Saints

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that God has called upon each and every one of us to do His will, to do what He has entrusted to each one of us in a distinct and unique manner so that by our active participation in His will and works, we may truly obey what He has wanted us to do and that we may truly be fruitful in everything that we say and do. We are also reminded of God’s great and generous love, His persistent and enduring love and care for each and every one of us, the great love which He has lavished on us throughout time, all the kindness which He has provided so lovingly and selflessly all these while. Through this generous love of God, we are reminded that we are truly blessed and we should really appreciate this grace.

In our first reading today, we heard of the moment from the Book of Exodus when the Lord called Moses to be the one to deliver His message of hope and deliverance to His people, the Israelites being enslaved in Egypt, and to confront the Egyptians and their Pharaoh that they might set the people of God free. This happened as Moses was in the land of Midian, pasturing the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro during the time when he was in exile from Egypt after murdering an Egyptian slavemaster. He saw the Lord appearing in a miraculous burning bush and he encountered the Lord there at His mountain, and hearing God sending him out on the mission to rescue and lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt and to head to the Promised Land that He had promised their forefathers.

Moses received this mission from the Lord Who was acting to move His people out from suffering, because despite having endured a lot of tribulations and trials, the people of God were never forgotten and abandoned by God, Who have always loved them and remembered His Covenant with them. But the Egyptians and their Pharaoh chose to act with impunity and persecuted the Israelites through slavery and oppression. That was why, at the appointed time, according to His will, God moved and Moses was the one that He had chosen to bring His people out of the land of their misery, leading them to the land of milk and honey, a land of bounty and joy which God would grant to all of them.

Then, as we heard from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we are reminded that the Lord has revealed to us His will and intentions, all of which had been made clear and tangible to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One through Whom we have seen the love of God manifested perfectly before each one of us. And through His obedience to His Father’s will, in showing us the perfect example of what it truly means to be faithful, Christ our Lord has shown us all how we can follow God faithfully in all things, becoming the role models and inspirations for one another, becoming the beacons of hope and light for everyone around us, in living our lives and faith most committedly at all times.

And that is what we are all reminded to do, to be ever more faithful and dedicated to God, to follow the Lord in all and every moments of our lives, and to listen to Him speaking to us in the depths of our hearts and minds. We should allow the Lord to lead us down the path that He wants us all to walk in so that we may truly be good and virtuous Christians at all times, in each and every one of our actions, works and deeds, in our every dealings and interactions. God has called us all to be His faithful disciples and followers, to go forth and proclaim His truth and Good News in every possible opportunities, in doing our best to glorify Him by our lives and our every contributions, even in the smallest things that we do in life.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, remembering the occasion of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God, to St. Simon Stock in the region of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, from which the Carmelites get their name from, and which devotion would later be popularly known as the Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. At that time, during the time of the Crusades, Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared and gave the now popular brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to St. Simon Stock who then popularised this devotion at about the same time when the Carmelite order began in the late twelfth century.

Ever since then, the Carmelites and their devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, among their many other charisms and works continued to work wonders for the salvation of souls. Even after they had to leave the Holy Land due to the failure of the Crusades, the Carmelites continued to do many great works for God and His people, calling more and more people to salvation in Him and through Him, echoing how Moses brought the people of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt and into the land promised to them and their ancestors. Therefore, we too are called to leave behind our slavery to sin and darkness, and to embrace wholeheartedly the new life and existence which God is providing to us all, and which He has always reassured us all, all these while.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us all through the many challenges in life, through all of the difficult moments we may have to encounter in our paths and journeys. May He empower us all to be His worthy and committed disciples, allowing us to be truly good and worthy followers of His, to be the beacons of His light, truth and hope, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Matthew 11 : 25-27

At that time, Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise You; because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this was Your gracious will.”

“Everything has been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”

Alternative reading (Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Matthew 12 : 46-50

At that time, while Jesus was talking to the people, His mother and His brothers wanted to speak to Him, and they waited outside. So someone said to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with You.”

Jesus answered, “Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “Look! Here are My mother and My brothers. Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Psalm 102 : 1-2, 3-4, 6-7

Praise YHVH, my soul; all my being, praise His holy Name! Praise YHVH, my soul, and do not forget all His kindness.

He forgives all your sins and heals all your sickness; He redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with love and compassion.

YHVH restores justice and secures the rights of the oppressed. He has made known His ways to Moses; and His deeds, to the people of Israel.

Alternative Psalm (Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Exodus 3 : 1-6, 9-12

Moses pastured the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law, priest of Midian. One day he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the Mountain of God. The Angel of YHVH appeared to him by means of a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that although the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Moses thought, “I will go and see this amazing sight, why is the bush not burning up?” YHVH saw that Moses was drawing near to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He replied, “Here I am.” YHVH said to him, “Do not come near; take off your sandals because the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

And God continued, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face lest his eyes look on God. YHVH said, “The cry of the sons of Israel has reached Me and I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them. Go now! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God replied, “I will be with you and this will be the sign that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Alternative reading (Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Zechariah 2 : 14-17

Sing and rejoice, o daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people, but My dwelling is among you.”

The people of Judah will be for YHVH as His portion in His holy land. He will choose Jerusalem again. Keep still in YHVH’s presence, for He comes, having risen from His holy dwelling.

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of God’s love and providence, His kindness and compassion for all those who are dear and beloved to Him. God has always remembered us all in our good and bad times, and we are never forgotten or abandoned even when we cannot feel or see His Presence and works immediately. God is always with us regardless of the circumstances because He truly cares for us, and He has shown us His wonders and love again and again throughout history, in what He had done to His first-called people, the Israelites when they suffered in Egypt, and also in giving us all the best and most perfect gift of all, His own Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In our first reading today, we heard the continuation of the account from the Book of Exodus in which the moment when Moses was born was told to us. Moses was the one whom God had promised to His people to be the one to lead them all out of their slavery in the land of Egypt. At that time, the new generation of Pharaohs had arisen in Egypt that did not know about the great deeds of Joseph and his exploits, and feared the rapidly growing numbers and prosperity of the Israelites who were dwelling in the region of Goshen somewhere in the Nile River delta region. Therefore as we heard yesterday, the Pharaoh decreed first the enslavement of the Israelites, forced to do hard labour for the Egyptians, and then, in a more desperate effort, the order to throw all the sons born to the Israelites into the Nile River to try to destroy them as a nation.

But God was with His people and despite all these challenges that they faced, they kept on growing in numbers and in one of the babies which had been saved from the water by God’s interventions, it was Moses who was named as such because he had been taken out and rescued from the water by his adoptive mother, the Pharaoh’s daughter. According to tradition, the Pharaoh’s daughter was childless and hence, she took upon herself the Hebrew baby that she found floating on the Nile as her own adopted son, and that was how Moses grew up in the court of Pharaoh as an Egyptian prince. But then we heard how Moses grew up seeing the injustice faced by his people, the Israelites, who were persecuted and oppressed by the Egyptians, and he fled from Egypt after killing one of the Egyptian slavemasters that struck upon a Hebrew, one of his own people.

But God would be with Moses, who fled to the land of the Midianites, and after many years later, he would be called by God and would return back to Egypt with God’s mission and words to the Pharaoh, beginning the fulfilment of His promises to them and their ancestors, where by His power and might, God would rescue all of them, with the Ten Great Plagues that He sent unto Egypt, the Egyptians and their Pharaoh. All of these show us the great might of God and the enduring love and patience which God has always had for those who are dearly beloved to Him. And this is an important reminder for all of us not to take this same love which He has shown all of us for granted. We should always be grateful of God’s love and Providence, everything that He had done for our sake.

Then, in our Gospel passage, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His lamentations on the cities in the region of Galilee such as Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida. Why did the Lord make such denunciations and lamentations? That is because of the lack of faith which many of the people in those places had shown despite having witnessed and seen all the miracles and wonders that the Lord had performed before them all. Some among them, especially from among the Pharisees, doubted and criticised the Lord for His actions and teachings, questioning His authority and authenticity, and even accusing Him of colluding with evil spirits and demons in doing His works.

It is all these lack of faith and trust in the Lord, in all that God had done through His Son, sent into our midst, into this world to bring all of us into His loving embrace and salvation which had led to the lamentations and anguish that the Lord had spoken against those places. This was compared to the faith of those whom the people of God then often deemed to be sinners and unworthy, like those of the Syro-Phoenicians, those living in the region of Tyre and Sidon that the Lord mentioned, as a Syro-Phoenician woman had such great faith in the Lord that she believed in Him so wholeheartedly even against His harsh words towards her. And the Samaritans whom the Jewish people often regarded as heretics and pagans, proved to be more welcoming to the Lord and His words and teachings.

All these showed us that we must not be prejudiced against anyone, and we must realise that God truly loves each one of us, all of us mankind without limits and boundaries. He loves each one of us unconditionally and He has always patiently done so, even when we ourselves had not been faithful to Him, and even when we have taken His love and kindness for granted. Each and every one of us should strive to do what is right and just, in loving, following and obeying the Lord to the best of our abilities, in each and every moments in life so that by our love for Him and in loving one another in the same manner, we may truly be worthy to be called as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen as His own holy and beloved people.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Bonaventure, a renowned Franciscan bishop and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church who was remembered for his great many works and writings that eventually also earned him the honour of being one of the Doctors of the Church. St. Bonaventure was born in Italy during the High Middle Ages and while nothing much was known about his childhood and younger years, he eventually joined the Franciscans, and at the same time gaining great experiences and respect as an academic, earning his doctorate in theology which inspired him further in his many writings and works later on. St. Bonaventure was then also elected as the Minister General of the Franciscan Order, the overall head and authority over all the Franciscans.

He was also involved deeply in the works of reform of the Church at that time, before and after he helped the election of Pope Gregory X, who then appointed him as a Cardinal, as the Cardinal Bishop of Albano for his role in his election. St. Bonaventure continued to do great works in his various capacities, and it was well-known that he led the Franciscans in a moderate way, balancing faith and reason, making them very popular and outstanding in the Church. While he passed away not long after his appointment as Cardinal, St. Bonaventure’s legacy and inspiring works in various areas, especially in many matters of the faith and theology continued to touch the lives of many people even long after his lifetime.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon the words of the Scriptures that we have received today, remembering the love that He has always shown us, and through the inspiration and examples of St. Bonaventure, who has dedicated his life in the service of God and his fellow brothers and sisters. May the Lord help us all to be ever more faithful and committed to Him, to follow Him ever more wholeheartedly in each and every moments, becoming good role models and examples in faith to one another, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 11 : 20-24

At that time, Jesus began to denounce the cities in which He had performed most of His miracles, because the people there did not change their ways.

“Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon; it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.”

“And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead! For if the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would still be there today! But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 68 : 3, 14, 30-31, 33-34

I am sunk in the miry depths, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, swept and engulfed by the flood.

But I pray to You, o YHVH. At a time most favourable to You, in Your great love, o God, answer me, with Your unfailing help.

But I myself, am humbled and wounded; Your salvation, o God, will lift me up. I will praise the Name of God in song; I will glorify Him with thanksgiving.

Let the lowly witness this, and be glad. You who seek God, may your hearts be revived. For YHVH hears the needy; and does not despise those in captivity.

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Exodus 2 : 1-15a

Now a man belonging to the clan of Levi married a woman of his own tribe. She gave birth to a boy and, seeing that he was a beautiful child, she kept him hidden for three months. As she could not conceal him any longer, she made a basket out of papyrus leaves and coated it with tar and pitch. She then laid the child in the basket and placed it among the reeds near the bank of the Nile; but the sister of the child kept at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile; her attendants meanwhile walked along the bank. When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to fetch it. She opened the basket and saw the child – a boy, and he was crying! She felt sorry for him, for she thought : “This is one of the Hebrew children.”

Then the sister of the child said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, and the girl went to call the mother of the child. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take the child and nurse him for me and I will pay you.”

So the woman took the child and nursed him and, when the child had grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter who adopted him as her son. And she named him Moses to recall that she had drawn him out of the water. After a fairly long time, Moses, by now a grown man, wanted to meet his fellow Hebrews. He noticed how heavily they were burdened and he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own people.

He looked around and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day he saw two Hebrews quarrelling. Moses said to the man in the wrong, “Why are you striking a fellow countryman?” But he answered, “Who has set you prince and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must be known.” When Pharaoh heard about it he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.

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Monday, 14 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures that we received today, we are all reminded of the challenges and difficulties that we may have to encounter in our journey and path as Christians and as God’s holy and beloved people. This is because being a disciple and follower of the Lord does not mean that we will be free from hardships and challenges, trials and difficulties in life, unlike what some among us might have believed in. We must not delude ourselves into thinking that our lives will be absolutely happy and smooth after we have followed the Lord and been faithful to Him. Instead, we have to remind ourselves that we must be steadfast even in the face of the toughest challenges and trials.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of Exodus, we heard of the moment when the people of Israel, the descendants of Jacob living in Egypt after Joseph brought his whole extended family there, began to suffer the persecutions and oppressions by the new Pharaoh, king of Egypt who according to the accounts did not know the good deeds and works which Joseph had done for the Egyptians. Historically, Biblical scholars and historians had attributed this to the change of government or dynasty in Egypt, with the Pharaohs favourable to the Israelites hailing from among the Hyksos people that conquered and ruled Egypt for a period before they were overthrown by the local Egyptians.

That was why when the new rulers of Egypt came to power, they feared the growing numbers of the Israelites, who grew rapidly in numbers, being blessed by God in the land of Egypt. And that was how the Israelites came to be subjugated and enslaved by the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, who persecuted them badly and made use of them to do hard labour and works, beginning the period of enslavement, from which God would eventually save all of them from, through Moses, the one whom He would send to His beloved people to guide them out of the land of Egypt. And despite the efforts of the Pharaohs to eradicate and destroy the people of Israel, they kept on thriving regardless, as God was with them.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we are all reminded that being disciples and followers of the Lord will likely require us to face challenges and difficulties, and for us to make sacrifices and efforts to follow the Lord faithfully. And the Lord also presented the reality of how we may even face opposition, rejection and hardships from those who are closest to us, our own family members and closest friends at times. The Lord was telling this to His disciples in particular because at that time, the common perception was that when the Messiah was to come into the world, many thought or expected that the Messiah or Saviour would bring an era of everlasting peace and joy, glory and greatness to the people of God, reestablishing the glorious Kingdom of Israel as how it once was during the reigns of King David and King Solomon.

The Lord wanted His disciples and followers, and hence also all of us here to realise that being His disciples and followers will likely entail obstacles and opposition because ultimately, the world and its ways hate the Lord and His truth, His ways and righteousness. And that is why His disciples and followers, all those who adhere to His path, all of these, including each and every one of us will be tested and made to endure hardships, instead of enjoying immediate joy and satisfaction in life. It does not mean that our lives will be completely miserable, but we must not have the unrealistic expectation that our lives will be totally free from trouble, or that everything that we want and desire will be fulfilled. We have to prepare and strengthen ourselves, our resolve and commitment that we may always be faithful as disciples of Christ.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Camillus de Lellis, the founder of the religious order of the Camillians, dedicated to the care of the sick, and was famous for his great efforts and works in caring for the ones who have suffered physical maladies and difficulties. He was born during the time of the Renaissance in Italy and he had a rather neglected childhood and upbringing as his mother passed away when he was young while his father as an army officer was rarely home. As he grew up, he followed his father in his career, serving in the military for a number of years, and after a rather tough period of time, and having lost his possessions through gambling, he sought to join the Capuchin friars only to be rejected because of a persistent leg wound he was suffering from.

And that was how he ended up establishing a new religious order with several others who were also called to minister to the service to the patients and the sick in the hospital, which would eventually be known as the Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers of the Infirm, known more popularly by their association with their founder, St. Camillus de Lellis himself, as the Camillians. Together, St. Camillus de Lellis and his fellow workers of the faith ministered to the people who were suffering from various sicknesses and committed to care for them until their dying moments, and they cared for many during the numerous occasions of epidemics that broke out throughout Italy at that time and beyond. While he himself was suffering from ailments, St. Camillus de Lellis did not allow those ailments to stop him from helping others who were in need, and it was told that he would even crawl when he was unable to walk towards his patients.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we remember the inspiring examples and faith shown to us by St. Camillus de Lellis, we ought to keep in mind that each and every one of us are called and challenged to live our lives ever more faithfully in each and every moments, to serve God and to help one another, showing genuine love and concern as St. Camillus de Lellis and our many other holy predecessors had done in their lives and ministry. May the Lord continue to help and guide us, strengthen each one of us in our commitment to walk ever more faithfully in what the Lord Himself has called us to do, in each and every moments of our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 14 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Matthew 10 : 34 – Matthew 11 : 1

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Do not think that I have come to establish peace on earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. Each one will have as enemies, those of one’s own family.”

“Whoever loves father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And whoever loves son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life, for My sake, will find it.”

“Whoever welcomes you, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes Him Who sent Me. The one who welcomes a prophet, as a prophet, will receive the reward of a prophet; the one who welcomes a just man, because he is a just man, will receive the reward of a just man.”

“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is My disciple, I assure you, he will not go unrewarded.”

When Jesus had finished giving His twelve disciples these instructions, He went on from there to teach and proclaim His message in their towns.