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Monday, 5 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today each and every one of us as Christians are reminded to be full of love for the Lord and for our fellow brothers and sisters, as we are called to obey the word of God and His commandments, and are reminded to do what He has taught us to do, and even what He Himself had done for our sake. We are reminded of what it truly means for us to be Christians, not just in name only, but also in real deeds and actions. Otherwise, if we do not do as we are supposed to, then we are no better than hypocrites, and our empty and dead faith will avail us not on the day of Judgment.

In our first reading today we heard from the words of the Apostle St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Galatia. The Apostle was reminding the people of God that there was the need for them to adhere closely to the truth and the message of the Gospels and whatever that he and the other missionaries of the Lord had delivered to them. At that time, the people were easily swayed by the teachings of the false prophets and messengers, all those who came up with their own interpretations and ideas not inspired by the truth of God and the Holy Spirit, by those who sought to subvert the truth and the message of the Gospels for their own selfish desires and purposes.

That is exactly what would happen to the various communities of the Lord’s faithful across the many centuries afterwards, as the history of the Church can testify to us, how there were various false teachings and heretical thoughts and ideas that sprung forth and not founded upon the truth and the traditions handed down through the Church from the Lord and His Apostles. Those false teachers and preachers spoke of values and teachings contrary to the way of the Lord, and instead following their own worldly and mistaken ways. And thus we heard one of the Lord’s true teachings being highlighted in our Gospel passage today, in the story of the parable of the Good Samaritan, which I am sure many of us are well aware of.

In that parable of the Good Samaritan, we heard of how a man from Jericho, a Jew was beset by bandits and was left to die. A priest and a Levite passed by and ignored the man’s plight while a Samaritan was eventually the one who took care of the man but not only that, as the Samaritan went the extra mile in trying to help the man, and helped the man in his hour of greatest need, caring for him and told the innkeeper to provide extra care as much as needed, and that he would return for him no matter what. This is what I meant by the true Christian values and teachings that each one of us have been called to uphold and proclaim, and to practice and do in our respective lives.

At that time, the priests and the Levites were the elites and the most well-respected within the Jewish community, while on the other hand the Samaritans were greatly despised and hated, and no Jew of good standing at that time would want anything to do with a Samaritan. All of these happened because of the historical enmity and misunderstandings between both the Jewish people and the Samaritans, as each one of them claimed to be the authentic and true heirs of the people of God of old, of the old kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the past. The Jews of course claimed that they were the rightful descendants of Israel, having been descended from the exiles of Israel and Judah, while the Samaritans claimed that they had lived in their lands since the days of the Israelites of old.

These struggles and misunderstandings meant that the Samaritans were deeply mistrusted, prejudiced against and despised as mentioned. And yet, it was the Samaritan man who actually went out of his way to help the Jewish man, in loving and caring for him even when he was not obliged to do so. He went beyond and cared for the man anyway. That is what Christian charity and love is all about, brothers and sisters in Christ, and what we are all called and expected to do as followers and disciples of Christ, our Lord and Saviour. For the Lord Himself did that as well, extending His love to us when He was not obliged to, and cared for us deeply. God is always ever compassionate, patient and kind with us even when we have been difficult towards Him in all the attitudes and stubbornness we have shown.

He shouldered the burdens of our sins willingly, the punishments and humiliations, the scourges and tortures, and all of that and more, so that through all of them, we may receive the sure guarantee of eternal life and salvation through Him. Christ bore the punishment of sins for us, was beaten, humiliated and scourged for us, so that by His suffering and death, we who believe in Him and put our faith in Him will be freed from our fated eternal damnation because of our sins and disobedience against God. We should have perished as the Jewish man from Jericho should have perished, and yet, our Lord, like the Good Samaritan, came to us, brought us back to new life through Him, and gave us hope and strength.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore today as we listened to these readings from the Scriptures and remembering the great love by which God cared for us and loved us, let us all hence strive to be ever better and more committed disciples and followers of our Lord in all things. Let us all strive to love Him all the more, distancing ourselves from wicked and sinful ways. And most importantly, let us all heed His own examples in loving us, and the story of the Good Samaritan, for us to love one another in the same way, to love without boundaries and prejudices, and to love generously and sincerely without considerations for our backgrounds, origins, status or other things that often shaped our way of interacting with each other.

Today, we celebrate the feast of a great and renowned saint who lived and worked in the previous century, who helped many of us to come to know the love and mercy of God, His compassion and kindness, in the figure and persona of the Divine Mercy of God. St. Faustina Kowalska, a religious nun who was famous for her vision of the Lord’s aspect as the Divine Mercy, through her words and writings helped the world to come to know the vastness of God’s love and merciful kindness towards each and every one of us. She had felt the calling of religious life from early on in her life, and embraced that call by becoming a religious sister, and entering a convent in Warsaw, in her native Poland.

St. Faustina Kowalska was renowned for her great piety and dedication to God, and she periodically received visions of the Divine Mercy in the convent, throughout her period of prayers and contemplation, in which the Lord continued to reveal Himself and His desire for all mankind to embrace His ever generous love and mercy. St. Faustina Kowalska faced a lot of trials and hardships in the process, as there were quite a few who were skeptical about the veracity, authenticity and orthodoxy of her visions, and she faced interdict, restrictions and questioning from the religious superiors and other leaders of the Church regarding her visions and writings. Nonetheless, St. Faustina Kowalska persevered on and continued to do what the Lord had told her to do, and eventually, many years after her passing, she was vindicated, and her vision of the Divine Mercy of God became a very popular devotion in the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard and discerned on the readings from the Sacred Scriptures that we have just received, and also through the inspiring example and story of the life of St. Faustina Kowalska, let us all therefore do our part as members of God’s Church, as His beloved people and as His disciples, to proclaim Him and His truth, His love and Good News through our own exemplary lives and examples. Let us always strive to live our lives worthily of the Lord, as our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs, and like St. Faustina Kowalska have shown us, especially recalling what we have also heard from the Sacred Scriptures, particularly the story of the Good Samaritan. All of us are reminded that as Christians all of us need to show love for one another just as much as God loves us so wonderfully and so patiently, and as much as we love Him too.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, the Divine Mercy, continue to shower us all with His love and grace, and through His mercy and compassion, may He continue to inspire all of us to be truly loving and forgiving, kind and compassionate in all of our encounters and relationships with one another, that we may truly bear forth the light of Christ in our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 5 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Luke 10 : 25-37

At that time, then a teacher of the Law came and began putting Jesus to the test. And he said, “Master, what shall I do to receive eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do You understand it?” The man answered, “It is written : You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

Jesus replied, “What a good answer! Do this and you shall live.” The man wanted to justify his question, so he asked, “Who is my neighbour?” Jesus then said, “There was a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him and went off, leaving him half-dead.”

“It happened that a priest was going along that road and saw the man, but passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite saw the man, and passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan also was going that way; and when he came upon the man, he was moved with compassion. He went over to him, and cleaned his wounds with oil and wine, and wrapped them in bandages. Then he put him on his own mount, and brought him to an inn, where he took care of him.”

“The next day, he had to set off; but he gave two silver coins to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him, and whatever you spend on him, I will repay when I return.'” Jesus then asked, “Which of these three, do you think, made himself neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The teacher of the Law answered, “The one who had mercy on him.” And Jesus said, “Then go and do the same.”

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Monday, 5 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Psalm 110 : 1-2, 7-8, 9 and 10c

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

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

He has sent His people deliverance and made with them a Covenant forever. His holy Name is to be revered! To Him belongs everlasting praise.

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Monday, 5 October 2026 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Galatians 1 : 6-12

I am surprised at how quickly you have abandoned God, Who called you, according to the grace of Christ, and have gone to another gospel. Indeed, there is no other Gospel, but some people, who are sowing confusion among you, want to turn the Gospel of Christ upside down.

But even if we, ourselves, were giving you another gospel, different from the one we preached to you, or if it were an Angel from heaven, I would say : let God’s curse be on him! As I have said, I now say again : if anyone preaches the Gospel in a way other than you received it, fire that one! Are we to please humans or obey God? Do you think that I try to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Let me remind you, brothers and sisters, that the Gospel we preached to you is not a human message, nor did I receive it from anyone, I was not taught of it; but it came to me, as a revelation from Christ Jesus.

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Sunday, 4 October 2026 : Twenty-Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of our duties and responsibilities, our calling and our missions as God’s beloved people, as those whom He has chosen and called, to be His disciples, followers and trusted stewards, in caring for everything that He has entrusted to us. Each and every one of us, in our various areas of responsibility and walk of life, we have been entrusted with various gifts, talents, abilities, opportunities and all other things that help us to reach out to others all around us, be exemplary and missionary in how we live our lives so that we may indeed spread and proclaim the Good News of God, His truth and love through our everyday actions and examples.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord, Who was speaking to His people through Isaiah, lamenting and showing His frustrations at them, because of their many sins, wickedness, disobedience and failure to obey His Law and commandments, and for their persistent and continued rebellion against Him and His love and kindness. Back then, by the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah, the people of Israel, in both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah had spent a long time disobeying God and refusing to listen to His words, persecuting the prophets and messengers that He had sent to them to remind and help them to return to the right path.

This led to the destruction and downfall of the northern kingdom of Israel, and the exile of many of its people to distant lands by the Assyrians who destroyed their cities and brought an end to their existence and life in the land of northern Israel. The southern kingdom of Judah also faced a lot of hardships and trials, as they were beaten and oppressed by their own neighbours and the same Assyrians who had crushed their northern brethren. The Lord had done everything to keep His people being faithful and committed to Him, revealing His plans and prophecies sent to them through His prophets and messengers, but those who were stubborn and persistent in doing things in their own way rejected those who have been sent to help them, and persecuted the Lord’s servants and messengers.

The Lord spoke about this to His people through veiled words, using the comparison of His people with a vineyard that He, as the Master of the vineyard had tender and cared for. Despite everything which the Lord had done for the sake of His people, they still disobeyed Him and refused to listen to Him, as they chose to disregard His words and ways. This was likened to how the vineyard had yielded poor crops and results despite everything that the Lord had done to tend to His vineyard, that is His chosen and beloved people. And thus, the prophet Isaiah brought up a warning and premonition of what was to come, a warning of the destruction of the nation of Judah, its cities, Jerusalem and others, just as what have befallen the Israelites in the northern kingdom.

This is similar in spirit to what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, in which the Lord Jesus used the parable of the evil tenants in order to teach and reveal the truth to His disciples and followers, reminding them all of what each and every one of them had to do, and to be careful lest they ended up like those evil and wicked tenants who had disobeyed their master. In that parable, the Lord told the story of how several evil and wicked tenants abused their stewardship of their plots of land which had been entrusted to them and leased to them by the landowner. They refused to pay their dues to the landowner, despite repeated reminders from those that the landowner sent to those wicked tenants. Instead, they chose to persecute the messengers and servants that had been sent to them to remind them.

This was an allusion to how in the past, as mentioned earlier, the people of Israel were persecuting the prophets, God’s messengers and servants that had been sent to them to help and guide them down the right path. They had hardened their hearts and minds, refusing to listen to God or obey His Law and ways, and having chosen to indulge in their corrupt and wicked behaviours and attitudes, allowing themselves to be swayed by worldly riches, temptations and seduction. That was just how those evil tenants acted in the Lord’s parable, as they greedily wanted to get the lands they leased for their own selfish benefits, without paying their dues and fulfilling their obligations. They allowed themselves to be seduced and tempted by worldly glory and desires, that they ended up losing their way in the path of sin.

And we also heard how in that parable the master and landowner sent his son to parley and negotiate with those evil tenants, only for them to greedily and wickedly slaughter that landowner’s son, so that they could seize the lands for themselves. This was in fact the Lord showing a premonition, allusion and revelation of what He Himself would suffer and endure at the hands of those who refused to believe in Him and rejected Him. The Lord Jesus Himself as the Son of God was represented by the landowner’s son, sent into this world into our midst, with God representing the landowner, and all of us as the tenants tending the Lord’s vineyard and land, that is this world. And He was also persecuted and rejected, and put to death because of the wickedness and sins of mankind, our own sins.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard what the Scripture passages had told us this Sunday, all of us must realise that as God’s beloved people, the ones whom He had created out of pure love, to dwell in this world, all of us have been entrusted in various different ways to be the stewards of this world, of God’s wonderful creation. We must not misuse, neglect and abuse all that had been entrusted to us, in the natural world and the environment just as Pope Francis in his very recent Apostolic Exhortation ‘Laudate Deum’ had reminded all of us, in how we have driven our natural environment to destruction. And then, we must also be responsible as well in our treatment of one another and way of living our lives, in how we interact with our fellow brothers and sisters all around us, with our family members, parents and children, relatives and friends, and even with strangers and acquaintances whom we meet and encounter in each and every moments of our lives.

All of us should do what St. Paul told the Church of God and the faithful in the city of Philippi just as we heard in our second reading today, as he told them all to be truly obedient and faithful to God, in all of their way of life and actions, with the words like ‘Fill your minds with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, lovely and noble. Be mindful of whatever deserves praise and admiration.’ as reminders that we, like those evil and wicked tenants, and like the people of Israel in the ages past, could be easily swayed by the temptations of the world, the many things that the devil and those desiring our downfall have tried to seduce us with. Each and every one of us should always strive to keep ourselves obedient to the Lord and filled with His virtues and love at all times, as best as we can.

Now, as we continue to live our lives in each and every moments henceforth, can we all strive to follow the Lord ever more wholeheartedly in all things? Can we dedicate ourselves, our time and efforts, in all that we say and do, so that we may truly indeed be good and worthy stewards of the Lord’s creation, in our responsible behaviour and actions towards our natural environment, in how we act and interact towards each other, so that we may truly be exemplary and inspirational in our actions, words and deeds, as the shining beacons of God’s Light and truth, bringing hope and enlightenment upon this darkened world, corrupted and misled by sin and evil. Let us all, as Christians, be truly committed to God, and do what God has taught and shown us all to do.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He empower and strengthen each and every one of us, so that in all the things that we say and do, we will always be full of faith and dedication to God, and be always full of virtues and grace. Let us all be truly responsible in living our lives so that we may always be good examples and inspirations for one another. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, in all of our actions, words and deeds, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 4 October 2026 : Twenty-Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 21 : 33-43

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Listen to another example : There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, built a watchtower, leased the vineyard to tenants, and then, went to a distant country.”

“When harvest time came, the landowner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the harvest. But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Again, the owner sent more servants; but they were treated in the same way.”

“Finally, he sent his son, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they thought, ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let us kill him, and his inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.”

“Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do with the tenants when he comes?” They said to Him, “He will bring those evil men to an evil end, and lease the vineyard to others, who will pay him in due time.” And Jesus replied, “Have you never read what the Scriptures say? The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, and we marvel at it.”

“Therefore I say to you : the kingdom of heaven will be taken from you, and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Whoever falls on this stone, he will be broken to pieces; on whomsoever this stone falls, he will be ground to dust.”

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Sunday, 4 October 2026 : Twenty-Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Philippians 4 : 6-9

Do not be anxious about anything. In everything, resort to prayer and supplication, together, with thanksgiving, and bring your requests before God. Then, the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, lovely and noble. Be mindful of whatever deserves praise and admiration. Put into practice what you have learnt from me, what I passed on to you, what you heard from me or saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

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Sunday, 4 October 2026 : Twenty-Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 79 : 9 and 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20

You had a vine You brought from Egypt. You drove nations out, to plant it in their land. Its branches reached out to the sea and its shoots to the River.

Why, then, have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by pluck its fruits? The beasts of the forest ravage it and all creatures of the field feed on it.

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

Then, we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name. Restore us, o YHVH, God of hosts; make Your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

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Sunday, 4 October 2026 : Twenty-Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 5 : 1-7

Let me sing for my Beloved, my love song about His vineyard. My Beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up, cleared the stones, and planted the choicest vines. He built there a watchtower and hewed out a wine press as well. The He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only wild grapes.

Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. What more was there to do that I have not done for My vineyard? Good grapes was the yield I expected. Why did it yield only sour grapes?

Now I will let you know what I am going to do with My vineyard : I will remove its hedge and it will be burnt; I will break down its wall and it will be trampled on. I will make it a wasteland, I will neither prune nor hoe it, and briers and thorns will grow there. I command the clouds, as well, not to send rain on it.

The vineyard of YHVH Sabaoth is the people of Israel; and the people of Judah are His pleasant vine. He looked for justice, but found bloodshed; He looked for righteousness but heard cries of distress.

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(Usus Antiquior/Extraordinary Form) Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (II Classis) – Sunday, 4 October 2026 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Communion and Post-Communion Prayer

Liturgical Colour : Green

Offertory

Psalm 137 : 7

Si ambulavero in medio tribulationis, vivificabis me, Domine : et super iram inimicorum meorum extendes manum Tuam, et salvum me faciet dextera Tua.

English translation

If I shall walk in the midst of tribulation, You will quicken me, o Lord, and You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand shall save me.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Haec munera, quaesumus, Domine, quae oculis Tuae majestatis offerimus, salutaria nobis esse concede. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Grant, we beseech You, o Lord, that these gifts, which we offer up in the sight of Your majesty, may be salutary unto us. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

Communion

Psalm 118 : 4-5

Tu mandasti mandata Tua custodiri nimis : utinam dirigantur viae meae, ad custodiendas justificationes Tuas.

English translation

You have commanded Your commandments to be kept most diligently. O, that my ways may be directed to keep Your justifications.

Post-Communion Prayer

Tua nos, Domine, medicinalis operatio, et a nostris perversitatibus clementer expediat, et Tuis semper faciat inhaerare mandatis. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium Tuum, qui Tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Let Your healing power, o Lord, in mercy deliver us from our waywardness and cause us ever to cleave to Your commandments. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who with You lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.