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Sunday, 29 November 2020 : First Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today this Sunday we mark the beginning of a new liturgical year as well as the season of Advent, the time of preparation and spiritual purification for us to prepare ourselves properly for the celebration of Christmas, the birth of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now is a time of reconciliation between us and God, and for us to reexamine our way of life thus far.

As we mark the beginning a new year cycle and this blessed season of preparation, we enter into a time of reconfiguration of our lives and when we also take stock of what we have done and what we are going to do from now on, as we are about to celebrate once again, the joyous celebrations of our Saviour’s birth into this world. Is it going to be just yet another Christmas and another celebration for us? Another season and time of merry-making and fun, but not accompanied by true and profound change of heart, brothers and sisters in Christ?

Many of us have been seeing Christmas and its celebration all around us especially from the lenses of secular and worldly celebrations, as I am very sure that the Christmas festivities have already been in full force by now. As early as October and early November shops, shopping malls and many other places have been decked with plenty of Christmas decorations, themes and various other activities that are meant to prepare everyone for the festivities of the Christmas season.

However, many have easily forgotten of the true meaning of Christmas, where Christmas becomes just another holiday and time of merry-making that is bereft of its true intention and purpose. To many of us, Christmas is about exchanges of gifts, great food and tantalising meals, celebrations and parties. And while of course it is perfectly well and fine to celebrate, but we have often forgotten why it is that we are celebrating in Christmas.

We all knew well that Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and Our God. But, how many of us actually internalise that fact and understand how it is so important and significant for us? Too many of us have treated Christmas, year after year, again and again, just as a season and time to be merry and happy, in tandem with what the world has done, in their secular celebrations.

Do we really appreciate just how important Christmas is to all of us? Christmas, along with Easter that is to come in a few months’ time, together celebrate the very important event in our history, that is the salvation of mankind and the fulfilment of God’s long-held promises for each and every one of us, through Christ, His beloved Son, sent into the world as the ultimate gift for all of us. Without Christmas, there will be no Easter and its significance, and at the same time, without Easter, Christmas itself would have been of little importance.

Why is that so? That is because through Christmas, the Son of God and Saviour of all entered into this world, incarnate into flesh, born as the Son of Man through His mother Mary. At Christmas, we celebrate this newborn Baby, born the Saviour of the world and King of kings, the Divine Word Incarnate, Who was to be the One to make a New Covenant between God and His people, through none other than His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. Without Easter and the Passion that happened before it, then Christmas will be just another birthday of another man. It is Easter that gave Christmas its full meaning and significance.

That is because here we have the Son of God born and uniting Himself into the humanity He willingly took, that would eventually unite our sufferings and sins, and bearing all that burden together on His Cross that Christ became the source of all our salvation, our hope and the Light that dispels the darkness of this world surrounding us. Yes, and that is why, on this First Sunday of Advent, we focus on the theme of Hope, out of the four themes of Advent, ‘Hope’, ‘Peace’, ‘Joy’ and ‘Love’.

Our Christmas joy must always be accompanied by Hope, for Hope is what has been re-enkindled in our hearts following the birth of Christ, and in Him we see once again the Light of God’s hope, amidst our wretched conditions, the despair and darkness that are surrounding us. Once, by our sins we should have been destroyed and condemned to eternal suffering, but God showed that His love and compassion triumph even over all of these, and He has made His love manifested to us, through none other than His Son.

Do you all remember the most famous phrase from the Gospel of St. John, ‘That God so loved the world that He gave us all His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life?’. In these words spoken by the Lord Jesus Himself to Nicodemus the Pharisee, we heard of the proclamation of God’s love and His desire to see us freed and liberated from whatever chains and bondage that had been holding us back, that is the chains of sin and the bondage of death.

It is because of the Lord that we can hope once again, that beyond the sufferings due to sin and death, there is Light that dispels the falsehoods of evil and the despair and fear of darkness. There is Hope because God’s love has been made manifest in the flesh before us, that what was once intangible has become tangible, that God has truly loved us from the very beginning, and has always still loved us, always. And we also look forward to His Second Coming, when He shall return as promised to gather us all His faithful ones.

And now that we know all of these, how should we then proceed with our Christmas celebrations and festivities? It is not wrong to celebrate and be merry, as we should indeed and rightfully be joyful because of Christmas. However, we really need to ask ourselves, what our Christmas celebrations are all about. Is it about ourselves and our desires for good things, for expensive gifts and wonderful, tantalising meals and food, or is it about our joy because of the Hope that Our Lord Jesus Christ has brought us through His birth?

You see, brothers and sisters in Christ, that without the right mindset and focus, we can easily end up losing the entire meaning and purpose of our Christmas celebrations and joy. We can celebrate very well, but without appreciating the true and full meaning and importance of Christmas, then our celebrations are meaningless and empty. Christmas becomes mundane and ordinary just like how year after year people celebrate Christmas in a secular and worldly way, buying gifts and trying to outdo each other in decorating their houses and places.

As Christians, our Christmas celebration is especially important and meaningful because we celebrate this very crucial and pivotal moment in our salvation as mentioned and discussed just earlier. And consequently, our mindset and focus must properly reflect of this, or else we will end up falling into the same trap of commercialised and worldly Christmas celebrations, just as we have certainly been bombarded with all around us these past few weeks.

That is why, during this season of Advent that we begin today, we have to prepare ourselves, not just in material terms and physically like in preparing for all the parties and celebrations, but even more importantly, we have to spiritually prepare ourselves, for the Advent, or the coming of Our Lord. For it is this expectation of the coming of the Lord that gave this season its Name, from the term ‘Adventus’ which means ‘coming and appearing’. We have to focus on that Hope that Christ has brought us with His birth, and share that same Hope to one another, the Hope in the salvation of Our God.

How do we do this, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is by reaching out to one another and sharing the Hope that Christ has brought to us, be it to our fellow Christians or to any other out there, our friends and relatives, our acquaintances and even strangers and others we encounter in our daily lives. And this year in particular had been especially difficult and tough for so many people out there, enduring and suffering the extended effects of the pandemic, the economic troubles and other conflicts between nations that we are surely very familiar of all throughout this year.

Can we, as Christians, be bearers of Hope for the world, for our less fortunate brothers and sisters? If we ourselves have suffered and laboured in suffering this year, do not forget that there are definitely those others who have suffered even more and in even worse state than we are now. Let us restore the hope in others, by reaching out to them and helping one another in even small, little ways that we can do, to show the Hope of Christ through our actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, those are just some ways that we can begin our Advent preparations well, and there are many other ways that we can make our blessed season of Advent meaningful, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate Christmas together. And this year, being known for its limitations and restrictions due to the pandemic, is perhaps a good time for us to reflect on our usual Christmas practices and celebrations, to ask ourselves once again, the fundamental questions of, ‘Why do we celebrate this Christmas?’ and ‘What is the meaning of Christmas to me and my family?’

Let us all enter into this season of Advent with solemnity and internal reflection, and let us refocus our attention in life, that we turn our gaze and focus once again on the Lord and the hope that He has brought to us, that in Him alone lies our salvation, and through Him, we can overcome the darkness that are affecting us, and through Him, our sufferings and pains, our troubles and difficulties will eventually be gone, and in Him, we shall enjoy one day, the eternal glory and true happiness with Him, forevermore. May God bless us all and our Advent activities. Amen.

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Sunday, 29 November 2020 : First Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Mark 13 : 33-37

At that time Jesus said to His disciples, “Be alert and watch, for you do not know when the time will come. When a man goes abroad and leaves his home, he puts his servants in charge, giving to each one some responsibility; and he orders the doorkeeper to stay awake.”

“So stay awake, for you do not know when the Lord of the house will come, in the evening or at midnight, when the cock crows or before dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him catch you asleep. And what I say to you, I say to all : Stay awake!”

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Sunday, 29 November 2020 : First Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

1 Corinthians 1 : 3-9

Receive grace, and peace from God, our Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord. I give thanks, constantly, to my God, fo you, and for the grace of God given to you, in Christ Jesus. For you have been fully enriched, in Him, with words, as well as with knowledge, even as the testimony concerning Christ was confirmed in you.

You do not lack any spiritual gift and only await the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord. He will keep you steadfast to the end, and you will be without reproach, on the day of the coming of our Lord Jesus. The faithful God will not fail you, after calling you to this fellowship with His Son, Christ Jesus, our Lord.

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Sunday, 29 November 2020 : First Sunday of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16, 18-19

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o YHVH of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

But lay Your hand on Your instrument, on the son of man, whom You make strong for Yourself. Then, we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name.

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Sunday, 29 November 2020 : First Sunday of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 63 : 16b-17, 19b and Isaiah 64 : 2b-7

But You, o YHVH, are our Father, from the beginning, You are our Redeemer : This is Your Name. Why have You made us stray from our ways? Why have You let our heart become hard so that we do not fear You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance.

Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down! The mountains would quake at Your presence. Let them witness Your stunning deeds. No one has ever heard or perceived, no eye has ever seen a God besides You Who works for those who trust in Him. You have confounded those who acted righteously and who joyfully kept Your ways in mind. But You are angry with our sins, yet conceal them and we shall be saved.

All of us have become like the unclean; all our good deeds are like polluted garments; we have all withered like leaves, blown away by our iniquities. There is no one who calls upon Your Name, no one who rouses himself to lay hold of You. For You have hidden Your face, You have given us up to the power of our evil acts.

And yet, YHVH, You are our Father; we are the clay and You are our Potter; we are the work of Your hand.

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Saturday, 28 November 2020 : Last Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us on this very last day of this current liturgical year cycle are reminded to look back at our lives thus far, and reflect on whether they have been righteous and in accordance with God’s will, or whether we have erred and fell astray in our path, that we ended walking down the path of sin. Then, we are also reminded to look forward ahead, to the life that is to come, and which God has promised us, His eternal glory in Heaven to be lived together with us.

Therefore at this very important juncture, at the crossroads between the liturgical year cycles, we are kept being reminded, year after year, time after time, that we have to be faithful all throughout our lives, to be vigilant against falsehoods and the powerful temptations of the devil and all those seeking our destruction by turning our ego, desire and pride against us. We have to resist these temptations, which have been laid bare by the Lord in our Gospel passage today, and which is fleshed out further by His Apostles and the Church.

The Lord does not want us to fall into these temptations, for they serve as distractions and obstacles that will make it difficult for us to commit to His path, and as history and times past had shown us, through temptations the devil and his allies had ensnared so many souls and while many were saved, there were also those many souls that become lost forever to God, through sin and through their conscious rejection of His mercy and compassion.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord has given us the wisdom and the free will, together with the guidance of His Church and all the holy ones, saints and blesseds who are our role models. We are presented with the difficult task of choosing which path we are to take going forward in life. It may seem to be easier than it looks, as after all it is just a choice is it not? But in truth, throughout life, there will be many occurrences and moments, as I am certain that it had happened frequently before, that we have to make difficult choices with regards to this matter.

Many of us have had to choose between conforming with the ways of the world, and even between our friends and following them, or following God and remaining faithful to Him. And especially in our world today, surrounded constantly by all these worldly temptations of power, wealth, glory, and all other things that lead us away from God, it is increaasingly difficult for us to remain faithful. Those who have kept the faith often had to make sacrifices and suffer for their choices.

In all these, the devil often presents us with the easy way out, the seemingly more enjoyable and easier path, one that is easier to tread and endure. However, we must not easily be deceived by his lies, and we have to look clearly and discern carefully on many matters, that we can keep ourselves free from these continued assaults of the devil and all those seeking our ruin and destruction. Let us all put our faith in God and entrust ourselves to Him, as we move forward in life and begin the new cycle of liturgical year.

As Christians we are always called to live virtuously and righteously in accordance to what the Lord had taught us to do, and that is especially in loving God wholeheartedly and in showing that same love to our fellow brothers and sisters, in particular those who are most in need of our love, care and attention. Are we capable and willing to accept this calling and responsibility, brothers and sisters in Christ? The choice is ours to make, and we have to keep in mind that, if we are faithful, in the end, what awaits us is eternal glory and peace.

As we enter into this new liturgical year cycle, let us all continue to inspire one another to be faithful, to be good and righteous at all times, in our every words, actions and deeds, and in our every interactions with each other. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in our journey of faith, and may He help us to endure the trials and challenges, the temptations and many other efforts that the devil and his fallen allies have always been trying so hard to use to attack us with. May God be with us always, and be our source of strength, hope and inspiration in life. Amen.

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Saturday, 28 November 2020 : Last Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 21 : 34-36

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Be on your guard : do not immerse yourselves in a life of pleasure, drunkenness and worldly cares, lest that day catch you unaware, like a trap! For, like a snare, will that day come upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”

“But watch at all times and pray, that you may be able to escape all that is going to happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

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Saturday, 28 November 2020 : Last Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 3-5, 6-7

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.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth and the mountain heights. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hand shaped the dry land.

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

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Saturday, 28 November 2020 : Last Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Revelations 22 : 1-7

Then the Angel showed me the river of life, clear as crystal, gushing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of the city, on both sides of the river are the trees of life producing fruit twelve times, once each month, the leaves of which are for healing the nations.

No longer will there be a curse; the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the City and God’s servants will live in His presence. They will see His face and His Name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light or lamp or sun for God Himself will be their light and they will reign forever.

Then the Angel said to me, “These words are sure and true; the Lord God Who inspires the prophets has sent His Angel to show His servants what must happen soon.” “I am coming soon! Happy are those who keep the prophetic words of this book.”

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Friday, 27 November 2020 : Last Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we continue to hear the reminders from the Sacred Scriptures of the need for us to be ever vigilant and strong, to be prepared and ready to welcome the Lord again when He comes just as He has promised us. We must never be complacent and lukewarm in the living of our faith because that will lead us down the path of ruin, and Satan will have his way in persuading us, coercing us and forcing us to live wickedly in the state of sin by his many efforts and attacks on us.

We have to live faithfully and embrace fully the teachings and ways that He has taught us, and which He Himself had shown us by His actions, His loving care and compassionate mercy. And in today’s first reading taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John, we heard of the final defeat of Satan, the great enemy and deceiver of all the faithful. For all of his might and power, he was nothing before God, and his rebellion against Him will be destroyed and defeated completely, and he and his rebel angels and all those who follow him will be thrown into eternal darkness.

Tying this to the Gospel reading today, which concurs with the message of the past few days as we come to the end of this current liturgical year cycle, the Lord said that the signs of times denotes change and omens of things to come, and this is the same with the moment of the Lord’s return into this world, just as He has promised. While we do not know the exact time and moment of the Lord’s coming, but we can be assured that He will come as He has said, and we have to be ready for Him.

If we read through the accounts of the Book of Revelations, St. John saw great persecutions against Christians, by all those who refuse to believe in God and chose to follow the devil and his false prophets. St. John the Apostle saw how many people are swayed by the antichrist and the false prophets and therefore fall into their ruin in the end when the Lord comes to judge all the creation, as also mentioned in our first reading today.

The Lord has revealed everything to us, what will come to happen in the future, His love for each and every one of us, His kindness and compassion, His desire to see us reconciled and forgiven from our sins, and yet, are we all willing to embrace and accept His love and mercy? Or do we rather continue to live in sin and to indulge in whatever temptations and false leads that the devil and his allies are trying to ruin us with? We must not let these wicked forces destroy us, brothers and sisters in Christ.

That is why, as we listen to these readings and reflect again on their meaning and importance to us, we are all called to think about our Christian calling and responsibilities. We are all called to follow the Lord and His examples, as well as the examples of His Apostles and saints, all those who have shown us the way how to live well as Christians, dedicated and committed to serve the Lord and to be righteous and good in all of our words, actions, deeds and interactions in life.

Now that this current liturgical year is coming to an end, we are all called to reflect on these matters carefully, and we are reminded constantly that the Lord’s coming is something that we will not expect at the very least, in terms of its exact timing, and surely we do not want to be caught unprepared, and deemed to be unworthy and unfaithful just because we have been delaying and postponing our faithful living just so that we can indulge in the pleasures and the many temptations of this world.

Let us all change ourselves, brothers and sisters in Christ, that if we have not been faithful to God, we may seek Him more earnestly and with greater desire from now on. And if we have done wrong and been sinful, then we should seek Him for forgiveness, as after all, He is always ever ready to welcome us back as long as we sincerely desire to return to Him and seek to be forgiven through genuine repentance. Let us all grow ever more faithful and loving towards God, from now on, and do our best that our lives will become inspiration of faith to one another.

May the Lord, our God and King, guide us and strengthen us in our journey of faith through life, that we may persevere through whatever trials, challenges and temptations that are facing us. Let us all not be dragged into sin and into the darkness by the devil and all of his fellow tempters, but let us all be stronger in faith, and be ever more faithful Christians from now on. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.