Weekdays of Ordinary Time

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord and the brother of St. Peter the Apostle, and was the very first one of the Lord’s disciples and followers, hence why he is also sometimes known as St. Andrew the First-Called. On this day we honour this great man of God, who has devoted himself thoroughly to the service of God, and given himself to the ministry of the proclamation of the Good News of God to the many people and communities he encountered. St. Andrew the Apostle is truly a great inspiration to all of us in how he has lived his life with fervent desire to glorify God in his many missionary works and actions.

Now, first let us all begin with a revisiting of the passages from the Scriptures which we had received and heard earlier. In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, where where the Apostle was very clear in his words and reminders to the people of God regarding who it is that they believe in and worshipping, namely the Lord God, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God Who has brought into this world the assurance of His salvation, the promise of eternal life, true joy and glory with God, offered to all of mankind, everyone without any exception, bias or prejudice, whether they were Jews or Gentiles. And this message truly brought great hope to everyone who heard it.

This is because at that time, the belief among the Jewish people, the descendants of the original chosen people of God, the Israelites was that the Jews were the only ones deserving of God’s favour and salvation, while the Gentiles, who were mostly pagans and unbelievers were seen as defiled, corrupt, wicked and unworthy, and would be condemned unless they adopted wholly the ways and practices of the Jews, such as the strict laws and rules according to the Law of God as revealed to Moses including all the subsequent additions, modifications and changes. The problem is that the requirements were so stringent that even the Jews themselves have great difficulty obeying them, and all the more difficult for the Gentiles to do so.

In addition to this, based on historical evidence and Church records, the practices and customs of the Jews such as circumcision and the dietary preferences among other things were abhorrent and considered as alien and undesirable by many of the Gentiles, and forcing the Gentiles to adopt such practices would indeed have made their lives extra difficult, on top of the challenges that they would already have to face by being a follower of Christ. That was why St. Paul made it clear that the belief in the salvation in Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all is universal, and not reserved only for any particular group of people. Anyone who truly believe in Him and obey Him, following His teachings and ways will be saved, and they shall all share in the fullness of grace and glory of God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle, we heard of the moment when the Lord called His disciples, the first ones that He had, from among the fishermen of the lake of Galilee. St. Andrew was among these fishermen, and he was likely the one to introduce the Lord to his brother, then known as Simon, the future St. Peter the Apostle, as well as to the two sons of Zebedee, namely St. James the Apostle and St. John the Apostle. According to Apostolic and Church tradition, St. Andrew was also a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and was one of the two disciples of St. John the Baptist who went to follow the Lord after He was baptised by the former. This is why St. Andrew is also known as St. Andrew the First-Called as mentioned earlier.

The Lord then called him and the other fishermen, the other disciples to be the ‘fishers of men’, to be the ones to gather all mankind to the Lord, to lead them all to His salvation, just as they had gathered fish in their earlier work and livelihood. Through them, the Lord would reach out to many more people and bring them all towards His loving embrace and compassionate mercy, and that is the very important role which the Lord has entrusted and called the Apostles like St. Andrew to do. They would be the ones proclaiming the Good News of God, bringing hope and light of Christ to those who have suffered and waited in the darkness of this world, separated and sundered from God’s love and grace.

And now, let us revisit the life and examples of St. Andrew the Apostle especially after what was written in the Scriptures. According to Apostolic tradition, St. Andrew would go on to various places to proclaim the Gospels, the Good News of the Lord, including places such as Georgia, Greece and Asia Minor, parts of southern Russia and Ukraine around the Black Sea region, Romania, Cyprus, Malta and other places where he touched the hearts and minds of many with the Good News of the Lord, with His love and kindness, which have been freely and generously given to us. He established many churches and the foundations of the Christian communities in all those places, and was eventually martyred in Patras in southern Greece, being crucified on an X-shaped cross, which henceforth is known as ‘St. Andrew’s Cross’.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore learn and be inspired from the good and worthy life, examples and commitment which St. Andrew has shown to the Lord and to the people he had been sent to. All of us should also have the same vigour and courage in proclaiming the Good News of God like that of St. Andrew and that of the other Apostles because they have shown us what it truly means to be good and faithful Christians, not just in name and formality only, but also through real actions, words and deeds based upon that living and genuine faith in God. We must embody our faith in our daily living and in how we interact with one another, with those whom we encounter, even acquaintances and strangers.

May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate God continue to bless and guide us all in our journey in life so that by His blessings and providence, by His encouragement and strength we may continue to do our best in our respective lives, continuing the good works which the Apostles such as St. Andrew had done in their lives. May our own lives and works be truly worthy of being Christians, and may we continue to be good role models and inspirations for each other, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 4 : 18-22

At that time, as Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow Me; and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.

At once, they left the boat, and their father, and followed Him.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 18 : 2-3, 4-5

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. Day talks it over with day; night hands on the knowledge to night.

No speech, no words, no voice is heard – but the call goes on, throughout the universe, the message is felt to the ends of the earth.

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Saturday, 30 November 2024 : Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Romans 10 : 9-18

You are saved, if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and, in your heart, you believe that God raised Him from the dead. By believing from the heart, you obtain true righteousness; by confessing the faith with your lips, you are saved.

For Scripture says : No one who believes in Him will be ashamed. Here, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; all have the same Lord, Who is very generous with whoever calls on Him. Truly, all who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.

But how can they call upon the Name of the Lord without having believed in Him? And how can they believe in Him, without having first heard about Him? And how will they hear about Him, if no one preaches about Him? And how will they preach about Him, if no one sends them?

As Scripture says : How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of Good News. Although, not everyone obeyed the Good News, as Isaiah said : Lord, who has believed in our preaching? So, faith comes from preaching, and preaching is rooted in the word of Christ.

I ask : Have the Jews not heard? But, of course, they have. Because the voice of those preaching resounded all over the earth, and their voice was heard, to the ends of the world.

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Friday, 29 November 2024 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded of the need for us to remain firmly faithful in God and to continue to live our lives worthily as Christians, in not doing what is wicked in the eyes of the Lord. As Christians, all of us are always reminded to keep our faith in God and not to be easily swayed by the temptations and coercions of the world all around us. We have to keep in mind that all of us should be good and worthy role models for our fellow brothers and sisters, to inspire them all through our own good examples and actions in life, based upon the faithful obedience to God and genuine commitment to God and His ways. And we have to remember that if we are faithful to God, in the end, we shall share in His glory and triumph, while if we disobey Him and went astray from His path, there will be nothing for us but defeat and darkness.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Revelation of St. John the Apostle about the final defeat and destruction of the power of the Devil, Satan, the Evil One, which St. John witnessed during the visions he received at the Island of Patmos, where he saw the series of events that will happen at the end of time, the time of reckoning and final struggle between good and evil. After series of great catastrophes and destructions coming upon the world, which at that time came under the dominion of the Evil One and all of his forces, the forces of Satan and the Antichrist, the Lord reassured His faithful ones that had been facing and enduring persecutions and hardships that eventually all of their struggles and endurance shall be vindicated and they shall be liberated from their struggles and sufferings.

This is also a reminder for us all that if we side with the devil and all of his false lies and temptations, then in the end we shall share his fate, defeated and crushed by God, overthrown and cast out into eternal darkness and suffering, cut off completely and totally from the grace and love of God. Meanwhile, all those who are faithful to God shall be part of the new Heaven and new Earth, which God had made to replace the original world and creation which had been defiled and corrupted by sin and evil. Essentially, He will restore everything to how all should be, making all things wonderful, good and perfect once again just as He has intended and just as He wants us to enjoy all the rich and great bounties of this world, made perfect and wonderful for all of us, God’s most beloved children and people.

At the end of time, the Lord will come once again to gather all of us to His Holy Presence, restoring us all in body and soul, delivering us from the darkness and evils that have afflicted us. He will free all those who have been persecuted and oppressed because of their faith in Him, and crush all those who have rejected Him and oppressed His faithful ones. We are reminded that we have to make a choice on which path we will follow in our own respective lives. Are we going to follow the path of rebellion and disobedience as advocated by the devil and all those seeking our ruin and destruction? Or are we going to follow the Lord and His path, even though it may be a more difficult and challenging path for us to follow? We have been given the freedom to choose our path in life, and we have also been reminded of the Final Judgment in the end.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus Who told His disciples about the sign of times, warning them of the upcoming changes and trials that they will have to encounter in their journey and path in their ministry and works. This is also a reference to the earlier parts of the Gospel passage that we have heard in the earlier days of this week where the Lord foretold of the coming of great upheavals, conflicts and destruction, a premonition of the great destruction which the first Jewish-Roman war would bring to Judea and Jerusalem a few decades after the Lord spoke of it and predicted everything that would be happening, the scattering of the people of God, the destruction of Jerusalem and the grand Temple of God in that city. It was a great disaster and many perished during the events that happened then at that time.

Throughout all those challenging moments, difficulties and trials, the Lord would not abandon His people and would grant them His strength and providence, leading them down the path of righteousness and grace, strengthening and empowering them all with the gift of His Holy Spirit. Just as St. John saw in the revelations and visions that he had received at the Island of Patmos, the Lord reassured His disciples and followers that they will not be disappointed if they continue to hold strongly and firmly in their faith in Him. They shall all be triumphant with Him, and regardless of everything that will happen, and even if Jerusalem and the Temple were to be destroyed, but the Lord and His words, His truth and power will remain and will be triumphant in the end, against all those who have risen up against His people and persecuted them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be strengthened in our own faith and be encouraged at all times, reminding ourselves that we should ourselves be good role models and inspirations to one another in faith, in how we live our own lives, in how we dedicate ourselves to God. We must always be good and worthy in our every actions, words and deeds so that all those who encounter us and interact with us may come to know the Lord and His truth, His love, and kindness through the manifestation in our lives and works. This is part of the mission which the Lord has entrusted to us, just as He has granted us many opportunities and chances, the means and the blessings for us all to share with each other, to brighten up this darkened world with the hope and light of God’s grace, and not to give in easily to fear and uncertainties, to the temptations to sin.

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to strengthen us all in faith, helping us all to endure and persevere through the challenges and hardships in our path in life. May He continue to encourage us to walk ever more graciously and faithfully in His path, guiding us all through His light, truth and hope so that we may remain firmly committed to Him, and not be easily swayed and misguided by all the false leads and the lies and temptations of the evil ones around us. May God bless us all and our every good works and efforts for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 29 November 2024 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 21 : 29-33

At that time, Jesus added this comparison, “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as their buds sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.”

“Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all this has happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

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Friday, 29 November 2024 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 83 : 3, 4, 5-6a and 8a

My soul yearns, pines, for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young, at Your altars, o Lord of hosts, my King and my God!

Happy are those who live in Your house, continually singing Your praise! Happy the pilgrims whom You strengthen. They go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Zion.

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Friday, 29 November 2024 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Revelations 20 : 1-4, 11 – Revelations 21 : 2

Then an Angel came down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the Abyss and a huge chain. He seized the monster, the ancient serpent, namely Satan or the devil, and chained him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss and closed its gate with the key, then secured it with locks, that he might not deceive the nations in the future until the thousand years have passed. Then he will be released for a little while.

There were thrones and seated on them were those with the power to judge. I then saw the spirits of those who had been beheaded for having held the teachings of Jesus and on account of the word of God. I saw all those who had refused to worship the beast and its image, or receive its mark on the forehead or on the hand. They returned to life and reigned with the Messiah for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection.

After that I saw a great and splendid throne and the One seated upon it. At once heaven and earth disappeared, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before the throne while books were opened. Another book, the Book of Life, was also opened. Then the dead were judged according to the records of these books, that is, each one according to his works.

The sea gave up the dead it had kept, as did death and the netherworld, so that all might be judged according to their works. Then death and the netherworld were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. All who were not recorded in the Book of Life were thrown into the lake of fire.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had passed away and no longer was there any sea. I saw the new Jerusalem, the holy city coming down from God, out of heaven, adorned as a bride prepared for her husband.

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Thursday, 28 November 2024 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded by the Lord through His Church yet again towards the end of this current liturgical year that as we continue to live on with our lives, in each and every moments, we will always keep in mind our relationship with God and our state of life in the world today. All of us are reminded that tribulations and hardships will likely be part of our journey towards the Lord, but if we remain firm in our faith towards Him, in the end, we will share in His ultimate triumph and victory against the forces of evil, sin and darkness. We must always have faith in the Lord and believe that no matter what obstacles and hardships we may encounter in our journey, we will be able to overcome them with God’s help and guidance.

In our first reading today, the continuation from the Book of Revelations to St. John the Apostle, we heard of the story of the great triumph, after all the tribulations, hardships and challenges facing all the faithful people of God by Satan, the great enemy, the Antichrist and all those forces of evil and wickedness arrayed against the faithful and holy ones of God. During those days in the final moments of the current world we are living in, Satan and all of his forces made a final attempt at us all, and in their attempts, they tried to bring us all down into damnation by striking at us, tempting us and coercing us into following their false and wicked paths, persecuting and oppressing all those who have been faithful to the Lord and His truth. But we are all reminded through this reading today that we should not easily give up the struggle or surrender to the demands of the evil ones, because ultimately we will be triumphant with God.

This Revelation received by St. John the Apostle came at the time when the Church and many of the faithful were encountering great hardships and persecutions for their faith in God, with the Apostle himself being persecuted and exiled at the island of Patmos when he received this series of visions and revelations from God. According to historical evidence and Sacred Tradition, this persecution which had begun under the Emperor Nero, became more intense under the succeeding Emperors, and this particular episode of persecution happened during the reign of the Emperor Domitian who ruled the Roman Empire about five and six decades after the death of Christ, His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven. Many of the Apostles except for St. John had died as martyrs, and many more early Christians had become martyrs as well.

They all persevered in faith and refused to obey the Emperor’s command for them to worship him as a god. They refused to worship the pagan gods and offer sacrifices to these gods and false idols, and especially in the case of the Emperor Domitian, known in history for his megalomania and claim to divinity which was scandalous and controversial even to the Romans and the pagan believers at the time. But knowing this fact makes us realise just how dire the situation was for the Church and many of the early Christians who suffered greatly for their faith in God. But the Lord strengthened and encouraged them through His servants and all the reassurances that He has given them, including this Revelation of the ultimate triumph and victory the faithful shall all have in God, just as ultimately the Christian faith triumphed over the pagan idols and Emperor worship of Ancient Rome.

Then from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Who foretold the destruction of Jerusalem, its Temple and the entire city that would happen soon sometime in their lifetime. He told them all about the signs of things around them and for them all to be prepared for the time of tribulation and hardships. This prophecy would indeed come true a few decades later, when the Romans came to besiege Jerusalem and eventually conquered it from the Jewish rebels who had risen up in rebellion due to instigation from the extremist factions within the Jewish community who sought to liberate themselves from the rule and dominion of the Romans. But for all the efforts that they had made, they all came to nothing as they were defeated and their rebellion crushed, and Jerusalem itself and the Temple were destroyed and burnt to the ground, leaving only a small portion of the Temple complex wall remaining, which is now known as the Western Wall.

All these are clear reminders for us that there will be hardships and trials facing us, and there is no guarantee that can be found in the world, as our only source of Hope and strength can be found in God and in Him alone. Those Jewish people living during the time of the Lord and His disciples, the Apostles and the first Christians of the early Church, they all believed in the Temple and the priesthood, the Law and the commandments so much so that that adherence and attachment to the Temple made them to forget their true devotion and focus on the Lord, their God. And when the Temple of Jerusalem, the grand Temple rebuilt and expanded by King Herod the Great was torn down and destroyed, those people lost their faith and their focus in life, forgetting that God alone is their true focus and the source of all their hopes.

It is a clear reminder for all of us that we should not easily give in to the temptations of worldly glory and the falsehood of earthly treasures. Instead we must renew our commitment, faith and trust in God. We must always have faith that the Lord will be triumphant with us in the end, and the sufferings that we are facing now, are what He Himself has suffered even more, as He has suffered the worst of sufferings, humiliations and pains, the worst that this world can project upon anyone, and yet, He endured it all because of His love for us, and He triumphed in the end. It is also normal for us to struggle with those sufferings and pains, and our hardships are real sufferings, but we must always remember that we do not suffer alone, for the Lord Himself is journeying by our side, bearing our crosses with Him, as He will always support us all the way.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have discussed and discerned earlier from the readings of the Scriptures and from what we have been reminded, of the need to have firm trust and strong faith in God, let us all therefore renew our faith in Him and do our very best to glorify God by our every actions, words and deeds that are truly worthy of Him. May the Lord continue to strengthen us all and encourage each one of us in our respective journeys in life, so that hopefully by our own good role model and inspirations, we may help each other in this difficult but ultimately rewarding journey towards God. May God bless us all and our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 28 November 2024 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 21 : 20-28

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that the time has come when it will be reduced to a wasteland. If you are in Judea, flee to the mountains! If you are in Jerusalem, leave! If you are outside the city, do not enter it!”

“For these will be the days of its punishment, and all that was announced in the Scriptures will be fulfilled. How hard will it be for pregnant women, and for mothers with babies at the breast! For a great calamity will come upon the land, and wrath upon this people. They will be put to death by the sword, or taken as slaves to other nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the pagans, until the time of the pagans is fulfilled.”

“Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, perplexed when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. Then, at that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

“So, when you see things begin to happen, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.”