Church fathers

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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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Tuesday, 30 September 2025 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of God’s ever generous and wonderful love which He has given to each and every one of us, His beloved people. God has always been patient in loving and caring for us, that He has tirelessly and constantly sent unto us His reassurances and love, His patient care and guidance through His many prophets and messengers, and last and greatest of all through His own Beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One Whom He had sent into this world in order to show us the sure path and assurance of salvation and eternal life, as the perfect manifestation of His love for us in the flesh, becoming tangible and approachable for us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, in which God told His people that in the future to come, all the people would come to praise Him and gather to worship Him, and how His salvation and grace would be opened and offered to all the peoples of all the nations. This hopeful message of the future showed how God is calling on all the children of mankind to follow Him and not reserving this only to the Israelites and their descendants. The prophet Zechariah was sent to the remnants of Israel who had been allowed to return to their homeland during the time of the reign of the Persians, and as they were rebuilding their cities and their lives, God restored their dignity and fortunes, and it was at that time this hopeful message was given to His people.

God did not abandon His people even in their darkest hours and during their most difficult times and moments, even after they had frequently and repeatedly disobeyed Him and refusing to listen to Him. He still kept on guiding them, helping and encouraging them in their journey, sending messengers and helpers like that of the prophet Zechariah himself to encourage them to continue journeying faithfully towards Him. He reminded them all of His ever generous and patient love, which has always been so great that He wants to share it all with the whole world, beginning from them, the people whom He had first called and chosen, and then to all the sons and daughters of mankind, all the whole descendants of Adam and Eve without exception.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus and His disciples were passing by the region of Samaria where the Samaritans lived in, on their way to Judea and Jerusalem, and it was told to us how the Samaritans in the village would not welcome them because they were all heading to Jerusalem. This highlighted to us the bitter nature of the feuds and conflicts between the Jews and the Samaritans at that time, as each groups really hated and despised each other, to the point that they would not even come together or visit each others’ places, and although the Samaritans were generally quite welcoming towards the Lord, but in that instance we heard how them knowing that the Lord was on His way to Jerusalem led them to shut their doors against Him.

Historically, the Jews were the direct descendants of the people of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the direct descendants of the people whom God had called and chosen as His own, who had returned to the land of Judea and also Galilee after their exile in Babylon and elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Samaritans were the descendants of the people living in the land of Samaria where the centre of the northern kingdom of Israel used to be located at, and for which the Samaritans were known as, which according to Scriptural and historical evidences, they were descended from a mixed people, of both the people of the northern kingdom of Israel as well as the people which the Assyrians and the other conquerors like the Babylonians had brought into that land to replace the people whom they uprooted and brought into exile.

Over the centuries afterwards, the Samaritans developed a unique expression of the faith, as they believed in their own version of the Torah, known as the Samaritan Torah, which had some important differences as compared to the Jewish Torah, the latter which formed the base of the first five books of the Old Testament in our Bible. The Samaritan Torah claimed that the place to worship God is in Mount Gerizim in Samaria, while the Jewish Torah claimed that God should be worshipped in Mount Zion at where Jerusalem is located at. These factional differences and disagreements between them gradually grew over time, and became more bitter and intense as misunderstandings arose and gathered between the two people.

But the Lord Jesus had Himself highlighted in one occasion where using the story of a Good Samaritan, He showed the Jewish people that the Samaritans were not as bad as they thought they were, as the Jewish people thought negatively of the Samaritans, just as the Samaritans themselves thought negatively about the Jewish people, and all those feuding led to more and more misunderstandings and divisions between them. The reality is indeed that both the Jewish people and the Samaritans, and any other people, all are equally beloved children of God, all are equally precious and worthy in the eyes of God, as long as they believe in Him, listen to His truth and walk faithfully in His ways and doing His will.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Jerome, one of the renowned Church fathers and one of the original Doctors of the Church, together with St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Ambrose, St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen. He was one of the most esteemed Church figure from Western Christendom, as he was instrumental in his role in the reforms of the Church at the time and was especially remembered for his role in compiling the Latin translation of the Bible, also known as the Vulgate Bible from the Greek version, the Septuagint. And linking to what we have been listening and reflecting on in our Scripture passages today, this opened the rich words of the Scriptures, the Word of God itself to those in the western part of the Roman Empire who spoke mostly Latin. And not only that, for many centuries afterwards, the Latin Vulgate Bible became the source and foundation for other translations of the Bible to this very day.

St. Jerome also had many contributions in the reforms of the Church as mentioned, as the Pope himself entrusted St. Jerome with various tasks necessary for the governance and reforms of the Church institutions of the time. This was what made St. Jerome to be often depicted with Cardinalatial insignia and appearance although the College of Cardinals did not exist yet at that time. St. Jerome took important works and roles in reforming the practices of the Church and its institutions at a time of great change for the Church and the faithful, helping the Church and its members and ministers to keep themselves free from the corruptions and temptations of worldliness that had been creeping its way into even the Church and its communities. The works, faith and commitment which St. Jerome showed us all are truly incredible and should serve as inspirations for all of us to follow.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures today and from the life and works of St. Jerome, holy man of God and revered Doctor of the Church, let us all therefore do our best to put our faith in the Lord, our ever loving God, Master and Creator. God has shown us His most generous love and He wants all of us to practice that same love towards each other, to our neighbours and everyone whom we encounter daily and regularly in life. We should love one another generously and willingly, just as the Lord Himself has done towards us. May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to strengthen us in our faith and conviction to follow Him ever more faithfully at all times. Amen.

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Tuesday, 30 September 2025 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 51-56

At that time, as the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, He made up His mind to go to Jerusalem. He sent ahead of Him some messengers, who entered a Samaritan village to prepare a lodging for Him. But the people would not receive Him, because He was on His way to Jerusalem.

Seeing this, James and John, His disciples, said, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to reduce them to ashes?” Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

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Tuesday, 30 September 2025 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 86 : 1-3, 4-5, 6-7

He Himself has built in in His holy mountain; YHVH prefers the gates of Zion to all of Jacob’s towns. Great things have been foretold of you, o City of God.

Between friends, we speak of Egypt and Babylon; and also Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia : “Here so-and-so was born.” But of Zion, it shall be said, “More and more are being born in her.” For the Most High Himself has founded her.

And YHVH notes in the people’s register : “All these were also born in Zion.” And all will dance and sing joyfully for You.

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Tuesday, 30 September 2025 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Zechariah 8 : 20-23

YHVH, the God of hosts speaks, “Peoples will come from other nations, people from great cities. The inhabitants of one town will talk with those of another, and, say : ‘Come, let us go and implore the favour of YHVH, and I, too, will seek YHVH.’ Many great peoples and powerful nations will come, seeking YHVH, God of hosts, in Jerusalem and pray to Him.”

YHVH, the God of hosts assures you. “In those days, ten men of different languages spoken in various lands, will take hold of a Jew by the hem of his garment and say : We, too, want to go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”

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Tuesday, 16 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr, and St. Cyprian, 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 Lord from the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us as the disciples and followers of Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us ought to be good role models and examples for one another in faith, and we should always strive our best to fulfil our respective calling and mission as Christians in each and every moments in our lives. All of us are reminded and challenged that we must not be idle in living our lives with faith but that we must always inspire by our examples in even the smallest things that we say and do so that many more people may come to believe in God through us and our inspiration as well.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to his protege and disciple, St. Timothy, we heard the Apostle telling St. Timothy about the manners and the expectations which are made of those who seek to be the elders and ministers of the community of the faithful. He highlighted two roles, namely those of overseers and deacons in today’s passage. For the context, this position of overseer or elder is what is now known as bishops, the ones entrusted with the care of the flock of the Lord’s faithful. And therefore as those entrusted with this heavy responsibility ought to have good morals and obedience to the Law and commandments of God, or else it will be easily a scandal of the faith and if the shepherds themselves were unfaithful, then how can they expect the people of God to be faithful as well?

Meanwhile, the deacons were those who were entrusted with the care of the physical needs and requirements of the people, in sharing the goods and alms of the Church, supporting the communities of the faithful and also caring for the poor, the sick and the less privileged within the communities of God’s people. Those who had been chosen and selected as deacons in the early Church spent their time, efforts and works to mingle among the people of God, caring for them and ministering to them, spending a lot of time in their midst. And it is then the deacons who brought up the needs and the concerns of the faithful to the assembly of the Church, to the bishops and the priests entrusted with the leadership and care of the flock of God’s faithful.

In the same manner, those who have been chosen to that office of deacons, and also the other ordained ministries indeed should be of good and faithful qualities in life, and they should indeed be good role models and examples for everyone around them. However, this should not be restricted only to those who have been chosen as the leaders of the faithful, but in fact serve as reminders and inspirations for all of us, God’s faithful and holy people, that as Christians, each and every one of us are also expected to carry ourselves with faith and dedication to God, to live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy of Him, in each and every moments of our lives. We must not allow ourselves to bring scandal to our faith simply because we are unable to stay true to our calling and mission as those whom God had called and chosen.

In today’s Gospel passage, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the story of the moment and time when the Lord Jesus came to a town called Naim, where there was a procession of a widow’s deceased son as he was being brought to be buried, and the Lord had pity on the old widow, and He miraculously brought the widow’s son back to life by His power, and many of the people who were there including the Lord’s own disciples witnessed that miraculous occasion. That is what He has shown to all of them regarding His obedience to the will of His heavenly Father, and how those who belong to the Lord ought to behave and act, in showing love, mercy and compassion to everyone around them.

The Lord Himself spent a lot of time and effort in caring for the needs of those who sought Him, those who were troubled in body and spirit, those who had the need to be healed and made whole again, and He patiently did all of these, even when He and His disciples were very tired. The Lord spent His time to reach out to those who are downtrodden and troubled, those who have been ignored, abandoned and ostracised by the community to show them the true and enduring love of God, which He has manifested before us in the most perfect and best way possible. And it is by this example that we are all called to follow in our own respective lives, in how we carry out our actions with the fullness of God’s love, truth and grace.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints and holy men of God, namely that of Pope St. Cornelius, Successor of St. Peter the Apostle as Bishop of Rome and St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage in North Africa. Both of these great servants of God had indeed exemplified what St. Paul had told St. Timothy in our first reading passage today, in their dedication to God and in their faith, in how they carried out their missions and in their commitments to God’s people, the flock entrusted to their care. Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian both led the Church through times of divisions and difficulties, rampant with external threats and persecutions as well as disagreements and divisions among the faithful.

At that time, the Church was bitterly divided between those who advocated harsh stance against those Christians who had lapsed from their faith or who had offered sacrifices to the pagan gods and idols, many of whom had to do so under pressure and duress from the Roman state, and those who advocated a more moderate and forgiving stance in relation to those who have lapsed from their faith for various reasons, as long as they repented sincerely and genuinely. Those who advocated harsh and strict opposition against readmitting lapsed Christians were led by one popular priest Novatian, who was elected as an Antipope in opposition to the legitimate Pope in Rome, arguing that those who have lapsed from the faith had been barred from returning and they had been denied salvation, while those led by Pope St. Cornelius and his immediate predecessors championed a more conciliatory tone and attitude.

Eventually, the cause championed by Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian of Carthage won in the end, overcoming the challenges from those who supported the strict and unbending ideals of Novatian and his group. Through the patient efforts of both of these great servants of God, eventually, slowly but surely, the unity of the Church was restored and many of the faithful came to embrace their fellow brethren who had lapsed from the faith, due to various reasons, as long as they were committed and willing to make themselves worthy and full of God’s grace again, through embracing His forgiveness and mercy. Both Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian of Carthage were eventually martyred during the intense persecutions against the Church which were carried out by the Roman state during the middle of the third century, but their courage, faith and dedication remained great inspirations to many even to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures and upon the faith and dedication which Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian had done, let us all continue to do our best to live in the most righteous, virtuous and worthy manner, in doing what we can as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, so that we may be good inspirations and role models for everyone around us, and to all those whom we encounter each day. May the Lord also continue to strengthen our faith within us, and give us the courage and perseverance to remain ever more faithful and committed to what He has shown and taught us to do in our lives. May God bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 16 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr, and St. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 7 : 11-17

At that time, a little later, Jesus went to a town called Naim. He was accompanied by His disciples and a great number of people. As He reached the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; there followed a large crowd of townspeople.

On seeing her, the Lord had pity on her and said, “Do not cry.” Then He came up and touched the stretcher, and the men who carried it stopped. Jesus then said, “Young man, I say to you, wake up!” And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

A holy fear came over them all, and they praised God saying, “A great Prophet has appeared among us. God has visited His people.” The news spread throughout Judea and the surrounding places.

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Tuesday, 16 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr, and St. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 100 : 1-2ab, 2cd-3ab, 5, 6

I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, o YHVH, I will sing praise. I will walk the way of integrity – o YHVH, when will You come to me?

With a blameless heart, I will walk within my house. I will not set before my eyes anything that is base. I hate the deeds of faithless people.

He who deals with others treacherously, I will silence. He who talks and acts arrogantly, I will not endure.

I will choose from the faithful of the land, those who may dwell with Me; only the upright shall be My servant.

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Tuesday, 16 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr, and St. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Timothy 3 : 1-13

If someone aspires to the overseer’s ministry, he is, without a doubt, looking for a noble task. It is necessary, that the overseer (or bishop) be beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, responsible, judicious, of good manners, hospitable and skilful in teaching.

He must not be addicted to wine, or quarrelsome, but be gentle and peaceful, and not a lover of money, but a man whose household is well-managed, with obedient and well-mannered children. If he cannot govern his own house, how can he lead the assembly of God? He must not be a recent convert, lest he become conceited, and fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover, he must enjoy a good reputation among the outsiders, lest people speak evil about him, and he fall into the snare of the devil.

Deacons, likewise, must be serious and sincere, and moderate in drinking wine, not greedy for money; they must keep the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. Let them be first tried and, if found blameless, be accepted as deacons. In the same way, the women must be conscientious, not given to gossip, but reserved and trustworthy.

A deacon must be husband of one wife, and must know how to guide his children and manage his household. Those who serve well as deacons will win honourable rank, with authority to speak of Christian faith.

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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.