Weekday Mass

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Wednesday, 5 March 2025 : Ash Wednesday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is Ash Wednesday, the very first day of the penitential season of Lent, the forty days plus period of spiritual renewal and reorientation of our lives, so that we may prepare ourselves well for the upcoming important celebrations and events during the Holy Week and Paschal Triduum towards the glorious season of Easter. During this time and period of Lent, all of us as Christians commit ourselves to a renewal of our lives and reattune ourselves to the Lord. We remind ourselves that as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us ought to live our lives worthily and devote ourselves to His ways, distancing ourselves from all the corruptions of evil and sin, from the various temptations of the world around us so that we may truly be faithful disciples and followers, worthy of the Lord, our most loving God and Father.

Today we recall our weakness and mortal nature, as sinful men and women, who because of our disobedience and sins against God, had been sundered from the fullness of God’s love and grace. This is why the blessed ashes imposed on us is a reminder of this fallen state and our mortality, with the words of the priest imposing the ashes, ‘Remember man, that you are dust, and to dust you shall return’, linking to the fact that God crafted and made us all from the dust of the earth, and when we die, our bodies shall rot and perish, returning back to the earth where it came from. No matter how great or glorious our background or life may be, in the end, all of us will have to face death and the end of our earthly existence. But with God there is an everlasting life and existence beyond this life we have in this world.

Alternatively the priest would also have said as he imposed the ashes, ‘Repent, and believe in the Gospel’, which again highlights the penitential nature of this time and season. On this Ash Wednesday, all of us are required to fast and abstain from meat, in which these practices are meant for us to restrain our physical bodies and desires, our worldly wants and pursuits, and reminding us all to purify ourselves, our bodies, minds, hearts and our whole being so that through this repentance and purification of our beings, we may truly be worthy once again, through God’s grace and forgiveness, to be His holy and beloved people, filled with the fullness of His grace and love. We are all required to fast today, eating just one main meal and two smaller meals called collations, and the aforementioned abstinence to remind us of the futility of worldly glory and desires, and to focus ourselves to the Lord once again.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Joel, we heard of the words of the Lord spoken through this prophet calling on all the people of God to return to their Lord and Master with repentance and sincere desire to turn themselves towards His mercy and forgiveness. The prophet Joel was sent by God to minister to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, the southern half of the kingdom of God’s people, to remind them all of the Lord’s Law and commandments, calling upon all of them to restore the faithful practices of their ancestors and for them to turn away from their sins and wickedness. At that time, the kingdom of Judah and the people of God had fallen far away from the path of the Lord, disobeying and disregarding the commandments which God had taught to them and their ancestors and requiring them to follow and obey. And as a result, they had been beset by troubles, difficulties and persecution from their enemies.

But the prophet Joel highlighted how God is truly loving and merciful, and all of us ought to come to Him seeking His mercy and forgiveness, as He forgives those who sincerely seeks Him and wants to be forgiven. Through our repentance, our fasting and abstinence done with the right intentions and desire for us to be rid of our impure and corrupt thoughts, desires and other temptations, we shall gain the grace of God, the generous love and compassionate mercy that our loving Father has always had for us. Nonetheless, this is as always, easier said than done, as despite our best intentions, there will always likely be temptations and other things which may hinder us on our path and journey towards God, and it is during this time of Lent that we should do our best to reorientate our lives towards the Lord and be more aware of the dangers of sin and the temptations around us.

In our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Corinth, the Apostle reminded all the faithful there of the great grace and mercy which God has shown to all of them, the beloved people of God, and how they all should seek the compassionate love and mercy from God because this very moment is indeed the favourable time to seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. What St. Paul told to the faithful among the Corinthians is also a reminder for all of us that we should not procrastinate or delay in our efforts to seek the Lord, as some among us may delay in doing so because we think that we still have ample amount of time in our lives to be forgiven from our many sins and wickedness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must be reminded again of the reality of our mortality and the fact how any one of us can be called to account for our lives before the Lord at any moment. No one knows for certain when we will meet the end of our lives, beside the certainty that we will indeed face death in the end of our earthly life and existence, be it that we have a long or short life. All of us are mortals who will not endure and exist forever in this world, and hence, we should make good use of all the opportunities and means that the Lord has generously given to us, to seek Him and His ever generous love and kindness. We must not wait until it is too late, when all of our means to reach God has been exhausted, and we can no longer attain His forgiveness. Let us all be quick to seek to repent from our sins, and receive regularly the forgiveness from God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the Church.

Then from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle, we are reminded of the matter of practices of our faith and things related to what we do during this time and season of Lent such as fasting and abstinence, prayers and almsgiving among others. As the Lord made it clear to His disciples and all those gathered to listen to Him, when we fast, abstain, make our prayers and do other things that we often do during this time of Lent, we must not make a show out of it. We also should not do these actions in order to be praised and adored by others around us. Instead, we should do them because we are truly and sincerely repentant over our many sins and wickedness, realising the depth of our unworthiness and iniquities before God.

As we receive the blessed ashes on our heads and foreheads, we are all reminded of the need for repentance and renewal in our lives, as we are called to embrace God’s rich and merciful love, making use of the chances that had been provided to us to turn once again towards God, and as His children, full of love for our Father, let us all beseech Him for His mercy and kindness, knowing that in Him alone we can find true forgiveness and peace, salvation and eternal life, and if we are willing to commit ourselves to the path that God our Father has shown us, then God will surely forgive us our sins and allow us to be reconciled with Him. And hence, as we symbolically wear the ashes on our heads and foreheads, we are reminded of this sinfulness that is in us, and of the commitment required from us to abandon these sins for the righteousness of God.

The Gospel passage also reminds us all of the three important pillars of our Lenten practices in order to prepare us all well for the upcoming celebrations of Holy Week and Easter. These as mentioned earlier on are fasting and abstinence, as well as prayer, and lastly being almsgiving. Each one of these practices were meant to help direct our focus and attention towards the Lord, and through them hopefully we may be ever more restrained in our greed, desires and ego in life, and become more attuned to the Lord and His path. We should not do these just in order to satisfy Church requirements and laws, or do them for the sake of doing them. We should also appreciate and understand the significance and importance of each one of these practices so that we may benefit most wonderfully from each one of them in bringing ourselves ever closer to God this Lent and beyond.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let our fasting, abstinence, prayers and almsgiving be truly centred on God, and may they help us to continue to grow in faith and dedication to the Lord, and remind us all of our own frailty, mortality and also our sinfulness so that we may truly be humble in life, in desiring and seeking healing and forgiveness from God. Let us all come towards our merciful and ever loving Father and Creator, our Lord and Master with contrite hearts, asking Him to heal us from our afflictions and corruption by sin, and help us all to enter into His glorious inheritance, to bring us all into the eternal life and true happiness that He has promised us, through our genuine reconciliation and reunion with Him. May all of us have a truly blessed and fruitful season of Lent, and be blessed by God in our every good works, efforts and endeavours this Lent. Amen.

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Tuesday, 4 March 2025 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Casimir (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today is the last day before the beginning of the season and time of Lent, which will begin tomorrow with the imposition of the blessed ashes on Ash Wednesday, the very first day of the Lenten season. On this day, as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, let us all remind ourselves of the calling which all of us have received from the Lord for us to follow Him and the path that He has shown to us so that we may continue to walk down the path of righteousness and virtue in life. We have been reminded of God’s great and most generous love and mercy, and we should make great use of the opportunities that God has granted to us to reach out to Him and to be fully reconciled and reunited with Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the exhortation from the prophet Sirach we have been listening to for the past few weeks, we heard of the words of the prophet reminding all the faithful people of God and hence all of us to be generous in offering ourselves to the Lord because He is truly full of love and mercy, and if we do what is right and just, worthy in the eyes of the Lord, committing ourselves to His cause and be good in all of our actions, words and deeds, then all of us will truly be blessed and rewarded by the Lord in the end. It is a reminder for all of us to live our lives worthily in the best way we can, to be good inspiration and role models tor our fellow brothers and sisters around us by our living and vibrant faith.

Then in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord affirming His disciples, who, led by St. Peter, had declared their commitment and loyalty to Him, stating how they had left behind everything to follow the Lord, their family, their loved ones and their worldly possessions. The Lord reassured them all and said that no one who had devoted themselves and made sacrifices to follow Him would be found wanting, echoing what the prophet Sirach had mentioned in our first reading passage today. Essentially it is a reminder for us all that the Lord loves the righteous and virtuous, and those whom He deems to be worthy shall be truly blessed and cared for by Him, and they shall not be lost from Him.

On the other hand, if we are wicked and evil in our ways, disobeying God’s Law and commandments, then we likely have to face the consequences of our actions and disobedience, our wickedness and evils. While God loves us all most dearly, He also despises the sins and wickedness which we have committed in our lives, and no wickedness, evil or sin can exist in His Holy Presence. If we continue to commit wickedness and evils, sins and all sorts of disobedience against God, then in the end, it is by those disobedience and wickedness which we will be judged by, and if we are not careful, we may end up in eternity of suffering and regret in the damnation of Hell. This is something that the Lord does not want to happen to us, and He has provided us with all the means to avoid it, but it is up to us to make the conscious effort to come back towards the Lord with repentance and virtuous life.

That is why as Christians all of us ought to strive to live our lives each day with careful actions and virtuous way of life, rejecting the temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, the sins of the world around us, and all the coercions and pressures to embrace this path of wickedness and pleasures. We must not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by those pressures and temptations, and instead we should continue to be resolute in our dedication and commitment to the path of the Lord and His righteousness. We must do our best to live our lives worthily and distancing ourselves from the evil ways. This is of course something much easier said than done, but we must make the conscious effort to adhere ourselves to the path of God, or else, we may easily be pulled into the path of sin and darkness, and we should look for inspiration from among our holy predecessors.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Casimir, also known as St. Casimir of Poland, who was a royal prince of the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania. He was a bright and pious person even since his early youth and he was brought up well in the various areas of education and knowledge, and he grew up to be a fine young man, who was full of vigour and also care for the less fortunate and the needy, and was also inclined to the religious life and calling. While in the secular world he encountered failures such as the failed efforts by his supporters and family to install him as the King of Hungary due to the claims that his family on the Hungarian throne, but in the spiritual matters, St. Casimir was well known for his devotion to God, his pious and worthy lifestyle, and his care for the needs of the people.

St. Casimir was known for his great humility and other virtues in life, refusing the commonly debauched ways of the people and nobility of his time, especially with regards to women and merrymaking. He spent his time frequently in prayer and charitable works, and he continued to lead a life that was worthy of God, refusing the match proposed to him by his family, while also sensing and knowing that he did not have long to live in the world. Shortly afterwards, St. Casimir fell seriously ill and eventually passed away due to the illness at a relatively young age of twenty-five. While his earthly life and existence was short, nonetheless, through his exemplary faith and actions, St. Casimir has shown many people who were his contemporaries and many others throughout time, even to this present day, how we all ought to be as disciples and followers of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the words of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life and examples of St. Casimir of Poland that we have just discussed, all of us are reminded to be good role models and inspirations for our fellow men and women, living our lives with righteousness and grace, to be truly faithful in all things and circumstances. We should be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and Good News in our darkened world, corrupted and filled with sin and evil. Through our commitment to God, our righteousness and virtue, we should bring God’s light into our world, inspiring many others around us to follow the Lord as well. It is by our good life and examples that we can do this, to fulfil what the Lord has entrusted to us. 

Let us all therefore do our part as Christians, to be the faithful and devoted missionaries and evangelising disciples, doing our best to proclaim the Lord to all. And as we all enter into this time and season of Lent tomorrow, let us all continue to strive to resist the temptations of sin, and continue to keep our lives truly holy and worthy of the Lord, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 3 March 2025 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we come ever closer to the beginning of the season of Lent this Wednesday, all of us are invited to reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures which we have received today, which reminded us about the great love and kindness which God our loving Father and Creator has for each and every one of us. All of us are truly fortunate to have God Who has always loved us and patiently cared for us, ever always providing us with the help and the means for us to reach out to Him, to return to Him, ever ready to welcome us back with outstretched hands, as He awaits us all to repent from our sinful ways and embrace Him once again with genuine and sincere love. All that remain is for us to make that move to return to our loving Father, opening our hearts and minds to accept Him and His love and forgiveness, and commit ourselves anew to Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Sirach in which the prophet mentioned to the people of God of how the Lord, the Almighty God and Master of all knows everything in the hearts and minds of all of His people, and nothing can truly be hidden from Him, no matter what. The prophet Sirach also reassured the faithful that their Lord and Master has always loved them and would reward all those who have been faithful to Him with great grace and blessings, and He has always been willing to welcome back everyone who commit themselves to the path of repentance and reconciliation, ever generous and rich with His mercy, calling upon all of His people to come back to Him.

At the same time, the prophet Sirach also gave a gentle warning from the Lord to the people that if they misbehaved and continued on their path of disobedience and rebellion against Him, then all of their misdeeds and wickedness would also be held against them, just as much as their righteous deeds and actions would bring them rich rewards and graces on the Day of Judgement. Essentially all of us are called through these words of the prophet Sirach that we should no longer be stubborn in closing our hearts and minds against God’s call, His love and generous mercy towards us. We should be thankful that God has always loved us all these while, and willing to forgive us our many sins and trespasses if we truly can commit ourselves to the path of repentance, turning ourselves from the darkness of sin and evil into the path of God’s light and truth.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we first heard of the words of the Lord to a rich man who came up to Him and asked Him of what he needed to do in order to attain eternal life, just as the Lord had proclaimed and promised to them all. It was there that the Lord told the man that he ought to obey the Law and commandments of God, and after the rich man had replied that he had obeyed all those laws and commandments, the Lord tested his resolve and commitment by asking him to leave behind his great wealth and possessions so that he might follow Him wholeheartedly and becoming His disciple. And as we heard, the rich man left the Lord with great sorrow.

This exchange showed to all of us that the love and desire for worldly things, possessions, wealth and other forms of attachments and ambitions can become truly serious obstacles which can prevent us from coming closer to the Lord and His salvation. It however does not mean that the Lord despises the rich and the privileged in the world, as some may have misunderstood the true intention of this Gospel passage. What the Lord warned His disciples and all of us against through this interaction with the rich man was in fact the unhealthy attachments and obsessions that we tend to have for those worldly desires, wealth, riches and other things of worldly nature that we have around us. And for those among us who have been blessed more with them, the risk and chance is indeed higher for us to be overwhelmed and misguided by those temptations.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to these words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded today as we are about to enter soon into the penitential season and time of Lent, that each and every one of us should reevaluate our way of life and actions, how we live our lives each day, and what our focus and attention in life is, so that we do not end up losing sight on the true destination of our lives, that is the Lord and His salvation, the eternal life and true happiness that He has reassured us with. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed easily by the allures of worldly desires and ambitions, or to be misguided and misled by the many temptations of glory and power, and all the things that may lead us astray in our journey of faith.

Instead, as we prepare ourselves for the coming of the holy and blessed Lenten season, let us all learn to detach ourselves from all these worldly temptations and pleasures, resisting the various pressures and temptations that may lead us astray in our path, and we should make the conscious effort to walk the path of righteousness and virtue in God, in every parts of our lives, in our every actions, words and deeds and in everything we do especially during this upcoming season of repentance and purification, so that we may truly prepare ourselves well to welcome the Lord and reorientate our lives to focus upon Him once again. We are all fortunate that God has given us constantly His generous mercy and the many opportunities that He has provided us so that we may come and seek Him once again and be reconciled with Him. We should not squander these opportunities that we have received.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, our most merciful and compassionate Master continue to show us all His love and most generous mercy, and may He continue to strengthen and empower us all in our journey in life so that despite all the pressures, temptations and all the other obstacles that we may be facing in our paths, we may continue to devote ourselves thoroughly to the Lord, committing our time and effort at all times to be the worthy bearers of our Christian faith and truth, by living to the best of our abilities in glorifying God by our lives, even to the smallest and seemingly least significant of our actions. May God be with us always, and may He continue to bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, and bless our preparations for the upcoming season of Lent. Amen.

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Sunday, 2 March 2025 : Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday as we all celebrate the Eighth and the last Sunday before the beginning of the Season and time of Lent, we are all called to keep in mind how all of us carry ourselves in our lives, in our every actions, words and deeds. This is because all of us are ultimately accountable for our actions, and our faith in God truly ought to be made genuine, real and evident through our daily living, in how we carry ourselves and interact with one another, and in how we present ourselves in our society and world today, and not just merely paying lip service to the Lord. Each and every one of us must be active in living our faith in our daily lives, and be the good and worthy disciples and servants of God, in proclaiming God’s truth and love through our own lives and actions.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the words of the prophet Sirach that brought forth the wisdom of knowing a person by his or her deeds, using the comparison to that of a kiln and its pottery product, or a furnace and its products, a tree and its fruits, among others. It is a reminder for all of us that our faith that we have in us are all ultimately proven through our actions, lives and deeds, in how we all live our lives each day and at every moments of our lives. We cannot truly call ourselves as being faithful to the Lord, committed to Him and His path unless we truly embody our faith in everything that we say and do, in each and every moments of our lives. After all, how can we call ourselves as Christians if we do not live our lives as Christians should, in the manner that the Lord has taught us to do?

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city of Corinth, we are all reminded of the dangers of sin which is death, and how St. Paul reassured the faithful that sin and death no longer have their hold and power over us because of what our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, had done for our sake, in offering Himself as the Paschal Lamb of sacrifice for the atonement of all of our innumerable sins and faults. We must first understand that disobedience leads to the existence of sin, as we and our predecessors since the days of Adam had disobeyed the Lord and His commandments, following instead the rebellion of Satan and the fallen angels, and hence, through sin, we have been sundered from the Lord and Master of Life, God Himself, and therefore, falls into the sufferings of death.

However, God does not desire for any one of us to be destroyed because of sin and death, and that is why, He sent unto us His Son to be our Redeemer, and to open for us the sure path towards Himself and His loving Presence. Through Christ, all of us have received the assurance of eternal happiness and life with God, because by His most selfless and loving sacrifice on the Cross, He has offered on our behalf the only worthy sacrifice and offering to blot out all of the corruptions of sin and evil that have afflicted us, and by His perfect obedience, He as the Son of Man and the New Adam, has shown us all the antithesis of the disobedience of man that had led us all into sin and death in the first place. Therefore, through the great love and mercy of God, all of us have received this assurance of salvation.

Our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard again something similar to what we have heard in our first reading from the prophet Sirach, in which the Lord told His disciples and therefore all of us of the need for all of us mankind to reflect upon our lives and actions, on whether we have truly lived our lives worthily of the Lord, by doing what He has commanded us to do, or whether we have allowed ourselves to be swayed easily by the many temptations of worldly glory and pleasures, ambitions and other attachments we may have to all these worldly things which can distract us from the true path towards God and His salvation. We must ourselves first be aware of our own shortcomings and sins, or else, we may not be able to take the right steps towards the Lord.

This was presented by the Lord using the analogy and comparison to the ‘blind leading the blind’ and also the example of how a person who wants to remove the splinter in the other person’s eyes, and yet failed to realise the presence of the ‘plank’ in his own eyes. This is in fact also a subtle criticism that the Lord presented against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the religious elites and the elders of the people of the time, many of whom were very proud of their superior knowledge of the Law and their piety to God, and yet, they failed to recognise that they themselves were sinners and unworthy before God, and their way of observing the Law had in fact been flawed as well, and that pride, arrogance and haughtiness had become stumbling blocks in their path towards God without them perhaps realising it.

That is why the Lord reminds all of His disciples and followers, all of us gathered here today that we should always be vigilant against all sorts of the temptations to sin, and continue to grow in our faith and virtues in the Lord, resisting all the temptations of sin and evil, and disconnecting ourselves from all the worldly pursuits of glory and all the other things that may lead us astray away from the Lord. We must always try our best to keep our lives holy and worthy by doing what is right according to the Law of God, and to do His will in each and every moments of our lives, being good inspiration and examples to our brothers and sisters around us, leading by examples as good and faithful servants and disciples of the Lord. We should always be humble in all things and at every circumstances, knowing that we are truly sinners, and it is by God’s grace that we have been made whole again through His mercy and forgiveness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all reflect upon these words of the Sacred Scriptures, let us all continue to commit ourselves to the Lord each day, doing our best to walk in the path of the Lord, being devoted servants of God and being good examples to others, while giving our support to our fellow brethren who may be struggling in their faith and lives. And the best day that we can do this is by trying our best to live lives that are truly committed and obedient to the will of God in our own capacity, and strive to support our brethren in their own efforts and actions, that together as the members of God’s Church, we may persevere together throughout whatever challenges and trials we may have to face along our journey together as one united people of God.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God and Father, continue to guide us all through this journey of faith and life, especially as we begin to prepare ourselves for the upcoming season and time of Lent, to be more aware of our sinfulness and the need for conversion and renewal in our lives, to renew our faith in the Lord and to attune ourselves once more with Him, so that we may draw ever closer to His loving Presence and be ever more courageous in committing ourselves to the path of virtue and righteousness, distancing ourselves from all that is sinful and evil. May the Lord bless our every good efforts and endeavours, and be with us always. Amen.

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Saturday, 1 March 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded of the great love which the Lord our loving God and Father has for each and every one of us, His beloved children and creation, whom He had created out of His overflowing and most generous love. God has always loved each and every one of us and despite our sins and wickedness, all the evils and waywardness of our lives, but God never gave up on us, and His love still persisted and remained nonetheless throughout all the struggles that He had to go through in reaching out to us and loving us persistently. It is God’s ever enduring and persistent, most generous and genuine love that has given us this sure hope and the certainty of salvation, because it is through God alone that we can have the hope of salvation.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the prophet mentioning to the people of God about how God created all of them and all mankind, and all of creation, and how mankind, having been formed and made in the very image and appearance of God, had received the great gift of Wisdom and power from God, and how this gift of Wisdom has been granted to them so that they may all discern the ways of the world and the path towards righteousness and truth, to follow whatever it is that God has taught them and shown to them, and allowing them to obey Him as their Father, just as faithful and loving children obeying their parents, and walking in the path that God has led them through, so that they would not end up falling into the wrong path of evil and wickedness.

As I have mentioned before, the prophet Sirach lived and compiled his works about two centuries before the coming of Christ, at a time of great change and turbulence in the community of the people of God, at a point of time when the Jewish community in Judea, Galilee and elsewhere were facing pressures and challenges, in particular with regards to their way of life and their faith and belief in God. At that time, during the height of the Hellenistic Era, many among the Jewish people and other people in the region began to be strongly influenced by the ways and beliefs of the Greeks, which led to many people to begin abandoning the ways of their ancestors, and for the people of God, it led to them abandoning the Law and commandments of God for the pagan practices and beliefs of the Greeks.

And all of that had led to the conflict and disagreements among the people of God regarding which path they ought to be following and obeying, and hence, the prophet Sirach reminded them all that since God had created all of them good and wonderful, perfect and full of wisdom, therefore, all of them should continue to serve the Lord and following His path, dedicating themselves and their time, their efforts and works to glorify God by their lives, lived in obedience and commitment to the path of the Lord. We are reminded of the good that are in us, which although it has been marred and corrupted by sin, by the corruption of evil and darkness, the fact remains that there is still this good within us as God has given and blessed us with.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples, rebuking and chiding them from keeping the little children from coming towards Him. Those disciples had tried to stop the children from coming towards the Lord, and they tried to send them away, only for the Lord to rebuke them for what they had done, as He wanted all the children to come to Him. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because as the Lord Himself had said it, the future of the Kingdom of God belonged to those children, as those children would become the ones to continue the struggle and journey of the faith, and they also served as the good examples and role models for everyone else to follow in how they all ought to believe in the Lord, in the salvation which God has promised.

The faith of the little children is also something that is pure and exemplary, as the faith that each and every one of them had, were truly free from the corruption of worldly desires, ambitions and pressures, all of which only grew to influence us as we grew up in age, and became no longer innocent and pure in our thoughts and ways. That is why the Lord used those little children as examples and reminders for all of His disciples and also for all of us that this purity and truth, they are all our true nature, the true nature of our humanity, that has been made all wonderful and perfect in the image of God, and meant to glorify Him by our lives and existence, and as His beloved children and people, we should always walk in His Presence, and remain loved and cared for by His loving kindness as always.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why the Lord has always been active in reaching out to us, His children, because He truly loves each and every one of us, without exception. He wants all of us to be reunited to Him and no longer be separated from Him because of our many sins and wickedness. He has provided us with the various means and methods through which we can truly find our way back to Him. But whether we want to follow Him or not, and whether we want to embrace God’s ever generous love and mercy or not, is entirely up to us, because God has also given us the free will and the freedom to choose our path in life. Yet, let us all realise that without God by our side, and if we continue to walk down the path of rebellion against Him, in the end, there will be nothing for us but an eternity of regret. It is in the Lord alone that we can have the sure hope of eternal happiness and joy, together with our Father Who loves us all.

May the Lord, our ever loving God and Father, continue to love each and every one of us as His beloved children, and may He continue to strengthen and encourage us all in the respective journey that we encounter in this life so that in whatever challenges and trials, difficulties and all sorts of obstacles we may encounter, we will continue to remain faithful and true in our love for Him, and that we may be strong and resilient in resisting the various temptations and pressures all around us, trying to drag us away from the Lord, our loving Father, and bringing us into the path of darkness and sin. Let us all keep in mind that all of us should obey the Lord and His commandments, and strive to be truly good, holy and worthy of our loving God and Father, by doing our best to live a truly Christian life at all times. May God bless us in our every efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 28 February 2025 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded to live our lives with virtue and righteousness, to do what God has commanded and taught us to do, to be truly Christians not just in name or appearance, but also in our every actions, words and deeds, in our every moments in life. As Christians, all of us must be good role models, in being the good examples for everyone around us, touching their lives by our inspiring actions. We must show our Christian faith in all of our interactions with one another, in our love for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, and in our desire to carry out our activities in accordance with God’s will, following His Law and commandments at all times, in how we act towards our friends and even to strangers all around us.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the words of wisdom from the prophet Sirach to the people of God regarding the matter of friendships and relationships, and how one ought to manage these in our lives, so that we do not end up being disappointed by the friends we make, who may not be our true and lasting friends. The prophet Sirach presented the wisdom of God in highlighting the different kinds of friends that we may have and make in our lives’ journeys. He rightly mentioned how if we are not careful or vigilant, we may end up be making friends with those who just seek benefits from that friendship they were making with us, but one that do not truly last.

Why is that so? That is because some people are friends with us just because there are things that they can benefit from us, and this is the reality of how the world works. And there will be those who stay by our side only during the good and prosperous times, while when things go against us, they will likely abandon us. Only true and faithful friends will stay by our side, and not leave us even when things are difficult for us. That is exactly what the prophet Sirach told us, that we should treasure any of these good and faithful friends if we have them with us, and take good care of such friends and the friendships that we should nurture and maintain with them. This is something that we should be doing in our lives, in living our lives faithfully as good Christian brothers and sisters to one another, to be faithful and committed to our relationships and friendships with each other.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus was confronted by some Pharisees as He was out teaching the people, asking and testing Him about the matter of divorce, on whether divorce is allowed or not as according to the Law of God revealed through Moses, divorce had been allowed as long as certain requirements were fulfilled. Thus, those Pharisees tried to test the Lord with this difficult dilemma and case, hoping to trap Him in His own words and discredit Him before the people. But the Lord showed forth His Wisdom and authority, and proclaimed the truth of God, His intentions for His people and the true meaning of the Law plainly through His words.

The Lord made it clear that divorce was not in fact meant to be possible, as the Lord Himself said that this concession was made by Moses because the Israelites back then were so stubborn and hardened in their hearts that he allowed this concession for divorce to happen. The Lord reminded the people and all of us that the sanctity of marriage as God had intended it, is not supposed to be easily overridden by man’s desires and whim, or by certain agreements and arrangements, as how the divorce laws and rules were practiced by the Pharisees and the people of God at that time. In fact, by the time of the Lord’s ministry and works, many of these rules and laws were further amended to make it easier for people to divorce their spouses, but this led them to commit adultery and sins against God.

Linking what we heard in our Gospel passage today to the first reading from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we are essentially reminded that in our establishment of relationships, particularly in the Holy Matrimony or Marriage between man and woman, it is very important that we develop good and healthy relationship before rushing into marriage, which is in fact one of the main reasons why marriages failed in the past, as it had been throughout history and up to this very day. Many people did not prepare themselves well for the married life, or did not know their spouses well enough before committing themselves to the sacred union blessed by God, and hence, later on committing sin by adulterous relationships in cheating on their spouses with other people.

It is also important to take note that strong and good Christian families are the important foundations and pillars of the Church, as it is through good and faithful Christian families, filled with love and faith in God, and also with love and devotion to one another that we can raise generations of young Christians that are steeped in God’s love and grace, and by showing them how we all ought to live as Christians, as God’s holy people, His disciples and followers, that we can lead new generations of the faithful of God, showing them the path to follow in our journey of faith as Christians, as we navigate through the difficulties, challenges and temptations found all around us in this world. If we are not careful, and let the evil one to strike at our families, then it will harm the Church and countless young Christians and ourselves as well.

That is why as Christians, we are exhorted to be careful in how we live our lives, so that we may avoid committing acts and ways in our lives that are contrary to our Christian faith and beliefs. We must not do things that may constitute a scandal to our faith, to the Church and the Holy Name of the Lord. Unfortunately many amongst our predecessors who are Christians, were themselves bad examples of this, as many among them did not remain faithful to the commitments that they had made in their marriage, leading to adulterous relationships, broken families, neglected children and spouses, among other things that are truly inappropriate and improper for us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people.

Let us all remind ourselves that as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us ought to reflect the same kind of love that God has for us, the love that is totally generous, unconditional and genuine, in how we treat one another, be it as friends or relatives, and be it as spouses in our families, in our other forms of relationships and friendships in this life we have. Let us all strive to be good and worthy examples of our Christian living, modelling our every actions, words and deeds, our whole lives on the examples that our Lord Himself has shown us, and which many of our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs had inspired us all with as well. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide us all to His path, to His salvation and eterrnal life. Amen.

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

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Abbots)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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