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Saturday, 20 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are all reminded of the words of the Lord telling us and reassuring us that there is nothing that we really need to worry about in life as the Lord Who is always by our side will always provide for us and strengthen us. He will not abandon us or ignore our plight, and in the end, those who keep their faith in God will be justified and will be blessed. Our first reading today from the Old Testament provided just one of the many proofs of these, just as I am sure that many of us have experienced God’s providence and help ourselves in our own lives, that He is always around us even through the most difficult times, as He is also always there in good times.

In that first reading passage, taken from the Second Book of Kings, we heard of the account of what happened in the southern kingdom of Judah as the High Priest Jehoiada passed away, and the young king whose rise to power he had supported, namely king Joash of Judah, began falling away from the path of the Lord, and he began to reverse some of the reforms initiated and put in place by Jehoiada in leading the people back towards the Lord. This resulted in the people of God sliding back into the path to sin and damnation, and God raised the spirit of the son of Jehoiada, one named Zechariah as mentioned in our first reading, to speak up against the king and his wicked actions, to criticise him for his lack of virtue and disobedience against God.

That led to him being persecuted and attacked, and eventually was martyred, as a faithful servant of God. We then heard of the retribution and justice from the Lord, as a short while later the forces of the Arameans defeated the kingdom of Judah and ended up with the death of Joash, who had caused the death of the righteous Zechariah. Joash got his just consequence of having persecuted and killed a righteous man, and for his refusal to listen to Zechariah and his criticism, served to remind him to return to God. Joash suffered and perished because of his mistakes and sins, in allowing the people of God to slide back into the path of sin and darkness, and therefore, all those things were what the king eventually had to account for.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to His disciples with the main intention of telling them that they must not be worried, concerned and afraid of what they would have to face and endure in the world, for the Lord will provide for each one of us in our hour of need. We have no need to be afraid or worried because no matter what we have to go through in life, the Lord will triumph with us in the end. Of course the path and journey towards there will not be easy, and there will be plenty of challenges going forward, but we should not let those from preventing us to walk in the path that the Lord has shown us, or distract us into the wrong paths. We must always trust in the Lord and in His providence on this.

Many of us have spent too much time focusing on our desires and concerns, our fears and worries that we have neglected our calling in life to be good and devout Christians. And we ended up doing things that bring harm to others and caused plenty of sufferings and pain, as what king Joash, his officials and many of our other predecessors had done. They sought worldly power and glory, and in trying to gain the approval of the world and the society, they had caused the people of God to lapse into the path of sin, and hence, they had fallen into the path from which it was difficult to get out from, the slippery path of sin. But with God’s help and strength, it is possible for us to remain strong and steadfast in our faith despite all these challenges.

And God did not forget about Zechariah and those who were righteous, as we heard how He justly punished Joash and his supporters for having persecuted and killed Zechariah. While Zechariah did have to suffer, but in the end, he was justified and triumphed in the end with God, while those who persecuted him faced their just consequences, as how Joash was humbled and brought low, and as mentioned in the Scriptures, that his deeds in murdering a dedicated servant of God and son of the High Priest, who was his own protector, had earned Joash a scorn and being despised by his own people, that he was not even entombed within the tombs of the kings of Judah. This is a reminder therefore that we must always remain upright in all things, as best as we can.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard in the Scriptures today, all of us are reminded that we must not allow the temptations of worldly power and glory from distracting us in our journey towards God and His salvation. We must not let the temptations and pressures of worldly desires and the allures of sin from dragging us down the slippery path towards damnation. That is why, we have to learn to trust more in the Lord, and to put ourselves in His hands, and entrust our lives, our efforts and works, and everything we say and do, to Him. And we are also called to help one another and be sources of inspiration to each other so that we may remain ever faithful to God, at all times.

May the Lord continue to be with us, guiding us and strengthening us along the way, so that each and every one of us may grow ever more committed to walk in the path that He has set before us. May He help us all to endure the persecutions, oppositions, sufferings and trials that we may have to face, in each and every moments of our lives. May He empower us all that we may be better and more resolute Christians that can help one another to stay committed to our path in life, in serving God and in inspiring more and more people to come ever closer to God and His salvation. May God bless our every good works and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 20 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Matthew 6 : 24-34

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “No one can serve two masters, for he will either hate one and love the other; or he will be loyal to the first and look down on the second. You cannot, at the same time, serve God and money.”

Therefore, I tell you, not to be worried about food and drink for yourself, or about clothes for your body. Is not life more important than food; and is not the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest, and do not store food in barns; and yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more worthy than they are?”

“Can any of you add a day to your life by worrying about it? Why are you so worried about your clothes? Look at how the flowers in the fields grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, that not even Solomon, in all his glory, was clothed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass in the field, which blooms today and is to be burnt in an oven tomorrow, how much more will He clothe you? What little faith you have!”

“Do not worry, and say : What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? or : What shall we wear? The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart, first, on the kingdom and righteousness of God; and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

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Saturday, 20 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 88 : 4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34

I have made a Covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.

I will keep My Covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure. His dynasty will last forever; and his throne, as long as the heavens.

If his sons forsake My law and fail to follow My decrees, if they violate My statutes and do not keep My commandments.

I will punish their crime with the rod, and their offences, with the scourge; yet, I will not withdraw My love from him, nor will I withdraw My faithfulness.

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Saturday, 20 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

2 Chronicles 24 : 17-25

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came to pay court to the king, and the king now turned to them for advice. The Judaeans abandoned the house of YHVH, the God of their ancestors, and worshipped the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He sent them prophets to bring them back to YHVH, but when the prophets spoke, they would not listen.

The Spirit of God took control of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said, “God says this : Why are you disobeying the commandments of YHVH? You cannot prosper. You have abandoned YHVH and He will abandon you.”

They then plotted against him and, by order of the king, stoned him in the court of YHVH’s house. King Joash forgot the kindness of Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, and killed Jehoiada’s son who cried out as he died, “Let YHVH see and do justice!” When a year had gone by, the Aramaean army made war on Joash. They reached Judah and Jerusalem, and killed all the officials among the people, sending back to the king of Damascus all that they had plundered from them.

Though the Aramaean army was small, YHVH delivered into its power an army of great size, for they had abandoned Him, the God of their ancestors. The Aramaeans wounded Joash and when they withdrew they left him a very sick man; and his officers, plotting against him to avenge the death of the son of Jehoiada the priest, murdered him in his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, though not in the tombs of the king.

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to seek the true treasures of our lives, that we cannot find in the world, but in the Lord alone. Through our Scripture passages today, we are reminded that each one of us are called to be righteous and just, and to be good disciples and followers of our Lord, in all the things we say and do in life. We should learn from the past examples highlighted in the Scriptures that we may learn more about how not to live our lives in a sinful manner. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations and pressured present all around us, then it is likely that we will falter and fall into the path of wickedness like how Queen Athaliah had done as described by our Scriptures today.

In our first reading today, taken from the Second Book of Kings, we heard of the story of the usurpation of queen Athaliah of Judah, the daughter of king Ahab of Israel and queen Jezebel, who seized power unlawfully from the House of David, after her son, king Ahaziah of Judah was killed by the actions of Jehu, the one that God had appointed to be king over Israel. The death of Ahaziah prompted Athaliah to attempt seizing power for herself, and she initiated a great purge and elimination of all the heirs of Ahaziah and his relatives, so that she could secure herself in her position of power as the reigning queen of Judah. She thought that by her machinations and efforts, she had managed to gain the dominion over her kingdom, but she was mistaken.

This is because God had intervened and helped the House of David from extermination as He Himself had promised to David that his house would endure and would sit on the throne of Israel forever. He rescued the son of Ahaziah, Joash, who was then hidden with the help of Ahaziah’s sister, from the sight and knowledge of queen Athaliah. Athaliah was likely driven by greed and desire for power, which became her undoing as she committed great sins of murder and others in order to secure for herself the rulership and dominion over the kingdom of Judah. She would do everything in order to secure the rulership and glory for herself, and was not hesitant to destroy everyone and everything that were in her path.

That was what eventually led to her downfall, as Athaliah ruled Judah illegally and unlawfully, and continuing to promote the pagan worship of Baal and other idols. The time of reckoning and retribution finally came upon Athaliah when the forces loyal to the House of David, including the High Priest, Jehoiada, launched a counter-coup to restore Joash, the descendant and heir of David to his rightful throne. Athaliah was deposed and later on was executed, a justified end to her unlawful rule and the consequence of her crimes. This reminds us that there is nothing that can escape God’s attention and that God will always be just and caring towards His people, especially to those who have always kept their faith and trust in Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples with regards to finding the treasures that are not of this world. He told them all not to seek the treasures of this world, but to seek rather the true treasures that can be found in the Lord alone. The Lord told His disciples not to seek and store up treasures of this world that can be destroyed by earthly means, and do not last. Instead, the true heavenly treasures that He wanted them all to seek, last for an eternity, and one that will not be lost from them, for those treasures will always be theirs, by God’s assurance. We are reminded that it is much better indeed to put our efforts and trust to seek for the true joy and glory that can be found in the Lord alone, things that will not be found elsewhere or in this world.

This is related to what we heard in our first reading today. The example of what happened to Athaliah, her usurpation, reign and ultimate end are reminders for us not to be swayed and blinded by the pursuits for worldly glory and power. It was her greed and desire for power and glory that led her to her ultimate undoing, and those had also led her to committing sins and wicked deeds, in murdering the innocent children of the House of David. Her desire for power blinded her to reason and made her to be paranoid and afraid of losing her influence and hold onto the matters of the world, which led her to the heinous acts. This is something that we ourselves may end of committing if we continue to walk down this path of wickedness and worldly ambitions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is also a reminder for each one of us that we have to be vigilant against the temptations of our desires, of the many vices and other things that can lead us away from the Lord and His path. These temptations are plenty all around us, and if we are not careful, we may end up being dragged in ever deeper and deeper into the path of darkness and sin, like what Athaliah and many others of our predecessors had experienced. The Lord had reminded us of all these, so that by these reminders we may be more vigilant and have the opportunity to turn away from the often steep and slippery path of sin and darkness. The Lord wants us all to live according to what He had taught us to do, and not in following the whims of our desires and wants.

Today, as we reflect on these words and reminders from the Sacred Scriptures, the Church also marks the commemoration of the memories and the lives of those holy predecessors of ours, who have suffered greatly and perished during an episode of intense persecution of Christians in what is today Vietnam. Today is the Feast of St. Philip Minh and his companions, who have endured intense oppression for being Christians, in their dedication and commitment to God as Christians. The state and the governmental apparatus back then viewed all Christians and their faith, as well as the missionaries who came to Vietnam to preach the Good News of God with great suspicion and fear, considering them as agents of foreign powers and as threat to their existence and sovereignty. Therefore, in consideration of all these, that was why St. Philip Minh and others faced those bitter experiences and hardships. Yet, they all faced those sufferings and hardships with faith and courage, not giving in to those who seek to destroy them or force them to abandon their faith in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the examples of St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, that we may also aspire and strive to do what we can so that our lives and actions are true reflection of our Christian faith, so that we ourselves may inspire many others around us by our good examples and way of life. May the Lord, our most loving God and Master continue to help and guide us all in our journey throughout our lives, and may He empower all of us to continue living our lives with dedication and commitment, and doing our very best to be the true and shining beacons of His light and truth, His Good News and love, now and always, forevermore. May God bless us in our every good works and endeavours, in all things. Amen.

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 6 : 19-23

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “Do not store up treasures for yourself here, on earth, where moth and rust destroy it; and where thieves can steal it. Store up treasures for yourself with God, where no moth or rust can destroy it, nor thief come and steal it.

For where your treasures are, there, also, will your heart be. The lamp of the body is the eye; if your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light. If your eyes are diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 131 : 11, 12, 13-14, 17-18

YHVH swore to David a promise, and He will remain true to it : “I will keep your descendants on your throne.”

“If your sons keep My Covenant and the decrees I have taught them; their sons, too, will sit forever upon your throne.”

For YHVH has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling : “This is My resting place forever; this I prefer; here, will I dwell.”

From here, a Saviour shall come forth, a Son of David; here, shall shine forever, the lamp of My Anointed. In shame will I clothe His enemies, but upon His head a crown shall shine.

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Kings 11 : 1-4, 9-18, 20

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son had died, she was determined to wipe out all the descendants of the king. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, her nephew, and brought him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed, and put him with his wet nurse in the bedroom.

Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that the boy was saved. And Joash remained hidden in the house of YHVH for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land. In the seventh year, Jehoiada the chief priest, summoned the officers of the royal guard and of the Carites to the house of YHVH. After concluding a pact with them under oath, he showed them the king’s son.

The commanders of the guards did what Jehoiada the priest had told them to do; and they showed up with all their men, those who were to go off duty on the Sabbath as well as those who were to come on duty on that day. Jehoiada entrusted to the officers the spears and shields of king David which were in the house of YHVH. And then the guards stood from the southern corner of the house to the north, surrounding the altar and the house of YHVH.

Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the king’s son, crowned him and put the bracelets on him, then proclaimed and consecrated him king. All clapped their hands, shouting and crying out, “Long live the king!” When Athaliah heard the noise of the people, she approached the crowd surrounding the house of YHVH.

The king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the officers and the trumpeters were with him. The people were filled with joy and they were blowing trumpets. On seeing this, Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason, treason!”

Jehoiada the priest commanded the officers, “Surround her and bring her out to the courtyard, and kill anyone who tries to defend her.” He gave this order, because he thought, “She should not die in the house of YHVH.” They brought her out, and when they reached the palace of the king, by the horses’ entrance, there, they killed her.

Jehoiada made a Covenant between YHVH and the king and the people so they would be the people of YHVH. All the citizens went to the temple of Baal and destroyed it. They broke the altars and the images into pieces, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before his altar. Then Jehoiada, the priest, posted guards over the house of YHVH.

All the citizens were happy and the city was at peace. Now regarding Athaliah, she had died by the sword in the king’s palace.

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Thursday, 18 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the passages of the Scriptures both the works and deeds of the prophet Elijah, who was taken up from Heaven in a flaming chariot, and also the prayer that the Lord Jesus offered to His heavenly Father, the prayer that we now know and call as the Lord’s Prayer, the Pater Noster. Through these readings from the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that as Christians we have to follow the examples shown to us, in remaining connected to God, in being righteous in all of our actions, words and deeds, and to be faithful to God at all times. We have to be faithful and committed to the Lord despite the challenges and hardships facing us because in the end, God will always be with us and He will provide for us, leading us all to the eternal glory and triumph with Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the praise that the prophet Sirach spoke with regards to Elijah, one of the most renowned prophets of Israel, who had laboured and worked hard for many years, in serving the Lord and calling on the people of God to turn away from their wicked deeds and ways. Elijah had to go up against the king and those who opposed him and stubbornly refused to listen to him. Yet, he persevered and continued to work hard for the glory of God, facing all the hardships and challenges with faith, enduring the ridicule, rejection and persecution with faith, knowing that God was with him and that He would not abandon His faithful servants in their time of need.

The prophet Elijah continued to labour for the people of God, and eventually, the Lord called him to Heaven, after He had appointed Elisha to be the successor of Elijah for the ministry to the people of Israel. Elijah was taken up in a flaming chariot into Heaven, and while he has been taken up into Heaven, his story, his courage and hardworking efforts remained and had become great sources of inspiration for many people throughout history. There were many other prophets whose lives and dedication to God can also be our inspirations as well, just like that of Elijah’s successor in Israel, the prophet Elisha, and others like the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel among others. All these servants of God showed us what it truly means to be following God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the story of the Lord Jesus showing His disciples how they ought to pray to God, His heavenly Father. He told them all that they should not pray in the manner that the pagans liked to pray, who often used many words and invocations, and instead, they should pray in the manner that He Himself showed them, praying to the Lord in a truly Christian manner, as we all have been shown and taught how to do through the Church. In prayer, many of us often made a mistake of not meaning and appreciating what we were saying. Many of us prayed with the prayers common to the Church and yet, not meaning what we said, because we were merely reciting the prayers instead of actually meaning every single words that we utter from our mouths. We were praying more with our mouths and not internalising those words we said, and not linking our mouths with our hearts and minds. This is one of the mistakes that we often made with prayers.

And then, we also often think of prayers as a way for us to get what we wanted and desired. We often think of prayers as means for us to miraculously gain what we hope the Lord would give us, and as such, many of us made such demands with the expectation that God will do something for us. Then, when we do not get what we wanted or if things do not go according to what we wanted it, we ended up getting angry at God, becoming unhappy at Him and even leaving Him behind. If we do get what we wanted, we often forgot about Him afterwards. God is not One Who we can treat at our convenience and seek only if we have need for Him.

No, brothers and sisters in Christ, these are not how we should be praying to God. The true essence of prayer is communication, and it is the way through which we should communicate with the Lord, our God and Father, and how do we do it? A proper communication should involve listening and understanding, and it is very important that we open our hearts and minds to engage in a proper and meaningful conversation with God. We should dedicate time and effort to prayer, whenever we can, and in not demanding God, but rather, to communicate with God and to know His will for us all. That is why prayer must always be at the centre and heart of our Christian faith and living, instead of merely just being an afterthought or even chore.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to these words from the Scriptures, and based on what we had just discussed earlier on, we are all called and reminded to turn back towards the Lord and to be reconciled with Him. We are all called to follow the good examples of the prophet Elijah, the many other prophets and servants of God, the innumerable saints and martyrs who had spent their lives to glorify God by their actions and deeds. And we also have to deepen our spiritual and prayer life, so that we may come to know the Lord and that we may become ever closer to Him. By all of these efforts and by our perseverance in faith, our faith in God will truly show forth and many will come to believe in Him also through us and our examples.

Let us all hence seek the Lord with renewed hearts and desires, to love Him and to serve Him at all times. May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey, and may He empower us and encourage us to walk ever more faithfully like that of the prophets and the saints. Each and every one of us are called to be the shining beacons and bearers of God’s light and truth in our world today, by our own exemplary actions and way of life, filled with genuine faith and love for God and everyone around us. May God bless us always in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 18 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

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.”