Saints

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Wednesday, 22 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that all of us have been shown the way how we ought to live our lives, being virtuous and righteous in all things, doing our best to resist the temptations to sin and doing our best to commit our lives to a worthy existence in God’s Presence. We should always be doing our part in obeying the Law and commandments, and doing what God wants us to do, in living our lives to the fullest in the manner that inspires confidence and faith in many others around us. We should be good role models and examples for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, leading more and more people towards God by our good examples and lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Rome, the Apostle continued to remind the faithful followers of the Lord there of the need to distance themselves from sin and evil, all the things which can lead us astray from the path of the Lord. As Christians, each and every one of us are reminded that the Lord has freed us from our sins and trespasses, our debts and all those things that are obstacles in our paths towards Him. That is why we should do our best to resist being tempted by those sins, which can still lead us away from God, and seek the goodness of God and His love instead of the many ambitions, pursuits and glory of this world. All of us are reminded that as Christians we should always strive to be worthy of God, holy and virtuous in all of our dealings and actions.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself telling His disciples using a parable to highlight just how important it is for all of those who follow Him to be ever vigilant and ready, keeping themselves above reproach and be truly worthy in all of their words, actions and deeds. They should not think that they could get away with not doing as what their Lord and Master wanted them to do, as just how in the parable, the master’s servants who delayed, disregarded and neglected their responsibilities were punished in the end for having abandoned and ignored what they were supposed to do. That is the same therefore as what is expected of all of us as Christians in our own respective lives, that we should always be exemplary in our own lives.

We have been given the many opportunities and means for all of us to do what God has entrusted to us, and therefore it is important that we should continue to make good use of them whenever and wherever possible so that we will continue to exercise good judgment and decision in how we can use those blessings, opportunities and good things for the greater glory of God, for the good and benefit of God’s faithful, for our fellow brothers and sisters around us. In all the things that we do let us always be mindful of how our actions, our words and our every moments can impact those around us negatively or positively, depending on how we use these opportunities and what we do. This is why we should always continue to live our lives worthily in the Lord.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of one of the great recent saint, whose name and memories must be familiar to so many among us both young and old, as he was the leader of the Universal Church as the Successor of St. Peter, the Pope and Bishop of Rome. Pope St. John Paul II, also known by his birth name as Karol Jozef Wojtyla, the first Polish Pope and non-Italian Pope after close to five hundred years. Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born in Poland after the First World War to a loving family, but unfortunately, he lost his family members one by one, beginning with his mother, then his elder brother and finally his father, during the harsh early years of the Second World War.

The young Karol Wojtyla suffered hardships during the war years, and during that time, he went through discreet seminary preparation as he committed himself to priesthood. He was ordained a priest, and then went through another hard period of oppression of Christians by the Communists, who were in power at that time. Christians were persecuted and oppressed, but Fr. Wojtyla cared for the needs of his flock, and this quiet obedience and commitment to the Lord eventually led to him being chosen as first the Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow, and then succeeding as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow, and from there on, his participation as a leader of the Church continued to rise on.

After being made a Cardinal by the Pope, the then Cardinal Wojtyla continued to fight for the rights of the Christians in his homeland, in Krakow and elsewhere, and he was particularly remembered for his period of struggle against the Communist government, as he led the faithful in the effort to establish a church in the new town of Nowa Huta, which the Communist government had touted back then as a churchless town, in a seeming symbol of triumph of Communism over the Christian faith. Cardinal Wojtyla helped to lead the campaign which eventually led to the completion of the church and shrine at Nowa Huta of the now famous Black Madonna of Nowa Huta.

He was then elected as the successor of St. Peter as the Pope and leader of the Universal Church. As Pope St. John Paul II, he led the Church on a great campaign of renewal, in leading the Church through efforts to evangelise to many more people, to lead to the greater unity within the Church, the repair of relations between the separated brethren among the Christian Church splinters, as well as in his great and memorable role in leading to the downfall of Communism, which happened just over a decade after he took over as the Pope and leader of the Church. He travelled to many countries, more than any Popes ever before and ever since until today, and as the Apostles long before his time and ours, Pope St. John Paul II continued to carry on the mission entrusted to the Church of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as Pope St. John Paul II has shown us all, each and every one of us are called to be courageous and committed disciples of the Lord, striving to do His will at all times and circumstances. All of us as Christians should always strive to live our lives worthily of the Lord at all times, to do God’s will at all time. Let us all be good role models and examples for everyone and let us continue to inspire many more people to follow God’s will just as Pope St. John Paul II had inspired us all. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 22 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Luke 12 : 39-48

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Pay attention to this : If the master of the house had known at what time the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”

Peter said, “Lord, did You tell this parable only for us, or for everyone?” And the Lord replied, “Imagine, then, the wise and faithful steward, whom the master sets over his other servants, to give them wheat at the proper time. Fortunate is this servant if his master, on coming home, finds him doing his work. Truly, I say to you, the master will put him in charge of all his property.”

“But it may be that the steward thinks, ‘My lord delays in coming,’ and he begins to abuse the male servants and the servant girls, eating and drinking and getting drunk. Then the master will come on a day he does not expect, and at an hour he does not know. He will cut him off, and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.”

“The servant who knew his master’s will, but did not prepare and do what his master wanted, will be soundly beaten; but the one who does unconsciously what deserves punishment, shall receive fewer blows. Much will be required of the one who has been given much, and more will be asked of the one who has been entrusted with more.”

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Wednesday, 22 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Psalm 123 : 1-3, 4-6, 7-8

Had not YHVH been on our side – let Israel say – had not YHVH been on our side, when people rose up against us, then, they would have swallowed us alive; such was their anger against us.

A bit more, and the flood would have engulfed us; the torrent would have swept over us; the raging waters would have swept us away. Blessed be YHVH, Who did not let us be devoured.

Like a bird, our soul escaped from the snare of the fowler; the snare was broken and we were freed. Our help is in the Name of YHVH, Who made heaven and earth.

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Wednesday, 22 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Romans 6 : 12-18

Do not allow sin any control over your mortal bodies; do not submit yourselves to its evil inclinations, and do not give your members over to sin, as instruments to do evil. On the contrary, offer yourselves, as persons returned from death to life, and let the members of your body be as holy instruments, at the service of God. Sin will not lord it over you again, for you are not under the Law, but under grace.

I ask again : are we to sin because we are not under the Law, but under grace? Certainly not. If you have given yourselves up to someone as his slave, you are to obey the one who commands you, are you not? Now, with sin, you go to death, and by accepting faith, you go the right way.

Let us give thanks to God, for, after having sin as your master, you have been given to another, that is, to the doctrine of faith, to which you listen willingly. And being free from sin, you began to serve true righteousness.

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, one of the Four Evangelists who wrote the four Canonical Gospels together with St. Matthew, St. Mark and St. John. These four Canonical Gospels had been examined thoroughly by the early Church fathers and by the Church authorities in tandem with the traditions of the Church handed from the Apostles themselves, and they were found to be free from major errors and mistakes that characterised the other Gospels that might also have not been really authentic accounts of the Lord’s life and ministry. Through the authority of the Church and by the courageous works of St. Luke the Evangelist, who was rather detailed in his depiction of the life and works of Jesus, all of us Christians come to know our Lord in much greater detail.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to St. Timothy, one of his protege and one of the successors of the Apostles, regarding what had happened during his years of ministry and times of difficulties and challenges, as he was abandoned by some of his fellow co-workers of the Lord, and how some of them ended up in discord with each other. And in that particular passage, we heard how St. Luke the Evangelist himself was one of the companions of St. Paul during his many missionary journeys and works around the Mediterranean region, and that he was the only one who stayed by with St. Paul in this particular occasions despite the others having left and abandoned him during those time in ministry and journey.

St. Luke was indeed closely involved in the works of the Apostles in the early Church, having spent significant amount of time with the Apostles, particularly with that of St. Paul. That is why he is widely credited and acknowledged as the author of the important Acts of the Apostles, one of the major parts of the New Testament, becoming an important source of the works of the Apostles particularly that of St. Paul and his many major missionary journeys to the different parts of the Mediterranean and the known world at the time. The similarities between the styles of the writing and the fact that St. Luke himself followed St. Paul on his many ministries made it quite a clear conclusion of his authorship of both the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, in which the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples to go before Him on missions to the various places that He Himself was to visit as well, both to prepare His works and to extend His ministry and reach to more people that He could not directly meet and reach in person immediately. He instructed them all on what they ought to do, saying first that while the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers for the Lord’s harvest is few, highlighting how there are indeed a lot of opportunities for the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to be spread to many more people, but the lack of faithful and courageous missionaries was preventing this from achieving its full potential.

The work of the Lord’s missionaries as He told them all frankly was to be rather challenging and difficult, much as what St. Paul, St. Luke and the other missionaries and disciples of the Lord would encounter later on during their journeys of mission and evangelisation far beyond the scope and boundary of what the Lord sent His original seventy-two disciples in the Gospel. But He encouraged them, telling them all that He would always be with them and that they would never be alone because God Himself would guide them all through His Holy Spirit, and also the reality that they would not always encounter success but also failures and rejections. There would be those who refused to believe in the Lord and in the message which the missionaries had brought, despite their efforts and works.

But the Lord told them all to remain strong and courageous, and to trust in Him wholly in their efforts and missions, and not to put their trust in their own strength and might. That was why the Lord told His disciples and those whom He sent out that they should not be bringing with them beyond what was absolutely necessary, with them having to depend on those to whom they had been sent with. This was meant to prevent those disciples from thinking that they had their successes due to their own might and power, instead of by the grace and guidance from God. And when they gave in to their temptations of pride and glory, and think that they gained their successes through their own power, that would be when the essence of the mission would be lost, and people end up seeking their own personal ambitions rather than truly serving God’s cause.

St. Paul and St. Luke among the many other missionaries took these instructions of the Lord to heart, and throughout their missions, they carried them out humbly and faithfully before God, doing whatever they could to proclaim the truth of God, His Good News and salvation, showing His love and grace to many people to whom they had gone to, establishing the Church and its many good works in various places, while enduring many difficulties, trials and challenges, opposition from the many people who refused to accept the Lord’s truth and Good News, which they carried and endured gracefully with God’s Providence and strength. They kept on going forward nonetheless, as with the many failures and hardships they encountered, there were also many successes and great things that they had accomplished for the sake of the Lord and the salvation of souls.

Now, let us spend some time reflecting on the life of St. Luke the Evangelist himself. St. Luke was a physician and a disciple and follower of St. Paul the Apostle as mentioned earlier, and St. Luke was likely born of a Greek family in the then Hellenistic city of Antioch in Syria, where he encountered early Christians and became a convert to the Faith. Some tradition held that he was a local Syrian or a Hellenised Jew living in Antioch, but regardless of his origins and background, St. Luke was notable for his educated background and capabilities, and often followed St. Paul in his travels, as well as keeping track of the works and actions of the other Apostles, which allowed him therefore to write the accounts on the works and actions of the Apostles and their companions as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.

St. Luke was also a close collaborator of the faith, and was sometimes even included among the Apostles as he was considered by some Church fathers to have been part and member of the seventy or seventy-two disciples or Apostles highlighted in the Gospel passage today, those whom the Lord had chosen in the Gospels to be the ones that He sent out before Him to carry out His missions and works. He followed some of the other disciples and Apostles in their ministry, particularly that of St. Paul, whom he accompanied even in Rome, as St. Paul himself said that he was only accompanied by St. Luke in his time there. St. Luke therefore had in depth knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the works of the Lord’s disciples and the Church, as well as the events that happened back then, and his prodigious writing skills and talents contributed greatly to the Church.

According to the Church traditions and well-attested history, St. Luke continued to minister to the faithful in various ways, and went all around various places in supporting the works of the Church, as a missionary as well as a physician, caring for the spiritual and physical needs of God’s people. Eventually, he would live on to an old age of approximately eighty-four years old and passed away in Boeotia in what is parts of Central Greece today. Despite his passing, his enormous contributions in various areas, especially his detailed recollection and record of the Lord’s ministry in his Gospel, and also those of the Apostles in the Acts of the Apostles and other works influenced many others immensely, right up to our own time.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the faith and good examples set by St. Luke the Evangelist and the other courageous missionaries of the Lord. Let us all be ever active in living our lives faithfully according to the words and teachings of the Lord contained in the Holy Gospels, and in the other parts of the Scriptures, in the teachings of the Church magisterium and the sacred traditions from the days of the Apostles themselves. Let us all continue to inspire one another as Christians so that our lives and works, our efforts and examples may touch and inspire the lives of so many others around us. May God be with us always, and may He continue to empower each and every one of us in how we live our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 10 : 1-9

At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them, two by two, ahead of Him, to every town and place, where He Himself was to go. And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to His harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.”

“Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.”

“When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them : ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.'”

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 144 : 10-11, 12-13ab, 17-18

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o YHVH, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom, and speak of Your power.

That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign, and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endured, from generation to generation.

Righteous is YHVH in all His ways, His mercy shows in all His deeds. He is near those who call on Him, who call trustfully upon His Name.

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Timothy 4 : 10-17b

You must know, that Demas has deserted me, for the love of this world : he returned to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is a useful helper in my work. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

Bring with you the cloak I left at Troas, in Carpos’ house, and also the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander, the metalworker, has caused me great harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. Distrust him, for he has been very much opposed to our preaching.

At my first hearing in court, no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength, to proclaim the word fully, and to let all the pagans hear it.

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Friday, 17 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures presented to us, we are reminded that all of us are truly dear and beloved to God, and by the account of our faith, trust and hope in Him we have been assured of the Lord’s favour and providence, and if we continue to live our lives ever more faithfully, making our faith truly alive and truly growing in us, and not merely an outward expression or focusing on appearances, then the Lord Who sees all and knows all will indeed bless and provide us with everything that we need, and we will not lack anything because all things we need will be available for us, in God’s providence and care. Instead of worrying about how we are to live and what we will have, we should focus on trusting in the Lord and just do our best in each and every moments of our lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, continuing from what we have heard in the past few days, of him exhorting the faithful there to continue to put their trust in God and to believe in Him regardless, and to be united as one Church of God despite all the forces that may seek to divide them all, to overcome the divisions due to their various backgrounds, with some among them coming from among the Jewish diaspora population in Rome, while others were converts from the non-Jewish or Gentile population in Rome, from the Romans themselves, Greeks and many others. Definitely there were some frictions and disagreements between them, but St. Paul told them all to overcome those differences and to remain truly faithful and centred on God.

And in today’s passage, we heard of the mention of how those who have obeyed and trusted the Lord, would be blessed by God and made worthy. The examples of Abraham and David were mentioned to us, particularly that of Abraham. Both were very revered figures in the history of the Israelites, as those who have had great faith in the Lord, and which St. Paul likely quoted to highlight his point on the importance of faith in one’s life as a Christian. Abraham trusted faithfully in God and followed Him even when he was not yet able to see the things that God had promised and reassured him with, and eventually by his faith and by the good actions and works that emanated from that faith, he received everything that he had been promised, even long after his passing.

Meanwhile, David also put his faith in God even through the most difficult moments in his life. When he faced the giant Philistine champion Goliath, he trusted in the Lord and not in the might of his own arms and armour. By God’s grace and guidance he managed to triumph against his enemy, and this happened again many more times throughout the entirety of his life, from being a young shepherd boy, to the slayer of Goliath, then to a fugitive from the court of Saul, King of Israel, and finally as King of Israel himself. David kept on believing in God and never lost faith in Him even through the most difficult times, and it is this faith which we ourselves ought to have in God as well, and we should inspire others around us to remain strong in their own faith as well.

Then, from the Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord concluding His rebuke and criticism of the Pharisees, of the manner of how they had not been truly obedient to the Lord and how they had been wayward in their observation and their manner of practicing and enforcing the Law of God, which had been passed down to them and entrusted to them to teach and show the people on how they can live their lives more faithfully in God’s ways. Instead, the Pharisees had been hypocrites in their faith, placing heavy burdens on the people and on their condemnations of those whom they deemed to be inferior to them and to be unforgiveable sinners. And yet, God’s mercy and forgiveness were truly great and boundless, extended to everyone who seek for them.

God reassures His people through His Son, that His mercy, love and compassion are extended to all of them without exception, and He does not want any one of us to be lost to Him, as He has always been ever patient in caring for us and providing for us. Hence, we should always grow ever stronger in faith in Him and in our trust in the Lord’s Providence, knowing that we are more precious than anything else, and God will not purposefully abandon us to destruction and darkness. He has given us all the best benefits and the perfect gift through His own Son, and we should indeed appreciate everything that He had done for us, all the kindness and patience that He has shown us without exception, all the patient and generous love that He has always had for us, and this is what we are reminded of, that we should always be faithful to Him at all times.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch, one of the earliest Church fathers and leaders of the Church, whose faith and dedication to the Lord was truly exemplary and great, and whose commitment and obedience, focus and emphasis on the Lord remains strong and firm despite his important position in the Church, as he led the flock entrusted to him with great zeal, courage and faith at all times. St. Ignatius of Antioch was one of the earliest Bishops of Antioch, as the successor of the Apostles, in being a disciple and follower of St. John the Apostle according to the Apostolic and Chruch traditions. He was also known as Theophorus, or God-Bearer, as according to some traditions, he was one of the children who had been brought to the Lord and blessed by Him.

St. Ignatius of Antioch dedicated himself to the well-being of his people, in spreading the Good News of God and the truth, love and hope that the Lord has revealed to His Apostles and disciples. Antioch was then one of the early and major centres of the Christian faith, and many people each day converted to the faith thanks to the efforts of the Apostles and their successors, including that of St. Ignatius of Antioch himself. St. Ignatius of Antioch courageously carried out his duties with great humility, and with great commitment and devotion, to be the Good Shepherd in managing the people of God and leading them to the right path. He was martyred during one of the persecutions of Christians running rampant at that time, but until the very end, St. Ignatius of Antioch has always remained firm in his conviction and faith in God, in serving Him all the time, throughout his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind each other of the great love of God for us, and how fortunate we have been to receive the great graces and blessings from Him. And we should not therefore not taken Him and His patient love for granted. Let us all continue to lead lives that are righteous and worthy of Him at all times, doing our best to lead more and more people towards Him, now and always, through our own exemplary lives and actions. Amen.

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Friday, 17 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 12 : 1-7

At that time, such a numerous crowd had gathered that they crushed one another. Then Jesus spoke to His disciples in this way, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered; or hidden, that will not be made known. Whatever you have said in darkness will be heard in daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places, will be proclaimed from housetops.”

“I tell you, My friends, do not fear those who put to death the body and, after that, can do no more. But I will tell you Whom to fear : Fear the One Who, after killing you, is able to throw you into hell. This One you must fear. Do you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? Yet not one of them has been forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have been numbered. Do not be afraid! Are you less worthy in the eyes of God than many sparrows?”