herald of the Messiah

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Tuesday, 24 June 2025 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 1 : 5-17

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah, belonging to the priestly clan of Abiah. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife also belonged to a priestly family. Both of them were upright in the eyes of God, and lived blamelessly, in accordance with all the laws and commands of the Lord, but they had no child. Elizabeth could not have any and now they were both very old.

Now, while Zechariah and those with him were fulfilling their office, it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to enter the Sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the time of offering incense, all the people were praying outside; it was then, that an Angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. On seeing the Angel, Zechariah was deeply troubled and fear took hold of him.

But the Angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will bring joy and gladness to you, and many will rejoice at his birth. This son of yours will be great in the eyes of the Lord. Listen : he shall never drink wine or strong drink; but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.”

“Through him, many of the people of Israel will turn to the Lord their God. He, himself, will open the way to the Lord, with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; he will reconcile fathers and children; and lead the disobedient to wisdom and righteousness, in order to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

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Tuesday, 24 June 2025 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Peter 1 : 8-12

You have not, yet, seen Him, and, yet, you love Him; even without seeing Him, you believe in Him, and experience a heavenly joy beyond all words, for you are reaching the goal of your faith : the salvation of your souls.

This was the salvation for which the prophets so eagerly looked when, in days past, they foretold the favour of God, with regard to you. But they could only investigate when the Spirit of Christ present within them, pointed out the time and the circumstances, of this – the sufferings of Christ, and the glories which would follow.

It was revealed to them, that they were working, not for themselves, but for you. Thus, in these days, after the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven, the Gospel’s preachers have taught you these mysteries, which even the Angels long to see.

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Tuesday, 24 June 2025 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 70 : 1-2, 3-4a, 5-6ab, 15ab and 17

In You, o Lord, I seek refuge; let me not be disgraced. In Your justice help me and deliver me, turn Your ear to me and save me!

Be my Rock of refuge, a Stronghold to give me safety, for You are my Rock and my Fortress. Rescue me, o my God, from the hand of the wicked.

For You, o Lord, have been my Hope, my Trust, o God, from my youth. I have relied on You from birth : from my mother’s womb You brought me forth.

My lips will proclaim Your intervention and tell of Your salvation all day, little though it is what I can understand. You have taught me from my youth and until now I proclaim Your marvels.

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Tuesday, 24 June 2025 : Vigil Mass of the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Jeremiah 1 : 4-10

A word of YHVH came to me, “Even before I formed you in the womb I have known you; even before you were born I had set you apart, and appointed you a prophet to the nations!”

I said, “Ah, Lord YHVH! I do not know how to speak; I am still young!” But YHVH replied, “Do not say; ‘I am still young’, for now you will go, whatever be the mission I am entrusting to you, and you will speak of whatever I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you – it is YHVH Who speaks!”

Then YHVH stretched out His hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “Now I have put My words in your mouth. See! Today I give you authority over nations and over kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

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Friday, 3 January 2025 : Weekday of Christmas Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 1 : 29-34

At that time, the next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! It is He of Whom I said : A Man comes after me, Who is already ahead of me, for He was before me. I myself did not know Him, but I came baptising to prepare for Him, so that He might be revealed in Israel.”

And John also gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down on Him like a dove from heaven, and resting on Him. I myself did not know Him, but God, Who sent me to baptise, told me, “You will see the Spirit coming down, and resting, on the One Who baptises with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen! And I declare that this is the Chosen One of God!”

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Jesus)

Luke 2 : 21-24

On the eighth day, the circumcision of the Baby had to be performed; He was named Jesus, the Name the Angel had given Him before He was conceived. When the day came for the purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought the Baby up to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, as it is written in the Law of the Lord : Every firstborn male shall be consecrated to God.

And they offered a sacrifice, as ordered in the Law of the Lord : a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.

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Thursday, 19 December 2024 : 3rd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 5-25

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah, belonging to the priestly clan of Abiah. Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife also belonged to a priestly family. Both of them were upright in the eyes of God, and lived blamelessly, in accordance with all the laws and commands of the Lord, but they had no child. Elizabeth could not have any and now they were both very old.

Now, while Zechariah and those with him were fulfilling their office, it fell to him by lot, according to the custom of the priests, to enter the Sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. At the time of offering incense, all the people were praying outside; it was then, that an Angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. On seeing the Angel, Zechariah was deeply troubled and fear took hold of him.

But the Angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, be assured that your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son and you shall name him John. He will bring joy and gladness to you, and many will rejoice at his birth. This son of yours will be great in the eyes of the Lord. Listen : he shall never drink wine or strong drink; but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.”

“Through him, many of the people of Israel will turn to the Lord their God. He, himself, will open the way to the Lord, with the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah; he will reconcile fathers and children; and lead the disobedient to wisdom and righteousness, in order to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Zechariah said to the Angel, “How can I believe this? I am an old man and my wife is elderly, too.” The Angel replied, “I am Gabriel, who stands before God; and I am the one sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news! My words will come true in their time. But you would not believe; and now, you will be silent and unable to speak until this has happened.”

Meanwhile, the people waited for Zechariah; and they were surprised that he delayed so long in the Sanctuary. When he finally appeared, he could not speak to them; and they realised that he had seen a vision in the Sanctuary. He remained dumb and made signs to them. When his time of service was completed, Zechariah returned home; and, some time later, Elizabeth became pregnant.

For five months she kept to herself, remaining at home, and thinking, “This, for me, is the Lord’s doing! This is His time for mercy, and for taking away my public disgrace.”

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Saturday, 14 December 2024 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 17 : 10-13

At that time, the disciples of Jesus asked Him, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus answered, “So it is : first comes Elijah; and he will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come; and they did not recognise him; and they treated him as they pleased. And they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”

Then the disciples understood that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist.

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Thursday, 26 September 2024 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 9 : 7-9

At that time, king Herod heard of all that Jesus and His disciples had done, and did not know what to think, for people said, “This is John, raised from the dead.”

Others believed that Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets, had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, “I had John beheaded. Who is this Man, about Whom I hear such wonders?” And he was anxious to see Him.

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Thursday, 29 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the feast of the Passion of St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah. This Passion refers to the moment when St. John the Baptist suffered for his faith and dedication to the Lord, similar to that of the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, which we commemorate during the Holy Week in each liturgical year. On this day, we honour St. John the Baptist who had shared in the sufferings of the Lord, as the one who had prepared His path as His herald, and who therefore suffered and died before his own Lord and Master, courageously defending what he had believed in and everything that he had laboured for throughout his whole life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord reassured His people in the kingdom of Judah, to whom the Lord had sent Jeremiah to, that they should not be afraid or fearful of all their enemies and all those who sought to destroy them because He would be with them and protected them much as how He had done so in the earlier ages and eras. The Lord had always been with His people despite their many insubordinations, rebellions and refusals to obey Him and His Law, His commandments and ways. He had built His protections and barriers around them, coming in between them and their enemies, destroying many of those who plotted against them and sought their destruction on many occasions.

And yet, they still hardened their hearts and minds against Him despite all these things which He had done for them. The Lord had patiently helped and showed them His messengers, His servants and more to help and lead them towards Him. Many of these were persecuted and oppressed by those who refused to listen to their words and reminders, which brought about God’s anger against them and their stubbornness. Yet, despite having shown them this displeasure and anger, warning them of the dangerous consequences should they continue in their rebellious paths, which was one of the major message theme that Jeremiah brought to the people of Judah, the Lord also reassured them at the same time that He would be willing to welcome them back should they choose to repent from their sins and trust in Him again.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the account of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist himself, as this faithful servant of God had been arrested when he criticised and rebuked King Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, who had entered into an adulterous relationship and marriage with his own brother’s wife, Herodias. According to tradition this was because Herodias’ former husband, Philip who was Herod’s own brother, was still alive at the time, and according to both Jewish and Christian traditions and beliefs, this is an act of adultery as the bond of marriage is something that is sacred and indissoluble. Furthermore, the fact that the daughter of Herodias was exactly named as such, indicated that this daughter was from the union between Philip and Herodias. That union having thus been consummated, cannot and should not be broken.

Yet, Herod and Herodias both gave in to the temptations of worldliness and decided to live in a state of sin, falling into the corruption of evil. When St. John the Baptist rebuked both of them, Herodias took it particularly badly and she harboured great hatred towards the man of God, desiring to destroy him. St. John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned for this courageous act of rebuking the king and queen for their immoral behaviour, and while Herod showed remorse for his actions, and willing to listen to St. John the Baptist, Herodias plotted for the death of this man of God which happened as detailed in our Gospel passage today, at the time of the celebration when she managed to trick the likely drunk and mesmerised Herod to order the execution of St. John the Baptist before his nobles and officials.

Through what we have discussed and heard today, we can see how living our lives and following the Lord is not something that is easily done, and we may often have to make plenty of sacrifices and face many challenges in our path as we continue to move forward as disciples and followers of our Lord. Like St. John the Baptist and many of the martyrs of the Church throughout its long history, many of whom had endured prison, tortures, all sorts of persecution and hardships, opposition even from those who were close and dear to them. Yet, they did not allow all those to dissuade them from following the Lord faithfully and courageously, just as what St. John the Baptist himself had done. As Christians, that is what we should be doing in obedience to God, to His Law and commandments.

Therefore, as we reflect on the life and actions of the most courageous and faithful servant of God, St. John the Baptist, particularly in his sufferings and martyrdom, the memory of his Passion which he had gone through for the sake of the Lord and all that he has been entrusted to do, let us all therefore reflect upon our own lives and ask ourselves what we can do to commit ourselves to the Lord with the same fervour, dedication, zeal and commitment, not fearing the hardships and persecutions of the world. We should not allow ourselves to be dissuaded by the opposition, challenges, troubles and difficulties that we may have to endure, and instead, like St. John the Baptist, we should strive so that our lives and examples may inspire those around us so that we may help others who are struggling in their faith in God to remain strong and firm in their faith and commitment.

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith and may He encourage and empower us to persevere through the many challenges and trials that we may have to face in the midst of our journey in life, in our dedication and faith in Him, at all times. May St. John the Baptist, His herald and faithful servant continue to inspire us all and pray for each and every one of us, holy and beloved people of God as we keep on going with our daily struggles and perseverance in faith. May God bless us in our every endeavours, good works and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 29 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 17-29

At that time, 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 the 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.