23rd Week of Ordinary Time

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to get rid from ourselves all the taints of evil and sin, all the corruptions that came together with the actions and immorality of this world. All of us should not allow those things to distract us from the Lord and our focus on Him. We must resist the temptations of pride and ego and be more humble in our way of life and actions so that we may listen to the Lord and follow Him rather to insist on our own way. We should not harden our hearts and minds but instead be more willing to listen to the Lord and to allow Him to lead us and guide us to the path of truth and grace. It is our stubbornness and hardened hearts which had more often than not, led us away from God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth speaking to us regarding the matter of the attitudes of the faithful people of God, which ought to be free from the evil ways and sins, and how Christians everywhere are called to be holy just as the Lord is holy. We are all called to get rid from ourselves the ‘leaven’ of sin, and purify ourselves in the way of the Lord, dedicating our lives anew in the manner that we have been taught to do through God’s Church. We live in a world that is full of temptations and persuasions, coercions and pressures to acquiesce to the worldly matters and ways just as it was during the time of the Lord and His Apostles. That is why we are reminded that we should always anchor ourselves strongly in the Lord at all times.

At that time, St. Paul was exhorting the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth after having heard of the troubles that they were facing, the divisions that they encountered and experienced, the immorality and wickedness that they had indulged in which were scandalous in nature and unbecoming of them as Christians, as those who believe in the Lord and as those who called themselves as His disciples and followers. St. Paul reminded them all to turn away from that path of sin and immorality, and instead embrace the path of God’s truth and love, and His righteousness and grace. He reminded the faithful that they should not allow themselves to be swayed by those worldly temptations, of glory, power and ambition, which could lead them all astray and cause severe divisions and harm within the Church.

There had been lots of bickering, divisions and disagreements even within the early Christian communities, pitting even the missionaries and their supporters and followers against each other. Even St. Paul himself had faced part of these divisions and intrigue within the early Christian communities, with some siding with another charismatic and famous preacher named Apollos against him and those who sided with him. St. Paul reminded the faithful therefore, not just in Corinth but elsewhere against all these divisions sowed by the evil one, trying to undo the good works which the Lord had performed through His servants and the people of God in the Church by sowing divisions and discord among them.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to the people who were listening to Him teaching in the synagogue and also to those Pharisees who were opposed to Him and who were hounding Him, attempting to discredit and to persecute Him for His constant works and efforts during the Sabbath to perform healing miracles and other deeds. The Lord criticised the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who refused to believe in Him, who hardened their hearts against His teachings and words simply because they were dead set on their beliefs and prejudices, and not only that, but they even plotted against Him and did whatever they could to undermine His efforts and works.

That was what made the Lord pointed out the folly of their argument and preferences, their way of observing the Law, and reminded them all that the Law of the Sabbath that God had revealed to His people through Moses was not meant to restrain mankind and not to be understood merely in the letter, but it has to be appreciated and understood wholly in its spirit, which is meant to lead mankind back towards the Lord, that they may all find their way to Him, and be reconciled with Him. Instead, those Pharisees and teachers of the Law indulged in their own preoccupations and prejudices regarding the Law, and made use of them to advance their own interests and wants, their ambitions and desires.

They made it difficult for the people to come towards the Lord and made it seem that following the Lord was something that was hard and impossible. They had forgotten that their role as the shepherds and guides of the people of God was to bring God closer to His people and the people closer to Him, which was exactly what the Lord had done, in reaching out for the suffering and the marginalised, and in putting others’ needs ahead of oneself, rather than what the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law themselves often did, in promoting themselves and their positions, their achievements and glory ahead of their responsibilities in leading the people of God towards Him.

That is why we are reminded through these readings of the Scriptures today, that we should remain firmly anchored in God in our faith and way of life, in everything that we say and do, so that in all things we will always be firmly grounded in Him and not be easily swayed by the different temptations and pressures present all around us. We are all called to be the ones to lead the way forward and to inspire one another in how we live our lives most worthily, in the manner that we have been shown and taught by the Lord Himself, so that in everything we say and do, we may truly be the worthy beacons of God’s light, and the faithful and authentic bearers of His Good News, revealing His love to all those around us, showing to all what it truly means to be Christians, to be centred on God and not on our own selfish ambitions and pride.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God, our wonderful Guide and Help, continue to provide for us all in each and every moments of our lives, and may He empower all of us to live ever more courageously in His Presence at all times, giving our very best to proclaim His Name in all the circumstances and opportunities in our lives that He has given us, all united in our efforts to glorify God instead of being divided and being prejudiced against one another. May God bless us all in our every efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 6 : 6-11

At that time, on another Sabbath, Jesus entered the synagogue and began teaching. There was a man with a paralysed right hand, and the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees watched Him : Would Jesus heal the man on the Sabbath? If He did, they could accuse Him.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to the man, “Get up, and stand in the middle.” Then He spoke to them, “I want to ask you : what is allowed by the Law on the Sabbath? To do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And Jesus looked around at them all.

Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored, becoming as healthy as the other. But they were furious, and began to discuss with one another how they could deal with Jesus.

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 5 : 5-6, 7, 12

You are not a God Who delights in wickedness; evil has no place in You. The arrogant cannot stand before You. You hate all who do evil.

You destroy all who speak falsehood, who thirst for blood and live on lies; all of them YHVH detests.

But for those who take refuge in You, let them ever sing and rejoice. Let Your deliverance shield them, that they may praise You in gladness – those who love Your Name, o YHVH.

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Monday, 7 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 5 : 1-8

You have become news, with a case of immorality, and such a case, that is not even found among pagans. Yes, one of you has taken, as wife, his own stepmother. And you feel proud! Should you not be in mourning, instead, and expel the one who did such a thing?

For my part, although I am physically absent, my spirit is with you and, as if present, I have already passed sentence on the man who committed such a sin. Let us meet together, you and my spirit, and in the Name of Our Lord Jesus, and with His power, you shall deliver him to Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit be saved in the day of Judgment.

This is not the time to praise yourselves. Do you not know that a little yeast makes the whole mass of dough rise? Throw out, then, the old yeast and be new dough. If Christ became our Passover, you should be unleavened bread. Let us celebrate, therefore, the Passover, no longer with old yeast, which is sin and perversity; let us have unleavened bread, that is purity and sincerity.

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Sunday, 6 September 2026 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are called and reminded to turn away from the path of sin and evil, and return once again to the Lord’s loving embrace, to His Presence, and in order to do that, we will have to reject the wicked ways of the world, all the temptations to sin and to disobey the Lord. The Lord has reminded us constantly to keep ourselves away from those that brought us damnation and ruin, and we are reminded not to fall into those traps that Satan and his fellow forces of evil have constantly laid in our path in life. We must remain firm in our faith and commitment to God, and not easily be swayed by the falsehoods and sweet lies of those who seek our destruction, and also help one another to remain faithful in God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people, the Israelites, who have often disobeyed Him and disregarded His Law and commandments. The Lord told them all through Ezekiel of the time of great distress in which they would have to endure and suffer hardships and troubles, because they have not lived their lives faithfully and had committed all sorts of wickedness in the world, which was truly unbecoming of their status of God’s chosen and beloved people, as a race that God had first called and chosen to be His own, by their rebellious attitudes and all the stubborn and hardened heart which they had kept against God and His messengers, all those whom He had sent to them to remind them and help them in their journey and lives.

That was why those people had wrought their own doom and destruction, as they have not walked in the path of their forefathers who had obeyed the Lord. They had abandoned the One Who has always cared for them and loved them, regardless of their iniquities and sins. Yet, the Lord continued to seek after them, reached out to them, patiently tried to lead them all back to Himself, gathering them from the places where they had been scattered to by their own folly and wickedness. He desired that every one of His beloved children and people, that is all of us, to be reconciled with Himself, now that His love for all of us, the children of mankind, has been revealed to us. All of us have been given the guidance and help from the Lord, through His Church, His messengers and servants, and the Law and commandments He has shown us so that we may find our way to His salvation and grace.

In our second reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, in which the Apostle reminded the faithful people of God in Rome that each and every one of them should always heed the Law and commandments of God, which has been revealed and explained in their fullness by the Lord Himself, and which St. Paul stressed again to the faithful, that the Law and all the whole commandments, are all about Love, the love that we all must have for the Lord, and which we should also have for our fellow brethren, to our families, relatives and friends, and even to those whom we do not know, to the acquaintances and strangers we met in our daily lives and moments in this world.

And that is what each and every one of us are reminded and called to do in this world. As Christians, all of us must be loving just as our Lord and God is Love. If we do not love as we should have, to those whom we are called to love, then how can we call ourselves as Christians? How can we be one of the faithful disciples and followers of Our Lord, if we do not truly embody our faith in our every actions and words, in our every efforts and endeavours, how can we be truly faithful and committed to God? That is why this Sunday, we are reminded, also through our Gospel passage today, to be always concerned and caring to others all around us, even to those amongst us who are wayward and those who have fallen from grace.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples and telling them to be kind to one another and to help each other avoid the path of sin and evil, in our common responsibility to guide one another in obeying God’s Law and commandments, and in following Him in each and every things that He had taught us to do. We heard of how God told us to point out each others’ errors and faults fraternally, with the intention of helping each other to grow to be better and more faithful, virtuous and good people of the faith, so that we may know the errors of our ways, and strive to do what is right and just in the sight of God and man alike. As Christians, we must always be charitable and concerned for one another, as that is part of our calling in life. We must always seek to do what God had taught and commanded us to do, to carry out His will, and make good use of what we have been blessed with, for the good of each other.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, many of us and our predecessors often fell into wicked and sinful paths because we allowed ourselves to be swayed by worldly attachments and temptations, which led us to turn away and be distracted from the path towards God and His salvation, from the right path that God has shown us. We have often allowed pride and ego, our desires and all those temptations to pull us away from the virtuous and just path, into the path towards our downfall and destruction. If we are not careful, we may end up falling deeper and deeper into this slippery path, and from which we may eventually regret when it is already too late for us. Hence, these constant reminders that we have received from the Lord through His Church and the Scriptures serve as important calls and check for each one of us so that we do not continue to walk down the path towards ruin and evil, but turn instead once again towards God with all of our hearts and might.

Are we able to do so, brothers and sisters? Are we willing to make the commitment to walk down the path that He has shown us? There may be lots of trials, challenges and hardships on the way, but as long as we trust in the Lord and believe in Him and His providence, and be ever willing to help one another with genuine love and care, all of us will be able to weather through those many challenges and hardships together as one united people beloved by God, as those whom God had called, chosen and blessed. As parts and members of God’s Church, we are all parts and members of the same Body of Christ, and all of us ought to be united in love and purpose, and hence, what we have been reminded today through the Scriptures, remind us that each one of us have important parts to play in ensuring that all of us remain firmly faithful and committed to God at all times.

Let our every words, actions and deeds inspire others around us, and help everyone to remain in love with God, and to be filled with the same love for our fellow brethren as well. Let us be exemplary in how we live our lives, that we should love God first and foremost with all our might, in doing what He has taught us to do at all times, and then, to do the same to those around us, to show care, concern and love even in the smallest things. We should strive to always be concerned for the ones who need our help and assistance, in whatever ways, and in sharing the joy and blessings that God has given each one of us. That is how we truly and fully live our lives as Christians, in being great role models, inspirations and shining beacons of our faith in this world, to bring God’s light, Good News and truth into this world darkened by sin.

May God bless us always in our every good efforts and endeavours, in our every words, actions and deeds, that more and more people may come to believe in Him through us. May He guide us all and strengthen the love and faith within us, so that His Church may always grow ever more abundantly in love and grace, in our loving interactions with one another, as one people united in faith and love, in Christ. Amen.

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Sunday, 6 September 2026 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 18 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “If your brother has sinned against you, go and point out the fault to him, when the two of you are alone; and if he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen to you, take with you one or two others, so that the case may be decided by the evidence of two or three witnesses.”

“And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembled Church. But if he does not listen to the Church, then regard him as a pagan, or a tax collector. I say to you : whatever you bind on earth, heaven will keep bound; and whatever you unbind on earth, heaven will keep unbound.”

“In like manner, I say to you, if, on earth, two of you agree in asking for anything, it will be granted to you by My heavenly Father; for where two or there are gathered in My Name, I am there, among them.”

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Sunday, 6 September 2026 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 13 : 8-10

Do not be in debt to anyone. Let this be the only debt of one to another : Love. The one who loves his or her neighbour fulfils the Law. For the commandments : Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not covet, and whatever else, are summarised in this one : You will love your neighbour as yourself.

Love cannot do the neighbour any harm; so love fulfils the whole Law.

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Sunday, 6 September 2026 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing to YHVH, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.

Come and worship; let us bow down, kneel before YHVH, our Maker. He is our God, and we, His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would, that today, you heard His voice!

Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.

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Sunday, 6 September 2026 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Ezekiel 33 : 7-9

The skies will darken and the stars become dim; I will veil the sun with a cloud and the moon shall not give its light. Because of you, I will darken all the lights in the sky and cover the earth in darkness, word of YHVH.

Many nations will grieve when I spread the news of your fall, even people you do not know.

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Saturday, 13 September 2025 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded that we have to be truly and genuinely faithful to the Lord in all things so that we may indeed be worthy of what He has promised to us, everything that He has meant for us all, His beloved and holy people. As Christians, all of us should always aspire to be ever ready to carry out our actions, works and deeds, our every words and interactions with one another with great faith and commitment to God. This means that we should always strive to do what is good and righteous, worthy and just at all times so that by everything that we say and do, everyone will truly come to know that we belong to the Lord and come to know His love and truth.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to St. Timothy, his protege and one of the Church fathers and earliest bishops of the Church, we heard of the Apostle speaking about what the Lord Himself had done in sending His own Son into this world in order to save it and to liberate all of us from the threat of eternal damnation. Through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, God Himself has intervened for our sake and opened for us the sure and direct path towards eternal life and salvation in Him, offering unto us the forgiveness and reparation for our many and innumerable sins. He has generously offered to us this most perfect and wonderful gift because of His ever enduring and constant love for all of us.

God has always desired for all of us to find our path towards Him, to be reconciled with Him and be forgiven from our many sins, from all the things that had separated us all from Him. And to this extent, that was why He gave us such a wonderful means to reach Him, through His own Beloved Son, sent into our midst to manifest this perfect and most wonderful, patient and amazing love and mercy of God. In Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, the power of sin had been broken and cast down, all the shackles that had been holding us back, and the dominion of Satan and the evil ones had been overthrown. All these happened because Christ has willingly taken upon Himself all the punishments due for our sins, and healed us from our transgressions, and hence, we should follow His own examples of obedience and love, in each and every moments of our lives.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord to His disciples and followers, telling all of them with a parable highlighting how one’s actions and attitudes are representative of one’s true nature and orientation in life, as those who are truly good and faithful will no doubt bear good fruits of their virtue and faith. On the other hand, those who have no faith in them, those who are wicked and vile in their hearts will no doubt bear fruits that are rotten and wicked as well. And the Lord made this clear through the parable to remind all of His disciples and followers, to all of us that we should not be ignorant of our important missions and calling in life, in our respective areas of responsibility and in what God had entrusted to us, to do His good works in this world.

The Lord reminded all of His followers that to be His disciples, each and every one of them must be filled with true and genuine faith, and not merely one that is merely superficial. If they do not have true and genuine faith in God, this would eventually be shown through their own actions, just as shown in how Judas Iscariot, the traitor, who did not truly have faith and trust in the Lord, as recorded in the Gospels, stole from the common fund of the Lord and His disciples for his own personal benefit and gain. And ultimately, he also betrayed the Lord to the chief priests, an action that he would come to regret later on, and in despair, in lacking faith and trust in the Lord’s love, mercy and forgiveness, which were extended even to Him, Judas chose instead to take his own life.

This is an important reminder therefore that the state of our relationship with God, our connection and attunement to Him truly matter for us, as if we do not truly embody our faith within us in a genuine way, then we may end up doing things that are against the Lord and His ways, and no matter how much we try to hide or conceal it, eventually our true intentions and ways will be unmasked and come to the surface, as exemplified through the Lord’s parable, in how rotten and bad trees will eventually produce bad fruits. We are therefore called to be like the good trees, to nurture ourselves in faith and obedience to God, so that in everything that we do, we will always glorify Him and His Name, and remain true to our faith and beliefs in Him.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John Chrysostom, one of the renowned and most prominent Church fathers and also one of the esteemed original Doctors of the Church from the Eastern Church. St. John Chrysostom was the Archbishop of Constantinople in the late fourth and early fifth century, during which time there were a lot of hurdles and hardships for the Church and the faithful. There were a lot of heresies and false ideas which threatened the unity of the Church, and all these were harmful to the salvation of souls. St. John Chrysostom was renowned for his efforts in standing up for the true orthodox Christian faith against all the falsehoods, while also working for the unity of the Church and the faithful people of God.

In addition, he was also very much remembered for his many good works, writings and efforts by which he would eventually be considered as one of the original Doctors of the Church and one of the most influential authors of the Christian teachings of the Church fathers. He was also involved in the stand-off against the then Roman Empress of the Eastern Empire, Empress Eudoxia, wife of the Roman Emperor Arcadius, who lived a lavish life with the upper echelons of the society, a fact which the austere and simple St. John Chrysostom spoke up sternly against. This led to a lot of friction between St. John Chrysostom and his enemies, and he had to endure even exile from his See due to the campaign of the ones opposed to the holy servant of God. Nonetheless, St. John Chrysostom remained firmly faithful to the very end in serving God and His people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the great examples shown by St. John Chrysostom in his faith and dedication, in all the efforts that he had done for the sake of the salvation of souls. Each and every one of us should continue to do our best in each and every moment to follow the examples of the saints and the Lord Himself, in how we ought to be righteous and virtuous in all things, to be full of love for God and to be full of the same love towards our fellow brothers and sisters, to everyone whom we encounter daily in our respective lives. As Christians, we are challenged to live in the manner that is truly inspired by Christ our Lord, and the love which He has shown most generously and unconditionally towards us.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in faith and help us to walk ever more faithfully with Him as what our holy predecessors had done in their lives, especially that of St. John Chrysostom, the faithful and dedicated servant of God and shepherd of the Lord’s flock. Let our own lives be full of faith and good examples, through which we may inspire many more people to come ever closer to God and to His salvation. Are we willing to make the effort and commitment to follow the Lord with ever greater devotion in each and every moment, brothers and sisters? Let us all be the faithful and worthy beacons of our Christian faith, now and always. Amen.