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Wednesday, 21 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we should place our trust in God and not in man, or in the means or ways of this world. If we trust more in our own strength and worldly support and comforts, then sooner or later we will be disappointed and falter because ultimately, no worldly means or support can last us forever, or be truly dependable like that of the Lord. It does not mean of course that if we trust in the Lord that we will not endure difficulties or challenges, but rather, with God by our side, we can be truly assured that He will never abandon us or leave us behind, no matter how hard or difficult the challenges may be like.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel, we heard of the account of the famous battle between David and Goliath, a story which I am sure many of us are very familiar with. In that occasion, Goliath, the great champion of the Philistines was mocking the Israelites and their God amidst the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines, and Goliath was challenging the Israelites to send their champion against him, uttering many blasphemies and vile words especially against God. It was this action which led to David, who was then in the service and employ of King Saul, to be enraged and to want to rise arms against Goliath and challenge him to a duel. David went up against Goliath, not as a fully armoured soldier as the latter was, but with merely just a few stones and a sling.

David was given armour and all the other equipments by the king earlier on, but he chose to take them all off and trust wholeheartedly in the Lord instead, in the wisdom and strength, courage and power that He had given to him. And despite the even more intense taunts and mockery by Goliath, David did not flinch or lose faith, and he went up with great courage against Goliath, and just as we all well know, although he was very lightly armed, but the sling and the stone was accurate, and hit Goliath right in the head, despite all of his heavy armour, and he was defeated and killed. The triumph of David against Goliath is indeed not just merely the triumph of the underdog against someone significantly more powerful, but also as an important testimony of God’s providence and the importance of trusting in God.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus healed a man who had paralysed hand on the Sabbath, only for Him to be severely criticised by the Pharisees who were there observing and following His works. Despite knowing the Law, the Scriptures and the Prophets, all that had been fulfilled in the actions and miracles that the Lord Jesus Himself performed, those Pharisees were so preoccupied by their very strict and rigid interpretation and understanding of the Law that they hardened their hearts and minds, and even though they had witnessed all those signs, miracles and wonders, all of which pointed out clearly that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Saviour that God had promised to send into their midst, they refused to believe.

Instead, they accused the Lord severely and harshly of blasphemy against God because He simply did not act and behave in the manner that they expected. They allowed their own ego, pride and arrogance to overcome their sense of faith and wisdom, trusting in their own human judgment, understanding and knowledge rather than trusting in God and His truth. That is why they kept on making it difficult for the Lord to carry out His mission, and the Lord in turn rebuked them all for their lack of understanding and appreciation of the meaning and purpose of the Law of God, which the Lord had given to His people not to make their lives difficult, but rather to show them all how they ought to love God and love their fellow men as they should in a world full of greed, selfishness and ego, and the Lord did exactly all of that.

All of us as Christians should devote our time and effort to serve the Lord wholeheartedly, and commit ourselves thoroughly to His cause. We should dedicate ourselves to work for the glory of God and for the proclamation of His truth in our world, just as what the saints and martyrs had done. And today we can refer to the good examples set by St. Agnes, a great and renowned martyr of the Church, whose dedication to God and commitment to purity and righteousness can inspire us that we may live a better and more Christian lives in our existence in this world. St. Agnes, also known as St. Agnes of Rome was a young Roman noblewoman who lived and suffered, died during the terrible years of the Diocletianic Persecution, also known as the Great Persecution for its particularly intense episode of persecutions against Christians.

St. Agnes was a faithful young woman who had dedicated herself thoroughly to God, committing herself to a holy virginity and dedication to God. However, her great beauty attracted many suitors, who were enraged by her refusal to engage them. Hence, St. Agnes was arrested upon the reports from those men who sought after her, accusing her because of her Christian faith. The Roman prefect, named Sempronius, attempted to get her to be defiled in a brothel, but miraculously St. Agnes was protected by God, and everyone who attempted to defile and rape her were struck blind or were prevented from doing so. And when she was put on the stake to be burnt to death, again even the fires and the heat refused to harm her, and they parted from her. In the end, she was martyred by being stabbed and beheaded. Yet, her inspiration and faith in God lived on, and many were touched by her faith, courage and examples.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard and discussed from the Scriptures and from the life of St. Agnes, holy martyr of God, let us all therefore strive in our own respective lives to be truly committed to God, and to trust in Him amidst the trials and challenges that we may be facing in our own lives. Let us all not be discouraged by the opposition and the difficulties we may have to encounter in our paths, just like that of the Lord Himself and St. Agnes, but rather, we should always believe that with the Lord by our side, we can eventually overcome all those challenges and trials. And no matter what, we will be vindicated in the end, when we share the ultimate triumph with the Lord and eternity of true joy with Him. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours in our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 3 : 1-6

At that time, again, Jesus entered the synagogue. A man, who had a paralysed hand, was there; and some people watched Jesus : would He heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did, they could accuse Him.”

Jesus said to the man with the paralysed hand, “Stand here, in the centre.” Then He asked them, “What does the Law allow us to do on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm? To save life or to kill?” But they were silent. Then Jesus looked around at them with anger and deep sadness at their hardness of heart. And He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”

He stretched it out, and his hand was healed. As soon as the Pharisees left, they met with Herod’s supporters, looking for a way to destroy Jesus.

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Wednesday, 21 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 143 : 1, 2, 9-10

Blessed be YHVH, my Rock, Who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.

My loving God, my Fortress; my Protector and Deliverer, my Shield; Where I take refuge; Who conquers nations and subjects them to my rule.

I will sing a new song to You, o God; I will make music on the ten-stringed harp, for You, Who give victory to kings and deliver David, Your servant.

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Wednesday, 21 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Samuel 17 : 32-33, 37, 40-51

David said to Saul, “Let no one be discouraged on account of this Philistine, for your servant will engage him in battle.” Saul told David, “You cannot fight with this Philistine for you are still young, whereas this man has been a warrior from his youth.”

David continued, “YHVH, Who delivered me from the paws of lions and bears, will deliver me from the hands of the Philistine.” Saul then told David, “Go, and may YHVH be with you!”

David took his staff, picked up five smooth stones from the brook and dropped them inside his shepherd’s bag. And with his sling in hand, he drew near to the Philistine. The Philistine moved forward, closing in on David, his shield-bearer in front of him. When he saw that David was only a lad, (he was of fresh complexion and handsome) he despised him and said, “Am I a dog that you should approach me with a stick?”

Cursing David by his gods, he continued, “Come, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field!” David answered the Philistine, “You have come against me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come against you with YHVH, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied. YHVH will deliver you this day into my hands and I will strike you down and cut off your head.”

“I will give the corpses of the Philistine army today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, and all the earth shall know that there is a God of Israel. All the people gathered here shall know that YHVH saves not by sword or spear; the battle belongs to YHVH, and He will deliver you into our hands.”

No sooner had the Philistine moved to attack him, than David rushed to the battleground. Putting his hand into his bag, he took out a stone, slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead; it penetrated his forehead and he fell on his face to the ground. David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, felling him without using a sword.

He rushed forward, stood over him, took the Philistine’s sword and slew him by cutting off his head. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they scattered in all directions.

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Tuesday, 20 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Sebastian, Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that God sees beyond the externals and worldly categories, considerations and prejudices, and He sees what are within our hearts and minds, knowing everything that we are, even things that we ourselves may not be fully aware of. God does not think or consider things in the manner that we are familiar with in this world, and He does not become prejudiced against any of us by any means or any parameters. He has always loved us all equally and most generously, and He wants us all to realise that what He wants from us is our loveas well, and not merely blind obedience or empty gestures of piety.

In our first reading today, we heard from our first reading today, of the moment from the Book of the prophet Samuel detailing to us the moment when Samuel was sent by God to the household of Jesse in Bethlehem in Judah, where God had chosen from among his many sons, one who would be the new King of Israel succeeding Saul, who had failed and disobeyed Him, and hence unworthy to continue ruling over the Israelites, God’s people. We heard then how Samuel saw and encountered all the sons of Jesse, from the eldest to the youngest, and he initially thought the eldest and the best amongst them were the ones chosen by God, but God told Samuel that He did not judge and choose based on earthly criteria, but He saw the heart, and chose David, the youngest of all of the sons of Jesse.

David might indeed be the youngest among the sons of Jesse, and among them all, he most likely was the least physically imposing or adequate to become a great warrior and King to lead the people of God into battle against their enemies, and yet, why God chose David was not because of his physical prowess or greatness, but rather because in his heart, David loved the Lord greatly, sincerely and most wholeheartedly. Ever since his youth, David had always committed himself to God and did everything in his life in manner that was pleasing to the Lord, and he trusted wholly in God in all things. And it is for all these qualities that the Lord had chosen him to be the one to lead the people He had chosen to be His own.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Pharisees came up to the Lord and His disciples when they were all walking through the field on the day of the Sabbath, in which the latter were picking off the grains of the field, something that the Pharisees criticised harshly as it was against the manner in which the Sabbath Law was interpreted by those Pharisees. For the context, the Pharisees were very strict in their interpretation of the Law of God, and they were very much invested into the detailed application and enforcement of the Law, and with regards to the Sabbath Law, which prohibited any kind of work on the sacred day of the Sabbath, they were very rigid on this matter.

Yes, they were so rigid that they prohibited all kinds of works, even those that were necessary in the case of emergencies like that of the disciples who were very hungry after their constant travels and ministry among the people of God. And the Lord then also immediately rebuked those Pharisees for their lack of true appreciation of the Law, its meaning and purpose, which were not meant to punish the people of God for their wrongdoing or impose difficult expectations that make their lives challenging and impossible to be carried out with faith. God wanted instead to invite each and every one of us, His beloved ones, to come towards Him and to know His love, and all of His Law and commandments, including the Sabbath Law was meant to help them to focus their attention once again on Him, instead of being distracted by the many details on how those laws were to be implemented.

Today, we have two saints whose feast we are celebrating, whose lives can be great inspiration for us to follow. These two servants of God, Pope St. Fabian and St. Sebastian had endured great tribulations for their faith, and yet they remained faithful to the Lord, enduring those sufferings with great faith and commitment to the very end. Both of them had been facing great challenges from the official persecutions and the threats from the Roman state which were then very hostile against the Church and the Christian faith, and yet, these two great and holy men of God showed by their great faith and examples of courage and dedication to God, what it truly means to be faithful and committed to God even amidst heavy persecutions and troubles.

Pope St. Fabian was the leader of the Universal Church during the difficult years of persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperors and the state. He was chosen when according to tradition, the Holy Spirit descended on him in the shape of a dove, in the sight of the assembled faithful. He was credited with the evangelisation and the efforts to spread the Good News in Gaul, what is today part of France. This happened during a relative lull and relaxation in the harsh persecution of Christians. However, the rise of Emperor Decius to power ended the temporary halt to persecutions and this was accompanied with renewed attack against the Christian communities, in which many of the faithful were arrested and persecuted, and many among them suffered martyrdom for their faith. He ordered all the subjects of the Empire to offer incense to the images and figures of the Roman deities, the pagan gods and the idol of the Emperor, which were refused by the Christian communities as idolatrous.

That was how Pope St. Fabian became one of the first to suffer persecution and then martyrdom under the reign of the new Emperor, either through imprisonment or execution according to different Apostolic traditions. Pope St. Fabian remained faithful to his mission to the very end, giving himself wholly to the works entrusted to him by the Lord. And through his courageous defence of the faith and zeal of evangelisation, he inspired all of us on how to become good and faithful disciples and followers of the Lord. Although his papacy and period as leader of the faithful was relatively short, but this great man and servant of God has shown us all what it truly means to be committed to God even amidst many challenges of this world.

Meanwhile, St. Sebastian was a soldier who was a high ranking member of the Roman military and likely one of the elite members or even captain of the Praetorian Guards involved in protecting the Emperor. At that time, the Roman Emperor Diocletian and the other leaders of the Roman state ordered a particularly harsh and brutal persecution of Christians, as they forced the faithful to either obey the order of the Emperor to give offerings to the pagan idols and to abandon their faith or face certain suffering and death. At that time, many people had to face great tribulations and challenges especially as Christians, in hiding their faith especially those Christians who were employed in the armed forces like that of St. Sebastian himself.

St. Sebastian according to tradition was involved in the conversion of several prisoners, who became Christians and helped some others to be freed from persecution. Eventually he himself was discovered and when he was confronted to reveal the truth about his conversion, put under arrest and was tied to a tree, and archers were told to shoot their arrows at St. Sebastian. Miraculously, even as endured the torture and pain,St. Sebastian never flinched from his sufferings. He remained strong in faith and was eventually martyred later after he rebuked the Emperor and his actions. He is indeed a great example of courageous faith that we all should also have in our own lives as Christians, in each and every things that we do.

May the examples of Pope St. Fabian and St. Fabian be good inspiration for all of us so that we may also be courageous in standing up to our faith in every aspects of our lives, in being faithful bearers of the truth of God, His Good News and being the worthy witnesses of Our Lord’s Resurrection and salvation to everyone around us. May God be with us always, and may He continue to guide us through His providence and guidance, the love and compassion, the patience and generosity which He has shown us all these while. May God bless our every endeavours and efforts, all done for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 20 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Sebastian, Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Mark 2 : 23-28

At that time, on one Sabbath Jesus was walking through grain fields. As His disciples walked along with Him, they began to pick the heads of grain and crush them in their hands. Then the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look! They are doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath!”

And He said to them, “Have you never read what David did in his time of need; when he and his men were very hungry? He went into the House of God, when Abiathar was High Priest, and ate; the bread of offering, which only the priests are allowed to eat, and he also gave some to the men who were with him.”

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Master even of the Sabbath.”

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Tuesday, 20 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Sebastian, Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 88 : 20, 21-22, 27-28

In the past, You spoke in a vision; You said of Your faithful servant : “I have set the crown upon a mighty one; on one chosen from the people.”

I have found David My servant, and, with My holy oil, I have anointed him. My hand will be ever with him; and My arm will sustain him.

He will call on Me, “You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.” I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

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Tuesday, 20 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Sebastian, Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

1 Samuel 16 : 1-13

YHVH asked Samuel, “How long will you be grieving over Saul whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have chosen My king from among his sons.”

Samuel asked, “How can I go? If Saul hears of this, he will kill me!” YHVH replied, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to YHVH.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice and I will let you know what to do next. You shall anoint for Me the one I point out to you.”

Samuel did what YHVH commanded and left for Bethlehem. When he appeared, the elders of the city came to him asking, fearfully, “Do you bring us peace?” Samuel replied, “I come in peace; I am here to sacrifice to YHVH. Cleanse yourselves and join me in the sacrifice.” He also had Jesse and his sons cleansed and invited them to the sacrifice.

As they came, Samuel looked at Eliab the older and thought, “This must be YHVH’s anointed.” But YHVH told Samuel, “Do not judge by his looks or his stature for I have rejected him. YHVH does not judge as man judges; humans see with the eyes; YHVH sees the heart.”

Jesse called his son Abinadab and presented him to Samuel who said, “YHVH has not chosen this one either.” Jesse presented Shammah and Samuel said, “Nor has YHVH chosen this one.” Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel who said, “YHVH has chosen none of them. But are all your sons here?”

Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, tending the flock just now.” Samuel said to him, “Send for him and bring him to me; we shall not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him to Samuel. He was a handsome lad with a ruddy complexion and beautiful eyes. And YHVH spoke, “Go, anoint him for he is the one.”

Samuel then took the horn of oil and anointed him in his brothers’ presence. From that day onwards, YHVH’s Spirit took hold of David. Then Samuel left for Ramah.

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Monday, 19 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that as the followers and disciples of the Lord, it is important for us to obey what the Lord has commanded us all to do, to live our lives in the manner that He has taught us to do. All of us are called to keep in mind the Law and commandments that He has given us, to love Him first and foremost, and then to love our fellow men and women in the same way, especially those who are truly precious and beloved to us. As Christians, it is important that we always walk the talk, that is we should always do as we have believed, act in the manner of our faith so that everyone who witnessed us and our actions will truly know that we belong to God and will come to know Him through us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the exchanges between Samuel and King Saul of Israel, the first King that God had chosen to rule over His people Israel were told to us. In that occasion, we should first understand the context that this happened after the great battle between Israel and their old enemy, the Amalekites. The Amalekites according to Biblical history and also other archaeological evidences, were likely tribe of slavers and raiders who often attacked the Israelites, preying on them and trying to abduct some of the people to be sold off as slaves. And therefore, the Amalekites and the Israelites were embroiled in long, bitter conflicts over many years and decades, ever since the latter were on their way from Egypt to the Promised Land.

Thus, when God told King Saul to lead the forces of the Israelite to smite and destroy Amalek once and for all, to annihilate their whole tribe without exception, even all their riches and spoils, as the prophet Samuel had instructed Saul to do, the latter should have obeyed and listened to God, and did as he was instructed. However, Saul chose to trust his own judgment and decided not to follow the Lord’s instructions, saving up and keeping the best of the spoils and not destroying them all. If we are to think of his intentions, it was likely that Saul was caught up in the desires for all those spoils, wealth and glory, and he thought that it was indeed wasteful that all those spoils and goods to be completely destroyed, and hence, he chose to keep them, with the likely desire to keep some of them for himself too.

And that was how then Samuel delivered God’s great displeasure and anger against Saul, in the words that he spoke in our first reading passage today, telling the king of Israel that he was truly unfit to remain as the king and ruler of the people of God. Essentially Saul has been tested by God and examined in how he behaved and acted as king, and his behaviour and choice of actions had been found wanting and lacking. He chose to follow the whim of his own desires and not trusting in the Lord, and if we are to compare his attitudes and behaviours to that of his future successor, David, as king of Israel, who was himself not perfect either, Saul was likely unrepentant unlike David, and he was defiant on top of being disobedient, and that was why God was displeased with him.

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 those people who asked Him regarding the matter of how the disciples of St. John the Baptist and the Pharisees were fasting in the manner that they had always fasted, but the Lord’s disciples were not fasting in the same way. And this was when the Lord told them all that His way and teachings, they were all indeed new ways that were different from the habits and practices of those who had come before Him, those who followed the traditions, practices and customs of the Israelites as passed down from the time of Moses. The Lord showed them that He has revealed the new truth, the new path for the people to follow.

This must be understood in the context of how the Pharisees in particular practiced their fasting as referenced by the Lord in another occasion in the Gospels. The Pharisees liked to make a great spectacle out of their fasting and other acts of piety, in public and for everyone to see them. And this is what the Lord made an issue with in several occasions including this one. When the Lord was referring to this using His parables of the new cloth and the old cloth, and the new and old wine and wineskin, He was not criticising the practice of fasting, but rather the manner in which the Pharisees carried out their actions, which were centred more on themselves and their own ego rather than truly being obedient to God’s will and commandments.

In this manner therefore, what the Pharisees had done were not different from that of King Saul, and what the Lord detested from both of their actions were their hypocrisy in pretending to believe and practicing what they believed, but in truth, they were seeking for their own personal ambitions, and not in honouring or truly loving God as they should. This is an important reminder for all of us that in our own actions in life as Christians, we have to be truly genuine disciples and followers of the Lord, in doing sincerely what we believe in and not merely paying lip service to them and to our Lord. We should always mean whatever we say, and act virtuously, focusing our lives and attention on the Lord and not to our own selfish desires and wants.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to do our best to live our lives faithfully in the path that God has shown before us, and let us all continue to be good role models, inspirations and examples for everyone around us so that by our every actions, words and deeds, even the smallest and those seemingly least significant among them, we may touch the hearts, minds and lives of others, leading more and more people ever closer towards God. May God be with us always and bless our every endeavours and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 19 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 2 : 18-22

At that time, when the Pharisees and the disciples of John the Baptist were fasting, some people asked Jesus, “Why is it, that both the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast, but Yours do not?”

Jesus answered, “How can the wedding guests fast while the Bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the Bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the day will come, when the Bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.”

“No one sews a piece of new cloth on an old coat, because the new patch will shrink and tear away from the old cloth, making a worse tear. And no one puts new wine into old wine skins, for the wine would burst the skins, and then both the wine and the skins would be lost. But new wine, new skins!”