28th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist, one of the Four Evangelists who wrote the four Canonical Gospels together with St. Matthew, St. Mark and St. John. These four Canonical Gospels had been examined thoroughly by the early Church fathers and by the Church authorities in tandem with the traditions of the Church handed from the Apostles themselves, and they were found to be free from major errors and mistakes that characterised the other Gospels that might also have not been really authentic accounts of the Lord’s life and ministry. Through the authority of the Church and by the courageous works of St. Luke the Evangelist, who was rather detailed in his depiction of the life and works of Jesus, all of us Christians come to know our Lord in much greater detail.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to St. Timothy, one of his protege and one of the successors of the Apostles, regarding what had happened during his years of ministry and times of difficulties and challenges, as he was abandoned by some of his fellow co-workers of the Lord, and how some of them ended up in discord with each other. And in that particular passage, we heard how St. Luke the Evangelist himself was one of the companions of St. Paul during his many missionary journeys and works around the Mediterranean region, and that he was the only one who stayed by with St. Paul in this particular occasions despite the others having left and abandoned him during those time in ministry and journey.

St. Luke was indeed closely involved in the works of the Apostles in the early Church, having spent significant amount of time with the Apostles, particularly with that of St. Paul. That is why he is widely credited and acknowledged as the author of the important Acts of the Apostles, one of the major parts of the New Testament, becoming an important source of the works of the Apostles particularly that of St. Paul and his many major missionary journeys to the different parts of the Mediterranean and the known world at the time. The similarities between the styles of the writing and the fact that St. Luke himself followed St. Paul on his many ministries made it quite a clear conclusion of his authorship of both the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, in which the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples to go before Him on missions to the various places that He Himself was to visit as well, both to prepare His works and to extend His ministry and reach to more people that He could not directly meet and reach in person immediately. He instructed them all on what they ought to do, saying first that while the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers for the Lord’s harvest is few, highlighting how there are indeed a lot of opportunities for the Word of God and the Good News of His salvation to be spread to many more people, but the lack of faithful and courageous missionaries was preventing this from achieving its full potential.

The work of the Lord’s missionaries as He told them all frankly was to be rather challenging and difficult, much as what St. Paul, St. Luke and the other missionaries and disciples of the Lord would encounter later on during their journeys of mission and evangelisation far beyond the scope and boundary of what the Lord sent His original seventy-two disciples in the Gospel. But He encouraged them, telling them all that He would always be with them and that they would never be alone because God Himself would guide them all through His Holy Spirit, and also the reality that they would not always encounter success but also failures and rejections. There would be those who refused to believe in the Lord and in the message which the missionaries had brought, despite their efforts and works.

But the Lord told them all to remain strong and courageous, and to trust in Him wholly in their efforts and missions, and not to put their trust in their own strength and might. That was why the Lord told His disciples and those whom He sent out that they should not be bringing with them beyond what was absolutely necessary, with them having to depend on those to whom they had been sent with. This was meant to prevent those disciples from thinking that they had their successes due to their own might and power, instead of by the grace and guidance from God. And when they gave in to their temptations of pride and glory, and think that they gained their successes through their own power, that would be when the essence of the mission would be lost, and people end up seeking their own personal ambitions rather than truly serving God’s cause.

St. Paul and St. Luke among the many other missionaries took these instructions of the Lord to heart, and throughout their missions, they carried them out humbly and faithfully before God, doing whatever they could to proclaim the truth of God, His Good News and salvation, showing His love and grace to many people to whom they had gone to, establishing the Church and its many good works in various places, while enduring many difficulties, trials and challenges, opposition from the many people who refused to accept the Lord’s truth and Good News, which they carried and endured gracefully with God’s Providence and strength. They kept on going forward nonetheless, as with the many failures and hardships they encountered, there were also many successes and great things that they had accomplished for the sake of the Lord and the salvation of souls.

Now, let us spend some time reflecting on the life of St. Luke the Evangelist himself. St. Luke was a physician and a disciple and follower of St. Paul the Apostle as mentioned earlier, and St. Luke was likely born of a Greek family in the then Hellenistic city of Antioch in Syria, where he encountered early Christians and became a convert to the Faith. Some tradition held that he was a local Syrian or a Hellenised Jew living in Antioch, but regardless of his origins and background, St. Luke was notable for his educated background and capabilities, and often followed St. Paul in his travels, as well as keeping track of the works and actions of the other Apostles, which allowed him therefore to write the accounts on the works and actions of the Apostles and their companions as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.

St. Luke was also a close collaborator of the faith, and was sometimes even included among the Apostles as he was considered by some Church fathers to have been part and member of the seventy or seventy-two disciples or Apostles highlighted in the Gospel passage today, those whom the Lord had chosen in the Gospels to be the ones that He sent out before Him to carry out His missions and works. He followed some of the other disciples and Apostles in their ministry, particularly that of St. Paul, whom he accompanied even in Rome, as St. Paul himself said that he was only accompanied by St. Luke in his time there. St. Luke therefore had in depth knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the works of the Lord’s disciples and the Church, as well as the events that happened back then, and his prodigious writing skills and talents contributed greatly to the Church.

According to the Church traditions and well-attested history, St. Luke continued to minister to the faithful in various ways, and went all around various places in supporting the works of the Church, as a missionary as well as a physician, caring for the spiritual and physical needs of God’s people. Eventually, he would live on to an old age of approximately eighty-four years old and passed away in Boeotia in what is parts of Central Greece today. Despite his passing, his enormous contributions in various areas, especially his detailed recollection and record of the Lord’s ministry in his Gospel, and also those of the Apostles in the Acts of the Apostles and other works influenced many others immensely, right up to our own time.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the faith and good examples set by St. Luke the Evangelist and the other courageous missionaries of the Lord. Let us all be ever active in living our lives faithfully according to the words and teachings of the Lord contained in the Holy Gospels, and in the other parts of the Scriptures, in the teachings of the Church magisterium and the sacred traditions from the days of the Apostles themselves. Let us all continue to inspire one another as Christians so that our lives and works, our efforts and examples may touch and inspire the lives of so many others around us. May God be with us always, and may He continue to empower each and every one of us in how we live our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 10 : 1-9

At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples, and sent them, two by two, ahead of Him, to every town and place, where He Himself was to go. And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. So you must ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to His harvest. Courage! I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know.”

“Whatever house you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.”

“When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them : ‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.'”

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 144 : 10-11, 12-13ab, 17-18

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o YHVH, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom, and speak of Your power.

That all may know of Your mighty deeds, Your reign, and its glorious splendour. Your reign is from age to age; Your dominion endured, from generation to generation.

Righteous is YHVH in all His ways, His mercy shows in all His deeds. He is near those who call on Him, who call trustfully upon His Name.

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Saturday, 18 October 2025 : Feast of St. Luke, Evangelist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Timothy 4 : 10-17b

You must know, that Demas has deserted me, for the love of this world : he returned to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke remains with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is a useful helper in my work. I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

Bring with you the cloak I left at Troas, in Carpos’ house, and also the scrolls, especially the parchments. Alexander, the metalworker, has caused me great harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. Distrust him, for he has been very much opposed to our preaching.

At my first hearing in court, no one supported me; all deserted me. May the Lord not hold it against them. But the Lord was at my side, giving me strength, to proclaim the word fully, and to let all the pagans hear it.

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Friday, 17 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures presented to us, we are reminded that all of us are truly dear and beloved to God, and by the account of our faith, trust and hope in Him we have been assured of the Lord’s favour and providence, and if we continue to live our lives ever more faithfully, making our faith truly alive and truly growing in us, and not merely an outward expression or focusing on appearances, then the Lord Who sees all and knows all will indeed bless and provide us with everything that we need, and we will not lack anything because all things we need will be available for us, in God’s providence and care. Instead of worrying about how we are to live and what we will have, we should focus on trusting in the Lord and just do our best in each and every moments of our lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, continuing from what we have heard in the past few days, of him exhorting the faithful there to continue to put their trust in God and to believe in Him regardless, and to be united as one Church of God despite all the forces that may seek to divide them all, to overcome the divisions due to their various backgrounds, with some among them coming from among the Jewish diaspora population in Rome, while others were converts from the non-Jewish or Gentile population in Rome, from the Romans themselves, Greeks and many others. Definitely there were some frictions and disagreements between them, but St. Paul told them all to overcome those differences and to remain truly faithful and centred on God.

And in today’s passage, we heard of the mention of how those who have obeyed and trusted the Lord, would be blessed by God and made worthy. The examples of Abraham and David were mentioned to us, particularly that of Abraham. Both were very revered figures in the history of the Israelites, as those who have had great faith in the Lord, and which St. Paul likely quoted to highlight his point on the importance of faith in one’s life as a Christian. Abraham trusted faithfully in God and followed Him even when he was not yet able to see the things that God had promised and reassured him with, and eventually by his faith and by the good actions and works that emanated from that faith, he received everything that he had been promised, even long after his passing.

Meanwhile, David also put his faith in God even through the most difficult moments in his life. When he faced the giant Philistine champion Goliath, he trusted in the Lord and not in the might of his own arms and armour. By God’s grace and guidance he managed to triumph against his enemy, and this happened again many more times throughout the entirety of his life, from being a young shepherd boy, to the slayer of Goliath, then to a fugitive from the court of Saul, King of Israel, and finally as King of Israel himself. David kept on believing in God and never lost faith in Him even through the most difficult times, and it is this faith which we ourselves ought to have in God as well, and we should inspire others around us to remain strong in their own faith as well.

Then, from the Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord concluding His rebuke and criticism of the Pharisees, of the manner of how they had not been truly obedient to the Lord and how they had been wayward in their observation and their manner of practicing and enforcing the Law of God, which had been passed down to them and entrusted to them to teach and show the people on how they can live their lives more faithfully in God’s ways. Instead, the Pharisees had been hypocrites in their faith, placing heavy burdens on the people and on their condemnations of those whom they deemed to be inferior to them and to be unforgiveable sinners. And yet, God’s mercy and forgiveness were truly great and boundless, extended to everyone who seek for them.

God reassures His people through His Son, that His mercy, love and compassion are extended to all of them without exception, and He does not want any one of us to be lost to Him, as He has always been ever patient in caring for us and providing for us. Hence, we should always grow ever stronger in faith in Him and in our trust in the Lord’s Providence, knowing that we are more precious than anything else, and God will not purposefully abandon us to destruction and darkness. He has given us all the best benefits and the perfect gift through His own Son, and we should indeed appreciate everything that He had done for us, all the kindness and patience that He has shown us without exception, all the patient and generous love that He has always had for us, and this is what we are reminded of, that we should always be faithful to Him at all times.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius of Antioch, one of the earliest Church fathers and leaders of the Church, whose faith and dedication to the Lord was truly exemplary and great, and whose commitment and obedience, focus and emphasis on the Lord remains strong and firm despite his important position in the Church, as he led the flock entrusted to him with great zeal, courage and faith at all times. St. Ignatius of Antioch was one of the earliest Bishops of Antioch, as the successor of the Apostles, in being a disciple and follower of St. John the Apostle according to the Apostolic and Chruch traditions. He was also known as Theophorus, or God-Bearer, as according to some traditions, he was one of the children who had been brought to the Lord and blessed by Him.

St. Ignatius of Antioch dedicated himself to the well-being of his people, in spreading the Good News of God and the truth, love and hope that the Lord has revealed to His Apostles and disciples. Antioch was then one of the early and major centres of the Christian faith, and many people each day converted to the faith thanks to the efforts of the Apostles and their successors, including that of St. Ignatius of Antioch himself. St. Ignatius of Antioch courageously carried out his duties with great humility, and with great commitment and devotion, to be the Good Shepherd in managing the people of God and leading them to the right path. He was martyred during one of the persecutions of Christians running rampant at that time, but until the very end, St. Ignatius of Antioch has always remained firm in his conviction and faith in God, in serving Him all the time, throughout his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind each other of the great love of God for us, and how fortunate we have been to receive the great graces and blessings from Him. And we should not therefore not taken Him and His patient love for granted. Let us all continue to lead lives that are righteous and worthy of Him at all times, doing our best to lead more and more people towards Him, now and always, through our own exemplary lives and actions. Amen.

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Friday, 17 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 12 : 1-7

At that time, such a numerous crowd had gathered that they crushed one another. Then Jesus spoke to His disciples in this way, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered that will not be uncovered; or hidden, that will not be made known. Whatever you have said in darkness will be heard in daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places, will be proclaimed from housetops.”

“I tell you, My friends, do not fear those who put to death the body and, after that, can do no more. But I will tell you Whom to fear : Fear the One Who, after killing you, is able to throw you into hell. This One you must fear. Do you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? Yet not one of them has been forgotten by God. Even the hairs of your head have been numbered. Do not be afraid! Are you less worthy in the eyes of God than many sparrows?”

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Friday, 17 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 31 : 1-2, 5, 11

Blessed is the one whose sin is forgiven, whose iniquity is wiped away. Blessed are those in whom YHVH sees no guilt and in whose spirit is found no deceit.

Then I made known to You my sin and uncovered before You my fault, saying to myself, “To YHVH I will now confess my wrong.” And You, You forgave my sin; You removed my guilt.

Rejoice in YHVH, and be glad, You who are upright; sing and shout for joy, You who are clean of heart.

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Friday, 17 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Romans 4 : 1-8

Let us consider Abraham, our father in the flesh. What has he found? If Abraham attained righteousness because of his deeds, he could be proud. But he cannot be this before God; because Scripture says : Abraham believed God, Who took it into account, and held him to be a just man.

Now, when someone does a work, salary is not given as a favour, but as a debt that is paid. Here, on the contrary, someone who has no deeds to show, but believes in Him, Who makes sinners righteous before Him : such faith is taken into account, and that person is held as righteous.

David congratulates, in this way, those who become righteous, by the favour of God, and not by their actions : Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven and whose offences are forgotten; blessed the one, whose sin God does not take into account!

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Thursday, 16 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hedwig, Religious, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious or Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that through our faith in God and by His great generosity in compassion and forgiveness, each and every one of us have received the grace of mercy and salvation from the Lord, our Saviour Himself, and each and every one of us are equally beloved, precious and dear to the Lord, and none of us should think that we are better or more deserving of God’s grace and mercy, and that others are more likely to fall into sin and damnation than us. Instead of us being biased and judgmental against each other like how the religious and intellectual elites, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often considered themselves as superior and better than everyone else.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the faithful and the Church in Rome, we heard the words of the Apostle exhorting the believers of Christ from both Jewish and Gentile or non-Jewish origins that God had indeed intended His salvation and grace for everyone, for all of His beloved children without exception. God does not discriminate or differentiate between any of His children, and He loves all of them, all of us regardless of our backgrounds and origins, and He has made us all righteous and worthy through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom alone the salvation of all mankind and the assurance of eternal life have been given and shown to us. This comment was made by St. Paul in particular against the attitudes of the Pharisees in the Jewish community, to which St. Paul himself used to belong to.

The Pharisees particularly among the Jewish people saw themselves of being righteous and just, worthy and deserving of God’s grace and blessings, while the non-Jewish people would all be condemned to oblivion and destruction, despite them in fact also belonging to the same race of mankind, the same children of Adam, and whose lack of faith in God was not necessarily by their own fault, as they had no one to tell them about the truth of God. God therefore had revealed through Christ, His own Beloved Son, Whom He had sent into the world, that He loves everyone and wants all to be saved without exception and without discrimination. What truly matters is one’s faith and trust in God, and in how one truly applies what he or she believes in, that they are true and genuine people of God in all things, and not merely externally as what many of the Pharisees had done.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus continued with His rebuke of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who had often acted in the manners that were in opposition of God’s good works and in their constant struggles, criticisms and attacks against Him, all of which prevented the Lord and His disciples from doing many good things for the people who needed them. The Lord was particularly critical against all those people who claimed to be righteous and good, and yet, continued to resist the good works of God, and like their ancestors before them, persecuting all those disagreed with them and who did not follow the way that they had believed.

The Lord rebuked those self-righteous, proud and arrogant people who sought mostly for their own self-glorification and benefits over the hardships and sufferings of others around them. This is therefore also a reminder for all of us that we should not give in to the same temptations that those whom the Lord had rebuked, had given in to. Each and every one of us as Christians, all equally beloved children, sons and daughters of our Lord, all share this same grace from God and also therefore the shared responsibility to proclaim the truth and Good News of the Lord and His salvation to our world today. And this means our behaviours, attitudes and actions should all be aligned to God’s ways and will, and we should always strive to live worthily at all times, in the best way we can, in our every good efforts and works.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of two holy and great women, whose lives and great examples in faith and in their way of life should inspire each and every one of us in how we should be living our lives, and in how we can be good and devout Christians in all things, in putting our faith and trust in God, rather than in worldly matters and temptations. St. Hedwig, also known as St. Hedwig of Silesia was the Duchess of Silesia as the consort of the Silesian Duke, and was renowned for her great piety and dedication to God, while St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French religious nun, who was also renowned for her faith in God, as well as for having received visions and revelation from the Lord, which has shown His Most Sacred Heart to her.

St. Hedwig of Silesia was married to the heir of the Duke of Silesia when she was barely just twelve years old, and she was involved for many years in the great intrigue and court politics involving her husband, who struggled to maintain the ducal authority while at the same time expanding his rule and influence, against rival duchies and other rulers. In one occasion, St. Hedwig interceded on behalf of her husband, when the latter was in captivity, and her husband was released by her efforts. The virtues and good actions of St. Hedwig helped her husband in his rule, and also became great inspiration for many people of her time, and both St. Hedwig and her husband, Duke Henry of Silesia, were very pious and faithful to God. And when she was widowed after many decades of marriage, she moved into a monastery and dedicated the rest of her life in commitment to God.

Meanwhile, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a very devout servant of God who had great and intense love for the Lord even from her early childhood. She dedicated herself to the Blessed Sacrament and the Lord, as well as to His Blessed Mother Mary, since early on, especially after recovering from a bout of serious illness, and eventually became a religious nun after having received a vision of Christ, reminding her of her love for Him. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received several private revelations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus over a period of eighteen months, in which the Lord Jesus revealed to her the intense love that God has for each and every one of us, as manifested through His Most Sacred Heart, injured and wounded because of our many sins and transgressions.

Eventually, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque revealed her visions to her superior, after a period of struggle and discernment, and the messages she received from the Lord were made known, writing testaments and other works to make the Lord’s intentions known better, for the state, the society and all the people of God. Ever since then, and after having her visions and revelations certified as genuine, the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which had actually begun centuries earlier, came to take form in the manner that we are familiar with today, and became widespread among the people throughout Christendom, which continues to this very day, all thanks to the faith, devotion and commitment shown by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the life and works of St. Hedwig and also St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and as we have discussed and reflected from our Scripture readings today, let us all therefore strive to do our best to be truly faithful to God and not merely putting up appearances and making our faith into merely a formality. Instead, we should always strive to live our lives ever more courageously in faith, doing our best in each and every moments so that by our examples in faith and life, we may indeed inspire many more people to come to believe in the Lord. May all of us continue to be faithful and committed in our everyday living, doing our very best to glorify God at all times. May He continue to strengthen us in faith each day, and bless our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Thursday, 16 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hedwig, Religious, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious or Holy Virgins)

Luke 11 : 47-54

At that time, Jesus said to the teachers of the Law, “A curse is on you, for you build monuments to the prophets your ancestors killed. So you approve and agree with what your ancestors did. Is it not so? They got rid of the prophets, and you build monuments to them!”

“For that reason the wisdom of God also said : I will send prophets and Apostles and these people will kill and persecute some of them. But the present generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the Sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all.”

“A curse is on you, teachers of the Law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering.”

As Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to harass Him, asking Him endless questions, setting traps to catch Him in something He might say.