Day: August 22, 2025

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Tuesday, 26 August 2025 : 21st 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 reminded of the challenges that those who are faithful to the Lord often faced in the midst of their lives and ministries. It is easy for us to lose sight and focus on our direction and destination in life, and for us to be swayed by the many distractions of worldly desires and pursuits, ambitions and glory, like how many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law during the time of the Lord Jesus had experienced, which He had criticised them for, for their lack of faith and sincere commitment to God, and for their worldliness and attachments to worldly glory, that distracted and kept them away from fulfilling what the Lord had wanted them to do.

In our first reading today, we heard of the continuation of the words of the Apostle St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Thessalonica in what is today part of Greece. St. Paul detailed how him and the other Christian missionaries faced rejection and challenges during their missions in the nearby Philippi in Greece, where they encountered refusals and obstacles, unlike the kind of treatment which they met in Thessalonica and the willingness of the Thessalonians to listen to the words of the Lord. But such indeed was the trials and the challenges faced by the early Christian missionaries which God Himself had spoken and predicted beforehand, as what His disciples and followers would have to be prepared for.

Just as they would encounter great successes and many conversions for the Lord, there would also be equally many challenges and trials, refusals and rejections which they would face from those who hardened their hearts and minds against God. They had experienced all these earlier on as they journeyed with the Lord Himself, just as there were many of those who followed the Lord and were touched by His words and actions, there were also many of those who continued to resist Him and persecuted the Lord and His disciples. St. Paul himself was one of these opponents of the Lord, who was a young ardent enemy of the earliest Christians as Saul the Pharisee. But the Lord called Saul and turned him to be one of His greatest defenders and champions instead.

Therefore, St. Paul strengthened and encouraged the faith of the Thessalonians, that their faith had been noted, and they too should be strong in faith, supporting one another just as they had supported the efforts of the Apostles and the other missionaries. He also reminded them all of what the Christian missionaries had done, in serving the Lord fearlessly and courageously, generously and wholeheartedly. They did not serve their own desires and ambitions, or any kind of worldly pleasures and pursuits. They struggled and continued to strive nonetheless, even though they had to face a lot of disappointments and difficulties, ultimately because they believed in God’s Providence and in serving Him rather than seeking their own selfish desires.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the continuation of the Lord’s criticism and rebuke against the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, whose actions and behaviours as mentioned were not according to what the Lord had entrusted to them and what they were expected to do as the custodians and guardians of the Law of God. Many are members of each others’ groups and both of these groups were known as the intellectuals and the elites of the community of the people of God, those who were most knowledgeable about the Law and the teachings and prophecies of the prophets of God from the time of the Old Testament.

However, ironically, despite knowing so much about the Law and the Prophets, they refused to believe in the Lord, and they were hypocrites and inconsistent in their actions and way of living their faith. They spent a lot of time worrying about the many details and intricacies of the rituals and ways how the Law and commandments of God ought to be practiced, and they were focused more on exterior appearances and aesthetics rather than true and genuine understanding and appreciation of what the Law of God is truly all about. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we reflected on them, we are reminded that as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, we should always be truly faithful in Him and we should resist the temptations of worldly desires, ambitions and grandeur. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by those things, which may result in us having unhealthy attachments to them, and therefore end up losing focus on our relationship and commitment to God. Like those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, they were more concerned and focused on their worldly matters and ambitions, their prestige and status in the community of the Jewish people rather than truly serving God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves and one another that we should not be easily distracted and deluded by false treasures and happiness in this life, in all the temptations that we may be facing all around us in this world. Let us instead seek to live our lives firstly with love and devotion towards God, and then with the same love towards all those who are around us, our neighbours and all, and especially to all those whom we love. Let us all be the good inspirations and role models for each other that we may help one another in our journey together towards God and His salvation. Amen.

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Tuesday, 26 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

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, 26 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 138 : 1-3, 4-6

O YHVH, You know me : You have scrutinised me. You know when I sit and when I rise; beforehand, You discern my thoughts. You observe my activities and times of rest; You are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is formed in my mouth, You know what it is all about, o YHVH. From front to back You hedge me round, shielding me with Your protecting hand. Your knowledge leaves me astounded, it is too high for me to reach.

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Tuesday, 26 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 2 : 1-8

You well know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not in vain. We had been ill-treated and insulted in Philippi but, trusting in our God, we dared announce to you the message of God, and face fresh opposition. Our warnings did not conceal any error or impure motive, nor did we deceive anyone.

But, as God had entrusted His Gospel to us, as to faithful ministers, we were anxious to please God, Who sees the heart, rather than human beings. We know, nor did we try to earn money, as God knows. We did not try to make a name for ourselves among people, either with you, or anybody else, although we were messengers of Christ, and could have made our weight felt.

On the contrary, we were gentle with you, as a nursing mother, who feeds and cuddles her baby. And so great is our concern, that we are ready to give you, as well as the Gospel, even our very lives, for you have become very dear to us.

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Monday, 25 August 2025 : 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 all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should be truly and genuinely faithful to God in all things and not merely just paying lip service or having just superficial and shallow faith that is not founded upon firm and strong love and commitment towards God. If we do not live our lives in the manner such that we are truly and sincerely faithful to God, how can we then claim to be true disciples and followers of the Lord, that is as good and faithful Christians? If we are truly committed to be the followers and disciples of the Lord, then we ought to be truly genuine in loving Him and in following all that He has taught and shown us to do, and to glorify Him by our every actions in life, in our every words and interactions with each other.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Thessalonica, we heard of the words of St. Paul greeting the faithful there together on behalf of Silvanus and Timothy, who were companions of St. Paul in his journeys. St. Paul commended those who have kept their faith in the Lord and devoted themselves faithfully and courageously, living their lives in the manner that the Apostles and the other Christian missionaries had shown and taught them. St. Paul praised the faithful in Thessalonica for their exemplary faith and commitment to God, how they turned away from the pagan idols and from their sins, welcoming the missionaries warmly and willingly.

Through what we have heard of this, we are reminded that all of us, God’s faithful and holy people are also called to do the same in our own lives, in each and every moments of our existence, to do what the Lord has commanded us to do so that we may truly be good examples and role models to inspire one another in faith. Each and every one of us are the bearers of the Good News and salvation of God to our brethren around us, to all those who may not have known God or recognised Him being present in their lives. That is why we are reminded to be ever faithful and committed in all things, to live in the manner that is truly worthy of God so that we may indeed glorify Him in each and every things that we do, even to the smallest among those.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the woes and criticisms which the Lord Jesus made against many among the members of the Pharisees. He spoke up against their duplicities and inconsistencies in the manner that they practiced and lived their faith, all of which had scandalised the Lord’s Holy Name and the true Law and commandments of God. This was especially severe because the Pharisees were the ones who were often entrusted with the guardianship of the Law and the commandments of God together with the teachers of the Law, many of whom belonged to both groups at once. The Pharisees themselves were also known for their very rigid and unbending interpretation of the Law as well.

However, as we heard of what the Lord had said, those teachers of the Law and the Pharisees were inconsistent and they in fact bent the Law and the commandments of God to suit their own desires and wishes, and they became entangled and pulled by desires for worldly glory, power and wealth, and in their own way of life and in their actions, those teachers of the Law and the Pharisees had not been truly genuine in loving and trusting in God. They loved themselves and their ambitions, their desires and pursuits more than they loved God and their fellow brethren, when the latter was what they should have done, especially so as the elders and guides of the community of the people of God. This is why, we are also reminded then not to live our lives and faith in this manner either.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Louis, also better known as St. Louis IX, King of France, and also St. Joseph Calasanz. The former was one of the most renowned Kings of France during the Middle Ages, and one of the few kings honoured with sainthood, while the latter was the Spanish priest known for his dedication to the less fortunate especially to the education of the poor young boys in the society. First of all, let us start with the deeds of the renowned St. Louis IX, one of the most renowned of the Kings of France, who reigned a very long reign of forty-four years, and in that long period of his reign, he was remembered for his great commitment to his people and kingdom, his wise and just rule, as well as his dedication to the Lord, in his courageous efforts to unite his kingdom in the one faith and in his participation in the Crusades in the later years of his reign.

St. Louis IX succeeded to the throne of the kingdom of France at the young age of twelve, at the time when the kingdom was beset by divisions and problems, such as the Cathar heresy raging in what is southern parts of France today, and also the threats from the foreign powers and rulers such as the English and other nobles both within and outside his realm. But under the guidance of his regents and through his own great efforts, eventually St. Louis IX was able to overcome all those challenges, establishing a strong, powerful and prosperous kingdom while uniting the people under his rule and ending the divisions caused by heresies and religious disagreements. St. Louis IX was a truly great king devoted to his people and also to the Lord and His Church, embarking on many great works to support the Christian faith and also embarked on the Crusades as mentioned, which unfortunately ended poorly and the saintly king was struck down by disease during that occasion, faithful to the end of his life.

Meanwhile, St. Joseph Calasanz was born in the Kingdom of Aragon in what is today part of Spain, where he was the youngest in a large family of eight children. He was well educated and wanted to be a priest, although his parents did not approve of his wish. After the death of his mother and brother, which made St. Joseph Calasanz as the heir of the family, his father wanted him to marry to carry on the family legacy, but after an illness that brought him close to death, St. Joseph Calasanz was finally allowed to pursue his desire to be a priest. In his many years of ministry, St. Joseph Calasanz spent a lot of time managing administrative matters in different dioceses and also established education institutes for poor boys. He continued to work hard for the Lord’s people all throughout his life to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we have heard from the lives of St. Louis IX, King of France and St. Joseph Calasanz, let us all therefore do our best to follow their examples in devoting themselves to the Lord. Let us all continue to live our lives ever more faithfully from now on, doing our best to glorify God through our every words, actions and deeds, at all times, to be good role models and examples for one another as St. Louis IX of France and St. Joseph Calasanz had been for us. May God be with us always and may He bless each and every one of us, in everything that we say and do, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 25 August 2025 : 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 : 13-22

At that time, Jesus said to the people and to His disciples, “But woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door to the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You, yourselves, do not enter it, nor do you allow others to do so.”

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You devour widows’ property; and as a show, you pray long prayers! Therefore, you shall receive greater condemnation. Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel by sea and land to make a single convert; yet, once he is converted, you make him twice as fit for hell as yourselves!”

“Woe to you, blind guides! You say : To swear by the temple is not binding; but, to swear by the gold of the temple is binding. Foolish men! Blind men! Which is of more worth : the gold in the temple, or the temple which makes the gold a sacred treasure? You say : To swear by the altar is not binding, but to swear by the offering on the altar is binding. How blind you are! Which is of more value : the offering on the altar, or the altar which makes the offering sacred?”

“Whoever swears by the altar, is swearing by the altar and by everything on it. Whoever swears by the temple, is swearing by the temple, and by God, Who dwells in the temple. Whoever swears by heaven, is swearing by the throne of God, and by Him, Who is seated on it.”