St. Joseph

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Thursday, 1 May 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we mark the occasion of the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, the patron saint of all workers and those who labour in this world, which is essentially many among us who toil, labour and work each day to make ends meet and to provide for our families and loved ones. This celebration of St. Joseph the Worker is a response from the Church, instituted by Pope Pius XII exactly seventy years ago in the Year of Our Lord 1955, to mark the occasion of May Day, also known as Labour Day. Back then, communism was ascendant throughout most of the world, a great force of evil and wickedness that caused a lot of hardships for the Christians in many areas. And the labour movement was key to the growth of communist ideology, which the Pope then therefore decided to counter by invoking the patronage of St. Joseph over all the workers.

In our first reading today, we heard from the account of the creation of the world and the universe by the Lord from the Book of Genesis, in which God our Master and Creator made all things to be, and today’s passage focus specifically on the creation of mankind, all of us, who have been created in God’s own image and likeness, to be the ones to share His love and blessings, His grace and compassionate kindness. We have been created as the pinnacle of God’s creation and we have been made such that we may be the ones to take good care of everything which God had created. Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, that account of creation of man reminds us all that all of us share the responsibility of living our lives virtuously and with proper guidance from God, in how we exercise our control and use of the many resources and things that have been entrusted to us in this world.

It is an important reminder for us that in our daily living in this world, in how we carry on our lives, we must always be centred on God and do everything for the greatness of God, in all of our work, our toils, struggles, labours and in everything that we say and do. We must not easily be swayed by the many temptations and desires present all around us which may lead us astray, keeping us away from the Lord and His righteous path. Many among us and our predecessors had been so tempted and attached to the many worldly desires and ambitions all around us such that we seek and desire for them, in the expense of our own connection with God and others, and in many of those occasions in fact, many among us have caused hurt and sufferings to others because of our desires and attachments to our ambitions and pride.

Instead we are all called to reorientate ourselves and our lives, our works and efforts to the Lord. We should do our work, efforts, labours and toils not for our own selfish desires and advantages, for our desire for money, pleasures and all the things which can bring us ever further away from God. We should dedicate ourselves to the Lord instead and strive to do our best such that we always perform each work and actions with God at the centre of our existence and efforts. Our good works and labours should always be fruitful and good for everyone around us, and responsible to this world and creation which God had made for us all. We are the stewards entrusted with God with this world around us, and not just the world itself, but also with one another, our fellow brothers and sisters around us.

Then from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew in which the people of Nazareth confronting the Lord Jesus when He returned back to His hometown of Nazareth and taught in their synagogue. He proclaimed the words of the Scriptures taken from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, in which the prophecy of the Messiah was contained. In that prophecy, Isaiah spoke of the coming of God’s salvation through the signs and wonders that would accompany the coming of His Messiah or Saviour, and the Lord proclaimed that everything had indeed come true just as the Lord had said it would be, and that He Himself is the Saviour that God had promised to His people, and that very day they heard the words of Isaiah, everything had been fulfilled according to God’s will and plan.

But as we heard, the people of Nazareth grumbled and complained, because to them, Jesus was merely the Son of the village carpenter, the One Whom they thought they had known for many years, and therefore it was impossible for them, in their perception, that Jesus could be the very Messiah that the prophet Isaiah had spoken about, and they also doubted what they had heard about the Wisdom and the many miracles that Jesus had performed, despite having witnessed and heard these themselves, with their own eyes and ears. All these were caused by their own prejudices and biases, their arrogance and expectations. They thought that since carpenter was then a very poorly regarded job, often disregarded and being prejudiced against, as the job for the uneducated and the poor, therefore it was impossible for the Lord Jesus to be Who He said He was, according to their prejudices and ideas.

The Lord wants to show us all therefore that we should not be preoccupied by titles, by prestige or other worldly matters and ideals which often framed how we perceive things around us. As employees, many of us often looked down on ourselves just because we perceive or think that our kind and nature of work is something that is less worthy or ideal, and the same can be said of employers too, that we as employers tend to look down on our own employees and on those whom we deem to be less worthy, inferior and not as good as ours in livelihood and work. Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not the attitude that any one of us as Christian workers and faithful should be adopting, and we should keep ourselves distant and free from the shackles of these worldly desires and ambitions which can lead us down the wrong path in life.

Therefore, we invoke the patronage of St. Joseph the Worker, the faithful and courageous, virtuous and just St. Joseph, the foster-father of the Lord, a simple and yet great carpenter, the ever hardworking servant of God who lived his life with great virtues and as good role models for all of us, just as he had been great role model and teacher for his foster Son, our Lord Jesus Himself. Let us all follow his good examples, his virtues, faith and dedication to God, so that by our own works, blessed by God, our own willingness to walk the path of our Christian faith with true dedication and commitment to God, we shall come ever closer to the Lord and His Presence, and be worthy one day to share in the eternal inheritance that He has promised to all those who are faithful to Him.

May the Lord, our most wonderful and loving Master continue to bless each and every one of us, and bless us with the strength, courage and perseverance especially when we encounter a lot of hardships and challenges in our lives. May our lives continue to bring glory to God and may He continue to guide us all with the examples like that shown by St. Joseph the Worker, our inspiration and example, in our own commitment to live a truly faithful Christian life, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 1 May 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 3 : 31-36

At that time, John the Baptist said, “He Who comes from above is above all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth, and his words belong to the earth. He Who comes from heaven speaks of the things He has seen and heard; He bears witness to these things, but no one accepts His testimony. Whoever does receive His testimony acknowledges the truthfulness of God.”

“The One sent by God speaks God’s words, and gives the Spirit unstintingly. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything into His hands. Whoever believes in the Son lives with eternal life; but he who will not believe in the Son will never know life, and always faces the justice of God.”

Alternative reading (Mass of St. Joseph)

Matthew 13 : 54-58

At that time, Jesus went to His hometown and taught the people in their synagogue. They were amazed and said, “Where did He get this wisdom and these special powers? Is He not the carpenter’s Son? Is Mary not His mother and are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas not His brothers? Are not all His sisters living here? How did He get all this?” And so they took offence at Him.

Jesus said to them, “The only place where prophets are not welcome is their hometown and in their own family.” And He did not perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

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Thursday, 1 May 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 33 : 2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

I will bless the Lord all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. Oh, see and taste the goodness of the Lord! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

But His face is set against the wicked to destroy their memory from the earth. The Lord hears the cry of the righteous and rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the distraught. Many are the troubles of the just, but the Lord delivers them from all.

Alternative Psalm (Mass of St. Joseph)

Psalm 89 : 2, 3-4, 12-13, 14 and 16

Before the mountains were formed, before You made the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity – You are God.

You turn humans back to dust, saying, “Return, o mortals!” A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.

So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. How long will You be angry, o Lord? Have mercy on Your servant.

Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. Let Your work be seen by Your servants and Your glorious power by their children.

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Thursday, 1 May 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Joseph the Worker (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 5 : 27-33

So the High Priest and his supporters brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Council and the High Priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders not to preach such a Saviour; but you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend charging us with the killing of this Man.”

To this Peter and the Apostles replied, “Better for us to obey God rather than any human authority! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus Whom you killed by hanging Him on a wooden post. God set Him at His right hand as Leader and Saviour, to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses to all these things, as well as the Holy Spirit Whom God has given to those who obey Him.

When the Council heard this, they became very angry and wanted to kill them.

Alternative reading (Mass of St. Joseph)

Genesis 1 : 26 – Genesis 2 : 3

God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, to Our likeness. Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, over the cattle, over the wild animals, and over all creeping things that crawl along the ground.” So God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it, rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the sky, over every living creature that moves on the ground.” God said, “I have given you every seed bearing plants which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree that bears fruit with seed. It will be for your food. To every wild animal, to every bird of the sky, to everything that creeps along the ground, to everything that has the breath of life, I give every green plant for food.” So it was.

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. There was evening and there was morning : the sixth day. That was the way the sky and earth were created and all their vast array. By the seventh day the work God had done was completed, and He rested on the seventh day from all the work He had done. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day He rested from all the work He had done in His creation.

Alternative reading (Mass of St. Joseph)

Colossians 3 : 14-15, 17, 23-24

Above all, clothe yourselves with love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. May the peace of Christ overflow in your hearts; for this end you were called to be one body. And be thankful. And whatever you do or say, do it in the Name of Jesus, the Lord, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, working for the Lord, and not for humans. You well know, that the Lord will reward you with the inheritance. You are servants, but your Lord is Christ.

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Wednesday, 19 March 2025 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church marks the occasion of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as the husband of the Mother of God, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. St. Joseph therefore is the foster-father and legal guardian of the Lord, Who was born into his family. St. Joseph is the Protector and titular head of the Holy Family centred on Jesus, the Son of God and Saviour of all. On this day we honour this great figure of the story of our salvation, the one who has devoted himself thoroughly to the mission that has been entrusted to him, in protecting and guiding the Son of God which has been put in his guardianship. St. Joseph was this great example and role model for his foster and legal Son, and his righteousness and actions are themselves examples for us to follow.

In our first reading today, we heard from the second Book of the prophet Samuel in which the Lord told David, the then King of Israel, through His prophet Nathan regarding His response about the plan that King David had in wanting to build a great Temple and House of God in Jerusalem. The Lord told David that it would not be him that build the Temple and House for the Lord, but his son, the next king, King Solomon, who eventually built this great edifice and House of God. But more importantly in the same words of the Lord through the prophet Nathan, God assured David that He would bless him and his house forever, and his house would reign forever on the Throne of Israel. While this was seen immediately as the Lord’s promise of blessings for David’s son, Solomon, who would be the king after him, but it was in fact also the premonition of what God would do through David’s House.

This is because the kingdom that David and his son Solomon ruled in great glory did not in fact last long after their passing, and the kingdom of Israelites split into two barely moments after King Solomon passed away. And the descendants of David and Solomon were eventually bereft of kingship as the kingdom of Judah, on which throne the heirs of David ruled for another few hundred years, was destroyed and conquered by the Babylonians. But the descendants of King David remained and existed, and after many more generations, eventually it came to St. Joseph himself, who was the senior and rightful heir of David by descent. While keeping a low profile and was relatively unknown by the people of God at that time, by the legal rights and rules of the Law, it is right and just that St. Joseph was indeed the one to continue David’s legacy, and from him to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

And therefore this passage from the Book of the prophet Samuel is highlighted today for us because it provides us with the link between what God had promised to David, His servant, and its fulfilment in Jesus Christ, the Son and Heir of David through His foster and legal father, St. Joseph. Jesus our Lord is the perfect fulfilment of God’s promises and assurances for His people, and this was shown to us through the Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, which detailed to us the genealogy of Our Lord from that of the House of David. Thus, it was not without basis that the Lord Jesus came bearing forth the Good News of God’s salvation, as it was His right heritage as the Heir of David, the One Whom God has promised to both David himself and to the people of Israel, as the One to fulfil all of the prophecies that He had sent through His many prophets and messengers.

And St. Joseph was a great role model indeed as a father and guide for the young Messiah, dedicating himself thoroughly to the role which had been entrusted to him. He obeyed the Lord when He told him through his Angels and the dream he had received, taking Mary as his wife, guiding and protecting her as they made their way to Bethlehem for the census of the Roman Emperor Augustus, and then after the Child has been born, he led the Holy Family to safety when the life of the Holy Child was in danger due to the actions of King Herod. He patiently guided and protected both Mary, his wife and the child Jesus, taking shelter in Egypt during the dangerous times, and then leading them back to Nazareth where he stayed, and brought up the Child faithfully and taught Him well all that he knew of the world, the Law and the ways of the Lord.

Through these actions and great faith, righteousness and virtues that St. Joseph have shown us, we are reminded of the words of the Apostle St. Paul in our second reading today, taken from the Epistle that he had written and intended for the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome. In that Epistle, St. Paul spoke of how Abraham had received righteousness and blessings, and also the assurance for his descendants through the Covenant that God had made with him, not because of his obedience to the Law of God, but more due to the faith and true love and commitment that he had in the Lord. And since the Lord knew this faith and great love that Abraham had for him, this is why He blessed him and his descendants. This was the same as well for St. Joseph, our great Patron whom we celebrate today. His righteousness, virtue and faith in the Lord is a major reason why we commemorate and honour him such, even more than the fact that he is the foster-father of Our Lord and Saviour.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore look upon the great faith, virtue and obedience shown by St. Joseph, his great perseverance and commitment to the missions entrusted to him by the Lord as great inspiration and model for all of us to follow in our own lives. Each and every one of us should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by worldly temptations or fears, or any kind of worldly distractions from keeping us away from God. We have often fallen into those temptations and as a result, we became distracted, separated and distanced away from our Lord and His grace. And this is why the examples and inspiration shown by St. Joseph, his righteousness and love for those whom he had been entrusted with, his Spouse Mary, the Mother of God, and his foster-Son, our Lord Himself, in the Holy Family should be good examples to all of us, in our own families and among ourselves.

Let us all continue to walk in the path which the Lord has shown and taught us, and following the good role model and examples of St. Joseph, Holy Patron, the foster-father of Our Lord and Saviour, the Spouse of Mary, the Blessed ever Virgin Mother of God, let us all be ever more faithful and committed to be good and worthy Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen from this world to be His own beloved and holy people. Let us all be good example and role models ourselves to our fellow brothers and sisters around us. We are all called to be devoted to the Lord, to be righteous and just in all of our ways and actions, our every moments in life, and be the worthy bearers of God’s truth, now and always. May our Lenten observance continue to bear good and rich fruits, and may we draw ever closer to God. Amen.

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Wednesday, 19 March 2025 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 1 : 16, 18-21, 24a

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.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the Angel of the Lord had told him to do.

Alternative reading

Luke 2 : 41-51a

Every year the parents of Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, as was customary. And when Jesus was twelve years old, He went up with them, according to the custom of this feast. After the festival was over, they returned, but the Boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem, and His parents did not know it.

They thought He was in the company, and after walking the whole day they looked for Him among their relatives and friends. As they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem searching for Him, and on the third day they found Him in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking questions. And all the people were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

His parents were very surprised when they saw Him, and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Your father and I were very worried while searching for You.” Then He said to them, “Why were you looking for Me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house?” But they did not understand this answer.

Jesus went down with them, returning to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them.

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Wednesday, 19 March 2025 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Romans 4 : 13, 16-18, 22

If God promised Abraham, or rather his descendants, that the world would belong to him, this was not because of his obeying the Law, but because he was just and a friend of God through faith.

For that reason, faith is the way and all is given by grace; and the promises of Abraham are fulfilled for all his descendants, not only for his children according to the Law, but also for all the others who have believed.

Abraham is the father of all of us, as it is written : I will make you father of many nations. He is our father in the eyes of Him Who gives life to the dead, and calls into existence what does not yet exist, for this is the God in Whom he believed. Abraham believed and hoped against all expectation, thus becoming father of many nations, as he had been told : See how many will be your descendants.

This was taken into account for him to attain righteousness.

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Wednesday, 19 March 2025 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 88 : 2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

I will sing forever, o Lord, of Your love and proclaim Your faithfulness from age to age. I will declare how steadfast is Your love, how firm Your faithfulness.

You said, “I have made a covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.”

“He will call on Me, ‘You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.’  I will keep My covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure.

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Wednesday, 19 March 2025 : Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Samuel 7 : 4-5a, 12-14a, 16

But that very night, YHVH’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell My servant David, this is what YHVH says : When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for My Name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a Father to him and he shall be My son.”

“Your house and your reign shall last forever before Me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

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Sunday, 29 December 2024 : Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday, the first Sunday after the Nativity of the Lord we all celebrate the occasion of the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph which is indeed appropriate as after all that is what Christmas is all about, the Holy Family and everything that happened with them, especially in Christ Jesus, the Son of God Who is the centre figure of Christmas, the Holy Child born in Bethlehem in Judea over two millennia ago as the fulfilment of everything which God has promised to all of us, His beloved people throughout all of history and time. This Feast of the Holy Family is a reminder for all of us of the great love of God which He has shown us all, as our loving Father and Creator, and we are all part of God’s beloved Family.

On this day we recall that perfect and model family, the Family that is the inspiration for all of our Christian families, just as we heard from the evidence and the passages from the Sacred Scriptures on how this Family of the Lord is a real, loving and genuine family where each of the members of this Family performed their respective roles dutifully and faithfully, as an example for all of us to follow. This is also an inspiration and reminder for all of us as Christians, how we are to live our lives within our wider and greater Christian family in this world, the Church of God and the various communities that we have in the Church, in our own families and relatives. All of us should be inspired by this example so that our own families may be truly faithful and worthy bearers of God’s truth and love in our world today.

Now, let us first look through our Scripture passages, beginning from the first reading which was taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel about the story of the birth and early life of the prophet Samuel, the firstborn son of Hannah his mother with Elkanah, his father. For the context, Elkanah, Samuel’s father had two wives, named Penninah and Hannah. The other wife, Penninah, had borne Elkanah many children while Hannah, Samuel’s mother, was barren and unable to conceive a child. Not only that but since Elkanah loved Hannah more, Penninah often bullied Hannah and mocked her for her lack of a child and barrenness, which was a sign negatively viewed at the time. Hannah sought the Lord and prayed for a son, and God heard her.

Hannah also promised to dedicate her son to the Lord if He granted her wish, and that was what we heard in today’s first reading passage, which detailed how Samuel was born, and then at the appointed time after he has been weaned from his mother, Hannah and Elkanah brought him to Eli, the then High Priest and Judge of Israel, to consecrate and commit Samuel to the service of God. And that was how the story of Samuel began and how He eventually became God’s Prophet and the Judge over all of Israel, the last of the Judges before the days and time of the Kings. And we can see clearly in Samuel’s family how they all put God at the centre of all things, being faithful and committed to God, centred on prayer and devotion to Him.

We also can see how love is truly evident in Samuel’s family, as Elkanah mentioned earlier loved Hannah very much, and vice versa, and Hannah took good care of Samuel before he was dedicated to the Lord’s service. No doubt even after that, although it was unrecorded in the Scriptures, that Samuel’s family would continue to visit him from time to time as he grew up ever stronger in wisdom and in the ways of the world. Their exemplary faith and love, and how they kept putting God at the centre of their family and existence is something that we should also be doing in our own families. This is similar to what we then heard from our Gospel passage today regarding the Holy Family, about the time when the Lord Jesus stayed behind at the Temple of Jerusalem while He was just twelve years old.

As we heard and should well know, the Lord Jesus quietly stayed back at the Temple of Jerusalem, being drawn to the House of His Heavenly Father and as a revelation of His true identity as the Incarnate Son of God. But this made His Mother Mary and St. Joseph to be worried, and they spent time trying to find where He was, tracing their path back to Jerusalem and the Temple of God where they finally found Him. We heard how the Lord Jesus obeyed them and followed them back to Nazareth even though He desired to stay at His Father’s House. From the Lord Jesus we saw the example of obedience, which He later on would show again at the moment of His Passion, bearing up willingly the weight of the Cross for our salvation, obeying perfectly His Father’s will for our salvation.

And hence from Mary and St. Joseph we saw the great love that they had for their Son. Mary as the Mother of the Lord naturally loved Him and she devoted herself completely to Him, and later on, she would follow her Son throughout various parts of His ministry, and she followed Him all the way even to the Cross, as she faithfully stayed by His side to the very end. She nurtured the Lord Jesus and cared for Him throughout His whole life, and hence, she is truly deserving of the great honour that we have given to her as the Mother of God. At the same time, St. Joseph, despite not being the biological father of the Lord and was just His foster-father, he continued to devote himself, his time and effort to provide for and to protect Mary and her Holy Child, just as he had been entrusted to do.

Through the examples that we have been provided with today, we are all reminded that our families are truly important parts of our lives and they also serve as the foundations and integral parts of the whole Church of God. If our families are not rooted in the Lord and if we do not spend good and quality time together with our fellow family members, then it will be easier for the evil one to strike at us and break through us, dividing us among ourselves and weakening our connection both towards God and to our fellow brothers and sisters, especially to our fellow family members. This is why we need to strengthen our commitment to our families and take heed from the inspirations and examples shown and discussed this Sunday so that our families may grow ever stronger and more resilient against the many challenges and pressures from the world.

What all of us should do is, whichever members of our family we are, be it as a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling or others, all of us should strive and commit to spend good quality time with our fellow family members around us. If the family does not even spend good and quality time together at all, and instead being preoccupied by many distractions of worldly pursuits and ambitions, then how can the family stay together? Many families and marriages had faltered before and collapsed precisely because of this lack of good quality time that we should have spent with each other. And of course, another important part of our families must be God, and God should always be at the heart and centre of our every families.

Let us ask ourselves, when was the last time we spend good, quality and precious time with our family members, and as one family, praying together and doing activities together? If we have not done these recently, then it is imperative that we try our best to do them as soon as possible, and try to make the time for each other, even amidst our busy schedules and activities in life. Let us all realise the importance of good Christian families, all of which should be safe space and firm anchor for each one of us, as the strong pillars of our Church and faith, a safe place and space where each one of us can grow ever stronger in faith and grace of God. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to bless our families and their members. Amen.