Edict of Milan and then, after having defeated all of his rivals, extending the freedom for all Christians to believe in God to the whole Empire. Emperor Constantine the Great also supported many Church institutions and donated generously to build many churches and places of worship for Christians, among which as mentioned are the churches established on the Holy Sepulchre and Mount Calvary.

Therefore, symbolically, the discovery of the True Cross also signified the triumph that the Lord and His conquering Cross over that of those who opposed Him and oppressed His faithful ones. And we also cannot forget the famous story of how Emperor Constantine himself came to entrust himself and the Empire to Christ, that when it was the time of his pivotal battle and struggle against his great rival, Maxentius, at the Battle of Milvian Bridge shortly before the Edict of Milan, the Lord showed Emperor Constantine the great sign in the sky, which was either a Cross or the Chi-Ro symbol of Christ, and with the words in the Emperor’s vision, that ‘with this Sign, you shall win and conquer’, which came true with his great victory at the battle and in the ultimate triumph of Christianity against the pagan faith of Rome.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now that we have discussed the historical events which led to this celebration of the Triumph and Exaltation of the Holy Cross, let us all now delve even deeper into the importance and significance of the Cross of Christ to all of us. The Cross of Christ is the symbol of our Hope and the Light that has pierced through the darkness surrounding us, giving us the strength and inspiration to break free from the tyranny and domination by the devil and from the depredations of sin. It is through the Cross that each and every one of us have been shown the path to glory and true joy in God, the assurance of eternal life and liberation from the chains that have shackled us due to our disobedience and sin against God. The Cross is the reminder of everything that God has done out of love for each and every one of us.

Symbolically, the Cross also marks the reversal of the disobedience of our ancestors, who have, in their moment of pride, eaten from the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil, listening to the falsehoods and lies of the devil rather than to trust in God and His providence. Thus, by another tree, the wood of the Cross, that God showed us the perfect obedience of His Son, as the Son of Man, Who offered Himself, stripped from all honour and glory, as we heard what St. Paul wrote in his Epistle to the Philippians. By the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, brought us all from the darkness of sin, dispelling and reversing the effects of the downfall of man in the Gardens of Eden, and showing us all the path of righteousness and virtue, the path of grace towards the eternal life and full reconciliation with God, our Master and Creator.

And as we heard in our Gospel reading passage today, that very famous words of the Lord, ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.’, through which we are reminded that God has always loved us and treated us all with great care and compassion despite our rebelliousness and stubbornness in disobeying Him and His Law, His commandments and ways. He sent unto us His Son, that by His coming into this world, the Divine Word of God incarnate in the flesh, God might show all of us His perfect love manifested and tangible to us, approachable and no longer impossible for us to attain. Through His Passion and then Crucifixion of the Holy and Triumphant Cross, the Lord then reaffirmed His ultimate and enduring love, fulfilling His own words, that ‘there is no greater love than this, for someone to lay down his life for a friend’ and ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep’.

As mentioned earlier, the Cross is also the symbol of Christ’s perfect obedience to His Father’s will, showing all of us what it truly means for us to be Christians, to be followers of the path of God and to believe in His truth and Good News. Every time we look upon the Cross upon which Our Lord and Saviour is hung, we should remember this great and most amazing love that we have received from Him, that He has poured out freely from His Cross, through the breaking of His Body and the outpouring of His Blood, by which His Triumphant Cross unlocked for us the gates of Heaven, and led us out of the depth of darkness and sin, from the threat of eternal damnation into the fullness of grace and eternal life in God. The Lord has shown us His perfect love in the Cross, and all of us should well remember this Love, as we go through this great celebration today. Hopefully, all of us will also be full of the same love, for both our Lord Himself and also for our fellow brothers and sisters, all around us, as is our calling and mission as Christians.

May all of us, God’s beloved people, continue to put our faith and trust in Him, as we look upon His Cross, the Cross that has conquered and triumphed, the symbol of humiliation and defeat that had been transformed by Christ’s death and ultimately His glorious Resurrection, into the most triumphant Cross by which sin and death had been crushed, and by which the devil and all of his wicked forces had been defeated and overcome. Let us always rejoice in the Holy Cross, and be the most courageous and faithful bearers of our own crosses, as we carry them with our Lord, ever being faithful and dedicated to the path which He has shown us. Let the Cross of Christ, the ever Triumphant and Victorious Cross illuminate our path, and help us to remain firm and faithful in our commitment to God, to be ever worthy of Him, at all times, and let us follow the Lord wholeheartedly always in our every moments in life. May God bless us all and may He guide us through this journey and faith in life, now and always. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 13 September 2023 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that each and every one of us should keep ourselves away from worldly temptations and evils, and all the things that usually keep us away from the path of righteousness and virtue in God. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to do God’s will, to obey His Law and commandments, and to free ourselves from the many temptations and the shackles of evil and sin that have often kept us chained to our desires and all the attachments we have to worldly glory and pleasures, so that we do not remain bound to those wicked and evil thoughts and ways, but receive from God the assurance of eternal life and true joy through our faith and commitment to Him. All of us should do our best so that our every words, actions and deeds are exemplary and full of true and genuine faith in God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians, in which the Apostle told the faithful and the Church community there to remain firm in their faith and to seek to live their lives as best as they could in accordance to the way that the Lord has taught them through the Church and those who have shown them what it meant to be Christians. St. Paul exhorted the faithful Colossians to keep away from immorality and wickedness of the world, from all the impure desires and evils, from the worship of idols and all the other things that could make them to be corrupted by sin and wickedness of the world. They should reject the malice and the evils of worldly ways and customs, and instead, do what the Lord Himself has shown and taught them to do, in loving God and loving one another, with true and genuine faith and dedication.

This is very important indeed as how we live our lives and faith will determine how others perceive this faith we have in God. As long as we do what is right and just according to the Law and commandments of God, keeping ourselves away from wickedness and evils of this world, the various temptations and pressures to disobey God’s Law and will, and as we carry out dutifully our actions and our way of life, in being good examples and inspiration for one another, we are all truly good and worthy Christians, and through us, our words, our actions and our lives, the truth and Good News of God, the love and grace of God are shown unto more and more around us, to those who have not yet known the Lord or experienced His love and grace. We have the capacity and potential either to turn people towards God or to make people to turn away from Him.

That is why, just as we have also heard from our Gospel passage today, each and every one of us are reminded to be like the ideal Christians as described by the Lord Jesus in the famous Sermon on the Mount, also known as the Beatitudes. In that occasion, the Lord revealed to all His disciples and everyone who had heard Him, what it truly means to be Christians, as those who follow the Lord and His path, that they should be living their lives virtuously and worthily according to the guiding principles of the Beatitudes that He has taught and shared with all of them. The Beatitudes highlighted the attitudes and the approach that we ought to have with our lives so that we may know how we can live them with ever greater conviction and with greater faith in the Lord.

As the Lord Himself said, that all of us as His faithful people ought to be poor in spirit, hungry not only for food but also in this context, for the righteousness and justice, and also for the truth of God, and also to be ever faithful amidst all the challenges and trials that they would have to face in the living of their lives with faith in God. Through the Beatitudes, the Lord highlighted and reminded all of us as God’s beloved people, that we should always place Him first and foremost in our hearts and minds, in all of our whole lives. We should not allow the corruption of this world, of the various pressures and coercions that we may have to face in our journey of faith and life to dissuade us from following the Lord and from committing ourselves and our lives to Him, as we should have done according to our calling and mission.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Chrysostom, who was the famous Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the most renowned leaders of the early Church and well-respected by his contemporaries. He was born into a pagan Roman family, and became a convert to the faith in his early adulthood, having been well brought up academically and intellectually, and eventually for a while, he sought to abandon the world and seek the Lord through very deeply ascetic lifestyle through which he shunned the excesses of the world and sought to learn more about the Lord while deepening his knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures. Eventually, his eloquence and charisma, his piety and sanctity led him to be respected by many throughout Christendom, being renowned for his very inspiring and frank homilies that touched the hearts and minds of many, and brought many of them to the faith.

St. John Chrysostom was then appointed as the Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the capitals of the Roman Empire, which was then ascending in its power and glory. He worked hard to minister to his flock and denounced the excesses both among the clergy and the laity, especially those who were in the positions of power. In particular, he was despised by the then reigning Roman Empress Aelia Eudoxia, the wife of the then Roman Emperor Arcadius. The Empress loved to dress and live extravagantly, and those excesses were denounced by the saintly Archbishop, who sought to bring the people back to the path of obedience and purity in God, free from the worldly wickedness and corruptions. This brought him a lot of hardships and trials, leading him to be exiled from his See. However, he continued to persist in his efforts and did not back down from standing up for the faith, right to the very end of his life.

Echoing what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, the experiences faced by St. John Chrysostom, the challenges and trials that he faced in his works and ministry should remind us all that we are also likely to face such struggles, trials and hardships amidst our faith journey throughout our respective lives. Let us all not be discouraged and be disheartened by all those things, but instead, let us be strengthened by the examples and inspirations that our many holy predecessors have shown in their lives, all these while. May the Lord continue to bless our efforts and works, and help guide us in our journey towards Him, now and always, forevermore. Amen.