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Wednesday, 9 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Psalm 44 : 11-12, 14-15, 16-17

Listen, o daughter, pay attention; forget your father’s house and your nation, and your beauty will charm the King, for He is your Lord.

All glorious as she enters is the princess in her gold-woven robes. She is led in royal attire to the King, following behind is her train of virgins.

Amid cheers and general rejoicing, they enter the palace of the King. Forget your fathers and think of your sons, you will make them princes throughout the land.

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Wednesday, 9 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

1 Corinthians 7 : 25-31

With regard to those who remain virgins, I have no special commandment from the Lord, but I give some advice, hoping that I am worthy of trust by the mercy of the Lord.

I think this is good in these hard times in which we live. It is good for someone to remain as he is. If you are married, do not try to divorce your wife; if you are not married, do not marry. He who marries does not sin, nor does the young girl sin who marries. Yet they will face disturbing experiences, and I would like to spare you.

I say this, brothers and sisters : time is running out, and those who are married must live as if not married; those who weep as if not weeping; those who are happy as if they were not happy; those buying something as if they had not bought it, and those enjoying the present life as if they were not enjoying it. For the order of this world is vanishing.

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates together the occasion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating the moment when Mary, the Mother of God, was born. This Feast is celebrated exactly nine months after Mary’s Immaculate Conception on the eighth day of December, just like how the celebration of Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord, is celebrated nine months after the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, when the Lord was conceived in the holy womb of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate Mary’s birth and rejoice in her because through her, her exemplary life and obedience to God, her commitment to her mission and the desire she had in serving the Lord and in loving her Son, we have received the assurance of God’s salvation through her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Mary has been specially prepared by God’s grace and power, to be spared and made immaculate, free from the taint and corruption of original sin, as highlighted in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Hence, when she was conceived, unlike others among mankind, Mary was pure and immaculate, and after nine months, was born of her mother, St. Anne. Both St. Anne and St. Joachim, Mary’s parents, according to Apostolic and Church traditions, were faithful to God and upright, and they were living near the Temple of God, and that was when, according to the Law of Moses, Mary was presented as their firstborn, at the Temple, dedicated and consecrated to God, which gave an indication of the great and very important role that she was to do in the history of the salvation of mankind as the one to be the New Ark of the New Covenant of God.

Mary grew up faithfully and was brought up well by her parents, and remained full of God’s grace, throughout her whole life. She obeyed the Law and the commandments of God, and lived a truly holy and exemplary life, and the Lord sent His salvation to this world through her, just as we have heard in our first reading today of the assurance which God has spoken to His people through the prophet Micah. God reassured the people that His salvation would come through a Woman, that was to be Mary, who would give birth and bring unto this world its salvation, with the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, through her. Mary became the New Ark of the New Covenant of God, the Ark crafted in perfection and grace by God Himself so that she would be truly worthy to bear the Divine Word of God, Incarnate in the flesh within her.

It was also through Mary, as well as Joseph, her husband, that the Lord Jesus, Son of God and Saviour of the world, was born into the House of David and to the race of Israel, as according to tradition, Mary herself, just like Joseph, belonged to the tribe of Judah and was also descended from King David of Israel. In today’s Gospel passage, we heard of the lineage and genealogy of the Lord being presented to us, highlighting His descent from Abraham all the way to David and from David to Himself, through the lineage of kings and the rightful heirs of the Kingdom of Israel through His foster and legal father, St. Joseph, making Him the Heir of David, the One promised by God to His people and to David himself, that the rule of his house and the Kingdom his house will remain forever, because it is God Himself Who has come to us in the flesh, to take up the Throne and rule over all of His people.

Thus, today as we celebrate this Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are all reminded of the important role that Mary has in the story of salvation. Not only that through her, the Lord has manifested Himself in the flesh, and dwelling amongst us, but it was also her faith and total commitment to God that allowed all of that to happen. When the Archangel Gabriel came to her at the moment of the Annunciation, to proclaim to her and through that, to all of us, the Good News of God and the long awaited coming of the Messiah, it was Mary’s total obedience to God, her full trust in Him and His power, His plans and all which allowed the Lord’s plans and works to become manifest in this world. It was Mary’s resounding ‘Yes’ to God which brought unto us the salvation of God, in the person of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Now, besides Mary having accepted her role in the plan of God’s salvation, it was also her righteousness, virtues and fullness of grace, as mentioned, which made her to be truly worthy of honour and praise, and why we really rejoice together at the occasion today in memory of her Nativity or birth into this world. With her examples and inspirational life, all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved and holy people should also be inspired and encouraged to follow the Lord and obey His commandments as best as possible, so that we may indeed be truly worthy of God and His grace. We honour Mary because she is the Mother of God, our Lord and Saviour, and also because through her, we can indeed find the clearest, best and surest path to God’s salvation and grace. Through Mary, we can find the best and easiest, most direct path to her Son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we rejoice today in honour of Mary’s Nativity, let us all once again renew our commitment to God through His mother, the Blessed ever Virgin Mary, whose faith and devotion to her Son, her love for Him and also for all of us, have touched and inspired us to be God’s faithful disciples and followers as well. Let us all be reminded that God has entrusted Mary to us, to be our own Mother, and at the same time, also entrusted us all to her, to be her own children, so that she may guide us all to the right path towards her Son, to the salvation and eternal life promised to all those who are faithful to Him. Let us all not be ignorant anymore of our calling in life, to follow the Lord ever more faithfully in our way of life, and to dedicate ourselves to Him much as Mary herself has loved the Lord and dedicated herself wholly to Him.

May the Lord, our most loving God, Creator and Master, continue to help and guide us in our journey throughout life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that all of us may indeed be ever more faithful in everything we say and do. May all of us commit ourselves to God and His cause, with ever greater desire to love Him wholeheartedly as Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother had done. Holy Mary, Mother of God, whose birth we commemorate and rejoice in today, pray for all of us, your beloved children, that we may continue to live our lives worthy of your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 1 : 1-16, 18-23

This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon.

Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings : Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah.

Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus Who is called the Christ – the Messiah. This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”

All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 1 : 18-23

This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”

All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 12 : 6ab, 6cd

But I put my trust in Your unfailing love, my heart will rejoice on seeing Your salvation.

I will sing to YHVH, for He has been good to me!

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Micah 5 : 1-4a

But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah; from you shall I raise the One Who is to rule over Israel. For He comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.

YHVH, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she, who is to give birth, has given birth. Then the rest of His deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand, and shepherd His flock with the strength of YHVH, in the glorious Name of YHVH, His God.

They will live safely, while He wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.

Alternative reading (Second Reading if this Feast is celebrated as a Solemnity)

Romans 8 : 28-30

We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called, according to His plan. Those whom He knew beforehand, He has also predestined, to be like His Son, similar to Him, so, that, He may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And so, those whom God predestined, He called, and those whom He called, He makes righteous, and to those whom He makes righteous, He will give His glory.

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd 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, we are all reminded to get rid from ourselves all the taints of evil and sin, all the corruptions that came together with the actions and immorality of this world. All of us should not allow those things to distract us from the Lord and our focus on Him. We must resist the temptations of pride and ego and be more humble in our way of life and actions so that we may listen to the Lord and follow Him rather to insist on our own way. We should not harden our hearts and minds but instead be more willing to listen to the Lord and to allow Him to lead us and guide us to the path of truth and grace. It is our stubbornness and hardened hearts which had more often than not, led us away from God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth speaking to us regarding the matter of the attitudes of the faithful people of God, which ought to be free from the evil ways and sins, and how Christians everywhere are called to be holy just as the Lord is holy. We are all called to get rid from ourselves the ‘leaven’ of sin, and purify ourselves in the way of the Lord, dedicating our lives anew in the manner that we have been taught to do through God’s Church. We live in a world that is full of temptations and persuasions, coercions and pressures to acquiesce to the worldly matters and ways just as it was during the time of the Lord and His Apostles. That is why we are reminded that we should always anchor ourselves strongly in the Lord at all times.

At that time, St. Paul was exhorting the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth after having heard of the troubles that they were facing, the divisions that they encountered and experienced, the immorality and wickedness that they had indulged in which were scandalous in nature and unbecoming of them as Christians, as those who believe in the Lord and as those who called themselves as His disciples and followers. St. Paul reminded them all to turn away from that path of sin and immorality, and instead embrace the path of God’s truth and love, and His righteousness and grace. He reminded the faithful that they should not allow themselves to be swayed by those worldly temptations, of glory, power and ambition, which could lead them all astray and cause severe divisions and harm within the Church.

There had been lots of bickering, divisions and disagreements even within the early Christian communities, pitting even the missionaries and their supporters and followers against each other. Even St. Paul himself had faced part of these divisions and intrigue within the early Christian communities, with some siding with another charismatic and famous preacher named Apollos against him and those who sided with him. St. Paul reminded the faithful therefore, not just in Corinth but elsewhere against all these divisions sowed by the evil one, trying to undo the good works which the Lord had performed through His servants and the people of God in the Church by sowing divisions and discord among them.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to the people who were listening to Him teaching in the synagogue and also to those Pharisees who were opposed to Him and who were hounding Him, attempting to discredit and to persecute Him for His constant works and efforts during the Sabbath to perform healing miracles and other deeds. The Lord criticised the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who refused to believe in Him, who hardened their hearts against His teachings and words simply because they were dead set on their beliefs and prejudices, and not only that, but they even plotted against Him and did whatever they could to undermine His efforts and works.

That was what made the Lord pointed out the folly of their argument and preferences, their way of observing the Law, and reminded them all that the Law of the Sabbath that God had revealed to His people through Moses was not meant to restrain mankind and not to be understood merely in the letter, but it has to be appreciated and understood wholly in its spirit, which is meant to lead mankind back towards the Lord, that they may all find their way to Him, and be reconciled with Him. Instead, those Pharisees and teachers of the Law indulged in their own preoccupations and prejudices regarding the Law, and made use of them to advance their own interests and wants, their ambitions and desires.

They made it difficult for the people to come towards the Lord and made it seem that following the Lord was something that was hard and impossible. They had forgotten that their role as the shepherds and guides of the people of God was to bring God closer to His people and the people closer to Him, which was exactly what the Lord had done, in reaching out for the suffering and the marginalised, and in putting others’ needs ahead of oneself, rather than what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law themselves often did, in promoting themselves and their positions, their achievements and glory ahead of their responsibilities in leading the people of God towards Him.

That is why we are reminded through these readings of the Scriptures today, that we should remain firmly anchored in God in our faith and way of life, in everything that we say and do, so that in all things we will always be firmly grounded in Him and not be easily swayed by the different temptations and pressures present all around us. We are all called to be the ones to lead the way forward and to inspire one another in how we live our lives most worthily, in the manner that we have been shown and taught by the Lord Himself, so that in everything we say and do, we may truly be the worthy beacons of God’s light, and the faithful and authentic bearers of His Good News, revealing His love to all those around us, showing to all what it truly means to be Christians, to be centred on God and not on our own selfish ambitions and pride.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God, our wonderful Guide and Help, continue to provide for us all in each and every moments of our lives, and may He empower all of us to live ever more courageously in His Presence at all times, giving our very best to proclaim His Name in all the circumstances and opportunities in our lives that He has given us, all united in our efforts to glorify God instead of being divided and being prejudiced against one another. May God bless us all in our every efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 6 : 6-11

At that time, on another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralysed right hand, and the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched Him : Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did, they could accuse Him.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to the man, “Get up, and stand in the middle.” Then He spoke to them, “I want to ask you : what is allowed by the Law on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And Jesus looked around at them all.

Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored, becoming as healthy as the other. But they were furious, and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 5 : 5-6, 7, 12

You are not a God Who delights in wickedness; evil has no place in You. The arrogant cannot stand before You. You hate all who do evil.

You destroy all who speak falsehood, who thirst for blood and live on lies; all of them YHVH detests.

But for those who take refuge in You, let them ever sing and rejoice. Let Your deliverance shield them, that they may praise You in gladness – those who love Your Name, o YHVH.

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 5 : 1-8

You have become news, with a case of immorality, and such a case, that is not even found among pagans. Yes, one of you has taken, as wife, his own stepmother. And you feel proud! Should you not be in mourning, instead, and expel the one who did such a thing?

For my part, although I am physically absent, my spirit is with you and, as if present, I have already passed sentence on the man who committed such a sin. Let us meet together, you and my spirit, and in the Name of Our Lord Jesus, and with His power, you shall deliver him to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit be saved in the day of Judgment.

This is not the time to praise yourselves. Do you not know that a little yeast makes the whole mass of dough rise? Throw out, then, the old yeast and be new dough. If Christ became our Passover, you should be unleavened bread. Let us celebrate, therefore, the Passover, no longer with old yeast, which is sin and perversity; let us have unleavened bread, that is purity and sincerity.