Saints

by

Wednesday, 9 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us to be ever vigilant and to commit ourselves to the path that the Lord has set before us all. As Christians, each and every one of us have been called to seek the Lord in all things, and to walk in His path, resisting the many temptations for worldly pleasures and sins. We are all expected to be exemplary in our lives so that through us we may be inspiration for one another in faith, and that we may inspire many more people to come and follow the Lord as well through our own good examples and inspirations. Each one of us ought to be those good examples for everyone around us, living our lives as good and faithful followers of God at all times and circumstances.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth on the matter of how the faithful ought to live their lives, in obeying the Law of God and living worthily in the presence of God. St. Paul exhorted the faithful to live to the best of their ability in remaining upright and distancing themselves from sinful things and actions. Back then, St. Paul mentioned how the coming of the Lord was seemingly imminent, and that is because no one then knew when the Lord would come again just as He has promised, and some had the thought that the Lord would come again very soon, even within their lifetime, or within mere years from the time that the Apostles were ministering to the people and proclaiming God’s Good News.

Such was the prevailing view back then, and man’s judgment could err as well. For it is only the Lord Himself Who knows the exact moment of His return into this world and no one else. The Lord alone knows all of these and to no one ever so far, has He revealed this, because it is meant to serve as a good reminder to all of us that this can happen just at any moment. It can be next year, next month, next week, next day, or even the next hour, minute or second! That is why all of us have to be ever prepared and ready to welcome the Lord when He comes again, and to account for our actions in life, and make sure that we will be found worthy and just. This is why we have to do our best at all times, to keep ourselves in good graces of God as best as possible.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the part taken from the Beatitudes or the Sermon on the Mount in which the Lord spoke to the people who were gathered there and His disciples on what the people of God should be like in their lives and what they should be doing, listing out all the good qualities and traits that the faithful people of God should have, while also highlighting the vices and the predicaments that those who have done otherwise will suffer. The Lord spoke of this as a rebuke for the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law whose actions thus far had been great hindrance in the path of the Lord’s actions and works, and who had not done as they had been expected to do as the guardians of the Law and guides for God’s people.

The people of God have been reminded to follow the path and the precepts of the Lord in all things and at all times throughout their lives. They are reminded to put the Lord as their focus and priority that they will not end up losing their path in life. And all these had been clearly presented to them as something which they ought to follow and do, and not to follow the misguided examples of the Pharisees, the elders and the teachers of the Law who misused the Law of God for their own selfish purposes and desires. It is a reminder for all those who wish to follow the Lord that they have to adopt a way of life that is compatible with God’s path, and not to be tempted and distracted by the ways of the world as the Pharisees and the elders of the community had done.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard these words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that each one of us as Christians, as those who profess to be faithful to God are also called and expected to be righteous and just in our way of life. All of us should live our lives worthily and do our best to be good role models and sources of inspiration for everyone, so that it does not matter when the Lord will come again, or when our earthly existence will end, but we will always be ever ready to welcome the Lord when He comes or to account to Him our lives, our every actions and deeds because we have always been faithful and obedient to Him. And not only that, but through our own faithful examples, we may inspire so many people to come and follow the Lord as well.

We should be more vigilant and prepared and not be easily brought into a lull or swayed by temptations all aplenty around us in this world. Unless we make the conscious effort to remain true to our faith, we may end up easily distracted and tempted into the wrong paths in life, and may end up falling into the path of sin and evil. We should support one another and the whole effort of the Church of God in reaching out to the world, in the effort of evangelisation and mission, and also in being true and faithful witnesses of the truth of the Lord. All of us should devote our time and attention, our effort and works in doing the will of God at all times, even in the smallest and simplest of things in life.

Today, we celebrate the feast of one of these glorious saints, namely that of St. Peter Claver. St. Peter Claver was a great priest and missionary, a faithful servant of God who dedicated himself to a great ministry among the slaves in the then New World, in what is now part of the area of Colombia in South America. St. Peter Claver was born in Spain and grew up to be a great intellectual who was noted for his intellectual capacity and ability, after which he became a member of the Society of Jesus, and was eventually ordained as a priest. St. Peter Claver went on to become a missionary in the New World as mentioned, ministering among the slaves in the city of Cartagena, the principal slave trade centre in the then part of the Spanish Empire. Many of those slaves were treated poorly and faced intense discrimination at that time.

It was there that St. Peter Claver devoted himself to the well-being and the protection of the rights of those slaves, striving to care for their needs, especially spiritually, ministering to them tirelessly and dedicating his time to provide for them, and also getting help for them to gain basic access to food, medicine and other essential things they needed. He catechised many of them and as a result, many of those slaves chose to become Christians, having experienced the love of God manifested and made evident to all of them through St. Peter Claver and everything that he had done for their sake. According to historical records, as many as three hundred thousand slaves were baptised by the efforts of St. Peter Claver alone. He continued to devote his efforts to the very end of his life, and upon his passing immediately many extolled his holiness and called for him to be made a saint.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today, after having heard the words of the Scriptures and after we have heard of the life of St. Peter Claver, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples and the dedication which St. Peter Claver, as a committed servant of God and holy man of God, had done in his life. Let us all be holy, just as the Lord our God is Holy, and let us all commit ourselves in our own way, and in our own capacity, to serve the Lord ever more faithfully and courageously in all things. May God bless us all and empower each one of us, in our daily lives, to be His ever more dedicated disciples, now and always. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 9 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Luke 6 : 20-26

At that time, looking at His disciples, Jesus said, “Fortunate are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Fortunate are you, who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Fortunate are you, who weep now, for you will laugh.”

“Fortunate are you, when people hate you, when they reject you and insult you and number you among criminals, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. Remember, that is how the ancestors of the people treated the prophets.”

“But alas for you, who have wealth, for you have been comforted now. Alas for you, who are full, for you will go hungry. Alas for you, who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Alas for you, when people speak well of you, for that is how the ancestors of the people treated the false prophets.”

by

Wednesday, 9 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Psalm 44 : 11-12, 14-15, 16-17

Listen, o daughter, pay attention; forget your father’s house and your nation, and your beauty will charm the King, for He is your Lord.

All glorious as she enters is the princess in her gold-woven robes. She is led in royal attire to the King, following behind is her train of virgins.

Amid cheers and general rejoicing, they enter the palace of the King. Forget your fathers and think of your sons, you will make them princes throughout the land.

by

Wednesday, 9 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

1 Corinthians 7 : 25-31

With regard to those who remain virgins, I have no special commandment from the Lord, but I give some advice, hoping that I am worthy of trust by the mercy of the Lord.

I think this is good in these hard times in which we live. It is good for someone to remain as he is. If you are married, do not try to divorce your wife; if you are not married, do not marry. He who marries does not sin, nor does the young girl sin who marries. Yet they will face disturbing experiences, and I would like to spare you.

I say this, brothers and sisters : time is running out, and those who are married must live as if not married; those who weep as if not weeping; those who are happy as if they were not happy; those buying something as if they had not bought it, and those enjoying the present life as if they were not enjoying it. For the order of this world is vanishing.

by

Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates together the occasion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating the moment when Mary, the Mother of God, was born. This Feast is celebrated exactly nine months after Mary’s Immaculate Conception on the eighth day of December, just like how the celebration of Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord, is celebrated nine months after the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, when the Lord was conceived in the holy womb of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate Mary’s birth and rejoice in her because through her, her exemplary life and obedience to God, her commitment to her mission and the desire she had in serving the Lord and in loving her Son, we have received the assurance of God’s salvation through her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Mary has been specially prepared by God’s grace and power, to be spared and made immaculate, free from the taint and corruption of original sin, as highlighted in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Hence, when she was conceived, unlike others among mankind, Mary was pure and immaculate, and after nine months, was born of her mother, St. Anne. Both St. Anne and St. Joachim, Mary’s parents, according to Apostolic and Church traditions, were faithful to God and upright, and they were living near the Temple of God, and that was when, according to the Law of Moses, Mary was presented as their firstborn, at the Temple, dedicated and consecrated to God, which gave an indication of the great and very important role that she was to do in the history of the salvation of mankind as the one to be the New Ark of the New Covenant of God.

Mary grew up faithfully and was brought up well by her parents, and remained full of God’s grace, throughout her whole life. She obeyed the Law and the commandments of God, and lived a truly holy and exemplary life, and the Lord sent His salvation to this world through her, just as we have heard in our first reading today of the assurance which God has spoken to His people through the prophet Micah. God reassured the people that His salvation would come through a Woman, that was to be Mary, who would give birth and bring unto this world its salvation, with the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, through her. Mary became the New Ark of the New Covenant of God, the Ark crafted in perfection and grace by God Himself so that she would be truly worthy to bear the Divine Word of God, Incarnate in the flesh within her.

It was also through Mary, as well as Joseph, her husband, that the Lord Jesus, Son of God and Saviour of the world, was born into the House of David and to the race of Israel, as according to tradition, Mary herself, just like Joseph, belonged to the tribe of Judah and was also descended from King David of Israel. In today’s Gospel passage, we heard of the lineage and genealogy of the Lord being presented to us, highlighting His descent from Abraham all the way to David and from David to Himself, through the lineage of kings and the rightful heirs of the Kingdom of Israel through His foster and legal father, St. Joseph, making Him the Heir of David, the One promised by God to His people and to David himself, that the rule of his house and the Kingdom his house will remain forever, because it is God Himself Who has come to us in the flesh, to take up the Throne and rule over all of His people.

Thus, today as we celebrate this Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are all reminded of the important role that Mary has in the story of salvation. Not only that through her, the Lord has manifested Himself in the flesh, and dwelling amongst us, but it was also her faith and total commitment to God that allowed all of that to happen. When the Archangel Gabriel came to her at the moment of the Annunciation, to proclaim to her and through that, to all of us, the Good News of God and the long awaited coming of the Messiah, it was Mary’s total obedience to God, her full trust in Him and His power, His plans and all which allowed the Lord’s plans and works to become manifest in this world. It was Mary’s resounding ‘Yes’ to God which brought unto us the salvation of God, in the person of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Now, besides Mary having accepted her role in the plan of God’s salvation, it was also her righteousness, virtues and fullness of grace, as mentioned, which made her to be truly worthy of honour and praise, and why we really rejoice together at the occasion today in memory of her Nativity or birth into this world. With her examples and inspirational life, all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved and holy people should also be inspired and encouraged to follow the Lord and obey His commandments as best as possible, so that we may indeed be truly worthy of God and His grace. We honour Mary because she is the Mother of God, our Lord and Saviour, and also because through her, we can indeed find the clearest, best and surest path to God’s salvation and grace. Through Mary, we can find the best and easiest, most direct path to her Son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we rejoice today in honour of Mary’s Nativity, let us all once again renew our commitment to God through His mother, the Blessed ever Virgin Mary, whose faith and devotion to her Son, her love for Him and also for all of us, have touched and inspired us to be God’s faithful disciples and followers as well. Let us all be reminded that God has entrusted Mary to us, to be our own Mother, and at the same time, also entrusted us all to her, to be her own children, so that she may guide us all to the right path towards her Son, to the salvation and eternal life promised to all those who are faithful to Him. Let us all not be ignorant anymore of our calling in life, to follow the Lord ever more faithfully in our way of life, and to dedicate ourselves to Him much as Mary herself has loved the Lord and dedicated herself wholly to Him.

May the Lord, our most loving God, Creator and Master, continue to help and guide us in our journey throughout life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that all of us may indeed be ever more faithful in everything we say and do. May all of us commit ourselves to God and His cause, with ever greater desire to love Him wholeheartedly as Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother had done. Holy Mary, Mother of God, whose birth we commemorate and rejoice in today, pray for all of us, your beloved children, that we may continue to live our lives worthy of your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 1 : 1-16, 18-23

This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon.

Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings : Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah.

Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus Who is called the Christ – the Messiah. This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”

All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 1 : 18-23

This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”

All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.

by

Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 12 : 6ab, 6cd

But I put my trust in Your unfailing love, my heart will rejoice on seeing Your salvation.

I will sing to YHVH, for He has been good to me!

by

Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Micah 5 : 1-4a

But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah; from you shall I raise the One Who is to rule over Israel. For He comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.

YHVH, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she, who is to give birth, has given birth. Then the rest of His deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand, and shepherd His flock with the strength of YHVH, in the glorious Name of YHVH, His God.

They will live safely, while He wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.

Alternative reading (Second Reading if this Feast is celebrated as a Solemnity)

Romans 8 : 28-30

We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called, according to His plan. Those whom He knew beforehand, He has also predestined, to be like His Son, similar to Him, so, that, He may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And so, those whom God predestined, He called, and those whom He called, He makes righteous, and to those whom He makes righteous, He will give His glory.

by

Saturday, 5 September 2026 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Kolkata, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all constantly being reminded as we have been this whole week, to entrust ourselves to God’s wisdom and not to human wisdom and ways, to put our faith in God and His providence and not to depend on human ingenuity, power and strength. The Lord has shown us the path forward in life, and we should believe in Him and commit ourselves to His cause, allowing Him to lead and guide us down the right path, and not to allow ourselves to be distracted by worldly temptations and persuasions, all those that are able to cause us to be drawn away from the path towards God and His truth.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth regarding the importance of remaining vigilant against the temptations of pride and desire, of hubris, ego and ambition that can easily mislead them away from the path towards the Lord. The Apostle spoke against those who were divided against each other, being prejudiced against their fellow brothers and sisters simply because they had differences in opinions and thoughts. At that time, the community of the faithful in Corinth were divided among several groups due to the different preferences they had between following the different missionaries and leaders like St. Paul himself, as well as Apollos, the famous Jewish Christian preacher, and others.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Lord Himself speaking to the Pharisees and others regarding the matter of the Law of the Sabbath which the Pharisees found issue with Him and His disciples when the latter were picking the grains of the field to be eaten as they were very hungry. The Pharisees adopted a very strict and rigid view of the Law and they imposed this view and version of the Law on the people, looking down on those who did not obey the Lord the way that they had done it. They criticised others whom they deemed to be unworthy while praising and looking highly on themselves, considering them as the only ones worthy of God.

It was there that the Lord made the same reminder to all of us, that we must not fall into this temptation of pride and desire, the temptation of our ego and greed which can become the source of our downfall into sin. For through their preoccupation and obsession with their rigorous observation of the Law, that had led to them idolising themselves and being self-centred instead of focusing their attention on God. The Lord and His truth no longer became the focal point of their actions and lives, and as such, they became further and further away from God’s path, and dragged many others into the wrong paths in life.

That is why each and every one of us have been constantly reminded throughout this week to guard ourselves against all sorts of temptations found in our world. We should not easily succumb to the pressures and the temptations found all around us, all of which can drag us deep into the trap of sin and evil. We must constantly be vigilant and ready to resist the pleasures and e allures of wickedness, and strive to do our best to be ever faithful to God at all times and in all things. We are all reminded today that each and every one of us have been called to a new, holy existence through God and His Son. And we can do so by looking upon the examples set by the Lord Himself, His Apostles and our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs. And today, we have the examples of St. Teresa of Kolkata, also better known as Mother Teresa, as the great example, role model and inspiration that we should emulate in our lives today. St. Teresa of Kolkata and her actions in reaching out for the poor and the least fortunate should inspire us to do the same with our own lives.

St. Teresa of Kolkata was born as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu or Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in what is today Albania, to a family of Catholic Albanians, who was called early to her vocations when she was inspired by the story of missionaries and the works they did in the region of Bengal and India. Eventually, this led to the young Agnes joining the Sisters of Loreto, and aspiring to become a religious sister and missionary. She eventually went to India, and took up the name of Teresa upon entering the convent, living her life as a religious in caring for the needs of the community. During those years, St. Teresa was gradually more and more disturbed by the abject poverty which were rampant around her convent and school community. This eventually led to her embracing the new calling and mission of the Lord, beginning a new missionary outreach in caring for the poor, the sick and the dying, which led to the establishment of the Missionaries of Charity.

St. Teresa tirelessly worked hard for the sake of those to whom she had dedicated herself to, and inspired many others within her community with her dedication and efforts, while facing hardships, challenges and trials throughout her journey and mission. But she did not allow all those obstacles and hardships to distract or dissuade her from her commitment to her mission, or to her love for her fellow brothers and sisters, especially to the poorest, the last and the least among the people, and for all those who did not have anywhere else to go to, or anyone else to turn towards. St. Teresa established homes and care places to take care of those who were sick and dying, giving them the means to face suffering and death with dignity, caring for the least fortunate amongst us, and showing unto us the love of God manifested in our midst.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the well-known examples set by St. Teresa of Kolkata should serve to remind us to keep ourselves strongly dedicated to God, as well as to turn away from all sins and wickedness. We should instead be filled with genuine love from God, and with the desire to love our fellow brothers and sisters, much as what St. Teresa of Kolkata and all those inspired by her had done. All of us should do our part so that we may always seek to be ever more faithful and worthy of God, in all of our words and actions, in our every interactions and dealings, so that through us, and our works, we may ever be blessed and be filled with God’s grace. May God bless us always, in our every good works, efforts and endeavours. Amen.

by

Saturday, 5 September 2026 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Kolkata, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 6 : 1-5

At that time, one Sabbath Jesus was going through a field of grain, and His disciples began to pick heads of grain, crushing them in their hands for food. Some of the Pharisees asked them, “Why do you do what is forbidden on the Sabbath?”

Then Jesus spoke up and asked them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his men were hungry? He entered the house of God, took and ate the bread of the offering, and even gave some to his men, though only priests are allowed to eat that bread.”

And Jesus added, “The Son of Man is Lord and rules over the Sabbath.”