Weeks of Lent

by

Friday, 8 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. John of God, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 80 : 6c-8a, 8bc-9, 10-11ab, 14 and 17

Open wide your mouth and I will fill it, I relieved your shoulder from burden; I freed your hands. You called in distress, and I saved you.

Unseen, I answered you in thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Hear, My people, as I admonish you. If only you would listen, o Israel!

There shall be no strange god among you, you shall not worship any alien god, for I the Lord am your God, who led you forth from the land of Egypt.

If only My people would listen, if only Israel would walk in My ways. I would feed you with the finest wheat and satisfy you with honey from the rock.

by

Friday, 8 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. John of God, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Hosea 14 : 2-10

Return to your God YHVH, o Israel! Your sins have caused your downfall. Return to YHVH with humble words. Say to Him, “Oh You Who show compassion to the fatherless forgive our debt, be appeased. Instead of bulls and sacrifices, accept the praise from our lips. Assyria will not save us : no longer shall we look for horses nor ever again shall we say ‘Our gods’ to the work of our hands.”

I will heal their wavering and love them with all My heart for My anger has turned from them. I shall be like dew to Israel like the lily will he blossom. Like a cedar he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow and spread. His splendour will be like an olive tree. His fragrance, like a Lebanon cedar.

They will dwell in My shade again, they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like a vine, and their fame will be like Lebanon wine. What would Ephraim do with idols, when it is I Who hear and make him prosper? I am like an ever-green cypress tree; all your fruitfulness comes from Me.

Who is wise enough to grasp all this? Who is discerning and will understand? Straight are the ways of YHVH : the just walk in them, but the sinners stumble.

by

Thursday, 7 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures all of us are reminded that we must always be vigilant and careful lest our human pride, ego and all the temptations of worldly glory and fame, all the jealousy and the other negativities of this world may lead us astray in our path, in disobeying God and His Law and commandments, and in closing our hearts and minds against His love and kindness, His truth and Good News. We are a people who can easily be swayed by the temptations all around us, all the allures of worldly goods, which have caused so many of our predecessors and many among us to fall into the path of evil and wickedness, disobedience and corruption, and thus, falling ever deeper into the clutches of sin.

Unless we are vigilant and careful with our lives and how we live them, we may end up easily falling into this path to our damnation and destruction. This is why we should heed the message carried out in today’s Scripture readings, which the Lord has given us through the Church so that we may be reminded of our sinfulness, wickedness, evils and all the things which have separated us from the Lord, our most loving God and Father, our Creator and Master. If we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by those sins and wickedness, then we will have no one but ourselves to blame when we keep on falling and falling into the depth of sin and darkness, from where we may find it difficult to get out of, and which may lead us all into eternal damnation if we are not careful.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah and indirectly to the people of God living in the then kingdom of Judah, where Jeremiah had been sent to minister to the people, that they had committed grievous sins and wicked deeds in the sight of God and men alike, and despite all the reminders, help and guidance that the Lord had given them, they had not done what the Lord has taught and shown them to do, and instead, they continued to disobey Him and refused to follow Him. They even also persecuted and made it difficult for God’s prophets and messengers to work in their midst, as they continued to persist in their rebellious attitudes and actions.

Jeremiah himself faced a lot of hardships, trials and persecutions during his time in ministering to the people of Judah, as they persecuted him and preferred to believe in the false prophets and messengers instead of in him and the message of the Lord that he has brought into their midst. He was labelled as a fear-monger and as traitor to the nation, having spoken of the disasters and the troubles that would befall both Jerusalem and Judah, all because of the sins and wickedness of the people of God there. He had to endure ridicule and rejection, and at one point, he was even almost killed, only managing to escape such fate because he still had those who sympathised with him and helped him to escape the predicament he was in.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard from the Gospel of St. Luke in which some of the people accused the Lord of having colluded with the forces of evil amidst His performance of miracles and wonders, and in this particular moment, he was accused of colluding with Beelzebul, one of the known prince of demons. Those who accused the Lord in such way were likely the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who frequently disagreed with the Lord Jesus in how He carried out His ministry, and in what He delivered and taught to the people of God. Back then, those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were truly very influential and powerful, and they refused to believe or to accept the fact that their way of observing the Law could have been mistaken or flawed.

They had always observed the Law of God very strictly and paid very particular attention on the many details and rules in the Law and commandments of God. They had a very rigid interpretation of those laws and commandments, and took great pride in their knowledge and expertise in the matter, as the spiritual leaders and elders among the people of God. However, in their preoccupation and overemphasis on their way of observing the Law of God, they had forgotten the true purpose, meaning and significance of the Law, resulting in them causing many others to fall away from the Law, either because they were misled down the wrong path or because they were dissuaded by the extremely strict rules and laws that they had to obey. This also led them to oppose the Lord, and to be a great obstacle in His path, resorting even to false accusation in doing so.

The Lord pointed out the exact folly in their false accusation, that if the devil and his forces were so divided in how they operated, then they would not have gained any success at all. If the prince of demons had been called and used to cast out another demon, that would have meant that the demons are always engaged in a civil war against each other, and they would never have prevailed against anyone. Instead, the truth is that, the devil and all of his forces are always united in their purpose and desire to bring about our downfall and destruction, and it is by sowing these seeds of doubt and pride in the hearts of those who are weak in faith, that they had successfully attacked us, just as those Pharisees and teachers of the Law attacked and made the Lord’s works and ministry difficult.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the two great saints and martyrs of the Church, two holy and dedicated women whose faith and commitment to God put many people to shame, because of their undying loyalty and obedience to Him, which can and should indeed be a source of inspiration for all of us in how we ought to live up our own lives as good, faithful and dedicated Christians in all things. St. Perpetua and St. Felicity were martyred during one of the episodes of persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire, and while they had rather different backgrounds, but they both suffered for their faith in God and died in remaining faithful to God’s Law and commandment, which then became great example and inspiration to many others.

St. Perpetua, also known as Vibia Perpetua, according to the Church tradition was a Roman noblewoman who was also a Christian convert. She was coerced by her father who desired to see her recant her newfound belief and faith in God, and she was eventually imprisoned shortly after she was baptised as a Christian. St. Felicity on the other hand was a slave who was also a Christian, who was also arrested under the same charge, as being a Christian at that time could mean great suffering and death penalty, as Christians were suspected and distrusted as those who refused to obey the Emperor or worship the pagan gods and idols that were central to the practices and customs of the Roman state at that time. Both of them were persecuted greatly and suffered a lot, and yet, they remained firm in their faith and commitment to God, to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, in remaining faithful to God and in doing what is right and just according to God’s Law and commandments. We should not allow the temptations and the wickedness of the world to dissuade and mislead us away from the right path of the Lord, and we must do our best, particularly given this appropriate time and season of Lent, to repent from our sinful past actions, our mistakes and faults, and embrace once again God’s love and kindness, His grace and compassion. May the Lord be with us throughout this journey of faith and repentance this Lenten season, and may He help and guide us always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 7 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 11 : 14-23

At that time, one day Jesus was driving out a demon, which was mute. When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed. Yet some of them said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put Him to the test, by asking Him for a heavenly sign.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.”

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God, has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.”

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.”

by

Thursday, 7 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.

Come and worship; let us bow down, kneel before the Lord, our Maker. He is our God, and we His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would that today you heard His voice!

Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.

by

Thursday, 7 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 7 : 23-28

YHVH says, “One thing I did command them : Listen to My voice and I will be your God and you will be My people. Walk in the way I command you and all will be well with you. But they did not listen and paid no attention; they followed the bad habits of their stubborn heart and turned away from Me.”

“From the time I brought their forebearers out of Egypt until this day I have continually sent them My servants, the prophets, but this stiff-necked people did not listen. They paid no attention and were worse than their forebearers. You may say all these things to them but they will not listen; you will call them but they will not answer.”

“This is a nation that did not obey YHVH and refused to be disciplined; truth has perished and is no longer heard from their lips.”

by

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures that we must always obey the Law and commandments of God in all things, and strive to be truly exemplary in our entire way of life so that our lives may truly be enriched with our faith and commitment to God. Each and every one of us should be reminded that God has given us all His Law and commandments, His rules and norms so that we may know how we should live our lives and how we should carry ourselves in our every interactions in life. As Christians, it is very important that we must always live our lives filled with true love and dedication to God, in everything that we say and do, in our exemplary and inspirational way of living in this world.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard of the Lord Who was reminding His people, the Israelites, through His servant Moses, who was the leader of the people. Moses reminded the people of God that they must always obey the laws, rules and norms that the Lord has given them, and did as what the Lord had taught and shown them as He kept on leading them throughout their long forty years journey through the desert on the way to the Promised Land. He told them all that the Israelites should not forget everything that the Lord had done for them, in all the wonders and the signs that He had shown them, in all the great things He had done when He brought them all out of the land of Egypt, freeing them from the enslavement and dominion by the Egyptians and their Pharaoh.

And at that time, during the Exodus and the journey from the land of Egypt, as we read the rest of the account of what had happened, very soon after they left the land of Egypt, the people of God already rebelled and sinned against their own Lord and Master, choosing to worship pagan idols, such as the golden calf that they built when Moses went up to Mount Sinai to receive God’s Law and commandments. That was not the only time that this had happened, as later on, they would continue to be tempted and swayed by worldly temptations, rebelled against God and chose to follow false gods and idols instead of obeying the Lord, their God and Master. They refused to do as what the Lord had told them to do, preferring to follow their own ways, their desires and attachments to worldly things and matters.

Thus, Moses reminded the people sternly that they all have to continue to strive in following God faithfully, rejecting the various temptations and all the allures of sin, which could lead them astray. They should also live their lives worthily of the Lord, in doing His will and obeying His commandments, and be thankful and grateful that God has truly loved them all so much that He has always shown them His kindness, love and patience in His constant guidance and help, and all the things that He has always provided to those who are in need of them. Despite their stubbornness and rebelliousness, God was still patient with them, and while He chastised and punished them for their wickedness, but He continued to care for them and has always desired to be reconciled with those who erred and fell out of His grace and favour.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, this reminder has also been given to each and every one of us that we may realise how important it is for us to do what God has told us all to do, through the rules and ways that the He has given to us through His Church. We must not think that we can do whatever we want in life, and that we can go against the path and the ways that the Lord has shown and taught us all to do. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the the responsibilities and the vocations in life, in our various areas in life that we may come to follow him worthily in each and every moments of our lives. As good and worthy Christians, we must always do what is right and just, virtuous and good in the eyes of God and mankind alike.

In the Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself speaking to the people assembled to listen to Him, that He came not to override or replace the Law of God, but instead, He came to reveal the true meaning, intention and purpose of the Law of God to the people, teaching them what the Law of God is truly all about, and calling upon all of them to do God’s will and to obey His Law and commandments in the manner that they should have done. This is because by that time, many of the people of God had lost sight of the true intention and purpose of the Law of God, and hence, has become ignorant of the path that God has called all of them to walk through and follow in their respective lives. God has given them all His Law so that they may all come to know Him and to love Him, and yet, they allow themselves to be swayed and tempted into the path of sin and disobedience.

Many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law became too particular with the many tenets and rules within the Law that they ended up being overly preoccupied with the details, failing to realise the true meaning and purpose of the Law. They became proud, arrogant and self-serving in their actions and attitudes, with regards to the observances and practices of the Law. They became biased and prejudiced, judgmental and harsh against all those who refused to follow their ways and to side with their views and ideals. This is why the Lord came to remind all of the people what the Law is truly all about, and how they should not misrepresent and misunderstand the Law, its intentions and purpose, and see the Law as the path towards God rather than means of self-righteousness or as a burden because of the excessive attention to details.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why all of us must come towards the Lord with renewed hearts and minds, full of the desire to love the Lord our God, and to follow Him ever more wholeheartedly from now on. Let us all seek the Lord with all of our strength and might, and let us commit ourselves to walk virtuously and righteously in God’s path henceforth, to be good role models and examples in all things, to be the good examples and inspirations to all the people all around us. Let us all be the bearers of God’s truth, His light and salvation to everyone around us, so that more and more people may come ever closer towards the Lord through us. Let us all resist the evils and temptations of sin present all around us, and may the Lord be with us always, and strengthen us amidst all the challenges and trials that we may have to face in the path of our obedience and journey of faith towards Him. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 5 : 17-19

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think that I have come to annul the Law and the Prophets. I have not come to annul them but to fulfil them. I tell you this : as long as heaven and earth last, not the smallest letter or dot in the Law will change until all is fulfilled.”

by

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 147 : 12-13, 15-16, 19-20

Exalt the Lord, o Jerusalem; praise your God, o Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your children within you.

He sends His command to the earth and swiftly runs His word. He spreads snow like wool; He scatters frost like ashes.

It is He Who tells Jacob His words, His laws and decrees to Israel. This He has not done for other nations, so His laws remain unknown to them. Alleluia!

by

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Deuteronomy 4 : 1, 5-9

And now, Israel, listen to the norms and laws which I teach that you may put them into practice. And you will live and enter and take possession of the land which YHVH, the God of your fathers, gives you.

See, as YHVH, my God, ordered me, I am teaching you the norms and the laws that you may put them into practice in the land you are going to enter and have as your own. If you observe and practice them, other peoples will regard you as wise and intelligent. When they come to know of all these laws, they will say, ‘There is no people as wise and as intelligent as this great nation.’

For in truth, is there a nation as great as ours, whose gods are as near to it as YHVH, our God, is to us whenever we call upon Him? And is there a nation as great as ours whose norms and laws are as just as this Law which I give you today?

But be careful and be on your guard. Do not forget these things which your own eyes have seen or let them depart from your heart as long as you live. But on the contrary, teach them to your children and to your children’s children.