Feast

by

(Usus Antiquior) Second Sunday of Advent (I Classis) – Sunday, 7 December 2025 : Introit and Collect

Liturgical Colour : Violet

Introit

Isaiah 30 : 30 and Psalm 79 : 2

Populus Sion, ecce, Dominus veniet ad salvandas gentes : et auditam faciet Dominus gloriam vocis suae in laetitia cordis vestri.

Qui Regis Israel, intende : qui deducis, velut ovem, Joseph.

Response : Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto, sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper : et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

People of Zion, behold, the Lord shall come to save the nations, and the Lord shall make the glory of His voice to be heard in the joy of your heart.

Give ear, o You Who rule Israel, You Who lead Joseph like a sheep.

Response : Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Collect

Excita, Domine, corda nostra ad praeparandas Unigeniti Tui vias : ut, per ejus adventum, purificatis Tibi mentibus servire mereamur : Qui Tecum vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English translation

Stir up our hearts, o Lord, to prepare the ways of Your only begotten Son, that through His coming we may be worthy to serve You with purified minds. You Who lives and reigns in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we gather together to worship the Lord and to proclaim His glory, and as we all heard from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, we should continue to do our part as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen so that we may truly embody our Christian faith in everything  that we say and do, that we may indeed proclaim the Lord in every opportunities that had been provided for us, in all the encounters with those who are around us, we may always be the bearers of God’s Good News and His love, compassion, truth and hope to everyone we meet and work with, to our communities and everyone whom we care for, as is our mission in life to do so.

Today we mark the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the Patron of Missions and Missionaries and hence, the Scripture readings speak strongly about what is the meaning of Christian mission and the role of missionaries in fulfilling and completing what the Lord has entrusted to each and every one of us, His beloved people. In the first reading from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, the Apostle spoke of what he was called to do as a minister of the Good News of God, and that everything which he had done, he did for the greater glory of God and not for his own benefits, while in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples and followers after His Resurrection, reminding them all of the missions which He has entrusted to them, to go forth to all the nations and to proclaim His truth and Good News, and how He would always be with them in all of their efforts and works.

Today as mentioned, the Church marks the occasion of the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the Patron of Missions and a member of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits renowned for his lengthy and great missionary journeys to different parts of the world, especially his works in Asia, in the regions of India and South Asia, then Southeast Asia and the Far East, in Macau, China and Japan. St. Francis Xavier gave inspiration to many others in how he dedicated his life and service to God, in his perseverance to continue the mission despite the challenges and hardships he encountered during his journeys, and his passion and love for his fellow brothers and sisters, in the genuine desire he has to proclaim the Word of God and His Good News to more and more of the people of God all around the world.

St. Francis Xavier was born in what is today Spain as Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta in the town of Javier or Xavier which would later on made him known as Francis Xavier as we know him today. He was one of the companions of the Founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first members of the Jesuits, considered as one of its founding members. Back then, during the height of the Protestant reformation, St. Ignatius of Loyola gathered his companions and other like-minded people to commit themselves to the works of evangelisation and other ministries to spearhead the efforts in countering the terrible effects of the so-called reformation, which splintered the Church in many places into several factions and ‘churches’, and heresies and falsehoods were abound because of errant heretics and preachers.

The Jesuits were founded with the aim to help the Pope and the Church to oppose the tide of heresy and disunity, as well as to reform the Church in the right way. St. Ignatius of Loyola sent out the Jesuits in ministering both to the traditional areas of Christendom like in what is today Germany, the hotbed of the reformation, and also to those mission areas beyond Europe, where European explorers and adventurers made many discoveries of distant lands, all of which had not yet heard the message of God’s truth, His Gospels and the Good News of His salvation. St. Francis Xavier was among those entrusted with the responsibility to proclaim the Good News in the foreign and distant lands, and hence, he went forth, never returning to his homeland ever again.

He followed the long journey to the newly discovered areas, embarking on an extensive missionary journeys in parts of India, where missionaries had already laid some foundations earlier on, as well as areas of Southeast Asia like Malacca and the Spice Islands where he went to several islands and communities, preaching about God and gaining some people who were interested to know more about the Lord and became the first Christian converts in those areas. He did not always have it smooth though, as he did face rejection and hardships along the way, and in a well-known story about him, St. Francis Xavier almost met his end in a terrible storm in the sea, where the boat he was in was battered by waves and the strong wind. He prayed to God and thrust his crucifix into the waves, which then fell into the water and the storm stopped miraculously. A crab later on brought the crucifix back to St. Francis Xavier, who blessed it, and that crab later on always had a cross on its back.

That is just one of the many well-known stories regarding St. Francis Xavier, in his many efforts to serve the Lord through his time and work, in proclaiming the Good News to the furthest ends of the world. He went on to proclaim the Gospels in Japan, and was instrumental in laying the foundations for the later very successful Jesuit mission in Japan, which despite its termination later by the very intense persecutions under the Tokugawa Shogunate, for a period of about fifty years, the Church managed to flourish really well in Japan, with an estimated three hundred thousand Christians during the very height of the mission there, several decades after the passing of St. Francis Xavier. St. Francis Xavier himself passed away in Shangchuan Island just on the shores of China as he awaited the opportunity to enter China to begin a mission there. Some of other Jesuits like the famous Matteo Ricci would then continue what St. Francis Xavier had started.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all continue to follow therefore in the footsteps of the courageous St. Francis Xavier in his determination and commitment to serve the Lord in everything that he had done, in all the missions which he undertook even in the most difficult and challenging moments. Let us all be inspired by this great courage and faith which our holy predecessor had shown so that in our own actions, in our own words and interactions with one another, in our own lives as Christians, we will continue to be the shining examples and inspirations ourselves to everyone around us, to all those whom we encounter in our daily lives. May God bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours therefore, for His greater glory, in our respective missions in life. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 16 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptised will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

“Signs like these will accompany those who have believed : in My Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took His place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 116 : 1-2

Alleluia! Praise the Lord, all you nations; all you peoples, praise Him.

How great is His love for us! His faithfulness lasts forever.

by

Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 9 : 16-19, 22-23

Because I cannot boast of announcing the Gospel : I am bound to do it. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! If I preached voluntarily, I could expect my reward, but I have been trusted this office against my will. How can I, then, deserve a reward? In announcing the Gospel, I will do it freely without making use of the rights given to me by the Gospel.

So, feeling free with everybody, I have become everybody’s slave in order to gain a greater number. To the weak I made myself weak, to win the weak. So I made myself all things to all people in order to save, by all possible means, some of them. This I do for the Gospel, so that I too have a share of it.

by

Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday marks the First Sunday of Advent, which not only marks the beginning of the Season of Advent, the time of preparation for the upcoming celebrations of Christmas, but also the beginning of the new liturgical year cycle. Therefore, as we begin this new time and season, all of us are reminded as we begin our preparation for the joyful celebration of Christmas that we should renew our determination and commitment to live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God and worthy of Him. As we begin this new liturgical year, our mindset should be improving and not remaining in the same way we have been doing things all these while, especially if we have been distant away from God.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the reassuring vision of Isaiah was told to us, in all that God has revealed to him to be told to His beloved people who at that time had been suffering lots of setback, humiliation, struggles and challenges, all mainly due to their own disobedience and lack of faith in Him. Contextually, the prophet Isaiah was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah to help guide and assist them in their ways, in returning to God after many of their ancestors and predecessors had been living in long periods of disobedience and disregard for the Law and commandments of God. Their disobedience and sins have separated them from the fullness of God’s grace and blessings, and they faced the consequences of their disobedience as their fortunes turned downhill.

At about that time, the northern kingdom of Israel was also attacked, conquered and destroyed by the forces of the Assyrians, who destroyed their cities and capital Samaria, and brought many among the people to exile in distant lands. Then the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, also came up with his great and vast army to attack Judah and Jerusalem itself, and this same king mockingly spoke ill of the Lord and the people’s faith in Him, boasting that his armies and forces have crushed and conquered countless nations and states, overthrowing their gods and idols. But God rebuked the Assyrian king and gave him a fitting punishment for having boasted in such a manner and for raising his hands against the people of God, as He sent His Angels to decimate the Assyrian army, sending king Sennacherib back to his lands in great shame.

Therefore, it was against this background and the other historical evidences that the Lord reassured His people, all of those who remained faithful in Him, that all of their trust and faith in Him were not misplaced, and that they would indeed rejoice in the end with Him, because God Who is always ever faithful and loving to all those who are true to Him will be rewarded and will be guided by Him to the right path, to the path of vindication and fulfilment. The Lord was always with His people, even in their darkest and most difficult moments, and the time of His renewal would eventually come, and the people really needed to put their faith and trust in their Lord and Master instead of continuing with their rebellion and disobedience.

And God Himself also revealed that He would also gather all the other nations and peoples, and that His salvation and grace would not be limited only to the Israelites, as ultimately, all the children of mankind are precious, beloved and dear to the Lord. Through Israel as the first example, ultimately, all the people of all the nations would be gathered together to praise the Lord their God, and all the people would be called to come to the Presence of God, to be reconciled and reunited once again with their most loving and compassionate God, their Creator, Who has always desired to be reunited with those whom He had created generously out of love, but have been scattered and lost to Him due to our disobedience and sins against Him.

From our second reading this Sunday, from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, we are reminded by St. Paul that the time of the reckoning of our lives and the coming of God’s salvation, while it may not be as immediate as what St. Paul and the Apostles back then thought of, but it may be sooner than what we expected or may expect. Ultimately, the reality is such that, no one save that of the Lord Himself know when the exact moment of the Lord’s Second Coming and the end of the world and time as we all know it, which is known as parousia, the end of times prophesied and predicted, revealed and shown to us through the servants of God.

What we can be very sure of is the fact that the Lord will come again, at the time of His choosing, and what is most uncertain is the exact time that this will happen. That is why we have to be always ready and alert, vigilant and prepared at any time so that whenever we are expected to commit ourselves to the Lord and account for our actions and works in this life, and including even our failures to act whenever we are capable of and when we have been given the perfect opportunity for, that is where we need to realise that we have to account for all of that before the Judge of all the living and the dead in the end. All of us are sinners, imperfect and unworthy of God, and yet, at the same time, God is so infinite and boundless in His mercy and compassion that He has given His love and mercy towards us without end.

Then, lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the similar message from the Lord Jesus telling His disciples of the certainty of what will happen one day, in the coming of God’s salvation at the end of time, the reckoning which will happen at the time of God’s choosing, when this will happen in the most unexpected of times and moments, which He likened in a simple parable and comparison, with how no one would have known when a thief would break into a house, and hence, the owner of the house ought to be always vigilant, ready and prepared against all eventualities. Essentially, those who failed to plan and prepare, they are all planning and heading to failure and doom.

That is why, each and every one of us are reminded that as we enter into this new season, the Season of Advent, being a time of spiritual rediscovery, renewal and reconnection with God, we are all called to turn once again towards the Lord. If our lives have been hectic, busy and if we have been distracted by our numerous commitments, responsibilities and attachments in the world, then we are reminded to keep our focus firmly directed towards the Lord, Who ought to be the centre and the focus of our whole lives and existences. We should not forget the presence of God in our lives and remember that no matter what, and no matter how difficult things may be for us, the Lord will always be present in our midst, supporting and strengthening us in our journeys in life.

As we reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures which we have received just earlier on, we are reminded on this First Sunday of Advent that each and every one of us should make good use of this time, season and opportunity for us to prepare ourselves well not only for the upcoming Christmas season which we are surely going to celebrate joyfully and wonderfully, but also for the ultimate coming of our Lord, His Second Coming, given the dual nature of this Advent season, which commemorates both the first coming of Christ that had happened two millennia ago, and which we celebrate in Christmas, as well as the expectation of the parousia, the second coming of Our Lord and Saviour, which had been promised to us, and which will certainly happen in due time.

Let us all therefore live our lives courageously and worthily of the Lord, doing our very best in each and every moments in life. Let us continue to do our best to be good and worthy examples of our Christian faith in each and every actions, words and deeds, in all that we do for the greater glory of God. Let us all shine brightly with the light and hope of our Saviour. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to encourage and empower all of us to be His faithful and committed disciples and followers in all times and circumstances, becoming shining beacons of His light and hope to everyone we encounter, now and always. Amen.

by

Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 24 : 37-44

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “At the coming of the Son of Man, it will be just as it was in the time of Noah. In those days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking, and marrying, until that day when Noah went into the Ark. Yet they did not know what would happen, until the flood came and swept them away.”

“So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man : of two men in the field, one will be taken and the other left; of two taken and the other left; of two women grinding wheat together at the mill, one will be taken and the other left. Stay awake then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

“Obviously, if the owner of the house knew at what time the thief was coming, he would certainly stay up and not allow his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.”

by

Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Romans 13 : 11-14a

You know what hour it is. This is the time to awake, for our salvation is now nearer than when we first believed; the night is almost over and day is at hand. Let us discard, therefore, everything that belongs to darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

As we live in the full light of day, let us behave with decency; no banquets with drunkenness, no promiscuity or licentiousness, no fighting or jealousy. Put on, rather, the Lord Jesus Christ.

by

Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 121 : 1-2, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” And now we have set foot within your gates, o Jerusalem!

There the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to give thanks to the Lord’s Name. There stand the courts of justice, the offices of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : “May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls and security within your citadels!”

For the sake of my relatives and friends, I will say, “Peace be with you!” For the sake of the house of our Lord, I will pray for your good.

by

Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 2 : 1-5

The vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the last days, the mountain of YHVH’s house shall be set over the highest mountains and shall tower over the hills. All the nations shall stream to it, saying, “Come, let us go to the mountain of YHVH, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and we may walk in His paths. For the teaching comes from Zion, and from Jerusalem the word of YHVH.”

“He will rule over the nations and settle disputes for many people. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not raise sword against nation; they will train for war no more. O nation of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of YHVH!”