Weekdays of Easter

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded through them of the important mission which we have as Christians, that is as God’s chosen and beloved people, as His disciples and followers, to proclaim Him in the midst of our communities and societies, in our various areas of commitment and lives, so that by our good and faithful living as well as by our dedication to the Lord, we may inspire more and more people to come to believe in the Lord as well. Each one of us have been entrusted with the unique mission and calling in our respective lives, so that by our lives we may truly proclaim the Risen Lord, His Good News and salvation to the whole world, and not to fear losing the glory and pleasures of the world.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which the story of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Church and one of the seven first deacons was told to us. St. Stephen had been appointed to minister to the people of God, the first and earliest Christian community as a deacon, one of the seven who were tasked with the distribution of the common communal goods and the care of the needs of the faithful. He proclaimed the Good News and salvation of God like those of the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord. St. Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom of God, and through his works, he managed to convince many to follow the Lord and to turn towards the true faith. This brought about the ire and anger, jealousy and hatred from the Jewish authorities.

At that time, the Jewish authorities, many of the members of the Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council opposed the Lord and His works, His teachings and truth, and they persecuted not just Him but also all of His disciples and followers who continued His works and proclaimed the truth in the many places all throughout the land. The Lord’s truth could not be silenced or kept on hold, and through His many disciples like that of St. Stephen, His works of salvation and the spreading of His truth continued quickly and unabated, with more and more becoming believers, embracing the truth of God, day after day. This led to desperate measures from the chief priests and the other members of the Sanhedrin who resorted to making and paying people to be false witnesses and utter lies and false accusations against St. Stephen.

Yet, as we heard in the despite their desperate efforts in trying to falsely accuse St. Stephen of blasphemy and sin against God, they could not stand against the truth and wisdom of God which St. Stephen brought against those who sought to slander and accuse him of misdeeds without firm evidence. The Holy Spirit guided and strengthened St. Stephen, gave him the strength, courage and wisdom to proclaim God’s truth and Good News, His revelation and truth against all those who were ganging up against him. The enemies of St. Stephen all were gathering up and trying very hard to discredit and defeat the arguments of St. Stephen, but they could not do so, no matter what they tried to do, and they still hardened their hearts and minds, refusing to believe in the truth and wisdom which St. Stephen had received from the Lord.

St. Stephen was eventually martyred by being stoned to death, but not before standing up firmly for his faith before the assembly of the members of the Sanhedrin, the powerful and influential members of the Jewish community. He remained adamant in his commitment, dedication and faith in God despite the challenges he faced, and the fact that everyone assembled was against him. He spoke with great vigour, empowered by the Holy Spirit, through which St. Stephen proclaimed the work of God’s salvation in the succeeding parts of this day’s passage from the Acts of the Apostles, showing how God had done His works among His people throughout all history from the very beginning, and culminating in the coming of the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord Whom those same people persecuting St. Stephen had once persecuted and condemned to death. St. Stephen kept on proclaiming the truth of God right up to the very end.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the moment when many people came flocking to find the Lord after He had miraculously fed a whole multitude of five thousand men and many thousands more of women and children. The Lord told all of them that they were looking for Him because they were mesmerised at the miracle that they had witnessed, and how they all had their fill from all the bread and fishes that they had eaten and partaken. They therefore might not have sought the Lord out of true faith and desire to commit themselves to Him and His teachings, but rather because they sought comfort and satisfaction in life, that is the desire to seek worldly glory, pleasures and attachments, all of which were not what the Lord wanted to have in all of them. He told all of them were meant to come seeking the Lord and His truth, and to do what the Lord had called them to do, much as what St. Stephen had done.

Essentially it is an important reminder for each and every one of us that as Christians we must not allow the temptations and desires of the world to mislead us down the wrong path and to distract us from doing what we are all supposed to do, in serving the Lord faithfully at all times, and in living our lives in a most Christian manner. The Lord has shown us the way and has taught us, given us the Holy Spirit and His Wisdom to strengthen and guide us in our journey. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the various gifts, blessings and missions for us to proclaim ever more the salvation and Good News of the Lord to more and more people. This is why all of us should always strive to do God’s will, to be ever faithful in all the things we say and do in every moments of our lives, and place the Lord as the focus and emphasis of our whole lives.

Let us all therefore walk in the path that St. Stephen, holy deacon and protomartyr of the Church has shown us. Let us all strive to proclaim God’s truth and salvation to more and more people by living holy and worthy existence, in all that we say and do. Let us all be truly genuine in our desire to love and serve the Lord, and be the shining beacons of God’s Light and truth amidst the darkness surrounding all of us in our world today. May the Risen Lord continue to be with us and be our source of Hope, strength and power as we continue to navigate the trials and difficulties present in each and every moments of our lives. May the courage of His servant, St. Stephen, his dedication unto the very end, be our inspiration at all times, and help us to draw ever closer to Him. Amen.

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 6 : 22-29

At that time, the next day after Jesus fed the five thousand men, the people, who had stayed on the other side, realised that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with His disciples; but rather, the disciples had gone away alone.

Bigger boats from Tiberias came near the place where all these people had eaten the bread. When they saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, “Master, when did You come here?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, you look for Me, not because of the signs which you have seen, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. The Son of Man will give it to you, for He is the One on Whom the Father has put His mark.”

Then the Jews asked Him, “What shall we do? What are the works that God wants us to do?” And Jesus answered them, “The work God wants is this : that you believe in the One Whom God has sent.”

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 118 : 23-24, 26-27, 29-30

Although princes conspire against me, Your servant will observe Your decrees. Your laws are my delight, my counsellors who uphold me.

When I explained my ways, You responded; instruct me then in Your precepts. Explain to me all Your ordinances, and I will meditate on Your wondrous deeds.

Keep me away from deceitful paths; be gracious and teach me Your law. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart upon Your laws.

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Monday, 15 April 2024 : 3rd Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 6 : 8-15

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Some persons then came forward, who belonged to the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia. They argued with Stephen but they could not match the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

As they were unable to face the truth, they bribed some men to say, ‘We heard him speak against Moses and against God.’ So they stirred up the people, the elders and the teachers of the Law; they took him by surprise, seized him and brought him before the Council.

Then they produced false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against our Holy Place and the Law. We even heard him say that Jesus the Nazarean will destroy our Holy Place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.” And all who sat in the Council fixed their eyes on him, and his face appeared to them like the face of an Angel.

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Sunday, 14 April 2024 : Third Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Third Sunday of Easter and we are again being constantly reminded of what we believe in the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our God and Saviour, Whose glorious Resurrection and triumphant victory over sin and death are the sources of our great joy and celebration during this whole entire season and time of Easter. On this day we heard this reminder yet again because of just how central the Resurrection is to our entire Christian faith. Without believing in the Resurrection, one cannot truly call himself or herself as a Christian, and without the Resurrection, there is no use of believing in Christ because if Christ has not conquered death, then all of us would have succumbed to destruction and death, to eternal damnation and despair.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which St. Peter was speaking to the people who were gathered at Jerusalem during the time of the Pentecost, which was fifty days from the Passover and Resurrection of the Lord. It was at that occasion which the Lord sent the Holy Spirit upon all the disciples who were gathered there in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit strengthened and encouraged the Apostles and the other disciples, who were once fearful and afraid of the repercussions and reactions from the Jewish authorities that they spent most of their time in hiding, so that they no longer feared the sufferings and punishments of the world. The Holy Spirit empowered them and gave them the ability to stand up against the oppressions and oppositions to their efforts, and proclaim faithfully the truth as St. Peter had done.

St. Peter spoke vigorously and in great spirit about the many things which the Lord had done for His people, in all that He had endured for the salvation of the whole world, in the sufferings and trials that He had to endure and bore through His Cross, but one which He willingly took up because He truly loves each and every one of us and He wanted to reach out to us, loving and caring for us, providing us with the means to find the path towards our salvation. The Lord has loved us all of us from the very beginning, and He desired that each and every one of us should be reconciled to Him, finding our way back to Him and be reunited to Him through His ever generous mercy and love. By His Cross, He has led us all to freedom from our sins, liberating us from the tyranny of sin, evil and death.

However, as we heard, many of the people rejected Him and refused to listen to Him, or to embrace the generous offer of mercy which He has given to them. The Lord was arrested, punished and condemned to death for the sins and wickedness of the people, and yet, He continued to show us all His mercy, forgiving us all of our sins, as He asked the Heavenly Father to forgive those who have betrayed, abandoned, and condemned Him to death. His intentions for us all have always been really clear. He wants to be reconciled with us, and He wants us to be able to find our way back to Him, and that was why, He entrusted His Apostles and the other disciples with the important mission to proclaim His salvation to the whole world, just as St. Peter had done before all the assembled people, and the many other works that he and the other Apostles and disciples had done.

Then, in our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. John, we heard yet again a reminder from the St. John the Apostle of the salvation which the Lord Jesus, Our Saviour has brought upon us, by His actions and selfless sacrifice on the Cross as mentioned. Again this same truth and fact have been reinforced to us, to remind us all that we have the obligation and calling to follow the Lord in all things, and in everything that we say and do in our lives. We cannot be truly good and faithful Christians, and we are no better than hypocrites and unbelievers unless we truly embody what we believe and profess in our faith, in all of our every words, actions and deeds, just as we are expected to. Essentially, we must be truly sincere in believing and committing ourselves in following God and His path.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the moment when the disciples who were gathered in Jerusalem on the day of the Lord’s Resurrection and when they witnessed the Risen Lord in person as He appeared to all of them. It was at that time that the Risen Lord reassured them all that He has indeed truly risen from the dead, and was not merely a spirit or ghost. He showed them His Body and all, and showed them that He was risen from the dead, Body and Soul, and the empty tomb which they saw earlier that same morning, was another proof of this glorious event, and reassurance that Christ has indeed been victorious and triumphant against the power of sin and death. And it was this witnessing of the Risen Lord which those discipled of the Lord had experienced in person, which later on became the source of their strength and encouragement in their mission to proclaim Him to the whole world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we continue to progress through this joyous season and time of Easter, we are therefore constantly being reminded of the calling and mission which each and every one of us as Christians have, in proclaiming the Risen Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, His salvation and all that He has taught and revealed to us, through our own exemplary lives and actions, through our genuine living of our everyday lives and moments with the desire to glorify the Lord through even the smallest and the seemingly simple things that we do in our respective lives. Each and every one of us have been given the diverse gifts and blessings, abilities and opportunities that are unique to the areas that God has entrusted to us and called us to contribute ourselves into.

Let us all hence be ever courageous and committed in serving the Lord in all things and in the best way we can do, so that like the Apostles and disciples of the Lord before us, our holy predecessors, we may also be inspirational and dedicated in our lives, in our actions to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters, proclaiming the Risen Lord, His Good News and salvation to all, so that more may come to believe in our Lord and Saviour, and come to seek the Lord and to be reconciled with Him. Through all of us and our commitment to Him, we may indeed make more people to realise the depth of their sins and wickedness, so that they may open their hearts and minds to welcome the Lord into themselves, allowing Him to transform us all to be good and worthy children of the Light, the Light of His salvation.

May the Risen Lord continue to bless us all in all of our good efforts and endeavours, and may He continue to guide us through our journey in life, in all the struggles and in enduring the many trials and challenges that we may encounter in our journey, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 14 April 2024 : Third Sunday of Easter (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 24 : 35-48

Then the two disciples told what had happened on the road to Emmaus, and how Jesus had made Himself known, when He broke bread with them. While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood in their midst. (He said to them, “Peace to you.”)

In their panic and fright they thought they were seeing a ghost, but He said to them, “Why are you upset, and how does such an idea cross your minds? Look at My hands and feet, and see that it is I Myself! Touch Me, and see for yourselves, for a ghost has no flesh and bones as I have!” (As He said this, He showed His hands and feet.)

In their joy they did not dare believe, and were still astonished; so He said to them, “Have you anything to eat?” And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish. He took it, and ate it before them. Then Jesus said to them, “Remember the words I spoke to you when I was still with you : Everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And He said, “So it was written : the Messiah had to suffer, and on the third day rise from the dead. Then repentance and forgiveness in His Name would be proclaimed to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.”

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Sunday, 14 April 2024 : Third Sunday of Easter (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 2 : 1-5a

My little children, I write to you, that you may not sin. But if anyone sins, we have an intercessor with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Just One. He is the sacrificial victim, for our sins, and the sins of the whole world. How can we know that we know Him? If we fulfil His commands.

If you say, “I know Him,” but do not fulfil His commands, you are a liar and the truth is not in you. But if you keep His word, God’s love is made complete in you.

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Sunday, 14 April 2024 : Third Sunday of Easter (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 4 : 2, 4, 6b-7, 9

Answer when I call, o God, my Justice! When I was in distress, You gave me solace. Have compassion on me and hear my plea.

But you must know that YHVH has shown His kindness to me. When I call to Him, He hears me.

Put your trust in YHVH, your God. Many ask, “Who will give us a happy time? Would, that His favour shine upon us!”

I lie down and sleep in peace, for You, alone, o YHVH, make me feel safe and secure.

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Sunday, 14 April 2024 : Third Sunday of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 3 : 13-15, 17-19

At that time, St. Peter spoke to the people, “The God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified His servant Jesus Whom you handed over to death and denied before Pilate, when even Pilate had decided to release Him. You rejected the Holy and Just One, and you insisted that a murderer be released to you.”

“You killed the Master of life, but God raised Him from the dead and we are witnesses to this. Yet I know that you acted out of ignorance, as did your leaders. God has fulfilled in this way what He had foretold through all the prophets, that His Messiah would suffer.”

“Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.”

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Saturday, 13 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord, focusing our efforts and attention on the Lord, doing whatever we can so that in each and every moments of our lives we will always continue to walk in the path that the Lord has shown us and staying faithful to Him. This is because during our journey in life we may encounter many moments when our faith and trust in the Lord may be tested and put on trial, as we face the challenges and difficulties present in our path and the many obstacles we may have to face as we journey together in proclaiming the Good News and truth of the Lord in our daily lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the moment when the order of deacons were instituted in the Church because there were discrepancies in the distribution of the resources and goods for the faithful especially among those who came from non-Jewish or Gentile origins. At that time, we must understand the situation and the context such that the earliest Christian communities lived communally and pooled together their resources just as described by the same Acts of the Apostles. At the time, there were some expectations that the Lord would return again soon, and hence, many among the community of the believers chose to live their lives in shared existence and means, abandoning private ownership and goods, sharing them with one another instead.

However, this system was not sustainable and was ultimately no longer used as the Christian community kept gaining large number of converts to the faith, which resulted in many more resources needed to sustain them all. And while it lasted, this system was also biased as many among the early Christians belonged to the Jewish converts, some of them from the Pharisees who held firmly to the Jewish traditions and customs, and had inherent prejudices against those who did not fully subscribe to their way of observing the Law of God and also against the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles. They favoured their own Jewish background, practices and customs, and it was likely that those entrusted to share the resources shared them more with their own fellow Jewish converts rather than with those converts originating from among the Gentiles.

That was why the Apostles decided to institute the order of deacons, appointing first of all seven men who were deemed worthy from among the faithful, to be the ones to minister to the people of God as the first deacons of the Church. This was how the Lord guided His Church and faithful ones amidst the many challenges that they had to endure as they navigated the intricacies of living amidst the rule of the Romans and having the Jewish authorities harassing and oppressing them at every possible turns. Many of those faithful servants of God, including those deacons had to bear the brunt of the sufferings and persecutions, like that of St. Stephen, who was the very first martyr or protomartyr of the Church, killed because he was oppressed for his faith in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord appeared to His disciples at the Lake of Galilee where a storm with strong waves and wind were battering at their boat, and they were all very afraid that the boat would sink and then they perished in that lake. But it was at that time the Lord appeared to them and walked on the water, and He told them all not to be afraid, calming the waves and the wind, bringing them all to safety at the shore where they were going to. This was very symbolic and important reminder for all of us that no matter whatever hardships and dangers, trials and tribulations that we may face amidst our struggles in faith, in our commitment to the Lord, He will always be there by our side, guiding and strengthening us, leading us all to the right path.

This is because the boat with the disciples inside it is a representation of the Church of God, which is often represented as a boat, like that of Noah’s Ark that saved Noah and his family, with the other living things inside it, from the Great Flood. The waves and the wind represented the challenges and trials that the Church of God would be facing, the sufferings, persecutions and hardships that the Christian faithful would have to suffer in the path of their lives and ministry as God’s faithful people and missionaries. But all of us must not be afraid, as the Lord, Who is the Head of the Church is with us, and with Him as the Guide and the Leader of all of us, not even the greatest challenges and trials can overcome us, the Church of God, which He has built in this world. This is why we must always keep our focus firmly directed towards God at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of Pope St. Martin I, a great leader of the Universal Church and the last among the Popes who died as a martyr for his faith and commitment to God. Pope St. Martin I is a good example of a great leader of the faithful and a role model for all of us in how we should continue to persevere in faith despite the challenges and trials that we may be facing in life. He was an abbot earlier on in life, and eventually becoming the Apostolic Legate of several Popes at the court of the Roman Emperor in Constantinople before being elected as Pope and Successor of St. Peter the Apostle, as leader of the whole Universal Church. And as Pope, he stood firm amidst the heresies and challenges that were rampant among the Imperial court at the time.

At that time, the heresy of Monothelitism was widespread, in which this heresy believed falsely that Christ, Our Lord and Saviour has only one single will, as contrary to the accepted truth and teaching of the Church that Christ has two wills, that corresponds to the two distinct natures He has, that is Divine and Human, though inseparable due to perfect union of love in the Person of Jesus Christ. Yet, this Monothelite heresy brought many people to abandon the true Church teachings, and had the support of even the then Roman Emperor in Constantinople and other powerful members of the court and society. Pope St. Martin I strongly condemned the Monothelite heresy, and convened the Lateran Council in the year of Our Lord 649 to address this heresy. As a result, he was arrested by the Emperor with false accusation of treason, was imprisoned and eventually banished, where he died as a martyr of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scripture readings today and the examples of the life and ministry of Pope St. Martin I showed and reminded us all that we are likely to face sufferings, difficulties and hardships amidst our lives and journey of faith as Christians, and unless we remain focused on the Lord, Our Hope and Guide, then it may be easy for us to be swayed and to be tempted to abandon the Church, where we may then end up being swept away by the currents of worldly temptations into our downfall and destruction. Instead, all of these should remind us to keep firmly faithful in our commitment to the Lord, to proclaim Him ever more faithfully at all times. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to help and lead us in our journey of faith, and in our respective missions as Christians, now and always. Amen.