Month: June 2025

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Thursday, 19 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

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.”

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Thursday, 19 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 110 : 1-2, 3-4, 7-8

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

Glorious and majestic are His deeds, His righteousness endures forever. He lets us remember His wondrous deeds; YHVH is merciful and kind.

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

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Thursday, 19 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Corinthians 11 : 1-11

May you bear with me in some little foolishness! But surely you will. I confess that I share the jealousy of God for you, for I have promised you, in marriage, to Christ, the only Spouse; to present you to Him, as a pure virgin. And this is my fear : the serpent that seduced Eve, with cunning, could also corrupt your minds, and divert you from Christian sincerity.

Someone, now, comes, and preaches another Jesus, different from the One we preach, or you are offered a different spirit from the One you have received, with a different gospel from the one you have accepted – and you agree! I do not see how I am inferior to those super Apostles. Does my speaking leave much to be desired? Perhaps, but not my knowledge, as I have abundantly shown to you in every way.

Perhaps my fault was, that I humbled myself, in order to uplift you, or that, I gave you the Gospel free of charge. I called upon the services of other churches, and served you with the support I received from them. When I was with you, although I was in need, I did not become a burden to anyone. The friends from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I have taken care, not to be a burden to you in anything, and I will continue to do so.

By the truth of Christ within me, I will let no one in the land of Achaia stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!

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Wednesday, 18 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us should always do our best to practice our faith in our daily living with true and genuine intentions, with sincerity and love for God and for our fellow brethren. This means that we should always live up to our faith in the faithful and genuine manner, and not in pursuing our various desires and ambitions for worldly things and matter. Once we begin to seek acclaim, praise for from others and all the other things we often crave for in life, we are likely going to be distracted away from our true faith in the Lord, and instead we will end up looking for all those worldly desires and ambitions instead of seeking what is truly good in the Lord.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the region of Corinth, we heard of the words of the Apostle speaking to the faithful there about the matter of being generous in giving and sharing one’s good blessings and gifts from God with one another because that is what the Lord Himself had done for us. We must always be generous in giving our love, care and attention to others because it is being generous in giving and in being compassionate, in sharing our blessings to those who have less than us or even none, that we will truly be faithful to the Lord and be found worthy. The Lord has indeed called us all to be generous in giving, to be loving and dedicated in our care and concern for each other.

And St. Paul also said that if we are generous and cheerful in giving, then God will also be generous with us as well. He always remembers all those who have shown love to one another, those who are always generous in giving and in being kind to everyone, and this is what He wants all of us as Christians to do in each and every moments of our lives. Therefore, just as St. Paul exhorted to the faithful people of God in Corinth, therefore all of us should also do the same in our own daily living and interactions with one another as well. We should always ever be ready to love those whom God had put in our path, and we should also love unconditionally and most generously, never seeking to hurt or harm anyone through our actions. And this is what the true measure of our Christian faith is all about.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus was telling His disciples on how they all can be truly and be more genuinely as His disciples in this world in the manner how they all carry out living their lives with true and genuine faith, rather than merely paying lip service to His teachings and ways. This is because true faith and love for God is more than just merely maintaining apperances and impression of holiness, and it is indeed easy for us to end up being misguided and misled by these desires and ambitions that we have, as the desire for fame, glory and acclamation can indeed lead us to be focused more on ourselves and our ego rather than on God.

That was precisely the attitude carried out by those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, the chief priests and elders of the people at that time, during the Lord’s ministry. Many among them went around parading their piety and faith, praying audibly in public places and wearing the prayer shawls with large tassels, wanting to be praised and adored for their supposed piety and obedience to God’s Law, when in fact, many of them did not even have strong and genuine faith in the Lord. They imposed heavy demands and obligations on the people of God when they themselves could not and failed to observe the very strict set of laws, rules and regulations that they themselves had interpreted and demanded that everyone ought to obey and follow.

Therefore, the Lord wants each and every one of us to remember that to be faithful to God, we must be more than all that, and we must not make grand gestures to proclaim our faith and piety for everyone to witness and see, or else, we may instead invite the spirit of ego and pride, the temptations of Satan and the other evil ones that may lead us astray into our downfall and destruction. Hence, we should keep reminding ourselves that we must remain focused and attentive to the Lord, to make Him as the centre and focus of our whole lives, our entire actions and everything that we say and do, or else we may end up losing sight on the true treasure and joy that we can find in the Lord alone, and end up chasing after worldly justifications and desires.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as those who follow the Lord and believe wholeheartedly in Him, and as those who have dedicated themselves to walk in His path, let us all therefore be committed anew to the Lord, reminding ourselves that our primary aim in this world is to glorify the Lord by our lives. And hence, in everything that we say and do, in our interactions with one another, with our loved ones and all others whom we encounter in life, let us all be the bearers of the love of God manifested through our works and actions, our words and interactions that are truly full of love and compassion for those who are in need of them. Let us all be true and worthy bearers of the Lord’s Good News, love, truth and hope to the world around us.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and empower each and every one of us so that in all of our efforts, good works and dealings, we will always strive to do what is right and just according to the will of God, and that we will continue to glorify Him at all times through our exemplary actions and good works, all grounded on faith and commitment to God, our true Master and Lord, the One to Whom we will always commit ourselves in faith, hope and love, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 18 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 6 : 1-6, 16-18

At that time, “Be careful not to make a show of your good deeds before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be noticed in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to be praised by people. I assure you, they have their reward.”

“If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not be like those who want to be noticed. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners, in order to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have their reward.”

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father Who is with you in secret; and your Father Who sees what is kept secret will reward you. When you fast, do not put on a miserable face, as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so that people can see they are fasting. I tell you this : they have been paid in full already.”

“When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father, Who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.”

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Wednesday, 18 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 111 : 1-2, 3-4, 9

Alleluia! Blessed is the one who fears YHVH, who greatly delights in His commands. His children will be powerful on earth; the upright’s offspring will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are for his family; there, his integrity will remain. He is for the righteous a light in darkness; he is kind, merciful and upright.

He gives generously to the poor; his merits will last forever; and his head will be raised in honour.

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Wednesday, 18 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Corinthians 9 : 6-11

Remember : the one who sows meagerly will reap meagerly, and there shall be generous harvests for the one who sows generously. Each of you should give as you decided personally, and not reluctantly, as if obliged. God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to fill you with every good thing, so that you have enough of everything, at all times, and may give abundantly for any good work.

Scripture says : He distributed, he gave to the poor, his good works last forever. God, Who provides the sower with seed, will also provide him with the bread he eats. He will multiply the seed for you and also increase the interest on your good works. Become rich in every way, and give abundantly. What you give will become, through us, a thanksgiving to God.

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Tuesday, 17 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us all as Christians to be truly filled with genuine and compassionate love for one another just as we should also have it first for the Lord, our God and Father Who have loved us all so generously all these while. And it is this great love which He has shown us all most perfectly in giving to us all His own Begotten Son that He sent to us to be the One to bear the burdens of our sins and wickedness, delivering us all away from them and showing us all the certain path towards eternal life and true happiness with Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Corinth in which he highlighted to the people there about the challenges and difficulties that those in the church communities in Macedonia in northern Greece had been facing. And at the same time, St. Paul shared his experiences ministering to the faithful there, showing how despite the challenges and trials that they were facing, the Church community in Macedonia remained strong in their faith and commitment to God. They did not allow the difficulties and trials to discourage and dissuade them from following the Lord wholeheartedly and courageously. Instead, their great faith and perseverance in loving one another and standing up for their faith brought inspiration to many others.

They continued to care for one another even when facing difficulties and challenges, trials and hardships, not allowing their conditions to be an excuse to become less generous, loving and compassionate. The Lord Himself has strengthened them all by His Holy Spirit and through the examples of the Apostles, and they therefore became good examples and inspirations themselves for others. Through them, their constant generosity and love for each other despite their hardships, they have become the epitome of what Christian discipleship and faith are all about. And that was exactly what St. Paul was sharing to the Corinthians all about as he wanted to encourage and help them all to be faithful as well in all things.

Then, from our Gospel reading today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord telling all of His disciples and followers that all of them must love one another and everyone in an even more radical way than what is usually known and done in the world. He said that all of them as those who believe in Him and follow His path should always love everyone, even those who have not loved them back and persecuted them. And this is contrary to what is common in this world, as we are commonly taught and shown to love only those who can love us all back, and to only care for those who show us care and for whom our ‘investment’ of love and care can be reciprocated and returned.

But the Lord told us all through His disciples that Christian love, the kind of love which the Lord wants us all to know and have, is beyond this love that is common in this world. The love of God is truly pure, selfless and genuine, love that is ever always patient and enduring even when we have not loved Him back, and even when we have hurt and abandoned Him, disobeyed and betrayed Him, again and again. God never gave up on us, His beloved ones, and He kept on loving and caring for us all despite our unworthiness and our stubbornness in refusing to embrace His love and kindness, His compassion and mercy, His care and concern for each and every single one of us, even to the greatest of sinners.

It is indeed much harder and more challenging for us to love those who have not loved us back, and even worse still to love those who have hated, rejected and persecuted us. But we must gain the inspiration from the Lord Himself, Who has shown us all how He loved us all so perfectly, as revealed to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. When the Lord was oppressed, persecuted and rejected by the world, accused falsely of crimes that He did not commit, betrayed by His own people and their leaders, and also even by His own disciple, abandoned by many of those who have followed Him, yet the Lord still kept on loving them, praying for them and forgiving them. From His Cross, He continued to show this love even in great suffering, praying to His heavenly Father to forgive all those who have made Him to suffer in that manner, those who have persecuted Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is all the love that the Lord Himself has shown us, and which the early Christians like those in the community in Macedonia had also done in their own lives which proved to us all that such a selfless, genuine and hence truly Christian love is possible. The love of God had been manifested to us all through Christ, and we are indeed called and challenged to show the same love to our fellow brothers and sisters as well. The question that is present before us now is such that are we all ready and willing to do and to practice on that in our own lives? Are we willing to love unconditionally and to love patiently like the Lord has loved us all, without expecting any returns?

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate God, and Who is always full of kindness and genuine love for each one of us, continue to show us the same generous and ever-boundless love that He has always had for us, which He has always shown and taught to us so that we too may learn and know how the love Him and love our fellow brothers and sisters around us in the same way that He has loved us from the very beginning. Let us all therefore show genuine, Christian love to each other at all times, now and always, so that we may inspire many more people to follow in our own footsteps as well. Amen.

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Tuesday, 17 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 5 : 43-48

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “You have heard, that it was said : Love your neighbour and do not do good to your enemy. But this I tell you : love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. For He makes His sun rise on both the wicked and the good; and He gives rain to both the just and the unjust.”

“If you love those who love you, what is special about that? Do not even tax collectors do as much? And if you are friendly only to your friends, what is so exceptional about that? Do not even the pagans do as much? As for you, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

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Tuesday, 17 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 145 : 1-2, 5-6ab, 6c-7, 8-9a

Alleluia! Praise YHVH, my soul! I will sing to YHVH all my life; I will sing praise to God while I live.

Blessed are they whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in YHVH their God, Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all they contain.

YHVH is forever faithful; He gives justice to the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. YHVH sets the prisoners free.

YHVH gives sight to the blind; YHVH loves the virtuous; but He brings to ruin the way of the wicked. YHVH straightens the bent. YHVH protects the stranger.