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Thursday, 26 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we reflected upon them during this time and season of Lent, we are reminded that we should always trust in the Lord our God even during the most difficult and challenging moments. We must always trust that the Lord has the power to change our situation and that He will never leave us alone in our struggles and difficulties. God has always loved us all unconditionally and most generously no matter what, and He has always consistently showed us His Presence when we needed Him the most. Even when we suffer, we do not suffer it alone because with the Lord by our side, Who has suffered far greater for us, we will be triumphant in the end.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Esther we heard of the moment when Esther, the Queen of Persia, who came from the people and race of Israel, went to seek the Lord for help, in her great anguish and desperate effort to help her people which was at that time under threat of annihilation and destruction, prayed before the Lord asking Him to help and to remember the love He has always had for them. For the context, the story began from the ascent of Esther from a humble Israelite woman living in exile in the community of the people of God in Persia, whom together with her relative, Mordecai, gained great favour from the king because the Lord was with them, and while Esther became the new Queen of Persia, Mordecai, who had saved the life of the king before from an attempted plot, received honour from the king.

However, within the court of the King of Persia there was one named Haman, the Agagite, known as such because he was directly descended from Agag, the historical king of Amalek. The Amalekites were the bitter enemies of the Israelites in the past, and despite several centuries having passed since the time when Israel destroyed Amalek and their king Agag, but their descendants likely sought vengeance against the Israelites, and they had the perfect opportunity through Haman. This Haman also rose greatly in the court of the King of Persia and became very powerful as the right hand man of the king and as vizier of the kingdom, essentially the most powerful person in the whole kingdom after the king himself.

And Haman, fueled by jealousy against Mordecai and anger against the Israelites, managed to get the king to declare a law against all the Israelites, considering them as outlaws and making it legal and allowed for anyone to attack them and to seize their properties and materials without any repercussions. Hence, it would have been the end of the Israelites, and because the Law of the kingdom of Persia could not be repealed, then it would have been certain doom and destruction for the whole people of Israel. That was therefore why Queen Esther was in a particularly difficult situation, and she was in the perfect opportunity and place to help her people. However, as what happened to her predecessor, Queen Vashti, if she did so, she was risking her position and even her own life.

That was why Esther prayed to the Lord asking Him to assist her and to give her the strength and courage to carry out what she was about to do, all for the sake of God’s own beloved people. She trusted the Lord wholeheartedly and allowed Him to guide her actions, eventually leading to her coming before the king and pleading for her people, and leading to the downfall of Haman, who got his just consequences of all his plots and attacks against the people of God. And the people of Israel were saved because the Lord was with them and Esther moved the heart of the King and convinced him to allow the Israelites to defend themselves against their enemies. That was how the people of God was saved and liberated from the plots of their enemies, and Haman, the prime instigator, was put to death by the king.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples and reminding them that God is indeed like our loving Father, Who truly cares for us and Who has always been loving towards us, showing us His ever patient and wonderful love, which He constantly lavished on us without end. The Lord told His disciples with the words, ‘Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks.’ reminding them and all of us that all that God is and has always been available for us, as our ever patient and loving Father.

Unfortunately, many of us do not have enough faith and trust in the Lord, not realising that if we only open our mouth and ask Him, open our hearts and minds to welcome Him into them and to listen to Him, communicate with Him as like that of a father and his children, and vice versa, therefore, we need to put that faith and trust in Him because just as the Lord said it, no father especially fathers who live their children, would ever treat their children with disdain and ignoring their needs and pleas. No father would also harm his children, and hence, everything that God, our most loving, generous and compassionate Father and Master has done for us, all were meant for the good and the benefit of each one of us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we all realise just how powerful God’s love and guidance have been for us, His constant presence and care for each one of us, which we should appreciate. As we continue to progress and journey through this time and season of Lent, let us all therefore continue to grow in faith in the Lord, and do our very best to proclaim Him faithfully through our own love for Him and from our exemplary living, actions and every deeds we carry out in each and every moments of our lives, obeying all that He has shown and taught us all to do. Let us seek Him wholeheartedly and entrust ourselves to Him just as Queen Esther had done, and just as how the Lord has reminded us of God’s ever present love. Amen.

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Thursday, 26 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 7 : 7-12

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks.”

“Would any of you give a stone to your son, when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”

“So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you : there you have the Law and the Prophets.”

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Thursday, 26 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 137 : 1-2a, 2bcd-3, 7c-8

I thank You, o Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the word of my lips. I sing Your praise in the presence of the gods. I bow down towards Your holy Temple and give thanks to Your Name.

For Your love and faithfulness, for Your word which exceeds everything. You answered me when I called; You restored my soul and made me strong.

With Your right hand You deliver me. How the Lord cares for me! Your kindness, o Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of Your hands.

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Thursday, 26 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Esther 4 : 17n, p-r, aa-bb, gg-hh (Latin Vulgate version – Esther 14 : 1, 3-5, 12-14)

Seized with anguish in her fear of death, Queen Esther likewise had recourse to the Lord. Then she prayed to the Lord God of Israel : “My Lord, You Who stand alone, came to my help; I am alone and have no help but You. Through my own choice I am endangering my life.”

“As a child I was wont to hear from the people of the land of my forebears that You, o Lord, chose Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from among their ancestors to be Your lasting heritage; that You did for them, all that You have promised.”

“Remember us, Lord; reveal Yourself in the time of our calamity. Give me courage, King of gods and Master of all power. Make my words persuasive when I face the lion; turn his heart against our enemy, that the latter and his like may be brought to their end.”

“Save us by Your hand; help me who am alone and have none but You, o Lord.”

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Wednesday, 25 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the power of God’s love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness on all of us, His beloved people. God has always loved us all most generously, and He has never abandoned any one of us, no matter what, and He has always shown His generous love poured down abundantly upon us, blessings everyone wonderfully, making His rain and Sun to go on the righteous and wicked alike. That is just how wonderful God’s love for us is, and how generous He has been in extending His mercy and compassion upon us all even when we have consistently and frequently taken Him for granted, not appreciating all these love and kindness we have been shown.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jonah, we heard about how the Lord God sent Jonah, one of His servants and prophets to go to the people of Nineveh, which was then a truly great and magnificent city, the capital of the very powerful and much-feared Assyrian Empire, which was the regional superpower of the time. Contextually and historically, the Assyrians were well-known for their great brutality and thirst for battle, for lots of raiding and destruction, as they went to conquer many states and cities, overthrowing their rulers and dominating the region, for their own wealth and glory, not fearing anything at all. And it is all those wickedness and sins they committed which had made the city of Nineveh to deserve destruction and damnation.

And God called Jonah to tell His judgment to those people in Nineveh, which the prophet initially refused to do, as he tried to flee from the Lord, going on a journey on a ship to distant lands. And for those of us familiar with his story, we heard how Jonah was thrown overboard from the ship in a great storm, and a great whale or fish swallowed Jonah and kept him alive for three days, after which, we heard the continuation of the story in what we heard earlier today, as Jonah finally agreed to embark on what the Lord had called him to do, to be the doom-bringer to the people of the city of Nineveh, to tell them of God’s terrible retribution and the punishments that they would have to endure for their wicked actions.

Yet, as we heard from the same passage, upon hearing what the Lord announced to them that He would do, in bringing destruction upon the city of Nineveh and its people, the whole city in unison, from the king to the nobles, and right down to the humblest and lowliest member of the community there, all were united in their attempt to appease the Lord and sorrowfully regretted their many sins and wickedness, and as we heard, they were all both genuine and wholehearted in their efforts to atone for their mistakes and sins, showing profound mourning and regret for their wicked actions, and the whole entire city, as we have heard, all donned mourning garments and sackcloth as public sign of their repentance, and God therefore spared the city of its fated destruction.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself as He spoke to the people, many of whom were asking Him for signs and wonders, despite the fact that He had actually done so many of these signs and wonders before them, in many occasions. And contextually, it was likely that many of these people were actually the Pharisees and their supporters, who often found fault and issue with the Lord and His ministry, as they kept on insisting upon that their version of practicing and applying the Law of God was the right one, and that no one else could interpret or practice the Law in the manner more appropriate and better than them.

Hence, it was all those pride and ego which had prevented them all from truly being able to believe in God and His truth, in all the signs, wonders and all the works that He had done. That was why no matter what the Lord had done before them, all the wonders and wisdom, none of those things could convince them. Then we should also contrast this attitude of the people at the time of the Lord Jesus with the way how the people of Nineveh responded to the words of the prophet Jonah to them as we have heard and discussed from our first reading today. While the former kept on doubting and demanding for more signs from the Lord, the latter believed and repented even when they did not see any signs from Jonah, believing even if it was only on the weight of his words and prophecy alone.

This is why we are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by the temptations of sin and evil, of all the worldly ambitions, glory and power, all of which can lead us astray easily away from the path towards righteousness and grace in God’s Presence. We should not harden our hearts and minds as the people listening to Jesus and witnessing His works had done. Instead, we should allow the Lord to come into our hearts, opening wide the doors of our hearts and minds to welcome Him and to be humble like the people of Nineveh, in recognising our own sinfulness, faults and shortcomings, so that we may come to realise how fortunate we are to have been so loved by God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all continue to reflect upon these words and reminders from the Lord, let us all therefore continue to live our lives with great faith and trust in the Lord, knowing that through His most generous love, mercy and compassion, all of us will truly receive the assurance of His love and compassionate kindness, His promises and everything that He has meant for us all, His beloved children and people. And as we all continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, let us all hence continue to do our best to live worthily and courageously in the path that the Lord has shown us all. May God bless us always, in our every good efforts and endeavours to glorify Him, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 25 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 11 : 29-32

At that time, as the crowd increased, Jesus spoke the following words : “People of the present time are troubled people. They ask for a sign, but no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah. As Jonah became a sign for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be a sign for this generation.”

“The Queen of the South will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon. The people of Nineveh will rise up on Judgment Day with the people of these times and accuse them, for Jonah’s preaching made them turn from their sins, and here, there is greater than Jonah.”

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Wednesday, 25 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 50 : 3-4, 12-13, 18-19

Have mercy on me, o God, in Your love. In Your great compassion blot out my sin. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil.

Create in me, o God, a pure heart; give me a new and steadfast spirit. Do not cast me out of Your presence nor take Your Holy Spirit from me.

You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, You would not delight in it. O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart, You will not despise.

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Wednesday, 25 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jonah 3 : 1-10

The word of YHVH came to Jonah a second time : “Go to Nineveh, the great city, and announce to them the message I give you.”

In obedience to the word of YHVH, Jonah went to Nineveh. It was a very large city, and it took three days just to cross it. So Jonah walked a single day’s journey and began proclaiming, “Forty days more and Nineveh will be destroyed.”

The people of the city believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. Upon hearing the news, the king of Nineveh got up from his throne, took off his royal robe, put on sackcloth and sat down in ashes. He issued a proclamation throughout Nineveh :

“By the decree of the king and his nobles, no people or beasts, herd or flock, will taste anything; neither will they eat nor drink. But let people and beasts be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call aloud to God, turn from his evil ways and violence. Who knows? God may yet relent, turn from His fierce anger and spare us.”

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not carry out the destruction He had threatened upon them.

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Tuesday, 24 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that all of us should always have a good prayer life and also good relationship with God, our loving Father, Master and Creator. Each and every one of us should always spend time to pray to the Lord God, our Heavenly Father, not so much that we can get what we want through prayer, but rather so that we may come to know His will more closely, listening to His words being spoken in our hearts and minds. And this time and season of Lent is the perfect time for all of us to realign ourselves and our lives so that we may come to be ever closer and ever more committed to God, if we have not done so yet.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the short passage taken from Isaiah’s words to the people of God, of the Lord reassuring them all of His promises and Presence among them, and how He would indeed send His deliverance to them through the Saviour He has promised them. He also revealed through what we have heard today, of the truth behind this same Saviour Whom He would send, that is none other than His own Word, the Word of God made Incarnate and tangible in our midst, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. And the prophet Isaiah spoke of how the Word of God will accomplish God’s will, and that was what the Lord Jesus Himself had done perfectly, in His perfect obedience to the will of the Father.

For indeed, God has sent His Son into this world to accomplish everything which He has planned for us from the very beginning of time, to gather all of us back to Himself, all of His scattered children all throughout the world. He has sent His Son to us to be our Good Shepherd, gathering all the flock of the Lord’s scattered sheep, the lost sheep of His flock, that all of us may once again enjoy the fullness of His love and grace, and be saved through all that Christ Himself has done, in perfect obedience to His Father’s will, through all the ministry He had done, in revealing unto us the perfect manifestation of God’s love made tangible, and ultimately through the offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, offered at the Altar of the Cross at Calvary for our sake.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus, the Divine Word of God and Son of God Incarnate, the fulfilment of what the prophet Isaiah had spoken earlier on in our first reading today. We heard how the Lord Jesus taught His disciples on how they ought to pray to the Lord God with the prayer that we now commonly call the Lord’s Prayer, or Pater Noster, or Our Father, because it truly began with petition and exhortation from us to Our Father in Heaven, God Himself Who has loved each and every one of us, those whom He has called to be His beloved and precious children, and Jesus our Lord, the Son of God and Son of Man both, has shown us this wonderful truth and love.

Through what He Himself had done, the Lord reminded us that we have to spend time in prayer to the Lord and pray in the right manner, and with the right disposition in our heart and mind. First of all, prayer must first be about giving thanks to God, thanking Him for all the wonderful things that we have received, no matter how all they might have been. And least of all, we have to give Him thanks for the continued gift of life that He has blessed us with. We have to thank Him for all the opportunities that He had provided us with, all the people whom He had blessed us with, our families, friends and other loved ones. We have to thank Him for everything He blessed us with despite us having often betrayed Him for false idols in life.

Then, prayer is also about listening to God and not just wanting or even demanding God to listen to us. It is about opening our hearts, minds and our senses to allow for genuine communication between us and God. If we only want God to listen to us and we are not willing to listen to Him, then it is not a communication at all. Our prayer has instead become a litany of demands that we make to the Lord and we are forcing our will on God. How can this be, as we are only a mere creation, daring to make demands on our Lord, Master and Creator? That is why when we pray we should not be quick to speak and to dominate the conversation, but instead, we should strive to have that good, quiet and contemplative time with God, to listen to Him just as He is listening to us.

And then, prayer is also the means by which we also seek the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy, as we ask Him to forgive us the multitudes of our sins. It is by God’s grace alone that we can be forgiven, and we who are sinners are in need of God’s forgiveness, that we may be reconciled to Him. The Lord will forgive us our sins, as long as we have ourselves learnt to forgive each others’ sins and faults to one another, just as mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer. We humble ourselves as sinners, all needing that much needed reconciliation with God. It is only through God’s grace and mercy, and our own merciful and forgiving attitude that we can truly be free from the guilt of our sinfulness and wickedness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to be committed and faithful children of God, following the example of Christ our Lord Himself Who has always shown unto us the perfect example of obedience and faith in God, our Heavenly Father, through our common humanity with His Human nature. And by teaching us all how we ought to pray, Christ has reminded us all that we need to spend that good quality time with God our loving Father so that He may show us the way to Himself, to His most wonderful love and grace. Amen.

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Tuesday, 24 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 6 : 7-15

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do; for they believe that, the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask Him.”

“This, then, is how you should pray : Our Father in heaven, holy be Your Name, Your kingdom, come, Your will, be done on earth, as in heaven. Give us today, our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are in debt to us.”

“Do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you.”