Day: November 24, 2025

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Friday, 28 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we approach the end of the current liturgical year and as we are going to enter into the new season with the start of Advent in two days’ time, we continue to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures highlighting to us the eschatological readings and revelations from the Word of God through His prophets and messengers, reminding us of the eventual coming of His salvation and all that He has promised, all the fulfilment of everything which He has reassured all of us, His beloved ones with. God wants to remind us that He is always with us and in the end, if we continue to have faith in Him, eventually we shall be vindicated and triumphant with Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel we heard about the continuation of the passage from the prophet Daniel and this time, the details of the vision of the prophet Daniel which he received of the upcoming upheavals that would happen in due time, which is also echoed by St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in his own Book of Revelations or the Book of Apocalypse of St. John. In that vision we heard how Daniel saw the four great and wicked beasts that would arose, which St. John would later on witness as well. Those beasts represent the forces of evil, those arrayed against us and seeking our destruction and downfall. They represent the kingdoms and the powers of the world that had risen and will rise up against God and all those who are faithful to Him.

But as we all heard, no matter how mighty or frightening those beasts were, they were all to be defeated, crushed and destroyed by the Lord Himself, Who will rescue all those who are truly dear and precious to Him. In the end, everything has to submit to the power, authority and dominion of God, and while Satan and all of his wicked forces may be able to hold dominion for a while over us and over the world through sin and evil, through all the darkness and wickedness present all around us, but eventually, through the Lord and all that He has done for us and our sakes, we will be triumphant in our struggles and oppositions against him and his other forces of evil, if we put our complete faith and trust in the Lord, even in the darkest and most difficult moments.

Daniel then saw the wonders of Heaven and the Lord in all of His glory, where he saw a grand vision of Heaven and God Himself upon His Throne, a revelation of things to come, with the prediction of what would come to happen, as he saw God Himself as the One of Great Age, representing the Heavenly Father, and also the Son of Man, who is the representation of the Son of God, the Divine Word, Who at that time had not yet been incarnate and manifest in the flesh, an event which at that time was still a few centuries away. Yet, at that time, through what Daniel had seen, was a glimpse of what the Lord Himself would accomplish and fulfil for our sake, in delivering all of us from 

Through the vision of the prophet Daniel, the Lord wants to remind us all that He has always been with us, and if we remain truly faithful to Him, despite all the challenges, trials and difficulties that we may face in our paths and journeys, 

and He will never abandon us. None of us, even those of us who think of ourselves as being small, weak, poor and unworthy, are beyond God’s love, grace and protection. God loves each and every one of us most generously and wonderfully, and He wants us all to be truly beloved and to thrive with Him and through Him, and He has given us all these revelations and hope so that we too may be strengthened and encouraged in our daily moments in life.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself speaking to His disciples and followers, reminding all of them of the sign of the times which they all can observe and appreciate to know of what would happen. His reminders to His disciples were mainly meant to let them know and to be aware that His coming and return into this world, the Second Coming, also known as parousia, can come at any time, and they ought to present this in everything that they proclaim to everyone they encounter, to all the faithful, reminding them all to be truly faithful in all things and to be committed in their way of living their lives do that they will always be worthy of the Lord in all of their words, actions and deeds.

What the Lord has told us will come true just as He has always been faithful to His promises to His servants and people, in how He has fulfilled His promises of salvation and deliverance through the sending of His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Himself, Jesus Christ, the Son of God manifested in the flesh so that by His appearance and arrival in this world, He might show unto us the genuine and most wonderful love that is truly boundless, selfless and perfect, made tangible and real to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, through His appearance and dwelling among us, and also through everything that He had said, revealed and done, ultimately through His most loving and selfless sacrifice on the Cross, the ultimate loving sacrifice He had done for all of us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remember that in everything we may encounter in our respective lives, in each and every moments, we should always put our faith and trust in the Lord, believing that through Him alone we can find true satisfaction and joy, fulfilment and true happiness in life. Let us all be good examples in inspirations for one another in how we live our own respective lives so that in all the things that we say and do, we will always be the authentic, courageous and responsible bearers and witnesses of our Christian faith, that is not merely just a formality or empty gesture, but truly lived in a genuine manner in our everyday lives.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and encourage us all in our every efforts and endeavours, in all the good works we carry out in our every moments throughout our lives. May He continue to give us the willingness to go forth courageously and authentically to be good and worthy witnesses of Our Lord’s truth and Resurrection, of all the things which He has shown and taught us all from the beginning. May God bless us all in our every steps and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 28 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 21 : 29-33

At that time, Jesus added this comparison, “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as their buds sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly, I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all this has happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

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Friday, 28 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Daniel 3 : 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81

Mountains and hills, praise and exalt Him forever.

Everything that sprouts on the earth, praise and exalt Him forever.

Springs of water, praise and exalt Him forever.

Seas and rivers, praise and exalt Him forever.

Whales and fishes, praise and exalt Him forever.

All the birds of heaven, praise and exalt Him forever.

Animals, wild and tame, praise and exalt Him forever.

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Friday, 28 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Daniel 7 : 2-14

Daniel said, “I saw the following in my vision : the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea, and four great beasts, each one different from the other, came out of the sea. The first was like a lion with eagle’s wings. As I looked at it, its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, stood up on its feet like a man, and was given a human heart.”

“The second was a beast like a bear; it was raised up on one side and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told : Go and devour much flesh. I went on looking and saw another beast like a leopard with four wings on its back; it had four heads and dominion was given to it.”

“I continued seeing my visions of the night and saw a terrible fourth beast. It was fearful and extraordinarily strong; it had great iron teeth; it ate, tore into pieces, and crushed underfoot whatever remained. It was different from the previous beasts and had ten horns. I was looking at the horns, when another small horn sprang among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots to make way for the new. It had eyes like human eyes and a mouth that uttered insolent words.”

“I looked and saw the following : Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took His seat. His robe was white, as snow, His hair, white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire. A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before Him. Thousands upon thousands served Him and a countless multitude stood before Him. Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book.”

“But as I remembered the haughty words of the horn with human eyes and mouth, which I had seen before, this animal was killed before my eyes; and its body destroyed and cast into the fire. Dominion was taken from the other animals, though they were allowed to stay alive for a time, until the fixed time.”

“I continued watching the nocturnal vision : One like a Son of Man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into His presence. Dominion, honour and kingship were given Him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served Him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; His kingdom will never be destroyed.”

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Thursday, 27 November 2025 : 34th 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 continue to be reminded yet again of the challenges, trials and difficulties which we may have to face as those who have been faithful to the Lord and His commandments. Each and every one of us as Christians are reminded of the important obligations and responsibilities which we have been entrusted with, and for which we should always be ready to do our best to proclaim the Lord, His truth and His Good News in our communities and societies today, among our family members and circles of friends both. We are all called in our own unique ways to give our best for the greater glory of God, in everything that we say and do.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the continuation of the Book of the prophet Daniel, we heard of the story of the moment when Daniel, the wise man and servant in the household of the King of Media and Persia, Darius, the one who had overcome and conquered the Babylonians, faced a new trouble in the form of the opposition from the other courtiers and members of the king’s household, those who were jealous of Daniel and his greatness and wisdom. They plotted against Daniel and pressured the king to act against Daniel, by alleging that he was disrespecting the customs and practices of the Persians and the Medians by his faith in God and the differences of his actions and way of life compared to theirs.

That was how eventually Daniel was sent to the lion’s den, where his enemies hope that he would be destroyed and that they would lose their great obstacle and enemy. But Daniel trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly and he did not allow fear and despair to overcome him, and he prayed to God to deliver him from his troubles and his enemies, and indeed, his prayers were heard, and everyone from the king and all of his enemies witnessed how God kept Daniel safe amidst the hungry lions and kept him from being harmed. Meanwhile, his enemies were immediately devoured and destroyed when the king threw them into that same den after he had rescued and brought Daniel out of the den. This is indeed the proof of God’s providence and help for all those who have always trusted in Him and have faith in Him.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we continue to hear as we approach the end of our current liturgical year the eschatological nature of our readings and words of God, reminding us of the coming of tribulations, trials and challenges that will accompany us and our faith in the Lord. Those who continue to be faithful to the Lord will be facing those persecutions and obstacles, and we are reminded henceforth that we should not easily give up the struggle simply because we face those challenges, trials and difficulties, and we should not give in to the temptations of the world, and all the pressures for us to conform to the worldly ways and manners.

The Lord also foretold of everything that would come to happen in the ruin and destruction of Jerusalem, to show that indeed everything that He said would come true, and while the parousia or His Second Coming will still be distant in the future, as it has not even happened today yet, but just as He had predicted the destruction and ruin of Jerusalem and its Temple, therefore, everything will be fulfilled in God’s good time, and He will fulfil all that He has promised to all of us. Each and every one of us are reminded that we should continue to have faith and trust in the Lord despite all the struggles, hardships, all the darkness and trials that we may have to face in our path. God has never abandoned us and He will always provide us for all that we need.

As once Daniel was rescued from the lion’s den and from the hands of his enemies, vindicated and liberated, and as how our many holy and courageous predecessors had been guided by God, even through their great sufferings, that they became great examples and inspiration for everyone around them, and even long after their passing. Many martyrs and holy servants of God have become great role models in inspiring many who came after them, and their examples and courage still echo even to this very day. Can we be those same examples and inspirations to everyone around us, to our family members, friends and all those whom we encounter in each and every moments in our lives? That is what we are being called to do as Christians, brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to trust in the Lord and in His Providence, never giving up on Him just as He Himself has always been patient in guiding us and strengthening us all throughout our way despite us having been very stubborn at times and despite us having frequently disobeyed and abandoned Him especially when things are good for us, whenever we forget about Him and focusing rather on our worldly desires and ambitions. That is why we have been reminded today through these readings from the Sacred Scriptures such that we may indeed realise just how fortunate we are to have been loved so wonderfully by God and how we should never take this for granted. Instead, we should continue to be faithful to Him and do our best in our lives to glorify Him at all times.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our faith and in our resolve to live our lives faithfully according to His ways and teachings. May He continue to guide us all in our journey so that each and every one of us may be ever stronger in our commitment to bring glory to His Name, that in our every actions, efforts, good works and endeavours, we will continue to be good and worthy role models in all things, in all that we say and do. May God bless our every good works and inspire us all with His Wisdom and strength that we may always be faithful to Him, and put our trust in Him, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 27 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 21 : 20-28

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that the time has come when it will be reduced to a wasteland. If you are in Judea, flee to the mountains! If you are in Jerusalem, leave! If you are outside the city, do not enter it!”

“For these will be the days of its punishment, and all that was announced in the Scriptures will be fulfilled. How hard will it be for pregnant women, and for mothers with babies at the breast! For a great calamity will come upon the land, and wrath upon this people. They will be put to death by the sword, or taken as slaves to other nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled upon by the pagans, until the time of the pagans is fulfilled.”

“Then there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, perplexed when they hear the roaring of the sea and its waves. People will faint with fear at the mere thought of what is to come upon the world, for the forces of the universe will be shaken. Then, at that time, they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

“So, when you see things begin to happen, stand erect and lift up your heads, for your deliverance is drawing near.”

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Thursday, 27 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Daniel 3 : 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74

Dew and frost, praise and exalt Him forever.

Ice and cold, praise and exalt Him forever.

Frost and snow, praise and exalt Him forever.

Days and nights, praise and exalt Him forever.

Light and darkness, praise and exalt Him forever.

Lightning and clouds, praise and exalt Him forever.

Earth, praise and exalt Him forever.

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Thursday, 27 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Daniel 6 : 12-28

So the administrators and satraps went to the king and reminded him about the prohibition, “O king, did you not publish a decree that anyone who prays or makes petition to any god or man except to you would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “Yes, and the decree stands, in accordance with Medo-Persian laws which cannot be altered or annulled.” Then they said, “But the Jewish exile Daniel pays no attention to you and to your decree. Three times a day he still prays to some God other than you.”

Greatly aggrieved at what he heard, the king decided to help Daniel. He made every effort till sundown to save him. But the men kept coming to him and insisting, “Remember, o king, that under the Medo-Persian laws every decree or prohibition issued by the king is irrevocable.” The king, therefore, could not help giving the order that Daniel be brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, Whom you serve faithfully, save you.”

A stone was placed at the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with that of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might remain unchanged. Then the king returned to his palace and spent a sleepless night, refusing food and entertainment. Very early next morning, he rose and hurried to the lions’ den. As he came near, he called in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the Living God, did your God, Whom you serve faithfully, save you from the lions?”

Daniel answered, “Live forever, o king! My God sent His Angel, who closed the lions’ mouths, so that they did not hurt me. God did that because I am innocent in His sight. Neither have I wronged you, o king.”

The king felt very glad and ordered Daniel released from the lions’ den. No wound was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. At the king’s order, the men who had accused Daniel were thrown into the lions’ den, together with their wives and children. No sooner had they reached the floor of the den than the lions lunged at them and tore them to pieces.

King Darius wrote to the nations, to peoples of every language, “Peace to you all! I decree that throughout my kingdom people should reverence and fear the God of Daniel. For He is the Living God, and forever He endures; His Kingdom will not be crushed, His dominion will never cease. He rescues and He delivers; He performs signs and wonders both in heaven and on earth. And He came to Daniel’s rescue saving him from the lions’ tooth and claw.”

Daniel greatly prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.