Weekdays of Ordinary Time

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Friday, 23 June 2023 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 1 : 4-10

A word of YHVH came to me, “Even before I formed you in the womb I have known you; even before you were born I had set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations!”

I said, “Ah, Lord YHVH! I do not know how to speak; I am still young!” But YHVH replied, “Do not say; ‘I am still young’, for now you will go, whatever be the mission I am entrusting to you, and you will speak of whatever I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you – it is YHVH Who speaks!”

Then YHVH stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now I have put My words in your mouth. See! Today I give you authority over nations and over kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

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Friday, 23 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded today to seek the Lord and to put all of our trust in Him. Each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s disciples and followers ought to do our part in following the Lord and committing ourselves to His cause, and not worrying whether we will be rewarded or whether we will enjoy a good and fortunate life in this world. That is because, our goal as Christians is truly not to seek joy and pleasures in this world, but rather more of the true satisfaction and joy that the Lord alone can provide us. That is why through what we are reminded in our Scripture passages today, all of us should heed the words of the Lord telling us to keep our focus on the Lord and not on other things.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, we heard the Apostle St. Paul speaking to the people there regarding all the experiences he had encountered and all the hardships that he had to endure and face in the midst of all of his ministry as one of the Lord’s Apostles and missionaries, in his many journeys and travels throughout the regions, while proclaiming the Good News and the truth of God’s salvation. He was telling them that he could have boasted in his worldly achievements and regarding his status, as he was indeed a person of high bearing and standing, as a member of the Pharisees once in his youth, as an elite, and as we all knew, that St. Paul was also a Roman citizen, a rare feat for a Jew at that time.

It means that St. Paul could indeed have chosen to cling on to all of that, all the glory, the status and other things that he could have entitled himself to and enjoyed, not having to go through the many hardships and miseries that he had to bear in the process of proclaiming the Gospels, the Good News of the Lord. He could have remained as an influential Pharisee, becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, the elite of the Jewish community, gaining much respect, wealth and prosperity, if he had chosen to gather for himself the treasures of this world, just as the Lord Jesus also highlighted in our Gospel passage today. Yet, St. Paul chose to gather for himself the true treasures, the treasures of faith and righteousness that can be found in God alone.

St. Paul highlighted all that he had to go through in his missions, all the rejections and hardships, persecutions and trials that he had to face. He had to bear through many difficult things, oppressions and obstacles, and yet, he continued to carry on in his ministry. And if we all wonder why, that is because St. Paul sought not worldly acclamation or acceptance, but truly, he sought for righteousness and worth in Christ, our Lord and Saviour. The Lord Himself has also said once, that no one who had given up things for Him, be it their time, their works, their families or loved ones, and dedicated themselves to God would be left wanting, for God knows everything that we have done for Him, and will reward us in the time of His choosing. In the end, His faithful ones will be triumphant and will enjoy the eternal reward with Him.

At the same time, St. Paul also highlighted that even all of us are still susceptible to the temptations to sin, the temptations of evil and darkness, the temptations to do what are against God and His commandments, the temptations to disobey Him and to walk down our own path in rebellion against His will. That was why he was using his own examples in sharing to the faithful people in Corinth, that he was just like any one of them, in being tempted and tested, and he always faced the struggle to remain faithful to God. Hence, he shared his experiences so that the others who witnessed his works and listened to his experiences might be strengthened and would not so easily give up their faith and struggle for the Lord.

In our Gospel passage today, as mentioned earlier, the Lord Jesus Himself also told His disciples about all these things, reminding them and hence, all of us, to focus on the Lord and the true treasures that we can gain in Him alone. We should not be easily tempted and swayed by the many temptations found around us, and we should always be vigilant in resisting the temptations of the evil one, so that we do not end up having unhealthy attachments to the many worldly conveniences and pleasures in our midst. We have to be ever vigilant because while we have faith in the Lord, and while, in the Lord’s words itself, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Many of us often fell again and again into sin and temptation because we are unable to free ourselves from the snares of sin.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore recommit ourselves and focus ourselves once again to return to the Lord, and to place Him once again as the centre and the focus of our lives and existences. Let us all dedicate ourselves and our every actions and works from now on, so that we may strive to do only what is befitting the Lord and is worthy of our status as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, and had responded with the commitment to be always walking in His Presence, in the path that He has shown us, and in doing whatever that He has taught us to do. Let us all no longer be idle, and no longer be ignorant of what we all need to do as Christians, as God’s beloved people.

May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey of faith through life, and may He strengthen us ever in our resolve and commitment, so that we may continue to persevere through the challenges and trials in life, just as St. Paul and many of our holy predecessors, our fellow brothers and sisters had endured earlier on. May God bless our every good works, endeavours and efforts to live our lives worthily in His Presence, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 23 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 6 : 19-23

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “Do not store up treasures for yourself here, on earth, where moth and rust destroy it; and where thieves can steal it. Store up treasures for yourself with God, where no moth or rust can destroy it, nor thief come and steal it.

For where your treasures are, there, also, will your heart be. The lamp of the body is the eye; if your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light. If your eyes are diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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Friday, 23 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

I will bless the Lord all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify the Lord, together let us glorify His Name! I sought the Lord, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, the Lord hears and saves them from distress.

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Friday, 23 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Corinthians 11 : 18, 21b-30

As some people boast of human advantages, I will do the same. But if others are so bold, I shall also dare, although I may speak like a fool. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I begin to talk like a madman) I am better than they.

Better than they, with my numerous labours. Better than they, with the time spent in prison. The beatings I received are beyond comparison. How many times have I found myself in danger of death! Five times, the Jews sentenced me to thirty-nine lashes. Three times, I was beaten with a rod. Once I was stoned. Three times, I was shipwrecked; and once, I spent a night and a day, adrift on the high seas.

I have been continually in hazards of travelling; because of rivers, because of bandits, because of my fellow Jews, or because of the pagans; in danger, in the city, in the open country, at sea; in danger from false brothers. I have worked, and often laboured without sleep, I have been hungry and thirsty and starving, cold, and without shelter. Besides these, and other things, there was my daily concern for all the churches. Who is weak, that I do not feel weak as well? Whoever stumbles, am I not on hot bricks?

If it is necessary to boast, let me proclaim the occasions on which I was found weak.

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Thursday, 22 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops) or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and keep away from wicked thoughts and deeds. All of us should uphold the truth of God fully and do not allow ourselves be easily swayed by the falsehoods and the evils of this world, which can lead us down the wrong path, as what many among our predecessors had done, and unfortunately, all these had also led to great harm to the Church of God. In the past, throughout the history of the Church, we have had cases when the faithful had been misled and misguided, and the unity of the Church had been harmed and destroyed by the selfish ambitions and desires of certain individuals who placed their own ambitions above that of obedience to God and true faith.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth about the matter of how sin and wickedness could have corrupted and twisted the faithful people of God from the right path, leading them down the path of sin and evil, further and further away from God. This was a time when there were preachers and teachers of the faith who preached and taught different versions and interpretations of the Gospels and the teachings than that of St. Paul and the other Apostles, either due to misinterpretations or because of the corruption from those who tried to syncretise and change the teachings of the Church to suit their own pursuits and desires. This led to the divisions within the Church, friction among the faithful and troubles which would continue to trouble the Church later on throughout its history.

In the Gospel today we then heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples regarding the matter of praying to God, in which He told them that prayers are not about saying many words or making a long litany of things, but rather, glorifying God and thanking Him, recognising one’s need for God and His love, and showing the desire to love one another and to forgive each others’ sins just as the Lord Himself had taught us, in what would eventually be known as the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s Prayer, also known as Pater Noster, is the embodiment of what true and genuine prayer should be like, one in which we open our hearts and minds to listen to the Lord speaking to us, thanking Him and allowing Him to lead and guide us, instead of selfishly and stubbornly putting ourselves and our own greedy desires as the focus of our lives.

We have to realise that our desires can bring about our downfall if we are not careful about it, as we may easily end up being distracted and swayed to walk away from the path of God, and into the path of worldliness and evil. If we allow worldly desires and greed to lead us, it will likely not end well for us, and we may end up getting drawn ever further away from the Lord and His salvation. Worse still, it can also affect others around us, causing harm to the unity of the Church and the faithful people of God, by our stubbornness and attachments to the many worldly glories and fame, temptations and other things that may distract us from God and His truth. That is why all of us should strive to turn away from all these wickedness and evils, and look upon our good and dedicated predecessors as inspirations and guides to help us discern our path forward.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of not just one but three great saints, holy men of God who had dedicated their lives and actions to the Lord, giving themselves thoroughly to Him and committing themselves to His cause. All the three of them are truly exemplary in their actions and works, leading a life truly worthy of the Lord, and when they were faced with hardships and tribulations, persecutions and trials, all those things did not dissuade them or prevent them from continuing to live their lives with the same kind of faith and commitment. On the contrary, they kept on going and dedicated themselves even more to the Lord and His cause, and did not mind the sufferings and persecutions that they had to face, with two of these three saints suffering martyrdom for the sake of the Lord and His Church, standing firm in their faith to the end.

This day we celebrate the feast of St. Paulinus of Nola, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, with the first one being a Roman era saint and bishop, renowned for his faith in God and generosity, commitment and dedication to his flock and to all those who have encountered him, while the other two, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher were the most prominent among the many martyrs of the so-called English reformation, in their staunch opposition of the English King’s efforts to break free from the authority of the Pope and the Universal Church, defying even their own liege and king in doing so, in order to stand by their faith and to uphold what they truly and sincerely believed, against the wrong ideas and ways that the king wanted to impose on the faithful people of God, in breaking the unity of the Church.

First of all, St. Paulinus of Nola was born into a prominent Roman family in what is today part of southern France, and became a Roman aristocrat and statesman, becoming ultimately the governor of Campania, prior to his conversion to the Christian faith. Eventually, he embraced the Lord and the Christian faith, and abandoning his worldly posts, he became the Bishop of Nola, for which he was greatly remembered, in his renunciation of the world and all of its excesses, and in his embracing a holy and ascetic way of life, dedicating himself wholly to God. St. Paulinus of Nola was also remembered for his many correspondences with the other early Church fathers, as well as in his many efforts to build and strengthen the Church in his diocese of Nola and beyond. Through his piety, humility and dedication to God, St. Paulinus of Nola is truly a great example for all of us.

Meanwhile, St. Thomas More was a prominent statesman and also the Lord High Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII. St. John Fisher was the Bishop of Rochester and one influential Church leaders during the reign of the same king. King Henry VIII was infamous in his efforts to beget a male heir to the throne, in his six marriages to six women, and eventually in his futile attempts in doing so, with the male heir that he begotten, passed away in early youth not long after that boy ascended the throne. However, very unfortunately, in his desperate measures, King Henry VIII chose to disobey the Lord and His Church, by divorcing his own wife, who had begotten for him a daughter, and chose to marry another woman, in contravention of the divine and the Church law, hence, triggering the breakaway of the Church in England, resulting in the English reformation.

Amidst such a state, as King Henry VIII demanded that all the people converted to his new establishment and church leadership, while many did so out of opportunism and fear of the king, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher were notable as the highly ranked members of the king’s influential advisors who refused to obey the king’s commands, and in the case of St. Thomas More, he chose to oppose the king’s decision in breaking away from the Universal Church and the decision to divorce his wife, and preferred to remain faithful to the Lord despite the persuasions and coercions for him to follow the king’s orders. St. Thomas More faced suffering and persecution, and eventually together with St. John Fisher, who was a courageous Church leader made a Cardinal for his dedication by the Pope, were martyred for their great and committed faith in God. They both showed us that we have to remain truly faithful to the Lord and not to give in to wickedness and worldly desires as the fallen King had done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the examples of these holy and faithful predecessors of ours, be inspired by their examples and great works, and walk in the path of the Lord ever more faithfully from now on. Let us all be good examples and role models of our faith, in our every works and endeavours, in our every words, actions and deeds. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide and strengthen us all to be His faithful disciples, ever focused on Him and His teachings and truth, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 22 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops) or Red (Martyrs)

Matthew 6 : 7-15

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do; for they believe that, the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask Him.”

“This, then, is how you should pray : Our Father in heaven, holy be Your Name, Your kingdom, come, Your will be done on earth, as in heaven. Give us today, our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are in debt to us. Do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from the evil one.”

“If you forgive others their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you.”

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Thursday, 22 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops) or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 110 : 1-2, 3-4, 7-8

Alleluia! I thank YHVH with all my heart in the council of the just, in the assembly. The works of YHVH are great and pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are His deeds, His righteousness endures forever. He lets us remember His wondrous deeds; YHVH is merciful and kind.

The works of His hands are faithful and just, trustworthy are all His precepts, ordained to last forever, bearers of truth and uprightness.

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Thursday, 22 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops) or Red (Martyrs)

2 Corinthians 11 : 1-11

May you bear with me in some little foolishness! But surely you will. I confess that I share the jealousy of God for you, for I have promised you, in marriage, to Christ, the only Spouse; to present you to Him, as a pure virgin. And this is my fear : the serpent that seduced Eve, with cunning, could also corrupt your minds, and divert you from Christian sincerity.

Someone, now, comes, and preaches another Jesus, different from the One we preach, or you are offered a different spirit from the One you have received, with a different gospel from the one you have accepted – and you agree! I do not see how I am inferior to those super Apostles. Does my speaking leave much to be desired? Perhaps, but not my knowledge, as I have abundantly shown to you in every way.

Perhaps my fault was, that I humbled myself, in order to uplift you, or that, I gave you the Gospel free of charge. I called upon the services of other churches, and served you with the support I received from them. When I was with you, although I was in need, I did not become a burden to anyone. The friends from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I have taken care, not to be a burden to you in anything, and I will continue to do so.

By the truth of Christ within me, I will let no one in the land of Achaia stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!

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Wednesday, 21 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord in the Scriptures, all of us are again reminded that each and every one of us have to be sincerely and genuinely faithful to God. In all of our actions and deeds, in our every words and interactions with one another, each one of us should always be filled with genuine commitment to God, in our way of life and in whatever we believe in. Otherwise, our faith is no better than that of the faith of the hypocrites, who only show their faith in order to impress others, or to advance their own desires and ambitions. Or as compared to the faith of those who are lukewarm and lacking in true dedication to God, where their faith is flickering and weak, and not supported by the strong desire to follow the Lord or to love Him.

In our first reading today, we listened to the words of the Scriptures from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth. In that passage, the Apostle St. Paul spoke to the faithful people of God in the city of Corinth that the Lord has blessed them wonderfully and generously, and hence, in the same way, the people of God are therefore called and expected to do the same as well, in showing their love and generosity towards each other, in caring for their fellow brothers and sisters. Each one of us as Christians are reminded that the riches and the blessings we have are gifts from the Lord, and we should be happy and willing to share these with each other, particularly with all those who are lacking and short in the things that they needed. It is an important aspect for us as Christians to be selfless and to be filled with love in all of our actions.

St. Paul told the faithful that all those who have sowed meagerly would reap meagerly while those who sowed generously would also reap generously, as a reminder that each one of us as Christians should not be calculating and transactional in how we conduct ourselves, that we only love those who can benefit us or return us what we have given them. That is not what we should be doing, brothers and sisters, as it is what the Lord Himself has taught us or shown us to do in our respective lives. As we heard the Lord Himself saying in our Gospel passage today, all of us should truly be sincere in doing all of our actions in faith, and not because we want to gain benefits, glory, fame and satisfaction for ourselves. Otherwise, it is easy for us to end up losing focus on what each and every one of us are called to do as Christians, as God’s holy people.

All of us are reminded that whenever we fast, and whenever we give alms, we should do them because we truly and sincerely desire to glorify God and to turn away from the path of sin and wickedness, and also because we are genuinely concerned about others whom we care about. We should not be centred and focused on ourselves, our own greed and ambition, and all the things we usually pursue in life. We should always remind ourselves that what we have in this world, are also not ours to begin with, but in fact they have been given to us by our Lord and loving Father, Who blesses us according to our needs and by His will and desire. That is why we should not seek to gain more worldly glory and achievements, or more of the other temptations and desires of this world, but instead, we should do our best to follow the Lord and His ways, walking down the path that God has led us into.

Each one of us have been reminded that we have to be truly genuine in faith, in our every actions and way of life, in how we pray and carry out our lives and our faith lives. Unless we commit ourselves thoroughly to the Lord, we will likely end up being swayed into the path of sin and evil, misled by the many temptations present all around us. That is why we have to listen to the Lord reminding us today so that we may return our focus and attention once again towards God, to His Law and commandments. Let us all also look upon the great examples set by our holy predecessors, many of whom had lived their lives worthily of the Lord and became great examples and sources of inspiration for many throughout the lives and the history of the Church, as we celebrate one of them on his feast day today.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a renowned saint who has shown in his rather short life, a true dedication and commitment to God, as well as great and generous love for his fellow brothers and sisters around him, in caring for them and ministering to them. St. Aloysius Gonzaga was born as the eldest son and heir of one of the cadet branches of an influential Italian family, the Gonzaga family. He was expected to succeed to his family’s fortunes and positions, and yet, he turned to the Lord instead, and sought Him rather than indulging in the life’s excesses as were common during that time in the late Renaissance era. He felt called to become a missionary and began to adopt an ascetic lifestyle. Ultimately, he remained resolute in his desire to be a missionary and joined the Society of Jesus, after giving up all of his rights and inheritance, to the dismay of his family, especially that of his father, who begrudgingly allowed his son to do as he wished.

St. Aloysius Gonzaga committed his life to his new ministry and calling, dedicating himself to the service of God and living a very devout and ascetic lifestyle. He kept on caring for the sick and those who suffered, especially at that time when a plague broke out in Rome and afflicted many people, even many among the Jesuit brothers. This however did not deter or dissuade St. Aloysius Gonzaga from continuing his work and efforts to care for those who were sick, despite having suffered from poor health and having contracted the plague himself. To the very end, St. Aloysius Gonzaga continued to commit himself for the good of others around him, and he never stopped caring for those whom he has shown compassion for, not even at the expense of his own health and life. In essence, St. Aloysius Gonzaga has shown us what true Christian charity and love is all about.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the faith and examples showed by St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and also by our other holy predecessors, the innumerable saints and martyrs, and all other holy men and women who had dedicated their lives to God. Let us all therefore do our best in our lives to give ourselves in serving God and in loving our fellow brothers and sisters, in whatever way we can, so that by our actions and works, more and more people may come to know the Lord and His love, His ways and Good News. Let us all be genuine Christians in all things, in our every works and actions, so that through us more and more may come to believe in God and be saved, together with us. May God bless us all and our every good works, now and always. Amen.