1st Week of Advent

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Monday, 1 December 2025 : 1st Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we embark on this journey during this Season of Advent, entering into this appropriate time of contemplation, reflection and preparation, each and every one of us are called to reorientate our lives and rediscover that path towards the Lord and His salvation, especially if we have been so busy and distracted in life that we have forgotten what it truly means for us to be Christians, to be God’s holy and beloved people. Each and every one of us should always be prepared to welcome the Lord when He eventually comes again in glory, whenever it may be, as no one can know the exact timing of His Second Coming, but we know with certainty that this will definitely happen in the future. Therefore, all of us as Christians, we must 

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah we heard the message of reassurance and encouragement from God to His people in the kingdom of Judah where He had sent Isaiah to minister at, reminding all of them that their sufferings, humiliations and struggles all would not last forever, and that eventually they would all be vindicated and rescued if they continued to walk faithfully in the presence of the Lord and commit themselves to follow His Law and commandments. In the first place, it was the disobedience and sins of the people which had distanced them away from the Lord and from His path and blessings, and due to this, that is why they had faced challenges and trials, and like their brethren in the northern kingdom of Israel, whose disobedience were even greater, they had to face defeat and destruction at the hands of their enemies.

Back then, at that time, during the beginning of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah, the forces of the Assyrians came up to Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom, besieging it and thereafter destroying it, and this led to the downfall of the northern kingdom, with many of its people being brought off into exile in the lands of Assyria and even beyond, and throughout all those challenges and trials, God still wanted to remind His people that He was still with them, patiently guiding them and encouraging them even through their darkest and most difficult moments. Even though the people of God had been stubborn in refusing to listen to His words and reminders which He had made to them through His many prophets and messengers, but He still patiently sent to them more reminders and help nonetheless.

This is why each and every one of us must realise just how fortunate we all are to have been loved by God in such a manner, and we should no longer take His most generous and patient love for granted. If we take God’s love, compassion and generous mercy for granted, in the end, there will only be regret for us all. We have been blessed by many opportunities which God has presented to us, again and again, as He calls on us to return to Him and to embrace His love once again, love that has always been made available for us even after we have continually disobeyed Him and disregarded His kindness and compassion. We should continue to strive to embrace God’s love and mercy, devoting ourselves anew to serve Him wholeheartedly from now on.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when an army captain or centurion came to the Lord Jesus in Capernaum in Galilee, requesting and beseeching Him to take pity upon his servant who had fallen very sick at home, firmly believing that the Lord could heal his servant and make him whole again. And the faith of the army centurion was such that he was willing to believe and trust in the Lord that even without making Him to go to his place to heal his servant, and merely by the command and power of His words alone, everything would be accomplished and his servant would be healed. This kind of faith was then highlighted by the Lord as a truly great and exemplary faith for all the people to follow.

In order to better understand the significance and importance of what this event entailed, we must first understand that this army centurion or captain was likely to be a Roman, or at least a Gentile or non-Jewish person, and at that time, the Jewish customs and practices were mostly limited to only those of Jewish descent, and hence, the army centurion was likely to be considered as a pagan or non-believer. And at that time, for a non-Jewish person to interact with a Jew like the Lord Jesus and His disciples was often considered taboo, and in fact, why the army captain was reluctant to let the Lord to come to his house and mentioned that he was unworthy to have Him under his roof was because of the common practice at that time, in which for a Jew to enter into the house of a Gentile would have made them ritually unclean.

That was the reason why the chief priests and the Pharisees did not enter into the Praetorium where Pontius Pilate resided as the governor of Judea during the time of the Lord’s Passion, and it was in fact specifically mentioned that this act would have made them to be ritually unclean and therefore would be unable to eat the Passover that was to happen that moment soon. Hence, not only that the army centurion had great faith in the Lord but he was also very humble and considerate, knowing the local customs and not wanting to cause hassle and difficulties on the Lord and His mission. And for his great faith in the Lord, his faith was rewarded and everything came true just as the Lord deemed it to be, with the servant being healed the very moment the Lord Himself declared it.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter into this season of Advent and progress through it, let us all therefore realise that each and every one of us are in need of God’s love, mercy and compassion, and we should no longer take all these for granted. Every opportunities that He has presented to us should be cherished by us, and we should always do our best in each and every one of us our actions, words and deeds, in our every steps in life so that we may draw ever closer to our most merciful and loving God. Let us make great use of this time and the opportunities that the Lord has presented to us such that we will not squander them and that we can continue to grow ever stronger in our faith as true and genuine Christians moving forward.

May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us in our journey of faith and life during this time and season of Advent, so that we can continue to grow ever stronger in our faith and commitment to God. Let us all do our very best to glorify the Lord by our lives and actions, in everything that we say and do. Let us all continue to be good and worthy bearers of our Christian faith, and do our very best to shine forth with the light of God, showcasing what we truly believe in the Lord, in His love for us, and in the hope that we have for Him. May the Lord be with us always and bless our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Monday, 1 December 2025 : 1st Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 8 : 5-11

At that time, when Jesus entered Capernaum, an army captain approached Him, to ask His help, “Sir, my servant lies sick at home. He is paralysed and suffers terribly.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The captain answered, “I am not worthy to have You under my roof. Just give an order and my boy will be healed. For I myself, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers. And if I say to one, ‘Go!’ he goes; and if I say to another, ‘Come!’ he comes; and if I say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, He was astonished; and said to those who were following Him, “I tell you, I have not found such faith in Israel. I say to you, many will come from east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.”

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Monday, 1 December 2025 : 1st Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 121 : 1-2, 3-4a, 4b-5, 6-7, 8-9

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of YHVH!” And now we have set foot within your gates, o Jerusalem!

Jerusalem, just like a city, where everything falls into place! There the tribes go up.

The tribes of YHVH, the assembly of Israel, to give thanks to YHVH’s Name. There stand the courts of justice, the offices of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : “May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls and security within your citadels!”

For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be with you!” For the sake of the house of our YHVH, I will pray for your good.

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Monday, 1 December 2025 : 1st Week of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 4 : 2-6

On that day the Shoot of YHVH will be beautiful and glorious; and the Fruit of the earth will be honour and splendour for the survivors of Israel. Those who are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem, when YHVH washes away the filth of the women of Zion and purges Jerusalem of the bloodstains in its midst with the blast of searing judgment, the blast of fire.

Then will YHVH create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over its assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of fire by night. For the Glory of the Lord will be a canopy and a pavilion for all, a shade from the scorching heat by day, a refuge from the storm and rain.

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Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday marks the First Sunday of Advent, which not only marks the beginning of the Season of Advent, the time of preparation for the upcoming celebrations of Christmas, but also the beginning of the new liturgical year cycle. Therefore, as we begin this new time and season, all of us are reminded as we begin our preparation for the joyful celebration of Christmas that we should renew our determination and commitment to live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God and worthy of Him. As we begin this new liturgical year, our mindset should be improving and not remaining in the same way we have been doing things all these while, especially if we have been distant away from God.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the reassuring vision of Isaiah was told to us, in all that God has revealed to him to be told to His beloved people who at that time had been suffering lots of setback, humiliation, struggles and challenges, all mainly due to their own disobedience and lack of faith in Him. Contextually, the prophet Isaiah was sent to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah to help guide and assist them in their ways, in returning to God after many of their ancestors and predecessors had been living in long periods of disobedience and disregard for the Law and commandments of God. Their disobedience and sins have separated them from the fullness of God’s grace and blessings, and they faced the consequences of their disobedience as their fortunes turned downhill.

At about that time, the northern kingdom of Israel was also attacked, conquered and destroyed by the forces of the Assyrians, who destroyed their cities and capital Samaria, and brought many among the people to exile in distant lands. Then the king of Assyria, Sennacherib, also came up with his great and vast army to attack Judah and Jerusalem itself, and this same king mockingly spoke ill of the Lord and the people’s faith in Him, boasting that his armies and forces have crushed and conquered countless nations and states, overthrowing their gods and idols. But God rebuked the Assyrian king and gave him a fitting punishment for having boasted in such a manner and for raising his hands against the people of God, as He sent His Angels to decimate the Assyrian army, sending king Sennacherib back to his lands in great shame.

Therefore, it was against this background and the other historical evidences that the Lord reassured His people, all of those who remained faithful in Him, that all of their trust and faith in Him were not misplaced, and that they would indeed rejoice in the end with Him, because God Who is always ever faithful and loving to all those who are true to Him will be rewarded and will be guided by Him to the right path, to the path of vindication and fulfilment. The Lord was always with His people, even in their darkest and most difficult moments, and the time of His renewal would eventually come, and the people really needed to put their faith and trust in their Lord and Master instead of continuing with their rebellion and disobedience.

And God Himself also revealed that He would also gather all the other nations and peoples, and that His salvation and grace would not be limited only to the Israelites, as ultimately, all the children of mankind are precious, beloved and dear to the Lord. Through Israel as the first example, ultimately, all the people of all the nations would be gathered together to praise the Lord their God, and all the people would be called to come to the Presence of God, to be reconciled and reunited once again with their most loving and compassionate God, their Creator, Who has always desired to be reunited with those whom He had created generously out of love, but have been scattered and lost to Him due to our disobedience and sins against Him.

From our second reading this Sunday, from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, we are reminded by St. Paul that the time of the reckoning of our lives and the coming of God’s salvation, while it may not be as immediate as what St. Paul and the Apostles back then thought of, but it may be sooner than what we expected or may expect. Ultimately, the reality is such that, no one save that of the Lord Himself know when the exact moment of the Lord’s Second Coming and the end of the world and time as we all know it, which is known as parousia, the end of times prophesied and predicted, revealed and shown to us through the servants of God.

What we can be very sure of is the fact that the Lord will come again, at the time of His choosing, and what is most uncertain is the exact time that this will happen. That is why we have to be always ready and alert, vigilant and prepared at any time so that whenever we are expected to commit ourselves to the Lord and account for our actions and works in this life, and including even our failures to act whenever we are capable of and when we have been given the perfect opportunity for, that is where we need to realise that we have to account for all of that before the Judge of all the living and the dead in the end. All of us are sinners, imperfect and unworthy of God, and yet, at the same time, God is so infinite and boundless in His mercy and compassion that He has given His love and mercy towards us without end.

Then, lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the similar message from the Lord Jesus telling His disciples of the certainty of what will happen one day, in the coming of God’s salvation at the end of time, the reckoning which will happen at the time of God’s choosing, when this will happen in the most unexpected of times and moments, which He likened in a simple parable and comparison, with how no one would have known when a thief would break into a house, and hence, the owner of the house ought to be always vigilant, ready and prepared against all eventualities. Essentially, those who failed to plan and prepare, they are all planning and heading to failure and doom.

That is why, each and every one of us are reminded that as we enter into this new season, the Season of Advent, being a time of spiritual rediscovery, renewal and reconnection with God, we are all called to turn once again towards the Lord. If our lives have been hectic, busy and if we have been distracted by our numerous commitments, responsibilities and attachments in the world, then we are reminded to keep our focus firmly directed towards the Lord, Who ought to be the centre and the focus of our whole lives and existences. We should not forget the presence of God in our lives and remember that no matter what, and no matter how difficult things may be for us, the Lord will always be present in our midst, supporting and strengthening us in our journeys in life.

As we reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures which we have received just earlier on, we are reminded on this First Sunday of Advent that each and every one of us should make good use of this time, season and opportunity for us to prepare ourselves well not only for the upcoming Christmas season which we are surely going to celebrate joyfully and wonderfully, but also for the ultimate coming of our Lord, His Second Coming, given the dual nature of this Advent season, which commemorates both the first coming of Christ that had happened two millennia ago, and which we celebrate in Christmas, as well as the expectation of the parousia, the second coming of Our Lord and Saviour, which had been promised to us, and which will certainly happen in due time.

Let us all therefore live our lives courageously and worthily of the Lord, doing our very best in each and every moments in life. Let us continue to do our best to be good and worthy examples of our Christian faith in each and every actions, words and deeds, in all that we do for the greater glory of God. Let us all shine brightly with the light and hope of our Saviour. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to encourage and empower all of us to be His faithful and committed disciples and followers in all times and circumstances, becoming shining beacons of His light and hope to everyone we encounter, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 24 : 37-44

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “At the coming of the Son of Man, it will be just as it was in the time of Noah. In those days before the Flood, people were eating and drinking, and marrying, until that day when Noah went into the Ark. Yet they did not know what would happen, until the flood came and swept them away.”

“So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man : of two men in the field, one will be taken and the other left; of two taken and the other left; of two women grinding wheat together at the mill, one will be taken and the other left. Stay awake then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come.”

“Obviously, if the owner of the house knew at what time the thief was coming, he would certainly stay up and not allow his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.”

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Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Romans 13 : 11-14a

You know what hour it is. This is the time to awake, for our salvation is now nearer than when we first believed; the night is almost over and day is at hand. Let us discard, therefore, everything that belongs to darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

As we live in the full light of day, let us behave with decency; no banquets with drunkenness, no promiscuity or licentiousness, no fighting or jealousy. Put on, rather, the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 121 : 1-2, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” And now we have set foot within your gates, o Jerusalem!

There the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, the assembly of Israel, to give thanks to the Lord’s Name. There stand the courts of justice, the offices of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : “May those who love you prosper! May peace be within your walls and security within your citadels!”

For the sake of my relatives and friends, I will say, “Peace be with you!” For the sake of the house of our Lord, I will pray for your good.

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Sunday, 30 November 2025 : First Sunday of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 2 : 1-5

The vision of Isaiah, son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the last days, the mountain of YHVH’s house shall be set over the highest mountains and shall tower over the hills. All the nations shall stream to it, saying, “Come, let us go to the mountain of YHVH, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and we may walk in His paths. For the teaching comes from Zion, and from Jerusalem the word of YHVH.”

“He will rule over the nations and settle disputes for many people. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not raise sword against nation; they will train for war no more. O nation of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of YHVH!”

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Saturday, 7 December 2024 : 1st Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard from our Scripture passages today, we are all reminded that each and every one of us are called to follow the Lord and to walk faithfully in His path, which is our mission in life, to obey and to do what God has willed for us. As Christians we must always endeavour to glorify God by our everyday living and by each and every one of our words, actions and deeds, and by whatever good works and contributions we have done for the good of everyone in the Church and elsewhere. We have been entrusted with the important mission to proclaim the Lord and His salvation to the world, and to make Him known to more and more people, so that many more may come to be saved through Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah we heard of the words of assurance from the Lord for His people in the kingdom of Judah, in which God reassured them that they would no longer suffer all the difficulties and challenges, trials and persecutions that they had endured at that time. For at that time, the people of God in the kingdom of Judah were in dire straits, facing lots of threats from their enemies and hostile neighbours, and their separated brethren in the northern kingdom of Israel had earlier on been conquered and defeated by the Assyrians, who destroyed their cities and scattered them into the distant lands away from their homeland, and made them to endure bitter and humiliating exile, bondage and submission.

The people of Judah themselves had faced similar difficulties, as they had to face the invasion by a mighty force of the Assyrians that laid siege to their cities and to Jerusalem itself, and yet, for all their hubris, pride and arrogance, God laid them low and humbled them all as He struck many of them and crushed the arrogance of their king, who had to go back to his homeland with great embarrassment and disgrace. These words of God as spoken by the prophet Isaiah in our first reading today are therefore message of hope and assurance, and the people of God themselves likely had experienced God’s help and guidance firsthand, and encountered His great love and mercy, which He had Himself shown before them. This is a reminder therefore for all of us that we may also believe in God and His loving providence.

As we all continue to progress through this time and season of Advent towards Christmas we are constantly therefore being reminded of God’s love and presence in our midst at all times, how He will always be there for us, guiding and strengthening us in our journey throughout the way. We are reminded that in God is our hope and salvation, and if we continue to trust in Him and follow Him wholeheartedly, then eventually we will share in the true and eternal happiness, glory and all that He has promised and reassured us again and again throughout time. In this time and season of Advent, we are all reminded that we are preparing ourselves to celebrate the Lord’s coming into this world, and remember everything that He has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

Then, from the Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples regarding the matter of the mission which He has entrusted to all of them as His disciples and followers. He went from place to place, ministering to the people and teaching them, healing their sick and those with all sorts of ailments, and He cured them all, which led to even more people coming towards Him, seeking His help and healing. It was mentioned how the Lord was moved by the desire in all those people to be healed by Him, and how they were like a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Hence, He made Himself to be their Shepherd, Guide and Leader.

He also commissioned the Apostles and the other disciples to go forth and to proclaim the coming of the salvation in God, giving them the power and authority to heal the sick, to cast out demons and to do all the things that He Himself had done to the people of God. He sent them out to spread His Good News and to do His works, the mission which still continues even to this very day. The Church and all of us, fellow Christians, have all been entrusted with this mission to proclaim the Lord and His salvation to the whole world, to evangelise and to lead more and more people towards the Lord and His salvation. And in this season and time of Advent, once again we are reminded of this salvation which God has sent to us in our midst through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Ambrose of Milan, one of the great early Church fathers and one of the four original Doctors of the Church. He was born as Aurelius Ambrosius into a Christian Roman family in the early fourth century, and according to some Church tradition, his father was a high ranking official, the Praetorian Prefect of Gaul in what is France today, and yet some other traditions associated his father as an imperial official. Having been born to such a family and upbringing, he was well educated and brought up to follow his father’s example, rising eventually to the position of governor of the region of Aemilia-Liguria in northern parts of Italy today. From his pious and wise mother, St. Ambrose grew in the faith and his wisdom.

Eventually, during his time as governor, at that time, there was bitter and difficult rift and division among the faithful, as many among them had been influenced by the then popular and raging Arian heresy. When the previous Bishop of Milan, an Arian, passed away, there was great dispute regarding his successor, which led to St. Ambrose coming to the church where the election was held to prevent violence and uprising from the opposing parties. According to tradition, he was then acclaimed by the people to be the new Bishop of Milan. Although initially he was reluctant to do so, and refused at first the position of bishop, eventually through the intervention and encouragement from the Emperor, St. Ambrose eventually relented and was consecrated as the new Bishop of Milan.

As the Bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose lived a simple and holy lifestyle, and he was very popular with his flock, many of whom had been touched by his tireless efforts to care for them, and in his efforts to eradicate the corruptions and falsehoods of the Arian teachings and heresy that had by then become very popular especially among the higher classes and the clergy. He managed to maintain the unity in his diocese and beyond while at the same time working tirelessly to promote the true, orthodox and clear teachings of the Christian faith as handed down and preserved by the Church from the days of the Apostles. And in one occasion, he was even courageous to stand up against the Emperor himself, when the Emperor Theodosius the Great was implicated in the brutal massacre at Thessalonica, which prompted the excommunication of the Emperor, and the Emperor was only welcomed back to the Church as a penitent through the patient efforts of St. Ambrose of Milan.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow in the footsteps of the saints and the Apostles, like those of St. Ambrose of Milan and the countless other servants and disciples of the Lord who had done their best in their lives to show the love and kindness, mercy and compassion of God to all the people whom they encountered and ministered to. Each and every one of us are partakers of God’s mission, the ones entrusted with the responsibility to lead more and more people towards God, through our exemplary lives and actions, through our commitment and dedication to Him, at all times. May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith in us and empower us all so that we may always grow ever stronger in faith and devotion to God, and in our hope in His salvation. Amen.