Saints

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Monday, 1 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Justin, Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 12 : 1-12

At that time, using parables, Jesus went on to say, “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press and built a watch tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenants and went abroad. In due time he sent a servant to receive from the tenants his share of the fruit. But they seized the servant, struck him and sent him back empty-handed.”

“Again the man sent another servant. They also struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent another and they killed him. In the same way they treated many others : some they beat up and others they killed. One was still left, his beloved son. And so, last of all, he sent him to the tenants, for he said, “They will respect my son.”

“But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let us kill him and the property will be ours.’ So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

And Jesus added, “Have you not read this text of the Scriptures : The stone which the builders rejected has become the keystone; this is the Lord’s doing, and we marvel at it?”

They wanted to arrest Him, for they realised that Jesus meant this parable for them, but they were afraid of the crowd; so they left Him and went away.

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Monday, 1 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Justin, Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 90 : 1-2, 14-15ab, 15c-16

You, who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who rest in the shadow of the Almighty, say to YHVH, “My Stronghold, my Refuge, my God in Whom I trust!”

“Because they cling to Me, I will rescue them,” says YHVH. “I will protect those who know My Name. When they call to Me, I will answer; in time of trouble, I will be with them.

“I will deliver and honour them. I will satisfy them with long life; and show them My salvation.”

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Monday, 1 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Justin, Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Peter 1 : 2-7

May grace and peace abound in you, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, Our Lord. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and piety. First, the knowledge of the One Who called us through His own glory and Might, by which we were given the most extraordinary and precious promises. Through them, you share in the divine nature, after repelling the corruption and evil desires of this world.

So, strive with the greatest determination, and increase your faith, with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with moderation, moderation with constancy, constancy with piety, piety with mutual affection, mutual affection with charity.

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Friday, 29 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, 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 called to put our faith and trust in the Lord, allowing Him to guide each and every one of us down the path of virtue and righteousness, in doing what He Himself has shown and taught us to do, to be truly faithful in all things and at all times, and not merely just being outwardly faithful but within us, we are lacking true and genuine faith and love for God. We are reminded that we should always strive to be honest and genuine in everything we say and do, in being good examples and inspirations in faith and way of life to everyone we encounter in our everyday moments and in all things.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle, in which the Apostle kept encouraging the faithful people of God and reminding them all that each and every one of them ought to show genuine love in all of their actions, in everything that they are doing so that through everything that they do, they will always show that fundamental Christian love which is at the core of all of our lives and actions, founded upon the ever generous and infinite love of God, and which He Himself has given to us most generously and wonderfully. And because God Himself has taught us how to love, in the same way that He has loved us all, then we too should show the same love to everyone around us, particularly to those dearest and most beloved to us.

Each and every one of us as Christians are called to be the reflections of God’s love, to be the ones to bear forth this love to everyone we encounter just as Christ Himself has shown us the love of God, manifested, made evident and clear for all of us to see and experience, reminding all of us of just how precious and beloved we are in the eyes of the Lord, our most loving God and Father. Each and every one of us ought to be the worthy bearers of the Good News of God, the words of our Lord’s salvation to the nations, and the best way is for all of us to show that love of God in our everyday moments and actions, to be the ones to role model what it truly means to be those whom God had called, chosen and saved.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the account of the moment when the Lord Jesus went to the Temple of Jerusalem and saw the wickedness of all the people who were there, the merchants and the money changers, many of whom had been making a lot of profits from their dishonest activities and works, in overcharging the pilgrims and other worshippers for the purchase of the Temple sacrificial animals and goods, as well as for their money changing services. First of all, we must understand why they were likely there in the first place, as the Jewish customs and practices made these two professions very crucial for the daily practices of the Temple as it was back then during the time of the Lord’s ministry.

At that time, the descendants of the Israelites, those descended from the original twelve tribes of Israel had long been scattered away from their homeland in the land of Israel, having been exiled, sent away and scattered all over the various countries and places, among other reasons, that they often no longer regularly practiced their faith and many had adopted the cultures and languages of the places where they lived in. And among those who still made the effort to return back to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple as required by the Law and customs of the Israelites, they likely brought with them the various kinds of money that they used in their places of residence, which according to the Law of the Israelites, were not allowed to be used for the purpose of the sacrificial offerings at the Temple.

That was because those coins likely bore the visage of the pagan gods, idols and rulers of those countries, like the Greek and the Roman coins of those era often did. As such, those coins could not be used to buy the sacrificial offerings, which were also difficult for the pilgrims themselves to bring from the places they lived in. Therefore, this was likely the background behind the proliferation of the merchants and the money changers at the Temple courtyard, thriving from the genuine need of those pilgrims to make the necessary money exchange and purchases to buy the Temple offerings. However, what the Lord lamented and was very vocal against was their greed and immoral attitudes in overcharging the people, among others, which brought about scandal to the Holy Name of God.

And as we heard from the experience that the Lord had with the fruitless fig tree, which He cursed and henceforth was found dried up and dead without any life in it, this is a reminder for all of us that the behaviours of the Temple officials and those corrupt merchants and money changers, which were outwardly faithful and devout, but in their actual behaviour and way of living their lives were in fact being wicked, scandalous and unfaithful, in their efforts to enrich their own pockets and in seeking their own advantages and benefits. This is what the Lord had warned His disciples against, and hence also all of us, that we do not end up being swayed by all these worldly ambitions and desires.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Paul VI, one of the recent Popes who reigned beginning from the time of the Second Vatican Council about sixty years ago, and the predecessor of the much beloved Pope St. John Paul II. Pope St. Paul VI was born as Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini or more commonly known as Giovanni Battista Montini, into a family of rural nobility at the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries. He was born in what is today part of northern Italy, and entered the seminary at a young age, ordained as priest and beginning a long career afterwards in the diplomatic service of the Holy See and the Roman Curia. He was known for his great organisational skills and he eventually became an acquaintance and assistant to Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who would become Pope Pius XII.

The then Monsignor Montini worked in the Secretariat of State together with Archbishop Domenico Tardini as close confidants of Pope Pius XII during the years of the Second World War and its aftermath. He helped to reply the letters to the Pope from various parts of the world in his capacity as an assistant and secretary, as the Pro-Secretary of State of the Holy See, managing the often difficult diplomatic situations at the time, as well as the problems with refugees and food shortage in Rome and its vicinity. And then, afterwards, after the war, Pope Pius XII eventually appointed Archbishop Montini to be the Archbishop of Milan after the death of the previous Archbishop. As Archbishop of Milan, Archbishop Montini, the future Pope continued to work diligently for the sake of his flock, and he was noted for his closeness to the workers and the less privileged.

When Pope St. John XXIII succeeded Pope Pius XII, he made Archbishop Montini as a Cardinal, and in the later preparations for the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Montini was often involved in its many preparatory sessions. When Pope St. John XXIII passed away early in the sessions of the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Montini was the clear favourite to succeed him, and he was indeed elected as Pope in the Year of Our Lord 1963, where he continued the good works of his predecessors, reforming the Church through the successful completion and conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, together with other series of reforms to the pastoral approach and governance of the Church.

Through his many efforts in reaching out to the marginalised and in reforming the approaches of the Church in evangelisation and in the interactions between the Church and the world, Pope St. Paul VI helped to bring the Church to more and more people, proclaiming the faith to more of those who have not yet known the Lord, and at the same time also help the world to understand the Church and the Christian faith, its teachings and all the precepts of the Christian faith more clearly. Pope St. Paul VI continued to work hard and to do lots of wonderful deeds throughout his Pontificate, inspiring many of the faithful even to this day through his good examples and commitment to God. He showed us all how we should live our lives as Christians, ever centred on God and not on the many worldly temptations around us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore commit ourselves anew to the Lord in the same way, following the good examples of Pope St. Paul VI and the many other great saints, holy men and women of God, in their lives and examples so that our own lives may truly shine forth, proclaiming God’s truth and salvation to more and more people. May all of us continue to do our part in our own respective ways, in our various callings and missions, to do what the Lord had entrusted to us to do, for His greater glory, and not for our own personal ambitions or worldly fame, satisfaction or pleasures. Let us all shun all the worldly ambitions, our ego and pride, and do our best so that our lives may truly be holy and worthy of God, at all times. Amen.

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Friday, 29 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Mark 11 : 11-25

At that time, Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the Temple. And after He had looked all around, as it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve. The next day, when they were leaving Bethany, He felt hungry. In the distance, He noticed a fig tree covered with leaves; so He went to see if He could find anything on it.

When He reached it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Then Jesus said to the fig tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit!” And His disciples heard these words. When they reached Jerusalem, Jesus went to the Temple, and began to drive away all the people He saw buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the stools of those who sold pigeons. And He would not let anyone carry anything through the Temple area.

Jesus then taught the people, “Does not God say in the Scriptures : My House will be called a House of Prayer for all the nations? But you have turned it into a den of thieves.”

The chief priests and the teachers of the Law heard of this, and they tried to  find a way to destroy Him. They were afraid of Him, because all the people were astonished by His teaching. When evening came, Jesus left the city.

Early next morning, as they walked along the road, the disciples saw the fig tree withered to its roots. Peter then said to Him, “Master, look! The fig tree You cursed has withered.” And Jesus replied, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and have no doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will happen, it will be done for you.”

“Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it shall be done for you. And when you stand to pray, if you have anything against anyone, forgive.”

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Friday, 29 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Psalm 95 : 10, 11-12a, 12b-13

Say among the nations, “YHVH reigns!” He will judge the peoples with justice.

Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound; let the fields exult and everything in them.

Let the forest, all the trees, sing for joy. Let them sing before YHVH Who comes to judge the earth. He will rule the world with justice, and the peoples, with fairness.

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Friday, 29 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

1 Peter 4 : 7-13

The end of all things is near; keep your minds calm and sober, for prayer. Above all, let your love for one another be sincere, for love covers a multitude of sins. Welcome one another into your houses without complaining. Serve one another with the gifts each of you received, thus becoming good managers of the varied graces of God.

If you speak, deliver the word of God; if you have a special ministry, let it be seen as God’s power, so that, in everything, God may be glorified, in Jesus Christ. To Him, belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

My dear people, do not be surprised at the testing, by fire, which is taking place among you, as though something strange were happening to you. Instead, you should be glad to share in the sufferings of Christ, because, on the day His glory is revealed, you will also fully rejoice.

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Wednesday, 27 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us are challenged to live lives that are truly worthy of the Lord, in doing all that God Himself has taught and shown us to do, and we are reminded that we live in this world not for the glorification of ourselves and our own personal ambitions and desires, but rather for the greater glory of God. We should not be those who seek for personal glory and achievements, all of the things which can lead us astray and distract us from our goal of following the Lord our God with our whole heart and commitment to Him. We are reminded that to be Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord, we are the ones who show the truth of God to the world.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words of the Apostle St. Peter in his first Epistle to the faithful and the Church in which he spoke of the new life and existence that each and every one of them had received from their Christian faith and beliefs, and how they all have been freed and redeemed from their past sinfulness and old way of life, the path of sin and idolatry which came from their previous origins and beliefs, especially and likely addressing all those who have embraced the faith and coming from the background of the pagan Roman, Greek and other beliefs, which were quite fundamentally different from the Christian faith and beliefs in their ways. That is why St. Peter reminded the faithful of the fact of how God had revealed to them the truth and Good News He had brought unto them so that they may truly be saved.

And St. Peter also mentioned how through the grace of baptism that they all have received and shared as the new and holy people of God, they had been made holy and pure, purified from their past sins and wickedness in their old way of life, which was full of immorality and debauchery as was common among the pagan beliefs and customs of that time, and by God’s grace they had been made whole and worthy once again. This is why all of us as Christians are reminded through the words of St. Peter to be truly faithful and committed to the Lord, to trust in Him and His words, in His ways and teachings so that we may continue to live our lives worthily in the manner that He has shown and taught us to follow.

This is why we are all reminded to live our lives in the way of the Lord, following the path that He has guided us through so that we will no longer continue to walk the path of selfishness and wickedness, or to indulge in worldly ambitions and desires that can lead us and others around us astray from the Lord. Not only that, but the unfortunate and sad reality of our faith and Church throughout all of its history and even up to the present day is that how many among us Catholics and even more so those who are in the positions of leadership and power, both from the members of the ordained and the laity, have abused their position and privileges, as well as misusing their power for their own benefits and ambitions which caused great scandals and hurts for many others around them, causing divisions and fractures in the united Body of Christ.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord to His disciples, particularly to the two among them, the sons of Zebedee, St. James and St. John, who had come to Him with their mother to ask for special favour for themselves. In this occasion, we must understand first of all how St. James and St. John were among the closest of the Lord’s disciples, the inner circle even among the Twelve themselves, together with St. Peter the Apostle. Three of them were often brought by the Lord to the most important events during His ministry, and they were also among the first disciples that the Lord had called and chosen from among the people.

Then, when they came seeking for the special favours and positions, we must understand that their request to sit at the left and right of the Lord when He would restore the kingdom to Israel was a request for worldly power and ambition. Why is that so? That is because in the common understanding among the people of God at the time, they were expecting the coming of the Messiah, the Son of David, Who was prophesied to come from the Lord, and they were expecting that He would reestablish the Kingdom of Israel as how it was during the glorious heyday of the golden age of that Kingdom under King David and King Solomon. Hence, St. James and St. John, and the other disciples, were all likely seeking for special favours, advantages and benefits to themselves by siding with the Lord, and they were all competing with each other for the Lord’s favour and attention.

But the Lord told them all off and reminded them all clearly that following Him was not about gaining worldly glory, benefits and pleasures, and instead, following Him would likely mean to share in His sufferings and trials, all the things that He Himself would have to endure at the hands of all those who would reject and refuse to listen to Him. He was also revealing to His disciples that His coming into this world and His mission was radically different from what the people had in mind or expected of Him, and they should not be seeking for personal ambitions and desires. Instead, they all must be prepared to face challenges and trials, persecutions and rejections just as the Lord Himself would come to experience. This is precisely what being true and genuine Christians is all about, brothers and sisters in Christ.

St. Augustine of Canterbury, whose feast we celebrate today, can inspire all of us in our actions and works as well, since this great saint and man of God had given his whole life to the service and the glory of God. He was a monk who was entrusted with the mission to proclaim the Christian faith in the British Isles, to proclaim the truth of God to those who have lost their path and to those who have not yet heard or known about the Christian faith and truth, the Good News of God. He was sent by Pope St. Gregory the Great to evangelise to the people of the British Isles, especially to England, where he ministered faithfully for many years, as the first Archbishop of Canterbury, establishing the first firm foundation for the Church in England.

Through his tireless efforts, St. Augustine of Canterbury helped to rebuild the English Church that had been through centuries of isolation, abandonment and neglect. Historically, the Christian faith had spread to the British isles through the Romans in the earlier centuries, but the downfall and withdrawal of Roman power and administration, as well as invasions from the Anglo-Saxons had disrupted many of the previously established Christian faith and structures, which St. Augustine of Canterbury had to rebuild once again. He worked hard to gain the trust of the local Anglo-Saxon kings and other rulers, who slowly began to open up to the Christian faith, while facing plenty of rejection and hardships. Nonetheless, through his patient efforts, eventually the faith became once again firmly established in England once more.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have discussed earlier and pondered through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that as Christians we are reminded to put God ahead of ourselves and to centre our lives around Him, and not on our own selfish desires, greed and ego, all of which can cause harm not only to ourselves but also to those around us whose livelihood can be negatively impacted by our selfish actions, causing rupture and divisions even to the unity of the Church. Instead, we are reminded that we should follow the examples of our holy predecessors, especially that of St. Augustine of Canterbury. Let us all be truly dedicated to God, be exemplary and faithful in all of our actions and deeds, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 27 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Mark 10 : 32-45

At that time, Jesus and His disciples were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead. The Twelve were anxious, and those who followed were afraid. Once more Jesus took the Twelve aside to tell them what was to happen to Him. 

“You see we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to the foreigners, who will make fun of Him, spit on Him, scourge Him and kill Him; but three days later He will rise.”

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to Him, “Master, we want You to grant us what we are going to ask of You.” And He said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They answered, “Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, when You come in Your glory.”

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptised in the way I am baptised?” They answered, “We can.” And Jesus told them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink; and you will be baptised in the way that I am baptised; but to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant. It has been prepared for others.”

On hearing this, the other ten were angry with James and John. Jesus then called them to Him and said, “As you know, the so-called rulers of the nations behave like tyrants, and those in authority oppress the people. But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. Think of the Son of Man, Who has not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life to redeem many.”

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Wednesday, 27 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Psalm 147 : 12-13, 14-15, 19-20

Exalt YHVH, o Jerusalem; praise your God, o Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your children within you.

He grants peace on your borders and feeds you with the finest grain. He sends His command to the earth and swiftly runs His word.

It is He, Who tells Jacob His words; His laws and decrees, to Israel. This, He has not done for other nations, so His laws remain unknown to them. Alleluia!