Weeks of Lent

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Wednesday, 13 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent, Eleventh Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 49 : 8-15

This is what YHVH says : “At a favourable time I have answered you, on the day of salvation I have been your help; I have formed you and made you to be My covenant with the people. You will restore the land, and allot its abandoned farms. You will say to the captives : Come out; and to those in darkness : Show yourselves.”

“They will feed along the road; they will find pasture on barren hills. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the scorching wind or the sun beat upon them; for He Who has mercy on them will guide them and lead them to springs of water. I will turn all My mountains into roads and raise up My highways. See, they come from afar, some from the north and west, others from the land of Sinim.”

Sing, o heavens and rejoice, o earth; break forth into song, o mountains : for YHVH has comforted His people and taken pity on those who are afflicted. But Zion said : “YHVH has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child of her womb? Yet though she forget, I will never forget you.

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Tuesday, 12 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in what we have heard in our Scripture readings today, we are all reminded of God’s ever present love, compassion and mercy towards each and every one of us. God has called us all to holiness and to leave behind our many wickedness and sins, so that we may be reconciled with Him, just as He has always been so generous in loving us and extending His mercy and compassion towards us. What matters it therefore for us to embrace God’s love and mercy, which He has extended to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. God has given us all His Son as a clear sign and perfect example of His love for us, and through this perfect Love He has manifested for us, He has gathered us all to Himself.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, in which the famous vision of Ezekiel of Heaven and its Temple was highlighted to us. In that vision, the prophet Ezekiel saw God’s Heavenly Temple in all of its glory, seeing the Son of Man bringing him around the place and measuring its dimensions. He witnessed the Holy Presence of God residing in that Temple and how a great stream came forth from the House of God to give life to whichever places and sites that it touched. The great river of life coming out from the Temple of God, that gave life to all things and purified the foul-smelling water, is a representation of Christ, Whose Body is the Church of God, and through His actions, His suffering and death, salvation came to all of us, through the gift of Baptism, that all of us may enter into a new life and existence in God.

This Lenten season, all of us are reminded to reflect more on our lives and actions, and consider carefully our path forward so that we may better know how we can progress in our lives to come ever closer to God. As we draw now ever closer to the beginning of the Holy Week, we are constantly and progressively being reminded more and more of everything that God had done for us, for the sake of our salvation and liberation. God has given us the means to new life and freedom from the tyranny of sin and evil, by sending down His Son, to lead us all through the darkness and guide us into the Light of His salvation, like how He led the Israelites through the Red Sea in the past, out of the land of their slavery in Egypt and into freedom, to the land promised to them. Thus, God has also led us all into our intended destination, that is eternal life with Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the miraculous healing done by the Lord Jesus on a paralysed man who had been lying in wait for a long time at the Pool of Bethzatha, as no one was willing to help him to reach the water of the pool when the Angel of God came to touch it, which according to tradition brought healing to whoever that managed to touch the water first. The Lord Jesus saw that poor man lying down by the poolside, and showed His love and compassion, healing the man from his condition and restoring him to good health. In a parallel to the story of the vision of Ezekiel from the Old Testament, we heard of God’s healing that had come upon the one who had faith in Him, believing in His love and mercy. While no one helped the man for a whole period of thirty-eight years, the fact that he remained there must also be caused by his unwavering faith and trust in the Lord.

This brought us to remember that as Christians, that is God’s beloved people, we must always have faith in the Lord, believing that God is with us, guiding us and journeying with us. He never leaves us alone, and He has always been by our side, providing for us and giving us the necessary strength and encouragement to follow Him with faith. While sufferings, challenges and difficulties may indeed come in our path, disturbing and making our way towards God difficult, but we must not lose heart, as the Lord Himself has reassured us of His continued guidance, help and presence in our midst. We have nothing to fear and we should continue to put our trust in God, regardless of the many challenges, trials and hardships that we may have to face in our lives.

All of us should come towards the Lord, seeking His help, kindness, guidance and help. Through His strength and providence, God will help us to remain firmly committed to His path, and strengthen us so that we may be strong in our endurance and persistence despite the many challenges present all around us. Despite the difficulties and trials we may have to face, but if we truly believe in the Lord and walk in His path, in the end, He will reward us all for our commitment and willingness to stay with Him and in living our lives worthily as Christians, in being good and worthy examples for our fellow brothers and sisters, for everyone all around us. Through our good actions and deeds, we should be the light and beacon for others to follow, to guide them on the path back towards God.

In this season and time of Lent, we should be more attuned with ourselves and with God. In this world where we often faced a lot of temptations, distractions and challenges, we should always keep in mind that God’s love for us and His Presence in our midst can help and strengthen us to face all those difficulties and challenges which we cannot resolve on our own alone. This is why we must keep our focus, attention and emphasis on following the Lord, in centering ourselves on Him. We should continue to be good role models and inspirations for our fellow brothers and sisters, to everyone whom we encounter in each and every moments of our lives. It is by our faithful Lenten actions and observances that we can be better disciples and followers of Christ.

May the Lord continue to guide and bless us in this journey of faith through life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that hopefully through our dedicated and faithful Lenten observances, by deepening ourselves in a life of prayer, in our fasting and abstinence to control our worldly desires and all the temptations in life, and by our ever more generous almsgiving, may all of us continue to draw ever closer to God and to His truth. May He bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and strengthen us in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 5 : 1-16

At that time, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now, by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, there is a pool (called Bethzatha in Hebrew) surrounded by five galleries. In these galleries lay a multitude of sick people : blind, lame and paralysed.

(All were waiting for the water to move, for at times an Angel of the Lord would descend into the pool and stir up the water; and the first person to enter the pool, after this movement of the water, would be healed of whatever disease that he had.)

There was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him, and because He knew how long this man had been lying there, He said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” And the sick man answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; so while I am still on my way, another steps down before me.”

Jesus then said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk!” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his mat and walked. Now that day happened to be the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had just been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and the Law does not allow you to carry your mat.” He answered them, “The One Who healed me said to me, “Take up your mat and walk!”

They asked him, “Who is the One Who said to you : Take up your mat and walk?” But the sick man had no idea who it was Who had cured him, for Jesus had slipped away among the crowd that filled the place. Afterwards Jesus met him in the Temple court and told him, “Now you are well; do not sin again, lest something worse happen to you.”

And the man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had healed him. So the Jews persecuted Jesus because He performs healings like that on the Sabbath.

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Tuesday, 12 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 45 : 2-3, 5-6, 8-9ab

God is our strength and protection, an ever-present help in affliction. We will not fear, therefore, though the earth be shaken and the mountains plunge into the seas.

There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within, the city cannot quake, for God’s help is upon it at the break of day.

For with us is the Lord of hosts, the God of Jacob, our refuge. Come, see the works of the Lord – the marvellous things He has done in the world.

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Tuesday, 12 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Ezekiel 47 : 1-9, 12

The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and flowing eastwards. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there I saw the stream coming from the south side.

The man had a measuring cord in his hand. As he went towards the east he measured off a thousand cubits and led me across the water which was up to my ankles. He measured off another thousand cubits and made me cross the water which came to my knees. He measured off another thousand cubits and we crossed the water which was up to my waist. When he had again measured a thousand cubits, I could not cross the torrent for it had swollen to a depth which was impossible to cross without swimming.

The man then said to me, “Son of man, did you see?” He led me on further and then brought me back to the bank of the river. There I saw a number of trees on both sides of the river. He said to me, “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome.”

“Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound. Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop because the water comes from the Temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing.”

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Monday, 11 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listen to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us should always focus our attention on the Lord our God, and believe in Him, putting our trust and faith in Him, in all the things which He has said and promised to us. God has revealed to us the assurances of His love and grace, and everything which He has promised us, and we should follow Him in all of our ways and in every moments of our existence. We are reminded that it is in God alone that we truly have hope and assurance of salvation and eternal life, and there is no way forward if we seek to follow other alternative paths that the world has offered to us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the Lord told all of His people of the reassurances of the coming of the good times when they would no longer suffer and when they would once again be filled with God’s grace and blessings. This message came at a time when the people of God had suffered a lot of sufferings, humiliations and difficulties, all because they had disobeyed against Him and refused to follow His Law and commandments. This resulted in the consequences and punishments that they had to endure, as God’s grace and guidance were withdrawn from them, and they had to contend with many obstacles and challenges from their neighbours and enemies. They experienced the results of their own folly in rejecting the generous love of their Lord and Master in exchange for worldly goods and riches.

In that same passage, we heard also another, even greater promise and reassurance from God of the new heavens and the new earth. Linking to what we have also heard from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, this was actually a premonition of the end times, of the moment when God would remake all things, and renew the whole of Creation, when He would judge the Heavens and the earth, and take into account all of those living and the dead, everyone who have ever lived. This moment of reckoning was a hope to all those who have kept their faith alive in God, and who have suffered because of this faith, as the Lord promised to all of them that as long as they have been faithful to Him and full of trust in Him, then in the end, He shall lead them all to the new heavens and earth, to a life of perfection and bliss, when they shall not experience any more sufferings and sorrows.

This is an affirmation of everything which the Lord has always told and promised to His people, that He would always be with them, guiding and protecting them, providing and strengthening them throughout all of their journey and ways. He wants each and every one of them eventually to return to Him, to be fully reconciled and reunited to Him, to be once again in His Holy Presence, casting aside their sins and wickedness, to be forgiven from all those evil deeds and actions. God has always been patient in guiding and correcting the mistakes and faults of His beloved ones, and He has called on all of them, and hence, all of us to come once again towards Him, that we may reject our sinful and wicked ways, becoming once again truly worthy of the Lord in all things, in our every actions, words and deeds.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the great miracle which the Lord performed in Galilee when He healed the sick son of an official in Capernaum. We heard how a lot of people came flocking to the Lord because He has performed great miracles and signs before them, and they all believed because they had seen and witnessed those miracles. Yet, the official believed in the Lord when He told him that his son would be well again, even without witnessing the miracle done in person. The official believed and trusted in the Lord, and as a result, through what we have heard, the son was healed exactly at the very moment that the Lord told the official that his son would be well. The Lord made an important point here for all the people and also for all of us, that we must truly believe in God and has faith in Him.

There were those among the people at that time who have seen and witnessed many of the miracles, signs and wonders of the Lord, performed before their own eyes, and having also listened to the words, teachings and truths spoken by the Lord, and yet, they refused and failed to believe. Some among them even rejected the Lord, doubting His authority and authenticity, and others still even accused Him falsely of colluding with the forces of demons and evil spirits, like how the Lord was accused of collusion with the prince of demons, Beelzebul. This shows us all that seeing alone is not enough for one to truly be able to have faith in God. If the hearts and minds are not open and receptive to God’s truth and love, then no matter what the Lord had said and done, they would not come to have faith in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon these things we have received and been reminded with by the Lord. Let us all deepen our relationship with God and grow in our understanding and appreciation of God’s love, kindness and grace, so that we may grow ever stronger in our relationship with Him, and in our commitment to His cause and path. Each and every one of us have been given many opportunities and chances to decide on what to do in our lives, in the paths that we have chosen, and in this season and time of Lent in particular, we have been shown this most opportune moment to turn away from the evil sins and wickedness, and embrace God’s mercy and love, compassion and forgiveness once again, as prodigal sons and daughters coming to seek our Father’s generous love and forgiveness.

May the Lord, our most loving Creator, Father and Master continue to love us all always, and may He continue to encourage and strengthen us in our every resolve and efforts so that in all the things we say and do, in our every moments in life, we may always strive to be worthy of Him, and continue to walk ever more righteously and faithfully in His path. May God bless our every good efforts, endeavours and works, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 11 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 4 : 43-54

At that time, when the two days Jesus spent with the Samaritans were over, He left for Galilee. Jesus Himself said that no prophet is recognised in his own country. Yet the Galileans welcomed Him when He arrived, because of all the things which He had done in Jerusalem during the Festival, and which they had seen. For they, too, had gone to the feast.

Jesus went back to Cana of Galilee, where He had changed the water into wine. At Capernaum there was an official, whose son was ill, and when he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked Him to come and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe!” The official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” And Jesus replied, “Go, your son lives!”

The man had faith in the word that Jesus spoke to him, and went his way. As he was approaching his house, his servants met Him, and gave him the good news, “Your son has recovered!” So he asked them at what hour the child began to recover, and they said to him, “The fever left him yesterday, at about one o’clock in the afternoon.”

And the father realised that was the time when Jesus had told him, “Your son lives!” And he became a believer, he and all his family. Jesus performed this second miraculous sign when He returned from Judea to Galilee.

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Monday, 11 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 29 : 2 and 4, 5-6, 11-12a and 13b

I extol You, o Lord, for You have rescued me; my enemies will not gloat over me. O Lord, You have brought me up from the grave, You gave me life when I was going to the pit.

Sing to the Lord, o you His saints, give thanks and praise to His holy Name. For His anger lasts but a little while, and His kindness all through life. Weeping may tarry for the night, but rejoicing comes with the dawn.

Hear, o Lord, and have mercy on me; o Lord, be my Protector. But now, You have turned my mourning into rejoicing; O Lord, my God, forever will I give You thanks.

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Monday, 11 March 2024 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 65 : 17-21

I now create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind again. Be glad forever and rejoice in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people.

The sound of distress and the voice of weeping will not be heard in it any more. You will no longer know of dead children or of adults who do not live out a lifetime. One who reaches a hundred years will have died a mere youth, but the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant crops and eat their fruit.

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Sunday, 10 March 2024 : Fourth Sunday of Lent, Laetare Sunday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Rose (Laetare Sunday) or Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday the Church celebrates the occasion of Laetare Sunday, which takes place on the Fourth Sunday of Lent every year. The name Laetare came from the first word in the Introit of this Sunday, ‘Laetare Jerusalem et conventum facite omnes qui diligitis eam’ which means ‘Rejoice all of you with Jerusalem, and may you be glad for her’, a reminder for all of us that amidst all the penitential and more sombre nature of this season of Lent, we are actually looking forward to the arrival of Easter, when we shall rejoice together commemorating the glorious Resurrection and the salvation which the Lord has shown us through His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Risen Lord and Saviour.

Like that of its Advent counterpart, the Gaudete Sunday or the Third Sunday of Advent, which marks the joyful expectation of the coming of the Messiah in Christmas, Laetare Sunday marks this joyful expectation of the salvation of all mankind, amidst our deep and intense preparation and self-retrospection this Lenten season. The rose liturgical colour which is used today is a reminder that all of these things we have practiced and prepared for this Lent, are all ultimately in expectation of the joy that is to come through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. All of our Lenten observances are meant to help us to be able to enter more deeply into the mystery and nature of the work of salvation which God has done in our midst through His Son.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Second Book of Chronicles of Israel and Judah, where it was told to us of the story of both the ruin and destruction of God’s people and their kingdom in Jerusalem and Judah, as well as the story of their emancipation and liberation afterwards by King Cyrus of Persia, who allowed them to return back to their own lands, after a long period of exile lasting traditionally for seventy years or so. At that time, the kingdom of Judah where the people of God had lived in were destroyed by the Babylonians, who invaded and conquered Jerusalem and the whole of Judah, just as the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital Samaria had been destroyed by the Assyrians over a century earlier before.

In both circumstances, many of the people of God had been uprooted from the lands that they and their ancestors had lived in for a long time. They were humiliated and made to wander in far-off lands, as exiles from their homeland. They had to bear the consequences of their rebelliousness and refusal to obey the Law and commandments of God, as they had been warned with by the prophets and messengers of God. But as the Lord Himself told those people through the same prophets and messengers, that they were still loved by Him, and God still desired them to come back towards Him. He did not and He would not just abandon them to be destroyed, as if He wanted to do that, He could have done it from the very beginning.

Instead, God’s great love for us endures and continues to flow out from Him unabated, undimmed and unhindered by the disobedience, stubbornness and all the sins that we have committed in this world. He brought His people back from the lands of their exile, delivering them from their troubles and humiliations just as He has promised to them, and He did fulfil that promise, through the same Cyrus of Persia who overthrew and conquered Babylon, declaring through Divine inspiration, the emancipation and liberation for all the people of Israel and their descendants, allowing them to return once again to their homeland. It is this joyful moment that we are all asked to reflect upon this Sunday.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is because all of us, by our many sins and wickedness, we have also disobeyed God and fell into the path of evil and darkness. We have also ended up in our spiritual Babylon, in exile and separation from God, from His love and grace. But God’s enduring love for us allowed us all to return to Him and to find our way back to Him, through the One Whom had sent into our midst, that like the figure of Cyrus the Great of Persia, this Messiah or Saviour, Who is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, has delivered us all from our misery and troubles. He has brought upon us the assurance of eternal life and true joy by what He has done for our sake.

That is what was highlighted in our second reading and Gospel reading passages this Sunday. In the second reading, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, St. Paul reminded all the people there of God’s love and great mercy, which He has shown them by giving to us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, Who has been born unto us, to be our Saviour and Deliverer, as the One Who would lead us all into the path towards Heaven and eternal life. Through Him, God has revealed to everyone, and to all of us the fullness of His love, compassion and mercy, and therefore, His desire to be reconciled and reunited with us. That is why this day, we rejoice because of this great grace that we have received from our most loving and compassionate God.

In our Gospel passage this Sunday, we then heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus had conversation with Nicodemus the Pharisee, who was quite sympathetic towards the Lord and His teachings. In that conversation, the Lord told Nicodemus that God has always loved His people, all of mankind, and He desired that all of them should be saved and brought back to His loving embrace. That was why He sent to this world His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Himself, because He loves us all and this world so much, that by giving His Son to us, He might bring us all to Himself, gathering us all from being scattered all over this darkened and sinful world, and leading us all into the path of His light, hope and salvation into the eternal life which God has promised to us.

We are all reminded this day that we are looking forward to celebrate the most joyful and glorious moments of the salvation of all mankind at the Lord’s Passion during the Holy Week and Easter, which were all possible because God has truly loved us all so much that He was willing to everything for our sake, to liberate us all from the dominion and tyranny of sin, leading us all back to His loving care, embrace and filling us once again with His grace and kindness, blessings and love. That is why we should continue to do our best so that our Lenten observances and practices, our acts of deepening our prayer and spiritual life, our fasting and abstinence to control our worldly desires and temptations, as well as our charitable efforts and generosity may continue to bear rich fruits for our benefits, and to bring us ever closer to the Lord our God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have all been reminded of the great love of God and all that He has done for us, and as we anticipate the great joy of our full and complete reunion with Him in the world that is to come, in the everlasting life and bliss that He has promised and reassured us all, let us all therefore strive to be exemplary in all things, in doing God’s will and in coming ever closer to His Throne of mercy and love. May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate, most merciful and kind Master and Creator, our patient and loving Father be with us always and may He bless us in all of our good efforts and endeavours. Amen.