Friday

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Friday, 14 February 2025 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cyril, Monk and St. Methodius, Bishop, Patron Saints of Europe (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 31 : 1-2, 5, 6, 7

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

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

So let the faithful ones pray to You in time of distress; the overflowing waters will not reach them.

You are my Refuge; You protect me from distress and surround me with songs of deliverance.

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Friday, 14 February 2025 : 5th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cyril, Monk and St. Methodius, Bishop, Patron Saints of Europe (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Genesis 3 : 1-8

Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the wild creatures that YHVH God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say : You must not eat from any tree in the garden?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden God said : You must not eat, and you must not touch it or you will die.”

The serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, but God knows that the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the fruit was good to eat, and pleasant to the eyes, and ideal for gaining knowledge. She took its fruit and ate it and gave some to her husband who was with her. He ate it.

Then their eyes were opened and both of them knew they were naked. So they sewed leaves of a fig tree together and made themselves loincloths. They heard the voice of YHVH God walking in the garden, in the cool of the day, and they, the man and his wife, hid from YHVH God among the trees of the garden.

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Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the kind of life and actions that we are all expected to do as Christians, that is as those who are considered as followers and disciples of the Lord, and who have professed our faith in God. Each and every one of us as Christians must always strive to be truly devoted, genuine and committed to God, doing whatever we can so that by our holy and exemplary lives, we may always be good examples, role models and inspirations to everyone whom we encounter daily in life. We should be the shining beacons of God’s light, hope and truth, showing forth Who our Lord and Saviour is through our good examples and lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the discourse from the Epistle to the Hebrews, we heard of the words of the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews exhorting the faithful people of God from among the Jewish community to follow the path which the Lord has shown and taught them, that they all ought to obey sincerely and truly the Law and commandments of God by living their lives as good and devout followers of God, in being faithful to one another, as spouses and members of the family and the loving community of God’s people, to be ever righteous and just in everything that they say and do, so that they may be good examples to everyone. They were reminded to be kind and loving to those who are suffering, and to follow the examples of Christ Himself.

All of us as Christians ought to embody our faith in our everyday living, doing our best so that we may reveal the Lord and His truth to everyone we encounter in our daily living. It is through each and every one of us that God may be proclaimed and glorified, and it is indeed our duty and responsibility to be missionary and evangelistic in our everyday actions and life. If we cannot carry out these faithfully and live our lives instead in the manner that is contrary to our faith, full of sin and wickedness, then we cannot call or consider ourselves as true Christians, as God’s truly beloved and faithful disciples, the ones whom He had called and chosen to be His own. Many people throughout history had been called by God and came to His salvation through the great examples of many of those who have lived their lives worthily as Christians, and equally many had been prevented and repulsed from doing so by the wickedness of those who called themselves as Christians as well.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Mark the account of the time when St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah was imprisoned after having been arrested by King Herod Antipas upon his criticism and rebuke of the adulterous relationship which the king had with his own brother’s wife, Herodias, the wife of Philip, the brother of Herod Antipas himself. This relationship was considered as adulterous because according to inferences of Scriptural records and historical evidence, Philip, the brother of Herod was still very much alive, and this marriage had produced a daughter, the one named as the daughter of Herodias in the Gospel today, likely the stepdaughter of Herod. As Herod’s brother was still alive, for him to take his own brother’s wife as his own was adulterous.

Therefore, St. John the Baptist harshly rebuked the immoral behaviour of the king, which did not show a good example for the people under his dominion and leadership, among other wicked deeds he had done. And as we heard, this led to him being hated especially by Herodias, who plotted to have him killed, and this succeeded when Herodias managed to get Herod to make promises to her daughter, when he was bewitched by her beauty during a celebration, and hence, as we heard, Herod had no choice but to order the execution of the holy man of God, who was beheaded, and his head was delivered to Herodias on a platter. St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah, the one to announce the coming of the Lord, was faithful to the very end, and showed his faith to all of us as good inspiration and example.

This is of course contrasted to the wicked deeds of Herod Antipas, which if we recall what we have just discussed from our first reading today, is yet another reminder for us why all of us as Christians cannot act and live our lives in a manner that is contrary to God’s Law and commandments, to His will and path, and to cause scandal because of our immoral and improper way of life. All of us as God’s people ought to reflect His light, truth and love, and this has to be done in each and every moments of our lives, or else we are no more than hypocrites who claim to profess in believing in God, and yet, we do not truly believe in Him wholeheartedly as we all should have done. Each one of us have indeed been saved by our faith in God, but this faith has to be made concrete and alive through true action in our lives, or else, it is just merely empty, dead and meaningless faith.

And we must remember that our every actions, words and deeds, our whole lives and every moments in our existence will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment. If we have been faithful and committed ourselves sincerely and lovingly to the Lord, to the cause He has entrusted to us, and doing what we can to glorify God even in the smallest things we do in life, then we shall be righteous and justified because of this living and genuine faith which we have in God. On the contrary, if we have ignored our calling and mission in life, refusing to do what we are able to do to help others around us, to do what is God according to God’s Law and commandments, then those failures and omissions will be judged against us, and the Lord may count us among the unworthy and the condemned.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore let us all continue to do whatever we can so that in our everyday living. we may always be good and faithful beacons of God’s light to everyone, to be great examples and inspirations to our brothers and sisters in our midst, to help many others to come to know the Lord and His truth, by sharing our faith with them, and by walking this path of life with righteousness and virtue in all the things that we say and do. May God bless us always, and may He empower us in all the efforts and works that we do so that our every good works and endeavours may bring even more good things and be ever more fruitful, now and forevermore. Let us all be good and worthy disciples of God, His beloved and holy children, His holy people. Amen.

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Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 6 : 14-29

At that time, king Herod also heard about Jesus, because His Name had become well-known. Some people said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Others thought, “He is a prophet like the prophets of times past.” When Herod was told of this, he thought, “I had John beheaded, yet he has risen from the dead!”

For this is what had happened : Herod had ordered John to be arrested, and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her, and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias held a grudge against John; and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed, whenever he heard him.

Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.”

And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of his bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother.

When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.

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Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 26 : 1, 3, 5, 8b-9abc

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

Though an army encamp against me, my heart will not fail; though war break out against me, I will still be confident.

For He will keep me safe in His shelter in times of misfortune; He will hide me beneath His roof, and set me high upon a rock.

I seek Your face, o Lord. Do not hide Your face from me nor turn away Your servant in anger. You are my Protector, do not reject me.

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Friday, 7 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Hebrews 13 : 1-8

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to offer hospitality; you know that some people have entertained Angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were with them in chains, and the same for those who are suffering. Remember that you also have a body.

Marriage must be respected by all and husband and wife faithful to each other. God will punish the immoral and the adulterous. Do not depend on money. Be content with having enough for today for God has said : I will never forsake you or abandon you, and we shall confidently answer : The Lord is my Helper, I will not fear; what can man do to me?

Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Consider their end and imitate their faith. Christ Jesus is the same today as yesterday and forever.

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Friday, 31 January 2025 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, 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 all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to embody our faith in everything that we say and do, to be truly faithful to God in all things and to be sincere in how we live our lives with faith and not to be merely paying lip service or be superficial in how we live our Christian living and commitments. Each and every one of us are parts of the Kingdom of God, the Church, which the Lord has established in this world and made manifest through each and every one of us living our lives in the manner that He Himself has revealed and taught to us. If we do not truly live in our lives in the manner that we have been expected to, then we cannot truly call or consider ourselves as true and genuine Christians.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle to the Hebrews in which the author of this Epistle continued to remind the faithful people of God, especially those who belonged to the Jewish community in the early Church of the guidance and providence that their Lord and God would grant them as He would always be by their side, journeying with them and remaining with them throughout their respective journeys in life. The author spoke of the sufferings, challenges and difficulties that the faithful people of God had to suffer amidst their lives as Christians, in opposing the falsehoods and the evils of the world, and also in facing the disapproval from all those who disagreed with them and did not believe in what they believed in. And he also spoke of the good deeds and actions which the faithful had continued to do despite those difficulties and challenges that they had to face.

The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews also spoke about the need for the people of God to remain strong and faithful amidst the many challenges, struggles and problems that they might have to face in their journey as followers of the Lord, and encouraged and reassured them that they would be vindicated and would earn their rest in the Lord in the end, if they continued to remain faithful and firm in their conviction to follow the Lord and in continuing to adhere to His Law, commandments and teachings. It is an important reminder for all of us that we must always centre our lives and focus our attention on the Lord, and put our complete trust and faith in Him, and we should not allow fear, worry or doubt to overcome us, or to distract us from our faith in the Lord, from this path towards Him and His salvation and eternal life.

Then, in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and followers, and to all others who were listening to Him about the kingdom of God which He presented to them using parables to explain to them its importance, meaning and significance. The kingdom of God is likened to a man sowing seeds in the field, and how the seeds grew into plants and produce their fruits bountifully by the grace of God, reminding us of God’s guidance for His Church and for all of us Christians in each and every parts of our efforts and works. We must always have faith in the Lord and put our trust in Him, as without His guidance and providence, nothing that we do can bear any fruits, at all. Everything is possible because of God and His Presence in our lives.

The other parable that the Lord used was the parable of the mustard seed, which is a very small seed, and yet, when it grows, it becomes a very large tree relative to the size of its seed, and the Lord mentioned how this mustard tree can become shelter for many birds that came to seek roost and shelter upon the tree’s many branches. This is a reminder for us that each and every one of our works, efforts and contributions do matter a lot, and the Lord Himself used the same mustard seed example in another occasion to highlight how even small faith the size of a mustard seed, used as a figurative comparison, can move mountains, showing that a genuine and true faith, filled with devotion and true commitment to God can do amazing things, beyond our imagination and beliefs.

This is why we have been reminded through this reading today from the parables that the Lord had taught to His disciples, that we should always be active in living up to our Christian calling and mission, making good use of whatever gifts, blessings and opportunities that the Lord has provided us with, and we should not be afraid or fearful, or be doubtful of the Lord and His guidance and providence. The Lord Who is ever faithful and committed to the Covenant that He has made with us, will always be by our side, even through the most difficult and challenging moments. Yes, we may have to suffer and face hardships, but so has the Lord our Saviour Himself suffered for our sake, and He has triumphed over His enemies, over sin and death, and through His victory, all of us will also share in His triumph as well.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. John Bosco, a well-renowned priest and saint, a holy man and devoted servant of God who have lived his life worthily of the Lord, ever devoted to the cause of the Lord and His Church particularly to those people whom he had committed himself in serving, the children and other juveniles living in the streets and those youths who had been abandoned by their families and the community. St. John Bosco spent his time working with the orphans and abandoned boys, especially those who were neglected and ignored by the society, establishing eventually a safe place and home for all of them to stay in and to be taken good care of, educated and equipped with good skills to help them to survive in the society.

This place, called the Oratorio, also served to take care of the needs of the community around it, and the efforts and works of St. John Bosco gained a lot of good fruits. But with the successes also came a lot of challenges and hardships, just as our Scripture passages today had told us and which we had just discussed. Some of the townspeople and council members opposed the works of St. John Bosco, slandered him and spread false accusations of his works with the orphans and abandoned boys, that they had to move from place to place, and had to face eviction in some occasions. Yet, St. John Bosco did not easily give up his works and efforts, and he continued to do his best to labour for the sake of the people of God, for the marginalised and least of the society, to the end of his life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples set by St. John Bosco and by our many other holy predecessors, and as members and parts of the Church of God, the Kingdom of God which the Lord Himself has established int his world, let us all realise our duties and responsibilities in fulfilling the missions which have been entrusted to us as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own. Let us all and our lives, each and every one of our words, actions and deeds continue to be inspired by our faith and obedience to God, our love for Him and our willingness to commit ourselves thoroughly to His cause. Let our efforts and good works be truly manifesting in the many successes of the works of the Church, in the salvation of ever more souls, leading more and more towards God and His salvation. May God be with us always, and bless our every good endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 31 January 2025 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 4 : 26-34

At that time, Jesus also said, “In the kingdom of God it is like this : a man scatters seed upon the soil. Whether he is asleep or awake, be it day or night, the seed sprouts and grows, he knows not how. The soil produces of itself : first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when it is ripe for harvesting, they take the sickle for the cutting : the time for the harvest has come.”

Jesus also said, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what shall we compare it? It is like a mustard seed which, when sown, is the smallest of all the seeds scattered upon the soil. But once sown, it grows up and becomes the largest of the plants in the garden, and even grows branches so big, that the birds of the air can take shelter in its shade.”

Jesus used many such stories, in order to proclaim the word to them in a way that they would be able to understand. He would not teach them without parables; but privately to His disciples He explained everything.

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Friday, 31 January 2025 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 36 : 3-4, 5-6, 23-24, 39-40

Trust in the Lord and do good, dwell in the land and live on it. Make the Lord your delight, and He will grant your heart’s desire.

Commit your way to the Lord; put your trust in Him and let Him act. Then will Your revenge come, beautiful as the dawn, and the justification of your cause, bright as the noonday sun.

The Lord is the One Who makes people stand, He gives firmness to those He likes. They may stumble, but they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

The Lord is the Salvation of the righteous; in time of distress, He is their refuge. The Lord helps them, and rescues them from the oppressor; He saves them for they sought shelter in Him.

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Friday, 31 January 2025 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Hebrews 10 : 32-39

Remember the first days when you were enlightened. You had to undergo a hard struggle in the face of suffering. Publicly you were exposed to humiliations and trials, and had to share the sufferings of others who were similarly treated.

You showed solidarity with those in prison; you were dispossessed of your goods and accepted it gladly for you knew you were acquiring a much better and more durable possession. Do not now throw away your confidence that will be handsomely rewarded.

Be patient in doing the will of God, and the promise will be yours : A little, a little longer – says Scripture – and He Who is coming will come; He will not delay. My righteous one will live if he believes: but if he distrusts, I will no longer look kindly on him. We are not among those who withdraw and perish, but among those who believe and win personal salvation.