Easter sermon

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Thursday, 22 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we continue to be reminded of the importance of following the Lord our God in the right manner, and not be divided against each other because of our prejudices and different preferences in ideologies and ways of observing God’s Law and commandments. We are reminded that what is truly important is to truly love God wholeheartedly and to commit ourselves to His ways, through proper understanding and appreciation of His will and teachings, and not to be easily divided because of our personal preferences that can lead us to be pitted one against another, which is exactly what the evil ones want with us, in attacking us and the unity of the Church.

In our first reading today, from the Acts of the Apostles we heard of the moment when St. Peter the Apostle, the leader of the Apostles and the Church stood up in the assembly of the faithful, which would later on be known as the First Council of Jerusalem, speaking in favour of relaxing the demands for the imposition of the whole Jewish laws, rules and customs on the whole Body of the faithful, the Church. The context of such a dispute which need a serious effort at reconciliation and resolution was that there were those followers of the Lord that came from among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were very strict in their interpretation of God’s Law and in their insistence that all of the Lord’s followers must therefore also follow the same laws and commandments in full.

St. Paul and St. Barnabas, who had been sent to minister among the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people like the Romans, Greeks and many other races in the region, protested against this attempt at imposing the Jewish customs and practices on the non-Jewish people, as having experienced their ministry among the Gentiles and also being aware of the cultural differences betweent the Jews and the Gentiles, they knew that such an imposition would have led to great harm to the efforts of the Church’s evangelisation. This is due to the cultural differences and hurdles, such as the great disapproval, disgust and abhorrence that many of the Gentiles held against the Jewish customs and practices such as circumcision and the dietary restrictions they practiced.

That was why, the argued that such restrictions and obstacles should not be placed onto those Gentiles who did agree and desire to seek baptism and becoming therefore members of the Church of God. And that was brought into deliberation by the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, together with the whole assembly of the faithful in the Council of Jerusalem. St. Peter led the whole Church and assembly to discern carefully through prayer and the Holy Spirit, and through the discussions, St. Peter proclaimed the decision of the disciples and the assembly, in maintaining the unity of the Church and also the unity in its beliefs, that this issue would not bring about schism and divisions among the Church and its members.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the Lord reminding His disciples that they all should remain in His love, as well as continuing to obey the commandments and the will of God the Father, calling them all to follow His path faithfully and devote themselves and their efforts and time to glorify Him always by their lives and actions. As Christians, as the Lord’s followers, this is therefore a reminder for all of us to be always focused on the Lord and commit ourselves to His cause at all times. We must not be divided amongst each other like what we have just heard in our first reading passage today, and we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by the many worldly temptations and coercions present around us that may lead to the divisions in the Church.

That is why what the Lord reminded to His disciples is very important indeed and we are reminded to continue to root ourselves firmly on God and His love so that we may not end up falling into the wrong paths, especially with the many experiences that the Church and its long history had provided to us. Throughout history, many times, schisms and divisions had caused great harm to the Church and the faithful, causing many to be lost to God and to the path towards downfall and damnation. However, God was always with His Church, never leaving any of us behind alone, and He has always been faithful to the Covenant which He had made with us, guiding us all patiently along our journey in life, and doing our very best to bring ourselves ever closer to Him and His path to salvation, inspiring others to follow in our journey and way.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Rita of Cascia, a renowned saint and an Augustinian nun, known for her great sanctity and her self-mortification, living an exemplary life dedicated to God. She was married at a very young age of twelve to a nobleman, who was deeply involved in the internecine conflicts between the rival Italian families at that time. Her husband was also a rather immoral and wicked man, whom St. Rita patiently loved and cared for, as she went to raise her children faithfully and obediently. That marriage lasted for a whole period of eighteen years, throughout which St. Rita was an exemplary model of faith amidst the world and her community filled with hatred and violence, which would eventually claim her husband’s life due to the rival families’ bickering.

St. Rita pardoned those who have murdered her husband at his funeral, publicly pardoning them and forgiving them. However, her husband’s brother wanted to continue the feud and tried to goad St. Rita’s young children to take part in the feud to avenge their father. As such, St. Rita according to her saintly tradition, asked the Lord to take her children away from this world, rather than for them to commit sins that would have brought them into their downfall and eternal damnation. The Lord listened to St. Rita’s prayers, and it was told that both of her sons soon fell ill during an epidemic that happened then and passed away. St. Rita thereafter dedicated herself as a widow and becoming a member of the Augustinian nuns, living the rest of her life in great dedication to God and prior to her entering the monastery, she also managed to resolve the feud between the families.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us have heard ourselves from the Scriptures today and from the life and works of St. Rita of Cascia, reminding all of us to be always faithful to God and not to be easily swayed by our worldly ambitions, desires and pursuits which may lead us down the path of divisions, disagreements and violence, all of which would lead to more and more harm and destruction as what had happened to the families involved in the feud during the time of St. Rita of Cascia. Instead, as God’s followers and as His holy people, all of us are called to put our faith and trust, our focus and emphasis once again on the Lord our God, dedicating our time and efforts once again to glorify the Lord by our lives. Let us all not be distracted by all these worldly ambitions, but instead focus ourselves wholeheartedly ever towards God, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Christopher Magallanes, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received today, we are all reminded that all of us as Christians, as the disciples and followers of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we are all part of the same Body of Christ, the Church, and as such we are also called to remain true and faithful to the ways and teachings of the Lord, so that we do not end up separating ourselves from the true path of the Lord. We are reminded that ultimately all of us must always be focused and centred on God, and not on our man-made rules and laws. And whatever rules and laws we have should be attuned harmoniously with the Law of God, so that in our way forward in life we will always be truly truly committed to God and not be distracted into the wrong path.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the disagreements and conflicts between the members of the early Christian community from Judea, likely those who originated from among the Pharisees, with that of the other members of the faithful and the Apostles, particularly that of St. Paul and his companions. This was because the former group taught that unless the Christian faithful followed the whole set of the commandments, laws, rules and customs observed by the Jewish people, the Law as revealed through Moses and which was further expanded throughout history by the passing down of the rules and laws through the Israelites, then they could not be saved. This was contrary to the more open-minded attitude adopted by those like St. Paul and his companions, who spent a lot of time and effort reaching out to the Gentiles.

For the context, the Jewish customs and practices involved circumcision, relatively strict dietary restrictions and practices, among others, many of which were seen as abhorrent, disgusting and even barbaric by many among the Gentile populations like the Romans and the Greeks. Had such rules and customs, practices and ways were imposed upon the early Church, it would have severely curtailed the spread of the Christian faith as many of the converts among the Gentiles would have found it difficult to live their lives with such regulations and practices that their own community found abhorrent, foreign and unacceptable. That was why St. Paul and his companions like St. Barnabas spoke up firmly and courageously against those who attempted to impose such ways on the Church, citing the experiences and examples that they had encountered in their mission along the way.

They said that those rules and customs of the Jews, especially those practiced and imposed by the Pharisees should not be imposed on the faithful, especially to those who were from the non-Jewish background, mirroring what the Lord Jesus Himself had actually often criticised the Pharisees for during the time of His ministry, especially in how those Pharisees imposed very heavy burden on the people of God, and not helping the people to carry this burden, by the overly rigid and excessive interpretation and imposition of the many rules, customs, rites and other practices that were superfluous and in fact preventing the people from truly realising the true purpose and intention of the Law of God. The Law of God was in fact meant to show the people of God how they ought to love Him and commit themselves to Him, and not to make their lives very difficult or impossible to carry on.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard a related story in which the Lord Jesus told His disciples using a parable, the Parable of the True Vine to highlight to them the nature of His teachings and ways as the ways of the Lord, how He is the True Vine that came from the Father, the Almighty God, Creator and Master of all. And using this comparison to the vine, to the people who must have been quite accustomed to viticulture or the growing of grapes for the wine, the Lord wanted to tell them all that in all of their ways and beliefs, they have to be firmly connected to Him, and centred upon Him. The relationship between the Lord and all of us as He Himself had highlighted with that parable is indeed like that of the Vine and the branches. For without the connection to the Vine, the branches cannot have life on their own, and will perish.

That is why, as the Lord Himself has explained to His disciples, that if they keep on their focus and connection to HIm, in their actions and way of life, in adhering to His Law and commandments, then they will flourish and prosper, and they shall all be truly blessed by God, and will not be found wanting or unworthy. On the other hand, as the Lord Himself said, all those who separate themselves from Him, the True Vine, will wither and perish, and they will have no part with Him at all. This is a reminder that we must always trust in the Lord and His teachings, His ways and commandments as the Church has preserved it, and not to break away from these teachings and traditions, which the Apostles and their successors had sustained for the past two millennia.

As Christians, it is important that we must always remain united in Christ and not be easily divided against each other in our ideologies and beliefs, in our preferences, prejudices and biases which may end up leading us to be separated from the true path of the Lord. And this is not what the Lord wants from us, as He wants us all to remain united to Him as the one united Body of Christ, His Church, that should remain firmly united and established strongly against the many currents and pressures of this world. We must not allow ourselves to be fractured and shattered in our unity because we fail to resist the pressures and temptations of worldly ambitions, glory and other pursuits that lead us away from God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Christopher Magallanes, holy priest and martyr of the Faith, and his companions in martyrdom whose faith and commitment to God were truly exemplary even in the midst of heavy persecutions and hardships. St. Christopher Magallanes lived and ministered during the time of heavy persecution against the Church in Mexico, where the government at that time was very strongly against the Church, pursuing a rather extreme anticlerical and anti-Catholic stance, where many of the faithful, especially the members of the clergy were persecuted heavily and even martyred. Nonetheless, this did not discourage St. Christopher Magallanes and his companions, both the clergy and laity alike, who continued to do the works of the Lord and persisted in faith despite the persecutions, even if they were to lose their lives in martyrdom. They inspired many others who are suffering for their faith in our world today too.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us should continue to focus ourselves on what is important, that is our faith and trust in the Lord, and not to be tempted by worldly glory and ambitions, or be divided by our pursuits and ideals in life, or be fractured by our disagreements and conflicts. This is because none of these will last forever, no matter how much worldly power we accumulate, and our ideologies and superficial divisions do not elevate our faith and magnify the Lord, but instead bring about rupture in the unity of the Lord’s Body, the Church, a serious sin that we commit in His Presence that we will have to account for. Let us all instead be inspired by the humility and dedication of the Holy Martyrs of Mexico, St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions, that we may ever be more faithful in following God, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 20 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest (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, we are reminded of the reality of becoming disciples and followers of the Lord, which will likely involve some sorts of challenges and difficulties in our paths, and we must always be prepared that we may not have it easy and smooth in our journey, but we may encounter twists and turns in our way towards the Lord. As our predecessors in faith, the many Christians throughout the history of the Church had shown us, and the innumerable saints and martyrs had testified to us, there will likely be a lot of opposition to our commitment and faith in God, and to our works and efforts as the Lord’s disciples in this world. But this does not mean that we should easily give up on our faith in the Lord and our efforts to glorify Him by our actions in life. Instead, we should be even more resolute in committing ourselves to love and serve the Lord at all times, in whatever opportunities that He had provided to us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of what St. Paul and St. Barnabas encountered during their missionary journey in Asia Minor, in what is now part of Turkey, where they faced obstacles and hardships in proclaiming the words and Good News of God to both the Jewish diaspora communities and the Gentiles alike. They were attacked by the conspiracy of some of the Jewish people who opposed them in Lystra, causing the people who mistakenly worshipped St. Paul and St. Barnabas as the manifestations of their gods to go violent against the two of them and causing them to almost lose their lives after being stoned. Yet, all these did not dampen the spirits of the Apostles who picked up from where they were and then continuing their journey and ministry to other people in the other places.

St. Paul and St. Barnabas used all those experiences and sufferings to strengthen the other disciples and followers of the Lord, reminding them that they were not alone in suffering for the sake of the Lord. They also helped to establish the strong foundation of the Church in those areas they had visited appointing elders and leaders to guide the faithful, so that the Church and the body of the Christian faithful and community could continue to grow despite the many hardships and challenges that they had to face at that time. The Lord guided and strengthened the Apostles, and the other disciples and followers of the Lord such that they would not lose their faith amidst the trials and challenges that they had to face in their mission and journey.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we then heard of the moment not long before the Lord was to go and face His Passion, where He had to endure the worst of persecutions and sufferings for our sake, betrayed by one of His own closest disciples and abandoned by the rest, and condemned to death for sins that He did not commit. Hence, knowing all of these that were to happen to Him, the Lord reassured His disciples that despite everything that would happen to Him, they all should not lose hope but instead they should remain firm in their commitment to serve Him, because while He would be taken away from them, He would not truly go away, as He would still remain with them and would always guide them in each and every steps of their journeys.

Linking this to what we have heard in our first reading passage today, we can see indeed how true it would be, that the sufferings and hardships that Christ suffered would also be shared by many of His own Apostles, disciples and followers. And yet, the reassurances from the Lord Himself of His Presence and guidance strengthened many of these disciples and made them to joyfully and courageously continue their efforts and struggles in proclaiming the Good News of God despite the many challenges and hardships that they had to endure and go through, all the oppositions and persecutions that they faced, but at the same time also all the good things that they had done and the opportunities and successes that they had achieved in their respective missions and works.

And the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples as we heard in our Gospel passage today that He gave them His peace, and that His peace would be with them as they carried on with the missions and works that He had entrusted to them. This is a reminder for us that we should not be afraid or worried in doing what we have been tasked by the Lord through His Church, in contributing our efforts and works for the good of the Church and the faithful people of God. We must always trust in God in guiding and strengthening us in our journey and mission as Christians, in all the things that we do, even in the smallest and the seemingly least significant efforts and works that we do. With God, nothing is impossible, and He will grant us the strength, courage and power to carry out our works, missions and efforts and bring us to success, all for His greater glory.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Bernardine of Siena, a holy man and priest of God whose faith and examples in how he had committed his life and efforts should inspire all of us to be more committed towards God and be more righteous in our actions and ways of life. St. Bernardine of Siena was born into a noble Italian family, but was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his pious aunt, who eventually led to him joining the Franciscan order, firstly as a member and then eventually becoming a priest. He was a renowned preacher and missionary who spent a lot of effort working with the sick and the poor, as well as preaching against the corruption and worldly excesses practiced during that time among many of the people, especially among the nobility and even within the Church and the clergy.

He preached effectively as he used examples and connections to the daily lives and sufferings of the people, which could be easily related to many of them, and therefore, he drew many people who came to seek his preaching and works. People flocked to his sermons and he spent many hours in these sermons and works, touching the hearts and souls of countless people, and calling many to the conversion of their lives. Through his faith and dedication, St. Bernardine of Siena had indeed shown us all what it truly means for us to carry on our own mission with faith in God, and in being committed to live our lives worthily as Christians, to the best of our abilities, in our respective areas and vocations in life, each and every moments and each day.

Let us all therefore do our best from now on to live our lives as good and faithful Christians in all things, and do our best to be good role models and inspirations for one another in faith. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to inspire us all to live our lives most worthily in His Presence, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 19 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter (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, we are reminded of the fact that we serve the Lord not for our own glory but for the greater glory of God, and we should always listen to the Lord and keep His commandments and words. We should always strive to proclaim the Lord’s truth, His love and Good News together, to glorify Him with all of our hearts and might at every opportunities provided to us. We must not be easily swayed by the temptations of worldly glory, ambition and all the other things that may easily mislead us down the wrong path in life. We must always be focused on the Lord and do our very best in our every moments in life so that we will always be firmly rooted in our faith and commitment to Him, to live our lives as Christians each day and every moments to the best of our abilities.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the time when St. Paul and St. Barnabas was cast out from the place they were in because of the machinations of their opponents, some of the Jews and pagans  who were hostile to their efforts at evangelisation and mission, and how they then ended up in Lystra, where they performed more works and miracles, healing a crippled man in the Name of the Lord Jesus. And as we heard, there in that place the deed quickly became known to all the people, many if not most of whom were pagans, who believe in the Greek pantheon, and hence why the people considered the two Apostles as their gods that had come down in human forms, appearing before them.

For the context, for those who are not familiar with the Greek mythology and gods, this was what the Greek gods were commonly believed to do, as they regularly walked among the people in human form, taking up avatars and forms familiar to mankind, and interacting withthem, the mortals in various ways and means. That was why the miracle performed by St. Paul and St. Barnabas was easily mistaken by those people in Lystra as the actions of their pagan gods, and as we heard, they began treating both of the Apostles like as if they were their gods manifesting themselves in human forms, bringing sacrifices and offerings to them. The two Apostles were trying hard but mostly in vain in trying to persuade the people with the truth, that they were bringing unto them the revelation from the true God and Master of all.

St. Paul and St. Barnabas could have also been swayed by the temptations of power and glory, as those two Apostles were treated literally like kings and gods, and with all the adoration and praise from everyone in that place, it was easy for anyone with weak or no faith to succumb to the temptations of worldly power and glory. But they remained firm in their faith and in their commitment to the Lord, and did not let any temptations or pressures to affect them, as they continued to proclaim the Lord and His truth to the people, no matter how they were unwilling to listen to them and acting as if they were really their gods. To do such an action required great amount of faith and dedication, as well as humility and the strong desire to serve the Lord, and not doing things for one’s own glory and personal ambitions.

Then, as we listened from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, the Lord Jesus told His disciples that He and the Father are really one and the same, and that all of them who obey Him also obey the Father, and those who listen to His commandments, the commandments that He revealed and presented to the disciples and all those whom He had taught, have also listened to the same commandments that the Lord has revealed from the time of Moses. Essentially, the Lord Jesus was highlighting that He is indeed the true Messiah, the One Whom the prophets since the ancient days had been prophesying and proclaiming about, and which the people had long awaited for, and yet, when He finally came into this world, many among the people, particularly among the leaders were skeptical and even hostile against Him.

Thus, the Lord reassured His disciples that everything that He had told them all were indeed true, and they were the witnesses of everything that He had done before them, all that He had taught and told them about the truth about Himself and His relationship with the Father, of which He as the Son and the Father are One and the same. Back then, in the Jewish community, there was no understanding and knowledge of the true nature of God that is in fact a Holy Trinity, of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and therefore, what the Lord Jesus presented to the disciples must also have been something that was quite difficult for the disciples to understand the words and revelations of the Lord to them, but the Lord kept on slowly and gradually teaching and enlightening their minds about His truth.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to put our trust and focus on the Lord, doing our very best to let Him be known to everyone we meet and encounter in life, not just through words but also through our actions in being good role models as faithful disciples and followers of Christ. In everything that we say and do, in all of our interactions, let us all be good and worthy bearers of our Christian faith and examples at all times, being the beacons of God’s light to everyone whom we encounter in our lives, to our communities and in our world today. That is what all of us have been entrusted by God to do as Christians, as those whom He has called and chosen, and entrusted with the truth and commandments that He has given us all through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

May the Risen Lord continue to help and guide us all in our journey in life, and may He continue to strengthen us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, doing them for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of more souls. May all of us continue to be blessed with the strength and courage to carry out the missions entrusted to each one of us in our various and unique circumstances and opportunities, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 18 May 2025 : Fifth Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Easter and all of us are reminded through what we have heard from the Sacred Scriptures, of the great love of God for each and every one of us mankind, how He has willingly shown us this love to us through everything that He had done for us, in revealing to us His beloved Son, His only Begotten One, the One through Whom He has made His love manifested in this world, becoming tangible and real for us. And in His glorious Resurrection that we have been celebrating throughout this time and season of Easter, we have seen the hope which the Lord has brought upon us, the hope of life beyond death, life that is everlasting and bringing us true happiness and joy, one that no one and nothing else can provide to us.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the actions of St. Paul and St. Barnabas who were returning to Antioch after the missionary journey in Asia Minor, where they encountered both successes and obstacles. St. Paul and St. Barnabas encouraged and strengthened the faithful there in Antioch with their stories and testimonies, reminding all of them that to be a missionary and disciple of the Lord, one must be prepared and ready to endure challenges, difficulties and trials, to suffer for the sake of the kingdom of God, just as St. Paul and St. Barnabas had experienced. But at the same time, they strengthened and encouraged the other disciples and members of the faithful by reminding them of God’s guidance and providence throughout their ministry.

We heard more of the exploits and works of the two faithful and courageous servants of God, who continued to work for the greater glory of God, going from places to places proclaiming the word of God and His Good News to more and more people while strengthening the faith of those who have believed in God. Through all these tireless and ceaseless efforts we can see how the Apostles became important parts of the Church’s missions and works, and they were indeed the pillars of the Church of God. But we must also realise that they did not do their work alone, and in fact, they had many collaborators and fellow missionaries, and many others who assisted and helped throughout their ministries, journeys and other efforts. We too, therefore, as Christians should be active in taking part in and in supporting the works of the Church.

We also heard of how the works of God’s salvation and His Good News were also intended for the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people, as much as they had been intended also for the Jewish people. This is yet another reminder for all of us of the universality of the Church and the salvation that God has promised and offered to us. The Lord has offered His salvation to each and every one of us, His beloved children and people, and not just being limited to a certain group of people like the Israelites and their descendants. While it was indeed true that they were God’s first chosen people, but through them, God revealed His true intention, that the chosen people He really wanted to gather together includes all of mankind, the entire world and its people. All of us living today in this world are also part of this God’s plan of salvation.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, we heard of the passage from the Book of Revelations of St. John, in which we heard the powerful words of reassurance from God for His people, revealing to them the great joy and happiness that He will bring about to us, at the end of time, after the reckoning for everything. The Lord showed the vision of the new Heaven and the new Earth to St. John the Apostle as part of the visions that he received while he was exiled at the island of Patmos. This vision of the new Heaven and Earth came after the vision of the times of tribulations, hardships and trials that would come against all those who continue to be faithful to God. And yet, God does not abandon or neglect His people, as even throughout the greatest persecutions and difficulties, He is and will still be with us, journeying with us.

This encouragement is truly very important especially to those to whom St. John the Apostle recounted his visions as they were all suffering then from persecutions by the Romans, who were causing great hardships and sorrows among the Christians, especially during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, who wanted to be worshipped as god, and found the refusal by Christians to do so as a reason for persecuting them. Therefore, amidst such great trials and tribulations, the message of hope that God had shown through St. John the Apostle must have been very encouraging and uplifting, that despite the hardships and trials they were facing, in the end, the Lord would provide for His people and would not abandon them to the darkness and evil.

From our Gospel passage this Sunday, the Lord then reminds all of His disciples and followers of how God’s love has been given to them, and therefore just as they have been beloved by God, they should all love one another as well. The commandments of love that the Lord gave to them all highlight that there are two most important among the many commandments and laws of God, principally being the fact that one is called to love God first and foremost above all else, and then to show that same love to their brothers and sisters around them. One cannot be a true Christian and disciple of the Lord unless one show this love, which we all therefore ought to show as well in our own lives. And the Lord also reminded the disciples that He would soon go away from them, but they would have to continue to do what He has taught them to do.

Therefore, as we have heard from our earlier Scripture passages this Sunday, all of us as Christians are reminded that God’s love for us is truly very generous and beyond comparison, and His love for us have been given to everyone, without any exceptions. Each and every one of us are precious and important to God, and all of us are equally beloved by Him. And this same love we have to show to everyone around us, not just those whom we love and hold precious, but also to those whom we encounter in life. It is by our actions filled with love that everyone will come to know that we truly belong to God, and that God is really present in us all. Through us, God’s love will become manifest in this world, in how we love our loved ones, our family and everyone else we encounter in life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to love the Lord our God and to show this love in each and every one of our actions and deeds, in our words and interactions with each other. Let us all continue to be good and worthy bearers of our faith to everyone whom we encounter in life, and let us all do our very best so that we can commit ourselves ever more wholeheartedly to whatever missions and callings that He has entrusted to us in our respective areas in life. May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen each and every one of us so that we may always be faithful and strong in our living of our Christian life, in each and every moments. Amen.

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Saturday, 17 May 2025 : 4th Week of Easter (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, and as we continue to progress through this joyful time and season of Easter, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to continue proclaiming and revealing the truth of God to our fellow brothers and sisters around us, as part of our Christian calling and mission, in whatever way and areas that we have been entrusted and called to, in our various vocations in life as parts and members of God’s Church. We must always do the works of the Lord which we have been given, to the best of our abilities so that hopefully through our labours and works, many people may come to the salvation in God through us. As Christians, all of us should be the reflection of God’s light and hope, His hope and compassion, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles where St. Paul and St. Barnabas were ministering to the people in the region of Pisidia, where St. Paul had earlier on spoken in the local synagogue to the members of the Jewish diaspora community. St. Paul and St. Barnabas reached out to the members of the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles because many among the Jews themselves were unwilling to listen to what they had brought to them, and some of them sided with the Pharisees on their opposition against the ways and teachings of Jesus, that is the Christian faith. But St. Paul and St. Barnabas continued God’s works and chose to minister to the Gentiles, some of whom were willing to accept God’s words and truth, and as we heard, some among the Gentiles believed in God because of this.

Of course as we have also heard, that St. Paul and St. Barnabas did not have it easy, as they had to face opposition from those who were annoyed at their works, from some among the Jewish community and from others that were against their evangelisation mission. And we heard how due to the plotting of their enemies, the ruckus and problems caused, St. Paul and St. Barnabas were forced to leave the region. Yet, their presence and works there were not in vain, as they had indeed managed to plant the seeds of faith among the people, both among the Jews and the Gentiles alike. And this would become the foundation of the Church and the community of the faithful in those areas in the future, as how it had happened in the places where the Apostles had encountered more successes too.

This is a reminder for all of us, once again, that God’s grace and salvation, His favour and blessings are given freely and generously to everyone, regardless whatever background or origins one may have, or whatever race or identity one belongs to. All of us mankind are truly beloved by God, Who has always loved us all from the very beginning, from when He created us, each and every one of us. After all, God did not create us only to destroy us afterwards, because He created us all out of love and also He wants us all to share in His love. Hence, that was why through His Son and through the Apostles and their successors, the Lord has reached out to us in this manner, that is to call us back to His Presence and to live wonderfully in our faith in God.

In our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, as we heard the interaction between the Lord and His disciples, with Him telling the disciples of the relationship that He, as the Son, had with His heavenly Father, all of us are reminded of the love of God that had been manifested in our midst through the incarnation of the Son of God in the flesh, Christ Himself Who made God’s love to become tangible, approachable and real before all of us. And the Lord Jesus as the obedient Son has come into this world to carry out everything that the Father had told Him to do, to bring all of the scattered people of God and to gather them all, bringing them once again into God’s Holy Presence and making them to be part of the same one flock of the Lord, the Church of God.

Through His obedience and commitment to His mission, all of us are reminded again today of the love which our God, our most loving Father and Creator has for us all. We are reminded just how loving He has been towards us that He extends His love through His Son so that He can reach out to us, loving us and showing us His compassion, soothing us and reassuring us of His company and presence even in the most difficult moments in our lives. And because of this, we should always strive and endeavour to love God first and foremost in our lives, to obey Him and to do His will at all times. We must not allow ourselves to be swayed easily by the many temptations present all around us, which may distract us from our attention and focus towards God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon what we have just heard from our Scripture passages today, reminding ourselves of the important responsibilities and opportunities that God had provided to all of us as Christians, that is as those whom He had called and chosen to be His own, to be the ones He sent into this world so that more and more people may come to know Him, to know of His love and truth. We should embrace what the Lord has entrusted to us and realise that our every efforts and contributions are important, as although our efforts may seem to be small and insignificant, but when all of these are combined together, plus the ripple effect of our good efforts may have, all these will amount to a huge impact on the world and everyone around us.

May the Risen Lord, our Saviour and King, continue to strengthen us all each day and help us so that we may continue to persevere through the many challenges, trials and hardships that we may encounter daily in life so that we do not end up easily giving up our faith in the Lord, and that we will always remain faithful in God no matter what happens. Let us all be good role models and inspirations, examples and guides for each other in faith, in how we live our lives each day and every moment. May God bless us in all of our good efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 16 May 2025 : 4th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all listened in our Scripture passages today and as we all continue to progress through this joyful season of Easter, we are constantly being reminded again and again of the important responsibilities that we have as Christians in proclaiming the truth of the Risen Lord, of everything that He has taught and revealed to us. We should always put our trust in the Lord Who has overcome and conquered death itself, and which even false accusations and persecutions could not keep His truth from being revealed and shown to the world. All of us should never turn away from God, Who is indeed our Way, Truth and Life, the path through Whom we can reach the salvation and grace of God. Without His guidance and constant presence in our life, we may end up being lost and trapped in the darkness and temptations all around us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which we heard the continuation of the words that St. Paul the Apostle spoke during his time in the city of Antioch in Pisidia in Asia Minor, where he visited the local synagogue and the Jewish diaspora community there. There he spoke to them with the encouraging words highlighting how God had been with His people, showing them all His care and love throughout history, guiding and strengthening them in their journey and never leaving them behind all alone. And St. Paul spoke of how all the promises and the words of the Lord had been perfectly completed and fulfilled through the coming of His Son, His own only Begotten Son, Whom He had sent into the world to be the Saviour of all, just as He had promised.

And in today’s passage, St. Paul spoke of how this same Saviour had been persecuted, rejected and oppressed by the same people that He had been sent to, with the chief priests and the Pharisees all accusing Him of false accusations and blasphemy, eventually leading to Him being handed over to the Romans to be crucified and killed. And yet, St. Paul also testified that the Lord has conquered and overcome death itself, and by taking upon Himself all the burdens of our sins, the punishments and all the things meant for us to suffer, so that by His loving sacrifice, He can bring us all into salvation and the guarantee of new and eternal life with Him. The Apostle courageously spoke up about this before the assembly at the synagogue knowing that some if not many among the Jewish people there were still opposed to the Lord and His teachings.

But St. Paul did not let all those fears and concerns trouble him as he trusted completely and wholeheartedly in the Lord, allowing Him to guide him in his steps, in his words and journey, proclaiming courageously the words of truth and encouragement, the wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit to reveal the knowledge and truth of God to those who have not yet known Him and to all those who were still resisting this truth. St. Paul did all these knowing that his efforts were not in vain, and he did all for the salvation of souls, hoping that at least some among those to whom he had spoken would be willing to listen to the truth and Good News of God’s salvation, and it is this attitude that we should also have in our own lives, in how we should be evangelising and missionary in each and every moments of our lives.

Then from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord was reassuring His disciples and followers, telling them that as long as they trust in Him and believe in whatever that He had told them, they would not be shaken and they would enjoy the fullness of all of His promises, of eternal life and true happiness with God. This must be understood within the context of how the Lord revealed to them that He would soon suffer persecution and have to leave them for His heavenly place, to prepare for their places in Heaven, and all these would indeed come true with the Passion and suffering of the Lord, betrayed by His own disciple and then after He had died, He would rise from the dead and then ascended in glory into Heaven.

Everything did indeed happen according to what the Lord had said would happen, but of course at the time when the Lord predicted these things, no one would have known what would transpire, and the disciples were understandably confused and unsure, with St. Thomas, the Apostle who was known for his lack of faith and for being very cynical during his days of following Jesus, said cynically on how they would not know where to go if the Lord did not tell them where He was going, as He was being rather mysterious and vague in His words and explanations. But the Lord reassured him and the others, saying that He is indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life, and that there is no other way to the Heavenly Father except that going through Him, and therefore, they all should always trust and follow Him regardless of what they would be facing in their journey.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best so that in everything that we do, we will always put our faith and trust in God, doing whatever we can in order to follow Him and do our part in proclaiming His truth and Good News in our world today. Let us all be exemplary in our lives, in each and every moments that we live, so that by our every actions, words and deeds, and through every interactions we carry out to our fellow brothers and sisters, all of us may be truly blessed by God, strengthened and empowered, in doing all the things that we do daily in life, and in our encounters with our fellow brethren around us. We should always be the courageous and worthy bearers of our Christian faith, doing our best to glorify Him by our lives.

May the Risen Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey through life, and may He continue to empower each and every one of us to be His ever courageous and dedicated disciples and followers, in doing our part to proclaim His truth and teachings to the whole world. Let us trust in Him, our Way, our Truth and our Life, so that like St. Paul and the other Apostles and holy saints before us, we may always be faithful and dedicated to the service of God, at all times, for the good and salvation of souls. Amen.

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Thursday, 15 May 2025 : 4th Week of Easter (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, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to trust in the Lord wholeheartedly and to remember that as God’s servants and followers, we should always live our lives in fulfilling what He has commanded us to do, in doing what the Lord has taught us, in proclaiming His Good News and truth to all the people of all the nations. Each and every one of us as Christians have been given the mission and the responsibilities to be good and faithful disciples, to be dedicated to one another and to be exemplary in our lives and ways so that everyone may know the Lord and His truth and Good News through our lives and actions.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles in which the works of the Apostles like St. Paul was told to us. St. Paul was speaking in the synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia where he proclaimed the words of encouragement to the people of God, the Jewish community in that place in their synagogue, by going through the history of God’s salvation for His people, and how He has been with all of them throughout history, providing for all of them from the time of the Exodus from Egypt and then afterwards when they were already settled in the land promised to them by God. He continued to show them all His love and all of these were fulfilled completely in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who manifested God’s love in the flesh, making Himself approachable and tangible to us.

St. Paul wanted to share with the Jewish community in that place of the truth and Good News which the Lord had brought into their midst by His coming. He wanted to convince all of them that Jesus was truly the One sent by God, the Messiah long awaited by the world and prophesied by the many prophets throughout history. This is because many among the Jewish community still had not yet believed in the Risen Lord, especially those who sided with the Pharisees and upheld their opposition against the Lord and His ways and teachings. And although St. Paul was chiefly remembered for his missionary works and efforts, as well as focus on evangelising towards the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles, but it did not mean that he neglected ministering to the Jewish people.

This is a reminder for all of us that God’s love and salvation has been meant for everyone, for all of His creation, all mankind, without any exceptions, and no one is truly beyond the reach of God’s love and mercy. That is why we are also reminded of our own respective calling and mission in life to proclaim the Good News and truth of God to more and more people, to everyone whom we encounter daily in life. Each and every one of us have the responsibility to reveal our most loving and compassionate, merciful and kind God to everyone through our own actions, words and deeds in life, through our every interactions and our every moments in life. We have been given the opportunities and more to do what God has entrusted to us, the abilities and all the means through which we can positively impact the lives of others around us, by revealing to them the face of God’s love and truth.

Then from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the account of the moment when the Lord told His disciples that the servant wasn’t greater than the master, and also at the same time predicting how He would be betrayed by one of His own disciples. Then, He also said about how those who truly know Him also know the Father, the Lord and Master of all. As the Lord said this, it was in fact a reminder to all of His disciples and hence all of us to follow the example of Christ’ obedience in all things, in how He obeyed perfectly the Father’s will, even to the point of suffering betrayal and the worst of sufferings, pains and hardships all so that He could perfectly fulfil everything that God had planned for us, the great love that He has for each one of us.

We are reminded as the servants and followers of God, all of us should always imitate our Lord and Master in all things, and this means that we should always be full of love just as He is Love itself, manifested perfectly in the flesh and in all of His actions. All the love that He has generously shown to us, we should also have in us, and we should love Him first and foremost above all else, and then we should also show that same love to our fellow brothers and sisters as well, loving everyone around us to the best of our abilities. Without love, we are empty and dead in us, and without love, our faith is meaningless and empty. That is why, as Christians, we truly must reflect the light of Christ in us, His love and kindness, His mercy and compassion, just as the Apostles like St. Paul had done, in inspiring everyone that he encountered with the love of Christ.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the works of the Apostles are far from over, and there are still many areas where the efforts of the Church are still needed in this world. There are still many areas where evangelisation and the teachings of the faith are needed, and our contributions, in whatever areas we can contribute and commit are very important, as although each one of our efforts may be small and minute in comparison, but all of these combine together as the efforts of the whole united Church, the Body of Christ into a mighty endeavour and effort for the Lord. We must not neglect our responsibilities as Christians to help lead others towards the Lord, and we have to begin from ourselves, from how we live our own lives as Christians and from how we interact with those around us.

May the Risen Lord continue to be with us and guide us in all of our journey, our sufferings and trials, in everything that we do, so that by our every good efforts and works, we will always continue to be faithful and committed to His cause. Let us all proclaim Him ever more courageously through our own exemplary works and actions in each day, in doing our best for the greater glory of God, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 14 May 2025 : Feast of St. Matthias the Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Matthias, one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, and the one who did not belong to the original Twelve that the Lord had chosen, but was added later on to replace Judas Iscariot the traitor, who had abandoned his position as one of the Twelve when he betrayed the Lord. St. Matthias was selected from among the Lord’s closest disciples, and he was called to serve the Lord as an Apostle, that is to be one of the important pillars of the Church, to spearhead the Church’s efforts at evangelisation and other missionary works and ministries, and therefore becoming for all of us a great role model and example in his faith, actions and works, for us to carry out in our own lives as Christians.

Let us all first begin by looking at our Scripture passages today, beginning with our first reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles, in which we heard of the actions of the Apostles led by St. Peter who told the assembly of the faithful that there was a need to elect someone to take over the place of the traitor Judas Iscariot as mentioned. Judas Iscariot had abandoned his calling and position as one of the Twelve by his betrayal of the Lord and by his refusal to repent and trust in God’s mercy, and instead having committed suicide out of sheer guilt. Therefore, in order to complete what the Lord had established with the Twelve Apostles, the number twelve being highly significant as representing the completeness of the twelve tribes of Israel, the twelve sons of Jacob.

And thus we heard how the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord gathered together and prayed for the wisdom and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that one of them could be chosen to become the one to replace Judas Iscariot. That was how St. Matthias was elected by the will of God. St. Matthias bore the choice with faith and commitment, dedicating himself and his life to serve the Lord henceforth as an Apostle. According to Apostolic traditions, St. Matthias ministered firstly in Judea, to the people of Israelite descent, the Jewish people and others, and then he went on missionary journeys to different places, including Cappadocia in Asia Minor, in what is today part of Turkey, then the region around the Caspian Sea, and also Ethiopia in distant Africa.

In the different traditions, what St. Matthias encountered during his ministries were probably somewhat different, but what remains consistent was his dedication to the Lord and all the efforts which he had shown in proclaiming the Christian faith, the Good News of God and His salvation to many people throughout the many places that he had visited and ministered in. In some of those traditions, St. Matthias was martyred in the land of Ethiopia, or that he was stoned to death in Judea and Jerusalem by a mob against him, and yet another, more commonly accepted tradition was that St. Matthias was martyred in the region that is now part of the country of Georgia in the Caucasus Mountains. But regardless of the exact details and circumstances, what is truly very clear is that St. Matthias, like those other Apostles, devoted himself, his life, his works and efforts to the Lord so thoroughly.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord highlighting to His disciples the important commandments that all of the people of God ought to follow and obey, and in those two main commandments lie the entire crux of the whole Law of God, the Law which God has given to all of us His people to guide us in our path and actions in life, in leading all of us back to Himself, by teaching us all about love, how we ought to love God first and foremost above all else, and then equally importantly, show that same love towards our fellow brothers and sisters, and to everyone around us, to all those whom we encounter in life. We cannot be true and genuine disciples and followers of the Lord unless we show this love in our lives, in each and every moments.

First of all, it is right and just that we should love the Lord our God first and foremost before all else, for without God we are nothing and we cannot exist without God’s grace. And not only that, but the Lord has also loved us all Himself with such great love and compassion that He showed us His generous love even to us sinners, who are truly undeserving of His love. We have disobeyed Him and rebelled against Him, and by doing this we have not been embracing the love that God has for us, and yet, God still loves us all anyway. He could have destroyed us from the beginning for our wickedness, disobedience and insolence, and yet, He chose to extend towards us His love and His merciful compassionate love. He loved us all even when we were still sinners, and desires for us to be truly reconciled and reunited with Him.

This is why we should love the Lord, our most loving God. For when others may fail us in love, but God never fails in loving us, and we can always trust and have faith in His love. But at the same time, while we love the Lord wholeheartedly we must also not forget the Lord’s second commandment that we ought to love our fellow brothers and sisters around us. As it is indeed possible for someone to love the Lord so much but ends up neglecting to love those who are around them, especially those who have been entrusted to them to love, and this is contrary to what the Lord has commanded to us to do. For us to be true and genuine Christians, we must always be filled with love, for God and for our fellow brothers and sisters alike.

Therefore, as we reflect upon the life, work and ministry of St. Matthias the Apostle, the courage and faith he has shown in ministering to the people of God and the determination he had in proclaiming the Good News of God to more and more people, let us all be inspired by his examples as our role model in faith and life, so that we may also carry out our lives in the manner that is truly worthy of being Christians. We are all called to continue the good works of the Apostles, which they had begun for the benefit and salvation of so many souls in this world, and which is still far from over. We have been given various missions and responsibilities, the various vocations that we have been called into in our world today. Let us all embrace them faithfully and courageously and do our best so that we may bear rich fruits of our faith and actions in this world, for the greater glory of God.

May the Lord be with us always and may He strengthen each and every one of us in our resolve so that we may continue to grow ever stronger in faith and commitment to God, and in doing whatever is right and just according to God’s will. May God bless our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 13 May 2025 : 4th Week of Easter, Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, commemorating the famous Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima in Portugal, which happened just over a hundred years ago. Today as we recall everything that happened at that time in the small town of Fatima before the three shepherd children who witnessed the Apparition of Mary, the Mother of God, we remind ourselves of the great love that Mary as the Mother of Our Lord and also as our loving mother in loving and caring for us all her adopted children. All of us have been blessed to be loved in such a way by the Mother of Our Lord herself, who has shown herself to us from time to time, with the intention to call on us to come back towards her Son and be saved, and not be lost to sin and darkness.

At that time, at the site of Cova da Iria near the small town of Fatima in Portugal, over a century ago to young children-shepherds, namely St. Francisco Marto and St. Jacinta Marto who were siblings, and their cousin, the Venerable Lucia dos Santos. They had actually begun experiencing the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Fatima from the previous year, 1916. Historically, it was known that Mary, the Mother of God had made appearances during times and moments when wars and conflicts happened in the world, where a lot of hardships, sufferings and trials were faced by the people, and a lot of wickedness and evils were present all around everyone. At that time, the First World War or World War I, then known as the Great War was raging throughout the world, but was particularly terrifying and devastating in Europe.

While Portugal itself was not directly affected by the war, but it was at the year 1916 that Portugal entered into the Great War on the side of the Entente or the Allies against the Central Powers led by Germany. By that time, the Great War had been raging for over two years and millions had perished due to the continuing warfare and conflicts, while many millions more people were suffering because of the effects of the disruptions to their daily livelihood, the hunger and famine due to the entire national resources of many states being pooled and focused for the war efforts. It was at this tumultuous time that the Mother of God, as Our Lady of Fatima, chose to make her appearance to us all. She was calling on the people of God to distance themselves from all the acts of violence that brought about great destruction and also the anger of God.

Initially, people were skeptical of what the three children-shepherds were experiencing and telling to them, about the apparition of a Woman at the site of Cova da Iria, which they associated with Mary, the Mother of God. The Lady in the Apparition told the three children of many things, including the prayer to end the Great War, and the call to return to peace, and for mankind to abandon all the wicked and evil deeds which they had committed through the War and many other things which had indeed angered the Lord greatly. Mary appeared to the three of them calling on them to pass on the messages and the words that she had brought with her to everyone, so that more and more people would come to turn their hearts and minds back towards the Lord, and away from the evils and wickedness which many of them had committed and led them to sin against God.

On this date of the thirteenth of May in the Year of Our Lord 1917, Mary appeared to the three children again, as she showed herself to them as a great Woman, appearing brighter than the Sun, and with light clearer and stronger than a crystal goblet filled with the clearest water, in the words of the witnesses themselves. The appearance of this Woman, who wore a white and gold-trimmed mantle, with the holy rosary upon her hands would become the inspiration of the images and statues now commonly known and venerated widely all around Christendom as Our Lady of Fatima. The Apparition told the three witnesses to tell everyone to commit themselves to the Lord, the Holy Trinity more and more, and to pray the Rosary everyday to bring an end to the war and return to peace. All those things which the Blessed Virgin had mentioned, eventually came to be, just over a year later.

There were many other things and miraculous signs and wonders which Mary as Our Lady of Fatima had shown to the three children and to many other witnesses in her series of Apparitions, as her messages and words brought upon everyone a message and reminder for them to return once again to God’s love and grace, abandoning the evils and wickedness of the world, to sin no more and to embrace wholeheartedly God’s loving and compassionate mercy, which He has always readily given to us, but yet, our stubbornness and wickedness had often prevented us from being able to receive the fullness of God’s grace, forgiveness and love. And while the messages and the words of Our Lady of Fatima, and the whole Apparition would be approved by the Church authorities, and became one of the most popular and enduring Marian devotions up to this day, but at that time, many were skeptical of the veracity and authenticity of what the three children and witnesses had seen.

That was why those three witnesses had to face scrutiny, objections and obstacles from the secular and religious authorities at that time, who questioned them and doubted them, and some did not believe that the Apparition was real or legitimate. But, through the repeated Apparitions, the many signs and miracles which Our Lady of Fatima had shown, eventually, many were convinced of the truth and authenticity of Our Lady’s appearance, that Mary had indeed appeared to the three shepherd children and through them to many others, who were therefore touched and called to propagate her words and reminders, which were all ultimately meant to direct mankind to return once again to righteousness and virtues in God. Our Lady of Fatima, as our loving adoptive Mother, has always been concerned about us, many of whom are always in the danger of losing in the battle for our souls to those who seek our destruction and downfall.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we reflect upon what happened that time in Fatima, the events surrounding Our Lady’s appearance before the three children and also the signs that she performed before so many people, let us all remind ourselves what she had told them all, in the messages of Fatima and everything that she had revealed to us. Ultimately, all of her efforts and works were intended to lead us all towards her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and all of us should therefore make the conscious effort to turn away from our sins and wickedness, embracing instead God’s love and compassionate mercy, doing our very best to commit ourselves to follow God and His will for us, to be good role models and examples to everyone around us, as is our calling as Christians.

May Our Lady of Fatima continue to intercede for all of us sinners who are struggling in our journey through life in this world, and through her guidance may many of us come to realise the depths of our sins and seek her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, with greater vigour and effort, so that we may truly be worthy of His salvation and grace, at the time of the reckoning of our lives. Our Lady of Fatima, Mary, Holy Mother of God, pray for us all sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.