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Tuesday, 25 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Louis, and St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are all reminded to distance ourselves from the taints of hypocrisy and all sorts of temptations to sin, especially the temptation of worldly desires and pleasures, worldly glory, fame and renown, all of which can distract us in our journey towards the Lord. Through our Scripture readings today we are all reminded how there had been many people who were entrusted with the faith and the responsibility to guide their fellow faithful ones, and yet they failed to do their duties and responsibilities appropriately as they should have done. We are hence reminded that we must do better and do our very best to continue keeping our focus on the Lord in our daily living.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord rebuking the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for their behaviour and way of living their faith lives, and especially in how they misused their authority as well as their hypocrisy and their imposition of very strict and harsh rules and regulations pertaining to the Law on the entire people of Israel. They demanded their portion and for the people to respect and to support them, and yet at the same time, they looked down on all those whom they deemed to be less worthy, the ones like the tax collectors, the prostitutes and all those who were inflicted with various diseases and illnesses, and many others. They thought of themselves as being better and superior than others around them, more worthy of God’s grace and blessings than those whom they were prejudiced against.

The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law demanded an external application of the Law, and they paraded themselves in doing all the things that people could witness and see them doing, praying aloud in the synagogues and in the streets, and they similarly imposed this bias and preferences in what they taught the people of God through their actions and words. But they had failed to realise that obeying the words of the letter of the Law is empty and meaningless unless one also understands and appreciates the meaning and the Spirit of the same Law. One can easily obey the Law to the letter but without understanding the importance and significance of why one has done so, which actually distracts us from truly being able to follow God wholeheartedly.

That is why the Lord was so critical on them and their actions. Their actions and irresponsible behaviour had made it difficult for many to seek the Lord and not only that, but it likely also turned many people away from God and His salvation, since the conditions and requirements which they imposed on everyone were so difficult, tough and yet unnecessary, that many people simply did not make the effort to come closer to God and instead remained in their state of sin. That way, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law whom God had entrusted with His people, had not done as they were supposed to do, and in their obedience to the Law, they were also selective and focused more on the externals rather than a wholesome application of the Law of God, and a better understanding of the ‘Spirit of the Law’.

The Lord told His people that in order for us to truly love and serve the Lord, we have to have that proper understanding of His truth and love, and obey His Law wholeheartedly instead of just obeying blindly or paying lip service or only seeking for external application or holding up appearances only. Each one of us must live our lives with faith and practice our faith with genuine dedication and commitment, at every available opportunities and at every moments, or else we may end up causing scandal on the Lord and His Church, and we may have to be responsible for making people to be more distant from God just as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done. As Christians, that is as those whom the Lord had called and chosen to be His own, and to whom through His Church, He Himself has revealed His truth and Good News to us, we ought to show genuine faith based on deep understanding of the Lord and His intentions and love for us.

That is why today we are all called to reflect on our way of life and see carefully how we can better commit ourselves from now on with faith, in following the Lord in all the path of our lives, and at all times. Each one of us have been called to reflect on the path that we should be taking moving forward in life, so that our actions and words, our deeds and everything may always be aligned with God and His will, with His teachings and with His revelation of truth. We are all presented with the opportunities and the many circumstances through which we will be able to find our way to do things in accordance to our calling and God’s will. It is up to us then whether we want to follow the path that the Lord has called us to walk through and which He has been preparing us for.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of two great saints, holy men of God whose lives and faith in God should be sources of strength and inspiration for all of us to follow, so that we may all know how we should also dedicate ourselves, our time and effort to serve the Lord wholeheartedly if we have not yet done so. One of them is St. Louis of France, also known better as King Louis IX of France, a great and renowned King of France and holy servant of God. Meanwhile, the other one is St. Joseph Calasanz, a renowned Spanish Catholic priest remembered for his dedication to the less fortunate, especially to those who did not have access to education and proper upbringing in life, by establishing schools and institutions to help them. Both of them were remembered for their great commitment and dedication to God, their piety and love for both God and their fellow brothers and sisters alike, and for all the efforts that they had done for the greater glory of God and for the good of the people of God.

St. Louis, as the King of France, Louis IX, was a great king remembered for his many efforts to improve the livelihood of his people, working hard to ensure the well-being and prosperity of his people and kingdom, in his efforts to spread the Good News and the works of the Church by his support of various Church institutions and efforts. He was also well-known for his efforts in eradicating heresies and false teachings as was rampant at that time with the Albigensian heresy, which led to the efforts known as the Albigensian Crusades, where many priests and other missionaries went to convert the people back to the truth of God, having been deluded and misled by the falsehoods of the Cathars that led to the Albigensian heresy. St. Louis dedicated himself to the greater glory of God, and did everything he could for the glory of God, and had done so much for the prosperity and future of those entrusted under his care.

St. Joseph Calasanz was born into a family of minor Spanish nobleman, and he was brought up with good education and upbringing which likely gave a good impression on him on the importance of education on the youth and children. It also brought up in him the desire to become a priest, in serving the Lord in greater ways. This was initially opposed by his parents, but after a great sickness that almost led him to his death, eventually his father relented and allowed St. Joseph Calasanz to be a priest. As a priest, he dedicated himself to many great works and missions, and paid particular focus as mentioned to the youths and children who had not been able to access education. He helped to establish and open the first free public school in all of Europe, and establishing even more public schools and institutions meant to help and assist many people who have been disadvantaged. He continued to commit himself to this mission and encourage many more efforts to be done for the sick, the disadvantaged and the uneducated, to the end of his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the life stories and the works of St. Louis and St. Joseph Calasanz, all of us should be reminded that in our daily lives, we should also show forth genuinely our faith in the Lord, our God, through our kind and loving actions to one another especially to all those who are suffering and facing hardships and difficulties in life. If we cannot be truly genuine in how we love others around us, especially those whom we ought love the most and those who have loved us so much, and also those who need our love, then we cannot truly call ourselves as genuine and faithful Christians. We will be no better than those Pharisees and teachers of the Law who put appearances and personal ambitions ahead of their responsibilities as God’s people. May the Lord help and guide us always in everything we do, so that we will always be faithful to Him in all things and at all times. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Louis, and St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Priests)

Matthew 23 : 23-26

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You do not forget the mint, anise and cumin seeds when you demand the tenth of everything; but then, you forget what is most fundamental in the Law : justice, mercy and faith! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a mosquito, but swallow a camel.”

“Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You fill the plate and the cup, with theft and violence, and then pronounce a blessing over them. Blind Pharisee! Purify the inside first, then the outside, too, will be purified.”

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Tuesday, 25 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Louis, and St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Priests)

Psalm 95 : 10, 11-12a, 12b-13

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” He will judge the peoples with justice.

Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound; let the fields exult and everything in them.

Let the forest, all the trees, sing for joy. Let them sing before the Lord Who comes to judge the earth. He will rule the world with justice and the peoples with fairness.

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Tuesday, 25 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Louis, and St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Priests)

2 Thessalonians 2 : 1-3a, 14-17

Brothers and sisters, let us speak about the coming of Christ Jesus, Our Lord, and our gathering to meet Him. Do not be easily unsettled. Do not be alarmed by what a prophet says, or by any report, or by some letter said to be ours, saying, the day of the Lord is at hand. Do not let yourselves be deceived, in any way.

To this end He called you, through the Gospel we preach, for He willed you, to share the glory of Christ Jesus, Our Lord. Because of that, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions that we taught you, by word or by letter. May Christ Jesus, Our Lord, Who has loved us, may God Our Father, Who, in His mercy, gives us everlasting comfort and true hope, strengthen you.

May He encourage your hearts and make you steadfast in every good work and word.

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Monday, 24 August 2026 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, and therefore one of the great pillars of the Church. St. Bartholomew was also likely known as Nathanael as according to today’s Gospel passage, one of the Lord’s Twelve Apostles was one named Nathanael, whom the Lord called in an amazing way, and known for his great intellect and wisdom. There was no one else among the known Twelve Apostles who can fit the description of Nathanael except for St. Bartholomew the Apostle. There was scant reference to him otherwise in the Scriptures, but Church and Apostolic traditions and histories had extensive details about the efforts and works of St. Bartholomew, including that of his ministry and his martyrdom, how he died in the face of opposition and persecution against Christians.

St. Bartholomew was likely named as such because he was the son of a man named Talmai or Ptolemy, with the ‘bar’ in Hebrew meaning ‘son of’. As Ptolemy or Ptolemeus at that time was a Greek name, it was likely that he was a Hellenised Jew, with the given name of Nathanael. He was a wise and learned man, who knew the Law and the Prophets well, just as we heard in our Gospel passage today. In what he said upon knowing that the Lord Jesus had come from the region of Nazareth in Galilee, with the words, ‘Can anything good come from Nazareth?’, it indicated to us his familiarity with the prophets and their prophecies about the coming of the Messiah or the Saviour of Israel. But the Lord convinced Nathanael and showed Him His power, wisdom and truth, as He told him that He saw him below the fig tree, revealing His ability to know the thoughts and the location of Nathanael, showing that He was truly the Messiah of God promised to the people that He loved. Thus, Nathanael or St. Bartholomew recognised the Lord Jesus as the Son of God and King of Israel, the Holy One of God.

Later on, after everything that happened with the Lord and His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross, and the events surrounding His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, as well as the coming of the Holy Spirit, it was told according to the Apostolic traditions that St. Bartholomew went on missions to spread the Good News and truth of God to many distant places including India and Armenia among other places. In India, it was told that St. Bartholomew went to the ancient city of Kalyan and other places, spreading the word of God and His truth, complementing the works of St. Thomas who also went to that land. He also went to Armenia as mentioned, together with another Apostle, St. Jude Thaddeus, in proclaiming the Good News and in calling more and more people to come to know their Lord and Saviour. In his travels and works throughout that region, St. Bartholomew managed to gain converts to the true Faith, while facing opposition and hardships in the midst of his missions.

In Armenia, it was told that St. Bartholomew managed to convert the ruler or king of Armenia named Polymius, who embraced the Christian faith because of the preaching and the works of St. Bartholomew. This brought about a resistance from the pagans and the powerful nobles, led by the king’s brother, Astyages, who therefore ordered the arrest and then torture of St. Bartholomew. In what would become truly renowned about St. Bartholomew, the Apostle was flayed or skinned alive and then beheaded. Thus, that is why many of the portrayals of St. Bartholomew showed the Apostle holding onto his own flayed skin. Another tradition stated that St. Bartholomew was crucified upside-down in the manner just like another Apostle, St. Peter. In the end, regardless in what way St. Bartholomew was martyred, what matters is that he died defending his faith, and suffered just as the Lord Himself had suffered, for the glory of God and for the good of His people.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate this Feast of the Holy Apostle, St. Bartholomew, on this day, let us all therefore reflect upon the actions and dedication which St. Bartholomew had shown the Lord and all of us, in everything he had done, in all the works and missions he had gone to, in proclaiming the Good News of God courageously and fearlessly, and in living his life with great virtues and examples, that many were convinced by his words and actions, in accepting and embracing the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Master, and as their Saviour and King. For all that he had done, in doing God’s will to the very end, St. Bartholomew has been glorified and raised to the bliss and joy of Heaven, as the Lord had promised to all those who have been faithful to Him. As we heard in our first reading today, from the Revelation or Apocalypse of St. John, we heard how St. John saw the vision of the New Jerusalem, with the names of the Apostles inscribed upon its gates.

Thus, that is how the Lord will also treat all those who have been faithful and true to Him, all those who have given their lives to His cause, like all the Apostles and the holy saints and martyrs, and the innumerable other holy men and women, who have gone before us, and whose lives shone forth with great virtue and faith. Their works and examples should serve inspiration to all of us as Christians, God’s beloved people and disciples, on how each and every one of us should be living our own lives with faith. We should be inspired and strengthened by their examples, particularly that of St. Bartholomew, in how we should act and do our best to love one another, and to proclaim God’s truth and Good News by our faithful lives. This is our calling as Christians, and what each and every one of us should do, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore all of us are reminded today that we cannot be idle in the living of our faith in life. Each one of us have been blessed and given the grace of God’s love and kindness, His gifts, talents, abilities and the various opportunities that have been presented to us. If the Apostles and the other holy saints and martyrs had not done what they did for the sake of the Lord, in doing what the Lord had called and told them to do, in making the effort and in sacrificing time and their comfort for the spread of the Good News and the Light of God’s truth, in sharing His love and compassionate mercy, many souls including ours would have been doomed to damnation, and we might not have received His love and kindness, His truth and Good News, His salvation and grace. We are all called and inspired to do our best that our lives may truly reflect our Christian faith and all that the Lord had taught us to do, just as St. Bartholomew had done with his life.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen all of us, in our every works and actions, in every moments of our lives. May He inspire and empower all of us so that we may serve Him ever more faithfully and with greater courage, in the manner that St. Bartholomew, and the other Holy Apostles, saints and martyrs had done. All of us are part of the Lord’s Church and each one of us are integral part of the missions which God has entrusted to us. Let us all strive to commit our every time and effort to glorify God and to seek the betterment of all mankind. May God bless us all and bless our every works, and may He remain with us always, and strengthen us in all of our endeavours. St. Bartholomew, Holy Apostle of the Lord, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Monday, 24 August 2026 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 1 : 45-51

At that time, Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets : He is Jesus, Son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

Nathanael replied, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” When Jesus saw Nathanael coming, He said of him, “Here comes an Israelite, a true one; there is nothing false in him.” Nathanael asked Him, “How do You know me?” And Jesus said to him, “Before Philip called you, you were under the fig tree, and I saw you.”

Nathanael answered, “Master, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” But Jesus replied, “You believe because I said, ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’ But you will see greater things than that. Truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

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Monday, 24 August 2026 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 144 : 10-11, 12-13ab, 17-18

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o Lord, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your power.

That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endures from generation to generation.

Righteous is YHVH in all His ways, His mercy shows in all His deeds. He is near those who call on Him, who call trustfully upon His Name.

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Monday, 24 August 2026 : Feast of St. Bartholomew, Apostle (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Revelations 21 : 9b-14

And one of the seven Angels who were with the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues said to me, “Come, I am going to show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

He took me up, in a spiritual vision, to a very high mountain, and he showed me the holy city Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven, from God. It shines with the glory of God, like a precious jewel, with the colour of crystal-clear jasper. Its wall, large and high, has twelve gates; stationed at them are twelve Angels. 

Over the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. Three gates face the east; three gates face the north; three gates face the south and three face the west. The city wall stands on twelve foundation stones, on which are written the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

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Sunday, 23 August 2026 : Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as all of us are reminded of the Lord Who called all those whom He deemed to be worthy and just, and empowered them to be His servants and stewards, to be caretakers and guides, leaders and shepherds for His people. God called on us all to follow Him and He raised those who are humble and faithful to Him, and empowered them in their lives and actions that they might do His great and wonderful deeds, while all those who took great pride and power in their own achievements and glory, all those faltered and fell astray in their path. Their pride and ego became their downfall, as they trusted more in their own might and power rather than to have faith and trust in God. As our Scripture passages today highlighted, that all those who trusted the Lord and had faith in Him, would truly be blessed and made great by God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet spoke of God’s words to His people, relating about one particular man named Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who according to the Scriptures and historical evidences served as the steward, caretaker and some sort of chief or prime minister in the court and government of the Kingdom of Judah, then ruled by King Hezekiah, one of the good and faithful kings. This Eliakim was appointed into his position to replace one particular Shebna, who was the steward or prime minister immediately before Eliakim. According to Scriptural and historical evidences, Shebna was cast out because of his pride and ego, his dependance on his own power and machinations of state rather than in trusting in God’s power and providence, trusting in his own intrigues, diplomatic and political power play rather than to follow the Lord and His path.

As such, what we have heard today in our first reading today is a reminder for all of us that pride and ambition will likely lead to our downfall. According to additional archaeological and Scriptural evidence, the same Shebna was an ambitious man who carved a tomb for himself, which was only allowed for the kings. He was also corrupt and power hungry, and through his political machinations, he attempted to steer his country Judah into dangerous alliances and paths. Thus, another man was appointed into his position, which was Eliakim as mentioned because this person was likely to be truly dedicated to his people and kingdom, and to the Lord, rather than serving his own purposes and seeking for his own ambitions. The prophet Isaiah therefore spoke highly of Eliakim, who in this case also prefigured the coming of Christ and His role in establishing His Church, and how He entrusted it to those whom He had chosen.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Matthew of the interactions between the Lord and His closest disciples, the members of the Twelve. He asked them earnestly and openly, Who they were thinking or considering that He was. And we heard in that well-known exchanges what the Lord was commonly thought to be at that time, such as one of the Prophets, or the prophet Elijah and other holy man of God. However, St. Peter, the one of the most vocal and faithful among the disciples spoke frankly that they all believe that He is the Messiah, the Holy One of God that has been promised by God to His people, and the Son of God. And for speaking the truth, through the inspiration of faith and the Spirit of God, the Lord blessed St. Peter and granted him the important role of steward and guide, shepherd and leader of all the faithful.

In what is clearly seen as a parallel of our first reading passage today, prefigured by the figure of Eliakim the steward in the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we saw how the Lord entrusted  His Church that He has established to St. Peter and the other Apostles, with St. Peter, whose name means ‘Rock’, as the foundation of the Church and together with the other Apostles serve as the strong foundation, pillars of strength and support through whom the Church was established and was strengthened, and through whose works, the many great achievements and works of the Lord through His Church were initiated and made. St. Peter himself was known as Simon, the son of Jonah, hence what the Lord called him today before He told them of his mission, as Simon bar Jonah, or Simon the son of Jonah or John. When the Lord told Simon that ‘You are Peter’, essentially, the Lord entrusted to him a new command and mission.

Compare this to how in the other parts of the Scriptures, some other important figures had also gone through the same process, with Abram and Sarai, the ones through whom the whole people of Israel and many other nations originated from, were known by their new names of Abraham and Sarah after God had established His Covenant with them, as well as Jacob himself, the forefather of all the Israelites, who was named as Israel after God encountered him upon his return to the land promised to him, his forefathers and descendants, and through which all the Israelites got their name from. There were others like King Solomon who had a new name ‘Jedediah’ or ‘beloved of the Lord’ bestowed upon him by God through the prophet Nathan, and of course among the Apostles, we have Levi the tax collector whose name was changed into Matthew after he followed the Lord, and Simon himself, who henceforth became known as Peter. There was also a change for Saul, who changed the name by which he was known to Paul, after his conversion.

All of them went through a period of change and transformation, with that name change signifying the call of the Lord to His people to follow Him and to embrace the missions and all that He would entrust to them, to each one of us, in everything that all of us can do for His cause. For St. Peter in particular, this small and insignificant, brash and uneducated man from Galilee, a mere fisherman and a nobody was appointed by God to be His chief steward, as the leader, shepherd and guide to all of His faithful ones. God did not call the mighty and the powerful, the proud or the haughty, those who were ambitious and served their own glory to be His servants and disciples, but rather those who had the humility, desire and willingness to love and serve Him wholeheartedly, not for their own glory and benefits, but for the glory of God and for the good of all of God’s people.

St. Peter himself was not perfect and he had his flaws, just like all of us. He was brash and violent at times, as we all know how he cut off the ears of the servant of the High Priest, Malchus, at the time when the High Priest and his fellow priests sent guards to arrest the Lord at the Gardens of Gethsemane. He was also well-known for his thrice denial of the Lord at the moment just immediately after that, despite having declared that he would lay down his life for the Lord. All these showed us that St. Peter was a sinner and a weak man just like all of us, but what made him to stand out from others and how God chose and empowered him, was because of his great love and true dedication to God despite of all these imperfections and flaws. Like Eliakim mentioned in the first reading today, he must not have been a perfect person either, but unlike the Shebna mentioned earlier, he was humble and had the right disposition in following the Lord and His commandments, and in carrying out his duties and all that had been entrusted to him.

This is where all of us need to realise that the Church is the assembly of the Body of all the faithful people of God, all called and gathered by the Lord to follow His path, led by His Apostles and disciples. All of us are sinners called to follow the Lord and to embrace His path of redemption, to be converted and transformed from a people of darkness and sin into the blessed people of God’s Light and truth. That is why the Church is also known as a ‘hospital for sinners’ and not a ‘pedestal for the ambitious and those who are self-righteous’. All the saints and great holy men and women of old, all of them were also themselves sinners, and they all embraced God and His path, allowing Him to empower and transform them to be great role models and inspirations for all of us. They were glorified, honoured and great not because of their own power but because of what God had done through them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why each and every one of us are reminded today that we are all also called to the same mission and God has entrusted to us various vocations, missions and areas of responsibilities where we can contribute our efforts and works, our expertise and actions for the greater glory of God and for the good of our fellow brothers and sisters. All of us have been called to follow the Lord and to emulate the examples of our holy predecessors, whom God had called and chosen before us. And we have to realise the significance of what we heard today for ourselves, as mentioned earlier in how some of those servants of God had changed their names in symbolic transformation of their lives, as a moment when they embrace their new mission and calling in life, in following God wholeheartedly from then on.

It signified a moment of change and transformation, when one has been called to a particular mission and vocation, to do what God entrusted to them. God empowered them and gave them the strength and grace to do what they needed to do. Then, for each one of us? We have experienced the same in our own baptism, when we were initiated in our Christian faith, and also when we received the Sacrament of Confirmation. We adopted the name of saints as our baptismal names, and maybe another saint’s as our confirmation names. This signified our own commitment to do God’s will and to carry out whatever God has entrusted uniquely to each one of us, in our own areas of expertise and responsibilities. We are all God’s stewards, in whatever areas God entrusted us to do His will.

God empowers us, strengthens us and we are all reminded that, all that we do, in our various Church ministries, groups and organisations, should be done for the greater glory of God and for the good of those entrusted to us in our ministries and groups, and not for our own personal glory, ambition or ego. We may feel unworthy or not inclined to help and contribute, or feel that we are nobody or has nothing that we can contribute or give, comparing ourselves to those who we think are better than us, but let us not forget that, even the greatest of the saints were once sinners too. They chose to let God guide them and to do great things through them. And even they made mistakes after they had embraced the Lord and His path, as was only natural for them, for being imperfect just like any one of us, but they allowed God to help them to improve and to do better, and to rectify those mistakes to the best of their abilities.

Remember that it is God Who made them great, and not themselves. All of us, in the small little things we do to each other, in our various areas of expertise, responsibilities and in whatever vocations and commitment that we have been given, and what we have committed ourselves to the Lord, let us all do our very best, and allowing God to help and guide us in our path and journey. Let us all be the great sources of inspiration to one another and be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth in our world today. May God be glorified to us and may He empower us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 23 August 2026 : Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 16 : 13-20

At that time, Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They said, “For some of them, You are John the Baptist; for others Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.”

“And now I say to you : You are Peter; and on this Rock I will build My Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven : whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

Then He ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ.