Weekdays of Ordinary Time

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 10 : 34 – Matthew 11 : 1

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think that I have come to establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Each one will have as enemies, those of one’s own family.”

“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life, for My sake, will find it.”

“Whoever welcomes you, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes Him Who sent Me. The one who welcomes a prophet, as a prophet, will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man, because he is a just man, will receive the reward of a just man.”

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is My disciple, I assure you, he will not go unrewarded.”

When Jesus had finished giving His twelve disciples these instructions, He went on from there to teach and proclaim His message in their towns.

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 123 : 1-3, 4-6, 7-8

Had not YHVH been on our side – let Israel say – had not YHVH been on our side, when people rose up against us, then, they would have swallowed us alive; such was their anger against us.

A bit more, and the flood would have engulfed us; the torrent would have swept over us; the raging waters would have swept us away. Blessed be YHVH, Who did not let us be devoured.

Like a bird, our soul escaped from the snare of the fowler; the snare that was broken and we were freed. Our help is in the Name of YHVH, Who made heaven and earth.

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Monday, 17 July 2023 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Exodus 1 : 8-14, 22

Then a new king who had not known Joseph came to power and said to his people, “The Israelites are more numerous and stronger than we are. Let us deal warily with them lest they increase still more and, in case of war, side with our enemy, fight against us and escape from the land.”

So they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labour. In that way they built the storage towns of Pithom and Rameses. But the more they oppressed the Hebrews the more they increased and spread, until the Egyptians dreaded the Israelites and became ruthless in making them work. They made life bitter for them in hard labour with bricks and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields. In all their work the Egyptians treated them harshly.

Pharaoh then gave this order to all the people : “Every infant boy born to the Hebrews must be thrown into the Nile, but every girl may live.”

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Sunday, 16 July 2023 : Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded to sow the seeds of faith within us, the seeds that the Lord has given and sown in us through His Word. Through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, all of us have received the Word of God’s salvation, His truth and Good News, manifested before us. He is the Sower, Who has sown the good seeds within each and every one of us, in this fertile field that is this world. All of us who have heeded His call and received His truth and Good News should endeavour and do our best to make this faith within us to grow and to prosper so that everyone who knows us and all those who witness our works and actions, interacting and dealing with us will come to know that we truly belong to God, and know Him through the fruits of our faith, richly shown and grown from our fertile selves.

In our first reading from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the Lord speaking to His people through Isaiah, Who mentioned interestingly of how His Word would be sent into this world the way that rain and snow descend from the heavens to the earth, which was indeed a premonition and prefigurement of what was to come. The Word of God, the Divine Word and Son of God, one of the members of the Holy Trinity, was truly incarnate and made flesh, becoming the Son of Man, just as the Lord Himself predicted, coming into this world to fulfil His will, that is to bring about the full and complete reconciliation of all of God’s beloved people, all mankind, by bringing all of them close to Him through His adoption of our human nature, making His love to become tangible, accessible and approachable to us.

And truly His coming into this world has brought about a great change to all things, just as St. Paul poetically described it in our second reading today, in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Rome. The Apostle spoke of the coming of the salvation of God, which had been sent into our midst, and how through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, all of us have received the pledge and assurance of eternal life, if we keep our faith and trust in Him. Each and every one of us as Christians have received this truth and Good News from the Lord Himself, passed down through His Church, and in us we have received the wonderful words of grace and hope, and the promise of eternal life, although at the moment we may be facing a lot of hardships and struggles, challenges and trials in life, as we continue to live our lives in our world today.

That is why all of us should heed the words of the Lord Who reminded each and every one of us that all of us should indeed welcome the words of God’s truth and Good News into our hearts and minds, as all of us have been made to be the bearers of His words and truth, His teachings and His ways, the seeds of faith that He has sown in us. By His patient love and care, He has given us all the provisions to help us in our journey towards full and complete reconciliation with our loving God and Creator. He has sown in us the seeds of faith, on what is hopefully a fertile place where those seeds can grow well and strong, and became in us the foundation for the faith that is both vibrant and strong, enduring and lasting, and faith that inspires others all around us, which therefore becomes faith that is truly living, real and genuine within us, and not faith that is mere formality and dead.

This is where that famous parable of the sower can enlighten us, as we are reminded of what happened to the seeds that sower had sown, and fallen in different places. As the Lord Himself explained to His disciples, that the seeds that landed by the roadside are like those who heard the word of God and then allowed the devil and all the evil ones, represented by the birds that came to eat those seeds, to take the gift of faith and the words of God away from them. We also heard how those seeds that fell on the rocky and barren ground could not grow properly or have roots that support them well, and hence were the plants were scorched and killed, as a reminder that if we do not provide the good conditions in our lives, in our way of living and in our attitudes in life, then it may be rather difficult for us to grow in faith and commitment to God, and it may be difficult for us to remain firm in our path of righteousness and faith.

Then, we also heard of those seeds that fell in the midst of the brambles and thorns, the weeds that choked the life out of the germinating seedlings and plants. Those are indeed the temptations and the things present all around us which may cause us to be swayed and tempted into the wrong paths in life, where the faith and the truth of God’s Good News within us may not be strong enough for us to restrain ourselves and to resist those temptations. Only the seeds that fell on the rich and fertile soil managed to grow into healthy, great and fruitful plants, those that bore fruits thirty, sixty and even hundred-fold of what had been planted there. The Lord Himself told His disciples that this is what happens to all those who received the word of God, internalised and understood them, and allow the message of the truth and their faith to transform them, that they all grow magnificently in their lives with faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why all of us are called and reminded to provide a good and fertile ‘soil’ for these seeds of faith, which means that we should do our very best to nurture in us a good and worthy attitude in life, disposition and focus, so that we may truly prioritise what is truly important in our lives, that is our faith in the Lord, Who should also be the main focus and emphasis of our every lives. Our actions, works and interactions should all be linked and focused on the Lord such that in our every words, deeds and actions, in all the things we say and do, we will always proclaim the glory of God and do things for His greater glory, and for the good of everyone, and not just for our own selfish desires and ambitions, unlike what many people all around the world tend to do. We must provide therefore this ‘fertile’ ground upon which our faith may grow and blossom, and we need to make the effort to do so.

That is why all of us should do our best to nurture our faith and our love for God, so that in each and every moments of our lives, we may come ever closer to the Lord and His truth, His compassionate love and salvation. All of us should always strive to be fruitful in our lives and faith, that by our every good works and actions, we may truly be faithful disciples and missionaries of our Christian faith, that through us, many more may come to be saved. May the Lord be with us always and may He help us and strengthen us in our path so that we may continue to bear richly the fruits of our faith. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 16 July 2023 : Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 13 : 1-23

At that time, Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. Many people gathered around Him. So He got into a boat, and sat down, while the crowds stood on the shore; and He spoke to them in parables about many things.

Jesus said, “The sower went out to sow; and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path; and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was not deep. But as soon as the sun rose, the plants were scorched; and they withered, because they had no roots.”

“Again, other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop : some a hundredfold, others sixty, and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!”

Then His disciples came to Him and said, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people. For the one who has will be given more; and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables; because they look and do not see; they hear; but they do not listen or understand.”

“In them, the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled : However much you hear, you do not understand; however much you see, you do not perceive. For the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart, they would turn back, and I would heal them.”

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For I tell you, many prophets and righteous people have longed to see the things you see, but they did not see them; and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear them.”

“Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the kingdom, but does not take it seriously, the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath. The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the Word, and accepts it at once with joy. But such a person has no roots, and endures only for a while. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the Word, than he gives up.”

“The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the Word; but then, the worries of this life and the love of money choke the Word; and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil, it is the one who hears the Word and understands it; this seed bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 13 : 1-9

At that time, Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. Many people gathered around Him. So He got into a boat, and sat down, while the crowds stood on the shore; and He spoke to them in parables about many things.

Jesus said, “The sower went out to sow; and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path; and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was not deep. But as soon as the sun rose, the plants were scorched; and they withered, because they had no roots.”

“Again, other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop : some a hundredfold, others sixty, and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!”

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Sunday, 16 July 2023 : Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 8 : 18-23

I consider, that the suffering of our present life cannot be compared with the glory that will be revealed, and given to us. All creation is eagerly expecting the birth, in glory, of the children of God. For, if now, the created world was unable to attain its purpose, this did not come from itself, but from the one who subjected it.

But it is not without hope; for even the created world, will be freed from this fate of death, and share the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know, that the whole creation groans and suffers the pangs of birth. Not creation alone, but even ourselves; although the Spirit was given to us, as a foretaste of what we are to receive, we groan in our innermost being, eagerly awaiting the day, when God will give us full rights, and rescue our bodies as well.

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Sunday, 16 July 2023 : Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 64 : 10abcd, 10e-11, 12-13, 14

You water the land and care for it, enriching it with natural resources. God’s stream is filled with water.

So You prepare the earth to give us its fruits. You drench the furrows in the land and level the ridges; You soften the soil with showers and bless its crops.

You crown the year with Your goodness; abundance flows everywhere. The deserts have become pasture land, the hills are clothed with gladness.

The meadows, covered with flocks, the valleys, decked with grain – they shout and sing for joy.

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Sunday, 16 July 2023 : Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 55 : 10-11

As the rain and snow come down from the heavens and do not return till they have watered the earth, making it yield seed for the sower and food for others to eat, so is My Word that goes forth out of My mouth : It will not return to Me idle, but It shall accomplish My will, the purpose for which It has been sent.

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Saturday, 15 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded that God always loves each and every one of us, more than any others among His creation, and all of us are truly precious to Him, and hence, we have no need to be afraid or fearful at all, particularly when we are perhaps encountering challenges and difficulties. The Lord is always there by our side, providing and caring for us, even when we often do not realise it and even when we often do not know that He is there for us. The Lord has shown us all His promise from time to time, and never ceases to surprise us all just how dedicated He has always been to the Covenant and to the promises that He has made and established with us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of how both Jacob and Joseph reached the end of their lives in the land of Egypt, in the story that capped and concluded the Book of Genesis and its accounts of the lives of the forefathers of the Israelites before the time of the Exodus. Jacob was already old by the time he was reunited with his long-lost son, Joseph, and he passed away surrounded by his many sons and children, and gave them all his blessings, the blessings that God has assured and given to him and his ancestors. We heard of how Jacob was buried back together with Abraham and Isaac, his forefathers in the Promised Land, and how the brothers of Joseph were reassured by Joseph himself that he would care for them and not seeking revenge against them.

God would indeed bless Jacob and his descendants, and just as Joseph was about to pass on from this life, we heard from him the words that he spoke to his descendants and relatives, asking him to bring his bones back to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land that God had promised to his forefathers, foretelling the coming of God’s time when He would lead them all out from the land of Egypt and back to the Promised Land, as how it would indeed happen during the Exodus hundreds of years later. The Lord would indeed remember His promises, and brought all of His people out from Egypt, and led them back patiently through the desert despite their many transgressions and wicked deeds, under the leadership and guidance of Moses, until they finally reached the land promised to them, while renewing His Covenant with them.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples regarding the matter of trusting in the Lord and not needing to fear the evil and the darkness, or the challenges and the sufferings that the disciples might have to endure as part of their work and ministry. The Lord reassured them using the parables to explain to them how they were part of the greater things and have the assurances of the guidance of God, by comparing the wicked ones and those who oppressed them with the evil ones, led by the princes of demons like Beelzebul. Such a mention was made because those princes of demons were imperfect, wicked and flawed, as compared to the perfection and the power of God, to Whom even those demons and wicked ones had to submit themselves.

The Lord also used the parable of the light and how that light will uncover everything that is hidden in the dark, showing that the truth of God cannot be hidden or be oppressed by anyone. Even if the disciples in the future will be facing hardships, trials and obstacles amidst their ministry, but they will always have the Lord by their side, and nothing can stop them from proclaiming the Good News of God. They should not be afraid of all those who could harm them physically, all the oppressions and the hardships that they would have to endure from the many persecutions they would have to face from the worldly authorities, because all those things cannot harm them in a lasting manner.

This is contrasted to what will happen to us if we choose to side with the world and all the evil temptations which may lead us to good reprieve from hardships and persecutions, but in the end, we may fall away from the path that the Lord has shown us, essentially leading us to our downfall and destruction. However, this is what many of us may choose to do when we are faced with fear and uncertainties in life, threats and dangers that can lead us down the wrong path and into damnation. We are often worried because we are concerned about our well-being and livelihood, but we forgot that the Lord has always been watching over us, caring for us and in the end, we will be satisfied because of His providence and compassionate care. Sometimes we focus so much on ourselves and our needs and desires that we became blinded and unable to see God’s love being shown to us in our midst.

That is why today we are reminded that we should renew our trust and faith in God, and learn to follow His path and examples, while resisting the temptations of the world and the pressures all around us which may try to force us to succumb to those temptations and abandon our faith in the Lord. That is why today we should look upon the great faith shown by our predecessors, all those servants of God, disciples and followers of the Lord who had given their all in order to serve Him. Today we celebrate the feast of one of those servants of God, namely St. Bonaventure, a renowned Franciscan bishop, theologian and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, who was later on declared as one of the Doctors of the Church for his great contributions to the Christian faith and the Church, as well as his commitment to Church reforms.

He joined the Franciscan Order and had an interaction with its founder, the other renowned saint, St. Francis of Assisi. He wrote extensively on theological matters, so much so that he was known well as the ‘Seraphic Doctor’ by his contemporaries and later Church theologians. He was also elected as the leader of the Franciscan Order as its Minister General, and was instrumental in guiding the order through its works and principles, and at the same time also involving himself in greater and wider whole Church reforms. He was elevated to the Cardinalate by the Pope for his influential efforts and works in securing his election, and in his many other contributions to the good of the Church and the faithful people of God. The great examples of St. Bonaventure still inspired many people right even up to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all today therefore be strengthened and encouraged by the great examples and inspirations shown by St. Bonaventure and the many other holy men and women of God, whose lives have been truly worthy of Him, so that we too may follow in their footsteps. May the Lord continue to strengthen and guide us in our path, in our faithful commitment to His cause, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 15 July 2023 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 10 : 24-33

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “A student is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. A student should be content to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If the head of the household has been called Beelzebul, how much more, those of his household! So, do not be afraid of them!”

“There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered. There is nothing hidden that will not be made known. What I am telling you in the dark, you must speak in the light. What you hear in private, proclaim from the housetops. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but have no power to kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of Him Who can destroy both body and soul in hell.”

“For a few cents you can buy two sparrows. Yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. Do not be afraid : you are worth more than many sparrows! Whoever acknowledges Me before others, I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven. Whoever rejects Me before others, I will reject before My Father in heaven.”