33rd Week of Ordinary Time

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that all of us should continue to live our lives in the manner that is worthy of the Lord, doing our best in putting God at the centre and as the focus of all of our lives. We should not put so much emphasis and focus on worldly ambitions and desires which can lead us astray and further from the Lord. Instead, we should always keep in mind that whatever greatness, glory and possessions that we build in this world can easily be destroyed and lost in an instant, and we may end up with nothing and eternal regret if we have spent so much efforts in trying to win the approval of the world but lost ourselves from the Lord and His grace.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the Maccabees, we heard the continuation of what happened during the Maccabean Rebellion against the Greek Seleucid kingdom led by King Antiochus IV Epiphanes. As we have discussed in the previous few days, the actions of this Greek king was motivated by his desire to unite the very diverse nature of his kingdom’s subjects and dominion, ruling over a vast kingdom with people from different cultures, practices and beliefs. According to historical evidences and records, this did indeed happen, and this king was infamous for his megalomania and tyranny which led him to carry out such terrible actions against his own subjects. And eventually rebellions like what happened in Judea and Galilee happened, as was elsewhere.

We heard then therefore how retribution came for this wicked king who had made the lives of so many of God’s people difficult, causing many among them to face persecutions and hardships for continuing to hold firmly and strongly to their faith in God. And the Lord did not forget about His people, and neither did He abandon them, as He proved that His retributions for those who have wronged His people would be swift and severe, as king Antiochus himself experienced. Everything that he had designed in his grand plans and efforts came to waste, as detailed in that passage from the Book of Maccabees. His efforts to eradicate the beliefs and faith of the Jewish people had been largely overturned, as the Jews defeated his armies and reestablish the worship of God on the same Temple that king Antiochus had ordered to be defiled.

And the king’s efforts to gain more glory and power from his campaigns to the eastern lands of Persia and Media also came to naught as he lost the battles, and even he himself had become afflicted, sickened and was dying. It was only after all of these things had happened that the king finally realised the folly of his efforts and actions. He repented for those deeds and died in sorrow at the end of his ultimately failed campaign and efforts at self-aggrandisement and self-glorification. And this also then becomes a reminder for all of us not to seek for similar worldly glory and renown at the expense of our relationships with God and with one another, and in neglecting our important obligations and responsibilities to those whom the Lord had entrusted to us.

From our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus was confronted by the Sadducees who questioned Him and tried to test Him with the riddle on what would happen to a woman who had been married to seven brothers that all passed away one by one, and what their status would be in the life that is to come, in the afterlife that the Sadducees did not believe in. First of all, we should know and realise that the Sadducees were one of the major and most influential groups in the Jewish community of that time together with the Pharisees. While the Pharisees were the religious and intellectual elites of the community, the Sadducees were the societal elites and those who held worldly power, such as the chief priests, the supporters of Herod and the king’s people, the nobles among others.

The Sadducees were also known for their rejection of spiritual things and beliefs, and were very worldly in their actions, approaches and beliefs. They did not believe in the resurrection from the dead, the afterlife, Angels and other spiritual beings and matters. As such, while the Pharisees took issue and offence at the Lord and His disciples for their way of practicing the Law of God, the Sadducees took offence at the Lord for His preaching and teachings about the resurrection and the new life that is to come, beyond the confines of this world. The question which the Sadducees asked of the Lord came from a purely worldly perspective, as if we understand what they asked of the Lord, they clearly did not believe that existence beyond this world that we know of and are familiar with can be a reality.

But the Lord told them the truth that there is indeed Resurrection from the dead and those who go on to the life that is to come, and are found worthy no longer live in the manner of this world, of getting married and seeking worldly fulfilment, achievements and accomplishments. Instead, their lives and existence will be focused and centred on God, as they will no longer suffer the lack and the imperfections of this world, and in fullness of joy they shall all glorify the Lord together as one people, in perfect harmony, happiness and joy. Of course this does not mean that relationships are no longer important for us, or that our faith and existence become individualistic, lest we misunderstand the Lord’s intentions, but rather, as per the theme of what we discuss today, we should always seek beyond what is material and worldly in our lives.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great woman and servant of God, whose faith and devotion to God, and the dedication to Him, to the point of suffering and enduring grievous tribulations for His sake, should be a great inspiration for all of us Christians to follow. St. Cecilia was well-known as the patron saint of musicians, but she is also a great martyr of the Faith, as she had to bear great sufferings for the sake of the Lord, in her obedience to Him and in her steadfastness in refusing to abandon her faith in Him. She was born into Roman nobility and despite her vow of virginity before God, as a Christian, was forced by her family to marry a pagan nobleman named Valerian. St. Cecilia according to tradition, warned Valerian that an Angel of the Lord watched over her and if he tried to violate her sacred virginity, he would be struck down.

Hence, that was also how St. Cecilia managed to convince her husband to become a Christian himself, as when he asked to see the Angel mentioned by St. Cecilia, he did see the Angel of God after he was baptised by the Pope at that time, Pope St. Urban I. At that time, the Christians in Rome and elsewhere throughout the Roman Empire were persecuted for their faith, and this eventually led to the martyrdom of St. Cecilia and her husband, together with other Christians that had been arrested and made to suffer and die, when they refused to betray the Lord and abandon their faith in Him, just like those of the seven brothers mentioned in our first reading passage today. St. Cecilia was one of those great martyrs of the Church, whose courage and dedication to God, and whose commitment to virtue and holiness, and the purity of her sacred virginity, inspired countless Christians throughout history, right up to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples of St. Cecilia in her courageous faith and commitment to God, doing our very best so that our lives may always bring glory to God, and that we may always ever be focused on Him and not on our personal ambitions and worldly desires. Let us all continue to be exemplary and be courageous in living our lives wholeheartedly in the Lord’s Presence, and by our every words, actions and deeds, let us all show forth the love of God, His hope and Good News to all those whom we encounter each days in our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 20 : 27-40

At that time, then some Sadducees arrived. These people claim that there is no resurrection, and they asked Jesus this question, “Master, in the Law Moses told us, ‘If anyone dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife, and any child born to them will be regarded as the child of the deceased.’”

“Now, there were seven brothers : the first married, but died without children. The second married the woman, but also died childless. And then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. Last of all the woman died. On the day of the resurrection, to which of them will the woman be a wife? For all seven had her as a wife.”

And Jesus replied, “Taking a husband or a wife is proper to people of this world, but for those who are considered worthy of the world to come, and of resurrection from the dead, there is no more marriage. Besides, they cannot die, for they are like the Angels. They are sons and daughters of God, because they are born of the resurrection.”

“Yes, the dead will be raised, as Moses revealed at the burning bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. For God is God of the living, and not of the dead, for to Him everyone is alive.”

Some teachers of the Law then agreed with Jesus, “Master, You have spoken well.” They did not dare ask Him anything else.

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 9 : 2-3, 4 and 6, 16b and 19

Let my heart give thanks to YHVH, I yearn to proclaim Your marvellous deeds, and rejoice and exult in You; and sing praise to Your Name, o Most High.

For my enemies fell back in retreat, they stumbled and perished before You. You have turned back the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their names forever.

The feet of the pagans were ensnared by the trap they laid. For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

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Saturday, 22 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Maccabees 6 : 1-13

When king Antiochus was making his way through the upper regions of Persia, he received news about Elymais, a city renowned for its wealth in silver and gold. They kept in the wealthy temple of their city golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by the Macedonian king, Alexander, the son of Philip, the first sovereign of the Greeks.

So Antiochus went there. But the inhabitants came out armed against him when they learnt of his intention, so his attempt to take the city failed. He had to turn back; and he returned much embittered to Babylon. While he was still in Persia, it was reported to him that the armies sent to Judea had been defeated. They told him that although Lysias had gone with a strong army, he had to flee before the Jews, who had been strengthened with the weapons and the abundant booty taken from the neighbouring armies.

He heard, too, that the Jews had destroyed the abominable idol he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem; and had rebuilt the Temple walls to the same height as before; and had also fortified the city of Beth-zur. When he received this news, he was terrified and deeply upset. He fell sick and became greatly depressed because things had not turned out the way he had planned.

So he remained overcome by this terrible anguish for many days. He felt he was dying, so he called his friends and said to them, “Sleep has fled from my eyes and I am greatly crushed by my anxieties. And I keep on asking why such grief has come upon me – I who was generous and well-loved when in power – and now I am so discouraged.”

“Now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem, the vessels of gold and silver that I stole, the inhabitants of Judea I ordered to be killed for no reason at all. I now know, that because of this, these misfortunes have come upon me; and I am dying of grief in a strange land.”

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Friday, 21 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures on this day when the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are reminded on this celebration of the great role of Mary, the Mother of God, our great role model in how we ought to live up to our Christian faith. On this day we remember how Mary herself had been presented to the Lord, dedicated and committed to Him, in a life truly consecrated and blessed by God’s grace for her to carry out faithfully everything that she has been entrusted to do, in the very crucial role that she would be undertaking as the Mother of the Saviour and Son of God sent into this world for our salvation.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, we heard of the words of the Lord’s assurance for His people, the descendants of the Israelites in Judah and Jerusalem, who at that time had faced lots of humiliation and struggles because of their sinfulness, disobedience and wickedness in their way of life. As a result, the people of God had been defeated, conquered and scattered away from the lands that the Lord Himself has entrusted to them. But the prophet Zechariah gave them all as with the other prophets, the reassurances that the Lord, Who is their God and Master, and Who has loved them very generously and sincerely, will always provide for them and will not abandon them in their time and hour of need.

That was why we are reminded of the great and loving promises of God, and no matter how difficult things may turn out to be in our lives, there can and will always hope for us as long as we trust in the Lord and His providence for us. We should never give up on our faith in the Lord but continue to move forward trusting in Him and walking ever more courageously in the Presence of God and men alike. Each and every one of us should always be like Mary, the Mother of God, who has always trusted in God even when she encountered many things that she did not fully understand, such as what happened at the Annunciation when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her with the Good News that she would become the Mother of the Son of God, and also when the curious and strange words of Simeon and Anna came to her when she went to present her Son at the Temple, among many other occasions and occurrences. Mary remained firmly faithful throughout all these.

In our Gospel reading today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus was teaching and His family, His mother and His relatives were waiting on Him as He was teaching the people, and as we heard how the Lord told those people who said to Him that His mother and family members were there, we are reminded that the Lord did not practice favouritism or nepotism, unlike what was usually common practices back then and even now. Most people would have given preferential treatment, preference and bias to those who are closest to them, to family members and those who are related to them by blood. But to the Lord, everyone is equal and all are equally precious, dear and beloved to them.

This is why as long as we are faithful to the Lord, obeying His Law and commandments, we will be worthy of the Lord Who sees the heart and Who does not discriminate in His love, compassion and kindness towards each and every one of us. God has always wanted us to find our path towards Him and the manner that we can do this is by listening to Him speaking in our hearts and minds, knowing what it is that He truly calls each and every one of us to do. In our respective lives, God has given us all various talents, abilities and opportunities for us to make good use of them for the benefit and advantage of all those whom we encounter in our daily lives. This is our Christian calling and obedience, and what we should always do in each and every moments, in all of our dealings and interactions with one another.

Then, we are reminded of the significance of what we are celebrating today in this Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where we recall the moment when Mary, the Mother of God was presented at the Temple of God in Jerusalem by her family. According to Apostolic tradition and Church teachings, Mary was the only child of her parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne, who came from priestly family and background. Mary as the eldest child was therefore presented and offered to God as was customary, and it was also told according to traditions that Mary was offered at the Temple as a consecrated daughter of God, and was therefore dedicated to God as she has always been intended for, prepared from the beginning to be the one to bear the Saviour and Son of God within her.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we rejoice together in the memory of the joyful Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us remember that each and every one of us have also been given various unique responsibilities and calling in life, in our own diverse ministries and areas in life. Through our baptism we have become parts and members of God’s Church, and we have been given the mission and responsibilities to carry out God’s will in our lives, to be His true and committed disciples, in each and every moments that we have lived, in our every interactions and journey in life. The question is are we aware of the various missions and responsibilities that we have been entrusted with? Are we willing to carry out what God has given to us to do, brothers and sisters in Christ?

Let us all therefore continue to strive to do what God has wanted us to do in our lives, striving to be ever more committed in all things and to trust in Him leading us down the right paths in life. May the Lord continue to strengthen and encourage us all in our every moments in life so that we may always be exemplary, good and faithful in all things, and our lives may be good inspiration and examples for everyone around us, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 21 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 12 : 46-50

At that time, while Jesus was talking to the people, His mother and His brothers wanted to speak to Him, and they waited outside. So someone said to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with You.”

Jesus answered, “Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “Look! Here are My mother and My brothers. Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

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Friday, 21 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Friday, 21 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Zechariah 2 : 14-17

Sing and rejoice, o daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people, but My dwelling is among you.”

The people of Judah will be for YHVH as His portion in His holy land. He will choose Jerusalem again. Keep still in YHVH’s presence, for He comes, having risen from His holy dwelling.

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Thursday, 20 November 2025 : 33rd 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 Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that all of us as Christians, as God’s people, we must be ready to face difficulties, challenges and persecutions in life, as our ways of life and in how we believe in the Lord, we may not be in accordance with the beliefs and ways of the world around us. And that is why throughout the history of the Church, Christians of all walks of life have endured great sufferings and persecutions, challenges and trials amidst the varying levels of persecutions against the Church and the faithful. At the same time, we are reminded to stay strong in our faith and not easily give up the struggles and efforts because ultimately, the Lord is always with us and He will always be by our side providing for us for all that we need.

In our first reading today, we heard of the passage from the Book of the Maccabees in which the moment when the Maccabean Rebellion began in a town known as Modein in Judea where a priest known as Mattathias and his sons, later known as the Maccabees, lived in. And as we heard, the representative of the Greek Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes went there as the same thing had happened everywhere else in that king’s dominion, enforcing the king’s harsh demands that they all should abandon their own faith and beliefs, and offer instead sacrifices and worship the pagan gods and deities of the Greeks. It was there and then at Modein that those who wanted to remain faithful to the Lord and those who were willing to bend to the wishes of the king came to struggle for the first time.

And as we heard, Mattathias refused the generous offers of the king for him and his household, despite offering them all very great riches and wealth, prestige and power as the friends of the king, a truly powerful position at that time. But he would not be deterred or dissuaded by the offers, persuasions or coercions from the king’s representative. His courage and zeal which he showed afterwards are reminders for us all that we should also show the same kind of faith and commitment to God in the face of challenges and adversities just as Mattathias and many others of our predecessors had shown us all throughout the Scriptures. Each and every one of us as Christians should always be good role models, examples and inspirations ourselves in all the things that we say and do, in leading lives truly worthy of God.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the lamentations of the Lord Jesus Himself as He lamented over Jerusalem, representing all the lack of appreciation and gratefulness for all that God had done for His beloved people, as those same people persecuted the ones that He has sent to them to remind them and to gather them all once again to His loving Presence. He has sent His many prophets and messengers to remind His people of their wrongdoings and misdeeds, but instead of appreciating what the Lord had done for them, they hardened their hearts and minds, persecuting and even murdering those who had been sent to remind and help them all. That was why they had to endure sufferings and hardships later on, them and their descendants.

This reminds us all, as God’s beloved and chosen people, we must always strive to be good and worthy examples of what the Lord had taught us to do, in even the smallest and seemingly least significant of things in our lives. That is how we can be good examples and role models for everyone around us, to our family members and friends, to everyone whom we encounter in life, even to strangers that we may have met in our journey. We should always remind ourselves to be steady in following the path which the Lord has set for us, showing our light in everything that we say and do, at all times. We must never think that we cannot do great things for the Lord, as even things we may think to be small or insignificant may in fact unexpectedly impact greatly on others all around us.

The problem is that many among us as Christians have not lived our lives in the manner that the Lord has taught and shown us, with many of us professing to believe in one way and yet acting in a completely different manner, refusing to be accountable for our own actions and words. Some of us even caused hurt on others around us in our pursuit of selfish desires and ambitions, and unfortunately, some of these actions, desires and ambitions they are themselves part of our role and ministry in the Church. And many around us can perhaps testify to this unfortunate and sad reality which have caused so many people to be scandalised and turned off by our lack of accountability and genuine faith in our actions, and how we tend to contradict our own words and beliefs. This is not what we should be doing in our lives, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today let us all therefore reflect carefully on what we have heard in the message of the Sacred Scriptures and all that we have just discussed about those readings. All of us should always remember that as those whom God has called and chosen to be His own, our responsibilities and callings are even greater because it is to all of us that He has revealed Himself, His truth and everything that He has taught and shown us through His Church. And it is important that we should strive to embody our faith in our daily actions, words and deeds or else if we do not do so, then we will end up even causing scandal or problem to our Church and faith in God. We have indeed the capacity to show God’s love manifested in us and our actions, or to be like those who are no more than hypocrites in their faith, and the choice is ours to make to choose our path in life.

May the Lord our most loving God and Father continue to provide us with everything that we need, in remaining strong, courageous and resolute in living our lives full of faith and love for the Lord. May He continue to empower each and every one of us so that by our constant and persistent dedication, our ever stronger commitment to glorify Him by our lives, we will be good role models, examples and inspirations for everyone around us. May God bless us all and our every endeavours, our good efforts and works at all times, and may He strengthen us in our every moments in life. Amen.

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Thursday, 20 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 19 : 41-44

At that time, when Jesus had come in sight of the city, He wept over it, and said, “If only today you knew the ways of peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Yet days will come upon you, when your enemies will surround you with barricades, and shut you in, and press on you from every side.”

“And they will dash you to the ground and your children with you, and not leave stone upon stone within you, for you did not recognise the time and the visitation of your God.”