priests

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Monday, 25 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Louis, and St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Priests)

Psalm 149 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia! Sing to YHVH a new song, sing His praise in the assembly of His saints. Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; let the people of Zion glory in their King!

Let them dance in praise of His Name; and make music for Him with harp and timbrel. For YHVH delights in His people; He crowns the lowly with victory.

The saints will exult in triumph; even at night, on their couches, let the praise of God be on their lips. This is the glory of all His saints. Alleluia!

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Monday, 25 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Louis, and St. Joseph Calasanz, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Priests)

1 Thessalonians 1 : 1-5, 8b-10

From Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy, to the church of Thessalonica, which is in God, the Father, and in Christ Jesus, the Lord. May the peace and grace of God be with you.

We give thanks to God, at all times for you, and remember you in our prayers. We constantly recall, before God, our Father, the work of your faith, the labours of your love, and your endurance, in waiting for Christ Jesus our Lord.

We remember, brothers and sisters, the circumstances of your being called. The Gospel we brought you was such, not only in words. Miracles, the Holy Spirit, and plenty of everything, were given to you. You, also, know how we dealt with you, for your sake.

The faith you have in God has become news in so many places, that we need say no more about it. Others tell, of how you welcomed us, and turned from idols, to the Lord. For you serve the living and true God, and you wait for His Son, from heaven, Whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, Who frees us from impending trial.

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Wednesday, 20 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together and listen to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed and dragged by our own worldly desires and ambitions, all the things which may often cause us to fall into temptations and lose sight of our focus and attention in the Lord, and instead, we may end up walking down the wrong path towards damnation and destruction, especially if we continue to follow the path of worldliness. And we have been given this reminder hopefully that we may turn away from all those temptations and desires before it is too late for us. But the question is, are we willing to commit ourselves to reject the path of worldliness and embrace instead God’s path, His wisdom and truth? This is something that we need to decide on, brothers and sisters.

In our first reading today taken from the Book of Judges detailing to us the activities of the Judges of Israel, in which we heard of the details of the strife that happened that time in Israel between the sons of Gideon, whose exploits we heard in our first reading yesterday. During the time of the Judges, the Lord sent those judges, called from among His own people the Israelites to lead them all out of their predicament and troubles, from those who have oppressed and subjugated them like the Midianites in the case of Gideon. The Israelites had sinned against God by their stubbornness and disobedience, and yet, God still showed His mercy and compassion on them, by giving them the Judges to lead them out of their troubles, to govern and guide them in the right path.

And Gideon managed to defeat and liberate the Israelites from the domination of the Midianites with the guidance and strength of God, and he reigned for a while as the Judge and leader of all the Israelites. According to the Scriptural evidence, he went on to have many children, numbering seventy all in all, and one among them, who was mentioned in the first reading today, Abimelech, had a great ambition to become a Judge succeeding his father and even as king, and was indeed made king of Shechem. And in his attempts to do that, after the passing of Gideon the Judge, he gathered all of his father’s other children and massacred all of them, except for one who escaped, the one known as Jotham. When Abimelech sought to be chosen and crowned as king over Shechem, Jotham appeared in that city and cried out before them, speaking God’s words against Abimelech.

Essentially, the words of Jotham inspired by God highlighted the disapproval that God has over how Abimelech rose to power and massacred his own brothers in his efforts to rise to power and dominion over the people of Shechem, one of the major centres of the Israelites at the time. Abimelech rose to power on violence, and his reign over Shechem was also dominated by violence and conflict, and eventually, as the fulfilment of whatever Jotham had courageously spoken before the people of Shechem, Abimelech would be killed by a woman who threw down a stone from the tower that Abimelech and his forces was besieging in his ambitious efforts to expand his power and dominion. This is a reminder for all of us not to allow ourselves to be swayed by worldly ambitions or else, we may fall into the path to our downfall and destruction. 

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the parable that the Lord Jesus spoke of to His disciples, sharing with them the story of a vineyard owner and master who sought workers for his vineyard, and how the owner kept on going to various places, to the roadsides and other places to find people to work in his vineyard, even right up to the eleventh hour, that is just an hour or so before the end of the work day at sunset. And the owner gathered all those who agreed to work in his vineyard, and by the end of the day, he gave all of them the reward which he had promised to them, and they were all paid equally as agreed, only for those who had started to work earlier in the day to grumble because they were not being paid more than those who started later.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is a representation of what God has called us to do, what He has presented to us and what He has promised us. The master of the vineyard represents the Lord Himself, our God and Master, while each of the people whom He had called represent each and every one of us those whom He had called from the world. Some indeed He called earlier on and responded earlier on, while others responded much later and some even hesitated and tarried, but eventually they also went to follow the Lord as well. This is also an important reminder for all of us that our salvation and ultimate reward from God is the same for all of us, and unlike how we usually think of it in this world, we cannot quantify or compare them among us, as we are all ultimately, equally beloved by God and precious to Him.

That is why we should not be jealous at those whom God had called later on in their lives, or think that in any way that we are better or superior than them simply because we think that we deserve more or better, or that we are more beloved or precious than those whom we are prejudiced and biased against. The Lord wants each and every one of us to realise that all of us are brothers and sisters, all of His children that He truly loves wholeheartedly, and that is why we should always show care, concern, love and compassion to one another. We should not allow ourselves to be swayed by the desires for glory and greatness to the exclusion of others, and we should not be discriminatory to anyone in our actions and interactions. That is what we are expected to do as Christians, as those whom God has called and chosen.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Bernard, a holy and renowned Abbot and honoured as one of the Church’s Doctor of the Church. St. Bernard, also known as St. Bernard of Clairvaux, was born into a noble French family in Burgundy, and he was third of seven children. He was eventually convinced of becoming a priest after having gone through education with the priests of his local school, and this led to St. Bernard of Clairvaux joining several others in founding a community of monks that followed the Rule of St. Benedict, known as the Order of Cistercians, with St. Bernard himself as one of the founders of the Order. His epithet ‘of Clairvaux’ stemmed from the foundation of this monastery that he established for his community in Clairvaux, and over which he was the abbot of.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux spent many years in managing his Clairvaux Abbey and community, and at the same time also spent a lot of time outside the monastery as a preacher and a trusted diplomat of the Pope. He preached in many places and gained a large following, gaining more popularity for his growing Cistercian Order, and was also involved in the promotion of the efforts of the Crusades at the time. He was also a mystic and received visions from God, and he wrote extensively on many matters, and his great preachings, all of these eventually led him to be honoured after his passing, not just as a revered saint but also as one of the Doctors of the Church, a rare honour reserved to those who have contributed a lot to the Christian theology, teachings and have extensive writings and homilies attributed to them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, inspired by the faith and examples of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, let us all therefore remember that our primary objective in this world is not to amass for ourselves worldly riches, glory and fame, and that all of these cannot truly satisfy us. Instead, we should always put our focus in the Lord, remembering that we have been given such a great grace and blessing by God, and the expectation of true and everlasting joy with Him. We should not therefore take what God has given us for granted, and we should strive to live our lives to the fullest with the genuine efforts and work to live lives that He has called us to do. We should do our best to glorify Him by our lives and to do things for the good of everyone around us.

May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in our journey in life, and may He bless our every good efforts and works, all the things that we do for the good of others and for the greater glory of His Name, in every circumstances and opportunities which He had provided us. May all of us continue to be worthy bearers of His truth, Good News and salvation, to all those whom we encounter daily in life. Amen.

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Wednesday, 20 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 20 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

The king rejoices in Your strength, o YHVH, and exults in Your saving help. You have granted him his desire; You have not rejected his request.

You have come to him with rich blessings; You have placed a golden crown upon his head. When he asked, You gave him life – length of days forever and ever.

He glories in the victory You gave him; You shall bestow on him splendour and majesty. You have given him eternal blessings, and gladdened him with the joy of Your presence.

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that with God there is nothing that is impossible, and all things are possible for God, even whatever that is beyond our area and possibility of understanding. We should always trust in Him and put our faith in His Providence and care, knowing that He will do everything that needs to be done for our sake, so that we will be protected and guarded, and we will not suffer without any consolation and hope. In the end, we will share in God’s triumph and glory, and we shall enjoy forever the fullness of His loving grace and inheritance intended for us. God has indeed intended for many good things for us, and we will not be disappointed if we put our faith wholeheartedly in Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Judges in which God spoke and revealed His plans to Gideon, the one that He had chosen to lead His people, the Israelites in the struggle against the Midianites, who have risen to oppress and persecute the Israelites. At that time, the repeated disobedience and refusals of the people of Israel to obey the Lord and to follow His ways led to them continuously being subjected to difficulties and challenges, attacks and subjugation by their neighbours, because God withdrew His protection and power, so that the Israelites, who had become proud and filled with hubris, thinking that they did not need God, would come to realise just how powerless they truly were without God and His Providence.

Gideon did begin with lamentations and sharing to the Angel of the Lord that came before Him with God’s words, how the Israelites had truly suffered and endured a lot of troubles, and they cried out to the Lord wondering where this same God that had protected their ancestors and brought them out from the land of Egypt, and through their journey in the desert with great power and wonders. And that was when the Lord through His Angel showed His reassurance, and when Gideon asked the Lord for a sign, God heard him and showed the sign that he asked for, and Gideon believed in God’s words and Providence, and He told the former how he would be the instrument by which God would act against the Midianites for the sake of His beloved people, to lead them to freedom and to return once again to His grace and protection.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord told His disciples and followers that if they all wanted to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven then it is important that they all must seek to be humble and to strive to reach that desired existence with God by resisting the many temptations, pressures, coercions and distractions that are present in this world which can lead us astray and prevent us from finding the path towards God. The Lord also said that it is ‘easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle’ than for the rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. This is indeed puzzling and we may wonder what the Lord actually meant by these words, but we have to understand His intentions and thoughts carefully.

When a camel wants to go through a door or gateway, it is common for them to lower their heads to allow them to be able to enter through the gate, and to lower their bodies in doing so. This is a symbol of humility and simplicity against the excesses of the worldly riches and desires, all of which often lead us to hubris, ambition and stubbornness in refusing to follow God’s ways and commandments. That was what happened with many of those who were entangled and trapped by their own wealth and possessions, and most importantly by the unhealthy attachments and desires towards them. Those who suffer from this cannot attain the Kingdom of Heaven not because they are rich and wealthy, but rather because they put their wealth and ambitions above even God.

God is not in fact against us having possessions and wealth, or for us to be rich and wealthy. What He wants us to know in fact is that we should make good use of whatever blessings that we have received and whatever we have been fortunate to gain from God’s grace. But when we allow ourselves to be swayed by all the worldly temptations and be overcome by our greed and selfish desires, for example when we desire to gain more of what we already have aplenty, even to the point of causing sufferings and hardships to others around us, and in ignoring the plight of the needy, then it is in all these things that we shall be found wanting and lacking in worthiness by God, because we have not used our blessings for the good purposes set before us by God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us as God’s beloved and holy people should always trust in Him and have faith in His Providence. We should continue to make good use of what He has entrusted to us and blessed us with so that we may use them for the benefit and the good of others around us, for everyone whom we encounter in this life. This is not what we should be doing, to put our faith and trust in God for the direction in our lives, trusting that He will bless us in the manner that we need them, and He will provide for all of us, and our part is to make good use of what He has entrusted to us, even in the smallest things. Let us all not be overcome and be swayed by worldly corruptions and ways which can lead us away further from God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John Eudes, who hailed from France and was a priest that was the founder of the Order of Our Lady of Charity and also the Congregation of Jesus and Mary, known as the Eudists after their founder. St. John Eudes was born in rural France in the early seventeenth century and made an early vow of chastity in his teenage years before eventually joining the priesthood after being guided and educated under the Jesuits and the Oratorians with the latter showing him strong emphasis on the relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit. He then went on to minister in various parishes and did a lot of missions, and he was noted for his great and prodigious skills in evangelisation and in reaching the hearts and minds of the people that he ministered to.

He also played a role in the development and training of priests, helping to establish several seminaries after having been concerned with the upbringing and education of future priests in France. Then, in his concern and care for the poor and marginalised, especially with prostitutes and others who were often encountering a lot of hardships in life, as mentioned, St. John Eudes established the Order of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge to care for the needs of those prostitutes who sought to turn away from their lives of sin. He then eventually left the Oratorians and founded the Eudists, the Congregation of Jesus and Mary with the focus and emphasis on education of priests and parish missions, works which he continued to carry out faithfully until the end of his life.

Let us all therefore be inspired by the examples and faith of St. John Eudes, in his determination to serve the Lord and His people, in all the things he had done in reaching out to the marginalised and those who have been less fortunate, those who have been lost to the Lord and facing difficulties in life. Let us all as Christians be always charitable and be kind in all things, doing whatever we can so that we may always be good examples and role models for everyone around us, and that we may show God’s love and kindness, His truth and salvation to everyone whom we encounter in life. May God be with us all and bless our every good endeavours and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Matthew 19 : 23-30

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you : it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, believe Me : it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for the one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

On hearing this, the disciples were astonished and said, “Who, then, can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and answered, “For human beings it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter spoke up and said, “You see, we have given up everything to follow You. What, then, will there be for us?”

Jesus answered, “You, who have followed Me, listen to My words : on the Day of Renewal, when the Son of Man sits on His throne in glory, you, also, will sit, on twelve thrones, to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. As for those who have left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or property for My Name’s sake, they will receive a hundredfold, and be given eternal life. Many who are now first, will be last, and many who are now last, will be first.”

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Psalm 84 : 9, 11-12, 13-14

Would, that I hear God’s proclamation, that He promise peace to His people, His saints – lest they come back to their folly.

Love and faithfulness have met; righteousness and peace have embraced. Faithfulness will reach up from the earth while justice bends down from heaven.

YHVH will give what is good, and our land will yield its fruit. Justice will go before Him, and peace will follow along His path.

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Tuesday, 19 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Eudes, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Judges 6 : 11-24a

The Angel of YHVH came and sat under the sacred tree at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash, of the family of Abiezer. Gideon, the son of Joash, was threshing the wheat in the wine press to hide it from the Midianites.

The Angel of YHVH said to him, “YHVH be with you, valiant warrior.” Gideon answered, “Please, my lord, if YHVH is with us, why is all this happening to us? Where are the wonders which our fathers recounted to us? Did they not say that YHVH led them up from Egypt? Why has He abandoned us now and given us into the hands of the Midianites?”

YHVH then turned to him and said, “Go, and with your courage, save Israel from the Midianites. It is I Who send you.” Gideon answered : “Pardon me, Lord, but how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in my tribe and I am the least in the family of my father.”

YHVH said to him, “I will be with you and you shall defeat the people of Midian with one single stroke.” Gideon said to Him, “Please give me a sign that it is indeed You Who speak. Do not leave until I return with an offering and present it to You.” YHVH responded, “I am going to wait for you here.”

Gideon went and prepared a young goat, took a measure of flour and baked unleavened bread. He put the broth in a pot and the meat in a basket, and went to present them to the Angel under the tree. Then the Angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the bread; put them on this rock, and pour the broth over them.”

Gideon did so. At that moment, the Angel of YHVH extended the staff he was holding and touched the meat and the bread. Suddenly, fire blazed from the rock. The fire consumed the meat and the bread, and the Angel of YHVH disappeared.

Gideon realised that he was the Angel of YHVH and said, “Alas, o Lord YHVH! I have seen the Angel of YHVH face to face.” But YHVH said to him, “Peace be with you. Do not fear for you shall not die.” Gideon built an altar to YHVH in that place and called it YHVH-Peace.

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Thursday, 14 August 2025 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together and listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded to be compassionate and merciful, loving and kind in all of our dealings and actions. As Christians, that is as those whom God had called and chosen, we have to strive to follow the Lord’s own examples in love and compassion, in truly caring for those who are around us, especially to those who have not experienced love and care, those who have been abandoned, ostracised and treated badly by their society, all those who need our love, care and attention. And all those things are what we should be doing as Christians, as those who have been called to follow Christ in all things that we say and do.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Joshua detailing for us the events that happened as the people of Israel were about to cross the River Jordan and enter the promised land of Canaan. We heard of God’s reassurance to Joshua, the successor of Moses as the leader of the Israelites, and the instructions on what they all had to do, bringing the Ark of the Covenant to the middle of the River itself so that the river can be passed through by the whole nation of the Israelites. God Himself is present through the Ark of the Covenant, leading His beloved and chosen people into the land that He has promised to them, and for which they had laboured and waited for a long time in the wilderness.

From what we heard in today’s reading of that account, we can clearly see the power of God in guiding His people, as He continued to bless them and help them throughout their journey, stopping the flow of the River Jordan itself to allow His people to safely cross through to their promised land, just as He had done earlier with the sea that He had split open to allow them to escape the Egyptians and their armies and chariots. God reminded His people that whatever He has revealed and promised to them, He would continue to honour and fulfil, and if they remain in faith in Him, then they shall truly be blessed and happy, in the land that He has promised to all of them. He will never abandon them even though they themselves had frequently abandoned Him for the pagan idols or all sorts of worldly pursuits and desires that they had.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the parable of the ungrateful and unforgiving servant who had not treated his fellow servant in the manner of how he had been graciously treated by his master. In that parable, we heard of how the ungrateful servant had owed his master a large sum of money, and when he begged for mercy and patience from the master, his master showed that servant compassion and forgiveness, forgiving that servant everything that he had owed him, even though it was a rather large sum of money. And then, we heard of how this same servant then went to another fellow servant who owed him money and demanded that fellow servant to return him his money that the latter had borrowed, even though it was a far lesser sum than what he owed his master.

This parable is a reminder for all of us to show compassion and mercy to one another, to be kind and not to behave like that ungrateful servant. The servants themselves represent each and every one of us, while the master is a representation of the Lord, our God Himself. The debts which the servants owed to the master and to each other represent the sins which we have committed both against God and against one another. By looking at the master’s action in forgiving that ungrateful servant of the great amount of debt that he had owed him, and how the master expected his servants to do the same for one another, which the ungrateful servant obviously did not do, it is a reminder for all of us that God Who has forgiven us all our sins, despite how great they may be, also expect us all to forgive each other’s sins too, every faults and mistakes we did to one another, and to love one another as He has loved us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, do we remember the line from the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Forgive us all our trespasses, just as we have forgiven those who trespassed against us?’ This is precisely what we are reminded to do as Christians, to be loving, compassionate and forgiving to each other in all of our actions and dealings, in our interactions and in every moments of our lives. And unless we do so, we cannot truly call ourselves as genuine and true Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people. We must be compassionate and merciful as God has been that way towards us, ever generous and compassionate with His love and mercy. This is how we should live our lives as Christians, as the ones who should embody our Christian faith not just merely in words, but also through real actions, in each and every moments of our lives.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a great and renowned saint, a faithful martyr and servant of God who had dedicated his whole life to the service of God, and whose love and compassion for others inspired many people who heard his stories and experiences. St. Maximilian Kolbe was born in Poland to a mixed German-Polish family towards the end of the nineteenth century, which at that time was part of the Russian Empire. He and his elder brother joined the Conventual Franciscans when they were teenagers and eventually going through the professions and was ordained as a priest after a tough experience in the First World War where his own father was caught and hanged as a traitor by the Russians during that war.

St. Maximilian Kolbe founded the popular Militia Immaculatae, a Catholic evangelisation movement that emphasised on evangelisation and conversion of sinners through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in whom St. Maximilian Kolbe had a deep devotion for. That popular organisation and its popular publication continued to grow as St. Maximilian Kolbe continued to work hard for the Lord and His people, gathering more and more followers. Then, St. Maximilian Kolbe himself endeavoured to go on missionary works in distant lands, proclaiming the Good News of God to more and more people. This came true when he went to the Far East in the early 1930s, ministering to the faithful in Asia as far as Japan, where he spent several years in missionary works.

Eventually, St. Maximilian Kolbe returned to his native Poland just before the beginning of the Second World War, which began approximately two decades after the end of the previous World War. He ministered to the people of God faithfully even during the years of the German occupation, when the NAZI regime conquered his native Poland and caused a lot of atrocities in the region. He was eventually arrested when his monastery was forcefully closed under the NAZI regime, and was brought into prison before being transferred to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. At that concentration camp, St. Maximilian Kolbe continued to minister to the faithful inmates, strengthening and encouraging them all amidst the difficult and challenging times.

Then, in one occasion, the escape of several inmates from the concentration camp led to the camp commander ordering the deaths of several prisoners as a punishment for those that escaped. And when one of the Polish man to be condemned to death cried out for his family and children, St. Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to take his place among the condemned. That was how St. Maximilian Kolbe was then put into the cell meant for those condemned to death, deprived of food and water for two weeks, and eventually, when the guards found that St. Maximilian Kolbe and three others were still alive, they were killed by lethal injection of carbolic acid. That was how St. Maximilian Kolbe encountered martyrdom for his faith in God, his endless dedication to God and his love and compassion for his fellow brothers and sisters.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples, faith and love shown by St. Maximilian Kolbe, and from what we have discussed earlier on through the Scripture readings, that we will always practice our faith in the manner that God Himself has shown, taught and reminded us, to be truly genuine in our love for God and for one another, reminding ourselves of God’s ever generous and patient love, and doing our best to show that love in each and every one of our actions as well. May God bless us all and strengthen us in our journey of faith in life, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 August 2025 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 18 : 21 – Matthew 19 : 1

At that time, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offences of my brother or sister? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

“This story throws light on the kingdom of Heaven : A king decided to settle accounts with his servants. Among the first of them was one who owed him ten thousand pieces of gold. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, his children and all his goods, as repayment.”

“The servant threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.’ The king took pity on him, and not only set him free, but even cancelled his debt. When this servant left the king’s presence, he met one of his fellow servants, who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the throat and almost choked him, shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe!'”

“His fellow servant threw himself at his feet and begged him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’ But the other did not agree, and sent him to prison until he has paid all his debt. Now the servants of the king saw what had happened. They were extremely upset, and so they went and reported everything to their lord.”

“Then the lord summoned his servant and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed me when you begged me to do so. Were you not bound to have pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ The lord was now angry. He handed the wicked servant over to be punished, until he had paid the whole debt.”

Jesus added, “So will My heavenly Father do with you, unless you sincerely forgive your brothers and sisters.” When Jesus had finished these sayings, He left Galilee and arrived at the border of Judea, on the other side of the Jordan River.