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Thursday, 24 September 2026 : 25th 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 reminded of the limitations of our worldly existence, our human glory and all that we have in this world. We are all reminded that each one of us are mortals who will suffer and go through death at the end of our life in this world. No one can live forever, and sooner or later, our earthly existence shall come to an end. But we are also then reminded that death is not the end of it all, for through what the Lord Himself has revealed to us, we know that death is merely the beginning of a new stage in life, and we have the choice whether we will end up in an eternity of joy with God or in an eternity of suffering and regret away from Him.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of Ecclesiastes or Qoheleth, we heard the author speaking about the meaninglessness and the vanity of the many things present in life, and how everything are truly impermanent and temporary in nature. There is truly nothing which is based on this world which will last forever, and even the many things in this world like the Sun, Moon, stars and others, all the nations and all the various other worldly matters will not last for all eternity. There is nothing that is permanent save for the Lord our God, His eternal kingdom and kingship, His dominion and His glory. And this is what each and every one of us should constantly remind ourselves such that we may always continue to focus ourselves on the right thing that is God and His truth.

And that also means if we put our trust in the things of this world, then we will end up being disappointed, in all the time we spent in gathering them and seeking them, especially things like money, wealth, possessions, properties, fame, glory, human praise, status among many other things.  There is none among those that will be ours forever, and as we should be aware of, we will not bring any of those with us to the world after our death. There is life and existence beyond death, and our immortal soul will either experience an eternity of happiness and bliss with God, or an eternity of suffering and regret in hell, but again, none of our worldly things will be carried over with us. Naked we have come from our mother’s womb, and hence, naked we shall return to the Lord of life and death.

As we heard in our Gospel passage today, king Herod of Galilee was astonished to listen to the works of the Lord Jesus, and thought that St. John the Baptist, God’s servant, had returned back into life. Contextually, St. John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod on the instigation of his wife Herodias, and therefore Herod must have been haunted by that decision, and thought that somehow St. John the Baptist had returned to life. Actually it kind of served as a poignant and timely reminder for the king, who had lived a debauched and excessive lifestyle, of the limitations of his worldly power and glory. No matter how grand or powerful he has been as king, but ultimately he is still subject to the ever greater power and dominion of God.

It is a reminder that his earthly kingdom and power will not last forever, and he has to account for his sins and wickedness, all that he had failed to do as the leader and guide for his people, and all that he had been responsible for, in slaughtering the man of God, regardless whether it was directly because of his action or because it was actually his wife’s work. But God’s works and power will remain forever, just as the Lord Himself continued what St. John the Baptist had done, in walking down the path of righteousness and in revealing the truth of God’s love and salvation. The Lord has sent His servants like St. John the Baptist into our midst so that He may help us to rediscover our true paths and destinations in life, leading towards the one true God in Whom alone is our salvation.

Today as we listened to these Scripture readings, let us all therefore spend some time to discern carefully about our own lives. Have we thought about how we should prioritise God over all of our many worldly attachments and preoccupations? Have we considered just how much time we have often spent on trying to gain for ourselves more material goods, wealth, glory, fame and more of the things of this world that we crave for? Have we thought of all the time and opportunities that we spent in selfishly trying to enrich ourselves and to gain for ourselves pleasures, satisfactions and rewards, even at the cost to others and their sufferings?

Let us all ponder on our priorities in life, and think carefully on how we ought to proceed forward in life. As Christians, each and every one of us should always remain centred and focused on God in our lives, and we should not allow the temptations of our ego, pride and desires from distracting us down the wrong path. We are all called to be more selfless and humble, more willing to reach out to those who are needy and less fortunate, and we should spend more time in seeking things that bring us true happiness rather than spending hours upon hours seeking things that do not last, like that of wealth, possessions, fame, glory and other things. Unfortunately, so many among us spend our lifetimes chasing after all these impermanent things, even to the point of obsession.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all remember that while people may not remember what our glory and greatness are, and while our money and possessions will not be ours when we pass on from this world, but our memories and our remembrance in the minds of others and those whose lives we have touched remain, and these can be either positive or negative ones. Do we want to be remembered for our good and worthy deeds, or do we prefer rather to be remembered for our evils and wickedness? The choice is ours, brothers and sisters, and we have to realise that every actions do matter and count.

Let us all therefore refocus our lives and attention back towards the Lord. Let us no longer allow the many distractions, allures and temptations of this world from preventing us in finding our way towards God and to be reconciled with Him. Let us all strive to do our best in living our lives ever more worthily so that in all things we will be good examples for one another. May our lives be filled with faith and obedience to God, and may our every actions and interactions be ever more worthy of God, so that we may be exemplary and bring inspiration to others. May God bless us always, in everything and all of our good efforts for His greater glory, and for the good of our fellow brothers and sisters, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 24 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 9 : 7-9

At that time, king Herod heard of all that Jesus and His disciples had done, and did not know what to think, for people said, “This is John, raised from the dead.”

Others believed that Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets, had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, “I had John beheaded. Who is this Man, about Whom I hear such wonders?” And he was anxious to see Him.

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Thursday, 24 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 89 : 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

You turn humans back to dust, saying, “Return, o mortals!” A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.

You sow them in their time, a dawn they peep out. In the morning they blossom, but the flower fades and withers in the evening.

So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. How long will You be angry, o YHVH? Have mercy on Your servant.

Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. May the sweetness of YHVH be upon us; may He prosper the work of our hands.

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Thursday, 24 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth) 1 : 2-11

All is meaningless – says the Teacher – meaningless, meaningless! What profit is there for a man in all his work for which he toils under the sun?

A generation goes, a generation comes and the earth remains forever. The sun rises, the sun sets, hastening towards the place where it again rises. Blowing to the south, turning to the north, the wind goes round and round and after all its rounds it has to blow again.

All rivers go to the sea but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers come from, there they return again. All words become weary and speech comes to an end, but the eye has never seen enough nor the ear heard too much. What has happened before will happen again, what has been done before will be done again : there is nothing new under the sun.

If they say to you, “See, it is new!” know that it has already been centuries earlier. There is no remembrance of ancient people, and those to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.

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Wednesday, 23 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we are reminded through the word of God in the Scriptures that we need to put our faith and trust in the Lord. And we have been called by God to be His witnesses and to reach out to others to proclaim His truth, His love and kindness to all. We are called to follow the examples of His disciples, all those whom He had called earlier on to be His witnesses. And all of us are part of these works and contributions, as members of God’s same Church, and we can contribute to great many good things and wonders, even if we think that our works and contributions may be small. What we may not realise is that, each and every one of those contributions and efforts do matter, as all those things add up to form the great combined effort of the whole entire Church.

The calling to be a disciple is not an easy one, and the Lord told them as described in our Gospel today, to bring nothing with them, no money, no food, no spare tunic and all other comforts, and to be prepared to face rejection and hardships, because there were bound to be failures and trials that they would have to endure during their journey and mission. And it does not mean that each and every one of us are supposed to do the same things or mimic and replicate the efforts of those missionaries and saints as they are. Why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because each and every one of us have been given distinct and unique gifts, talents and opportunities by the Lord, and hence, we have our own unique missions entrusted to us by God.

The Lord told His disciples and followers as we have heard in our Gospel passage today, regarding the matter of how they should not bring extra provisions and means to support them, and all of these are meant such that they will depend not on their own strength and on the providence of the world, but rather to draw their strength from Him, from their faith in Him and their commitment to follow Him. And they faithfully followed the Lord and what He had tasked them to do. They endured all sorts of trials and difficulties in their mission, preaching the Good News of salvation and showed God’s love by their actions. And if they have been successful, then their success are all due to God’s providence and guidance, and not their own glory and power, which could easily lead many down the path of ambition, hubris and downfall.

It was definitely a tough and yet fulfilling experience for many of the disciples of the Lord, the missionaries who have dedicated their lives to God. They strived for the Lord and not for themselves, and God guided them in their path, and led them on where they were to go. And more and more people came to believe in God because of them and their works, and in turn, many among these themselves became missionaries and witnesses of the faith. Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, in our world today, there are many who have yet to believe in God, and there are many others who have also abandoned their faith and their God. And it is indeed up to us, as God’s followers, as Christians, to be the bearers of His truth and love in our world today, to be His witnesses and bear forth the love with which He has passed on to us, in our daily actions and living.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of the famous St. Pius of Pietrelcina, much better known by his epithet of Padre Pio. He was a Capuchin Franciscan friar and priest who was renowned for his great piety and dedication to God, for his experience in having the Lord’s wounds, the stigmata, as well as for his great personal holiness and sanctity, in which he became a very popular figure both during his life and after his passing. St. Pius of Pietrelcina was born into a family of peasants that were very deeply religious and committed to God, and this had great impact on the upbringing and development of the young St. Pius of Pietrecina, who developed a great love and commitment for God from an early age, and who joined the Capuchins in his early teenage years.

This young future saint had experienced mystical visions and revelations from a very young age, something which would continue to influence and affect him throughout his later life and ministry. When he later on became a Capuchin friar and saint, he ministered to the people faithfully, in his devotion and prayerful life, and through his miraculous stigmata and personal holiness, many began to come to him with various problems and needs, coming to him at the monastery at San Giovanni Rotondo, where today a great Basilica and shrine to this saint now stands. St. Pius of Pietrelcina however did not have it easy, as he also faced a lot of hardships and trials, challenges and difficulties from those who doubted the authenticity of his miracles and stigmata among others.

For many years, St. Pius of Pietrelcina faced opposition and investigations by the Church authorities and investigators who sought to find out the truth and veracity behind the purported miracles that surrounded his figure and works. He also faced a lot of attacks and persuasions from Satan and the evil spirits, and frequently struggled with demonic attacks from time to time. In one well-known and attested occasion, the devil even attempted to set fire to his chambers, in part of the attacks against this holy man and servant of God. But St. Pius of Pietrelcina remained firmly committed to his faith in God, drawing ever more people and pilgrims seeking his advice and help, for him to heal them and cast out demons, and for hearing their confessions. This is why, the devil truly hated him so, because St. Pius of Pietrelcina, by his dedication and faith, and by his perseverance and faith, and holiness, inspired many to turn away from sin and evil, and back towards God’s path.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the great examples set by St. Pius of Pietrelcina, in all the holy actions and works that he had done, in his devotion to prayer and to the righteous and virtuous path of God. Let us all not lose heart or be discouraged by the challenges that we may face in life, but be the inspiration and be the role models for one another, in all of our actions, words and deeds, so that in everything, we may always inspire more and more in this world, all those around us, to walk ever more faithfully, in the path that God has revealed to us. No matter how small our actions, words and deeds may seem to be, they are all ultimately part of the combined efforts of the Church, and we have to take them seriously. May God be with us always, and may He bless our every efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 23 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 1-6

At that time, Jesus called His Twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, “Do not take anything for the journey, neither staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even take a spare tunic.”

“Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. And wherever they do not welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet : it will be as a testimony against them.”

So they set out, and went through the villages, proclaiming the Good News and healing people everywhere.

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Wednesday, 23 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 118 : 29, 72, 89, 101, 104, 163

Keep me away from deceitful paths; be gracious and teach me Your Law.

Your Law is more precious to me than heaps of silver and gold.

O YHVH, Your word stands forever, firmly fixed in the heavens.

I turn my feet from evil paths, that I may keep step with Your word.

Your precepts have given me knowledge, and I hate all that is false.

I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love Your Law.

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Wednesday, 23 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Proverbs 30 : 5-9

Every word of God is true, He is a shield in Whom man can find refuge. Add nothing to His words lest He rebuke you and take you for a liar. O God, two things I beg of You, do not deny me them before I die. Keep lying and falsehood far away from me, give me neither poverty nor riches.

Give me just as much food as I need lest, satisfied, I deny You and say, “Who is YHVH?” Or else, out of necessity, I steal and profane the Name of my God.

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Tuesday, 22 September 2026 : 25th 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 presented with the words of the Lord reminding us to do the will of God and not to fall into the path of sin and wickedness. Again and again we have constantly been reminded of the dangers of sin and the temptations to sin. Unless we are vigilant and put our conscious effort to reject sin and evil, more often than not we may find ourselves stumbling and falling yet again because we are unable to resist the strong pull and allure of sin which can drag us down the path towards damnation and downfall. This is why it is important that we should continue to remind ourselves to stay steady in our faith in the Lord at all times.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of Proverbs, we are all reminded that the Lord values our actions and obedience to His Law, commandments and will more than our sacrifices and offerings. The Lord honours and blesses the just and the righteous ones, all those who have obeyed His will, followed His ways and dedicated themselves to His cause by their real actions and works, instead of just merely paying lip service or making profession of faith. And yet in our way of life and actions, we are often full of actions that are contrary to God’s teachings and truth, as we often follow the whim of our desires, our pride and ego, the norms and ways of this world among others. These are the things which had prevented many of us from truly being able to follow the Lord wholeheartedly, ending up with us seeking our own personal glory and ambitions.

The Lord said that those who were haughty and wicked, who oppressed the poor and the weak, all those who were selfish and proud, and thinking only of fulfilling their own selfish and wicked desires, all of these will not flourish with Him, and will not have part in any of His inheritance and graces. The Lord made it clear that all of us as Christians are called to distance ourselves from wicked ways, and embrace wholeheartedly instead the path of righteousness and justice, of all the good things that the Lord Himself had taught us to do. God had taught us His ways, and showed us all how to live our lives in the right manner, and it is in the end, up to us whether we want to follow Him or to follow our own path.

And as Christians, it is imperative that we should keep all these things in mind because ultimately how we live our lives truly reflect our faith in God and whether we truly embody what we believe in or whether we are no better than hypocrites who profess to believe in something and yet, we act in the manner and ways that are different from what we claim to believe in. How can we then convince others to believe in God as well, and proclaim His truth and Good News if we ourselves are not sincere in the way how we live our faith? How can we convince others to follow the Lord as well if we do not practice what we profess to be truthful and faithful to? That is why, so many of us Christians through our wicked behaviours and attitudes had scandalised the Lord and the Church, to the point that many were repulsed by us and refused to believe in God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord when the people told Him that His family members, His mother and other relatives were waiting for Him. The Lord then told them all that His brothers and sisters, His mother are all those who listen to the Lord and do His will. While at a glance it might seem that the Lord had been rude to His mother and family, but in truth, the intention behind those words uttered by the Lord Jesus is that, each and every one of us are equally beloved by God, and all of us who do His will, who are righteous and just, virtuous and good, upright and faithful, all of us will share the fullness of God’s love, grace and compassion. 

Through that the Lord wanted to tell all of His disciples and followers that everyone has equal chance and position before Him. Unlike that of the other kings, lords and all the manners of this world where connections, familial and blood ties bring about fortunes, favours and preferences, the Lord loves each and every one of us generously and equally, and no one are truly beyond God’s love and the comfort of His compassion and mercy. He has made all of those available for us without condition, reaching out ever always to us to lead us all back once again towards Him. He does not want any one of us to be lost from Him, and therefore it is crucial that we ought to remember just how beloved we are and how patient God has been with us, despite our constant disobedience and refusal to heed Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all learn to be truly faithful to God in all things, even in the smallest and least seemingly significant ones among our actions, words and deeds. Let our each and every moments in life be filled with actions and words that are truly founded upon the strong foundation of love and faith in God. Let us all continue to go forth ever more courageously and faithfully to proclaim the Lord our God in all circumstances and occasions, throughout all the opportunities that the Lord has provided us with all these while. Let us all be the worthy bearers of our faith in God and let us all continue to live ever more authentically as the disciples and followers of the Lord so that by our lives, our actions and deeds, we will inspire many more people around us to get to know the Lord better through our own examples.

May the Lord, our ever loving God and Creator, continue to be with each and every one of us. May He continue to strengthen and empower us all to live ever more faithfully in each and every moments so that we may always strive to live our lives in each and every moments with great courage and faith, doing whatever we can to lead others to the Lord our God. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 22 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 8 : 19-21

At that time, the mother of Jesus and His relatives came to Him; but they could not get to Him because of the crowd. Someone told Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet You.”

Then Jesus answered, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”