holy men

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Monday, 10 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (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 that each and every one of us are called to be truly and genuinely faithful to the Lord in all things, in embracing the fullness of God’s wisdom and guidance, through the Holy Spirit that He has sent upon us. And through this Wisdom we have received important guidance and strength to carry out our activities and our works with faith, to do what God has called us to do and to fulfil everything that He has entrusted to us, to lead others towards Himself through our good examples and by being inspiration for everyone around us.

In our first reading today as mentioned, we heard from the Book of Wisdom how God’s Wisdom has come to dwell in us through His Spirit, and how this Wisdom has guided us through this journey in life, showing us the path going forward and how we ought to navigate the various twists and challenges in life. If we allow God to show us the path going forward, then surely we will be able to find the right path through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the Wisdom which He has imparted to us through the same Spirit which inspires us and moves us gently along in life towards what God wants us to be, and where He wants us to contribute as members of His Church.

We are reminded that as Christians we should not easily allow ourselves to be swayed and misled by the temptations, pressures and the coercions of worldly desires and ambitions, attachments and all the other negative things surrounding us. We must not let ourselves be led by the currents of this world, but instead through our firm faith in God, we ought to have that very strong anchor in faith, in doing whatever is needed to resist the many temptations and pressures from all around us to conform to the ways and manners of this world. But we really need to put our full faith in the Lord, in trusting His Wisdom and guidance at all times and circumstances.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples about the dangers of those who have not truly been faithful and had been hypocritical in their faith, all those who have caused scandal for the Lord and the faithful by their actions and way of life, which is wicked and unworthy, which lead to others falling into sin as well. God does not look kindly upon those who have lived their lives in such a manner and hence, He reminded His disciples that they all ought to live their lives with genuine faith and dedication, committing themselves and each moments of their lives with true sincerity in their faith in the Lord at all times.

It is an important reminder to all of us as Christians that we should not take lightly our responsibility to live our lives in each and every moments ever more courageously and with great dedication as genuine Christians. We should continue to live wholeheartedly at all times and in all circumstances showing what our faith truly is all about, and how we can be better Christians, better disciples and followers of the Lord, by showing this faith through real and concrete actions in our daily lives. We should not be ignorant of those whom God had placed in our lives and in our paths for us to care for, especially more so those who are precious and dear to us, as they are indeed our responsibilities as good and faithful Christians, to love as God has loved us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Leo the Great, one of the great leaders of the Church and a renowned Pope, whose contributions and deeds were so great that he was indeed one of the very few Popes known with the epithet, ‘the Great’. Pope St. Leo the Great was one of the longest reigning Popes in the Church, reigning over the whole Church over a period of over two decades, during an important and tumultuous time both for Christendom and in the secular world. His efforts, works and deeds had inspired many and helped many people to remain firmly faithful to the Lord despite the many trials and challenges facing them at that time. Pope St. Leo the Great helped to lead the Church through those difficult times, and his leadership, actions and numerous writings, which made him to be honoured as a Doctor of the Church, should inspire us all to be ever more faithful to God as well.

Pope St. Leo the Great led the Church through a divisive time in Christendom, as there were numerous heresies and disagreements which had not been completely resolved and settled by the preceding Ecumenical Councils, such as the ones at Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus. Pope St. Leo the Great wrote extensively and sent his ambassadors and legates to the Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in the Year of Our Lord 450, ten years into the reign of Pope St. Leo the Great, condemning the heresies of monophysitism that were rampant in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Then, in the secular side, Pope St. Leo the Great was also well-renowned for having led the Church and the city of Rome through two difficult time periods, first was when the King of the Huns, Attila, came to the city, and the Pope came to see him personally, and managed to make the Hunnic king to turn away back to his lands, sparing Rome from destruction. He was less successful with the Vandals that came few years afterwards and sacked Rome, but he managed to reduce the extent of the destructions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the life and contributions of Pope St. Leo the Great, as well as from the words of the Sacred Scriptures earlier, we are reminded that we are called to be genuine, faithful and loving Christians at all times and circumstances. We should not be merely outwardly faithful or pious but lacking in genuine and deep understanding of the faith or genuine love for God. Let us all continue to walk in faith at all times, inspiring one another to become ever better disciples and followers of the Lord by doing our best to do so in our own lives. May God bless us always in all of our endeavours and good works. Amen.

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Monday, 10 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 17 : 1-6

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Scandals will necessarily come and cause people to fall; but woe to the one who brings them about. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone around his neck. Truly, this would be better for that person, than to cause one of these little ones to fall.”

“Listen carefully : if your brother offends you, tell him, and if he is sorry, forgive him. And if he offends you seven times in one day, but seven times he says to you, ‘I am sorry,’ forgive him.”

The Apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” And the Lord said, “If you have faith, even the size of a mustard seed, you may say to this tree, ‘Be uprooted, and plant yourself in the sea!’ and it will obey you.”

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Monday, 10 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 138 : 1-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-10

O YHVH, You know me : You have scrutinised me. You know when I sit and when I rise; beforehand, You discern my thoughts. You observe my activities and times of rest; You are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is formed in my mouth, You know what it is all about, o YHVH. From front to back You hedge me round, shielding me with Your protecting hand. Your knowledge leaves me astounded, it is too high for me to reach.

Where else could I go from Your Spirit? Where could I flee from Your presence? You are there, if I ascend the heavens; You are there, if I descend to the depths.

If I ride on the wings of the dawn, and settle on the far side of the sea, even there, Your hand shall guide me, and Your right hand shall hold me safely.

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Monday, 10 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Wisdom 1 : 1-7

Love justice, you who rule over the world! Think rightly of God, seek Him with simplicity of heart, for He reveals Himself to those who do not challenge Him and is found by those who do not distrust Him. Crooked thinking distances you from God; and His Omnipotence, put to the test, confounds the foolish.

Wisdom does not enter the wicked nor remain in a body that is enslaved to sin. The Holy Spirit Who instructs us shuns deceit; it keeps aloof from foolishness and is ill at ease when injustice is done. Wisdom is a spirit, a friend to man, and will not leave the blasphemous unpunished, because God knows his innermost feelings, truly sees his thoughts and hears what he says.

For God’s Spirit has filled the whole world; and He Who holds together all things, knows each word that is spoken.

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Friday, 24 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we heard the words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that all of us as Christians we must always continue to live our lives worthily and to the best of our abilities in being good role models and examples in our respective way of life, so that we may indeed bring forth the truth and Good News of God, manifesting His love and compassion in our world today, through even the smallest and the seemingly least significant aspects of our actions and works, in all that we say and do, in how we interact with one another. All of us as Christians are reminded that we should always strive to live righteously in God and to resist at all times the temptations of evil and sin.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in the city and region of Rome, we heard of the reminders from the Apostle of our human nature, our worldly existence that is tainted by sin and by all the vulnerabilities that we have towards the temptations and the pressures of this world. Due to this, it is our human nature for all of us to continue to falter and fall again and again into sin, which I am sure we ourselves have experienced at each and every moments, and yet, God in His great and ever wonderful love and mercy constantly reached out to us and showed us all His power, showing us the path for us all out of the darkness and the tyranny of sin into His eternal light and salvation.

He has sent us His deliverance and made it real and true for us through none other than His own Beloved Son, Whom He had sent into our midst, into this world to bring us all the long awaited salvation and the perfect fulfilment of His promises, as He Himself had told us. Through Christ our Lord and Saviour, Who has offered Himself most lovingly and selflessly on His Cross, He has opened for us the gate of Heaven and the sure path to eternal life with Him. And this is why St. Paul reminded all the faithful in Rome and elsewhere, including all of us, that we should always strive to focus our attention on Him and do our very best in each and every moments of our lives to continue journeying towards God even when we constantly continue to stumble and fall through the temptations to sin.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus Himself told His disciples on the matter of reading the signs of times, by using the conventional and well-known wisdom of seeing the signs in the skies for weather and other knowledge, to know what would come to happen in due time. He also mentioned about how those who had troubles and issues and wanted to settle a court case ought to try to settle the issue with the accuser before they reached the judge and the courthouse, where if they had not settled the issue amicably and peacefully, it would have led to one of them being punished and having to face potentially severe consequences.

Through what the Lord Himself mentioned in this passage, He is reminding us that we too should take seriously our relationship with God and one another, and we should not wait until it is too late for us all, as we ourselves will face the moment of judgment and the time when we have to ultimately account for all of our lives, our every actions, words and deeds, our every interactions and even our failures to act upon what the Lord Himself had entrusted to us. All of us should always seek to forgive one another our trespasses, faults, mistakes and any hurt we cause to each other, so that just as we always prayed in The Lord’s Prayer, ‘Forgive us our trespasses just as we forgive those who trespass against us’, all of us as Christians should always lead by example in our attitudes and actions.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret, the founder of the religious order of the Claretians also known as the Congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, named after its founder. St. Anthony Mary Claret was an archbishop and renowned missionary, who lived approximately two centuries ago, laboured and worked as God’s servant in various places especially Spain and in the colonies of the Spanish Empire, such as in Canary Islands, and also in other areas. He was a great missionary with zeal and love for God, felt and embraced the call to the priestly life, and thereafter went on missions to evangelise and to spread the Good News of God to more and more people. He faced a lot of challenges along his mission and journey, but he always did his best to proclaim the Lord faithfully and courageously.

St. Anthony Mary Claret spent a lot of time in preaching among the people, which became very popular, and many people came to listen to his preachings. He also spent a lot of time in the confessionals, helping many people to come closer to the Lord, by reconciliation and healing, and by listening to their troubles and problems. Many were touched by the courageous and clear sermons from this holy man of God, and by his dedication as a shepherd of the Lord’s flock. He established the Claretians soon after he returned from his missionary works in the Canary Islands, and then later on was quickly appointed as Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, in which he continued his mission as shepherd and missionary in the territory of Spanish Cuba, reforming the diocesan seminary, establishing schools and hospitals, and founding another religious order named Religious of Mary Immaculate.

St. Anthony Mary Claret continued to serve the people of God with amazing commitment and dedicating his great charism with most passion and commitment, and many came to be saved through his efforts. Miracles and wonders were attributed to him, as according to accounts and eyewitnesses, he levitated during prayers and celebrations of the Mass, and his prayers stopped even calamities like storms and earthquakes, and supernatural lights and phenomena would be seen as he celebrated Mass, facts which astounded many and attested to his great personal holiness and virtues, and he was also given gift of foresight and revelation, as the Lord revealed to him several challenges and trials that the world and the Church would be facing.

St. Anthony Mary Claret eventually became the personal confessor of the Queen of Spain, Isabella II. He continued to do his many works for the glory of God and for the good of his fellow men in his various capacities, continuing to commit himself wholeheartedly for the Lord’s mission and works. He continued to inspire many people in generations after his passing to this very day, and his religious orders continued to work and being inspired by their founder’s great examples. Therefore, each one of us should also be inspired to do God’s will and to follow Him wholeheartedly as St. Anthony Mary Claret and many other holy men and women of God had done. Each and every one of us as Christians should always strive to do what the Lord has taught and shown us all to do.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect on what we have heard from our Scripture passages today and from the great life and works of St. Anthony Mary Claret. Let us all continue to do our best in each and every moments of our lives so that we will continue to be great examples for all those around us, and be inspiration for all those whom we encounter in our paths. Let our lives be the beacons of God’s light and hope at all times, and let us continue to walk ever more courageously and faithfully at all times, as good and faithful Christians, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 24 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Luke 12 : 54-59

At that time, Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it happens. And when the wind blows from the south, you say, ‘It will be hot’; and so it is. You superficial people! You understand the signs of the earth and the sky, but you do not understand the present times.”

“And why do you not judge for yourselves what is fit? When you go with your accuser before the court, try to settle the case on the way, lest he drag you before the judge, and the judge deliver you to the jailer, and the jail throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny.”

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Friday, 24 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Psalm 118 : 66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94

Give me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust in Your commands.

You are good, and Your works are good; teach me Your decrees.

Comfort me then with Your unfailing love, as You promised Your servant.

Let Your mercy come, to give me life; for Your Law is my delight.

Never will I forget Your precepts; for with them, You give me life.

Save me, for I am Yours, since I seek Your statutes.

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Friday, 24 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Romans 7 : 18-25a

I know, that what is right, does not abide in me, I mean, in my flesh. I can want to do what is right, but I am unable to do it. In fact, I do not do the good I want, but the evil I hate. Therefore, if I do what I do not want to do, I am not the one striving toward evil, but sin, which is in me.

I discover, then, this reality : though I wish to do what is right, the evil within me asserts itself first. My inmost self, agrees and rejoices with the Law of God, but I notice in my body, another law, challenging the Law of the Spirit, and delivering me, as a slave to the law of sin, written in my members.

Alas, for me! Who will free me from this being, which is only death? Let us give thanks to God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

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Thursday, 23 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John of Capestrano, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that as Christians, when we follow the Lord, each and every one of us are called to reject the path of worldliness, sin and the temptations of the world, all of which can lead us astray from the path towards God and His salvation. Each and every one of us have been shown the truth of God’s way, the virtues and righteousness which He has taught and revealed to us, against the wickedness of the world. And therefore, we are also reminded that it is inevitable that there will be friction, hardships, challenges and problems that we may face in this world if we continue to live our lives faithfully in God’s Presence.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome in which the Apostle continued to speak on the matter of sin, which has caused us to fall into the path that leads away from God. St. Paul reminded the faithful how they were once the slaves of sin, and being slaves of sin they had been destined to destruction and damnation, but God had provided the sure path for them all out of the path of sin and into the path of righteousness towards Him. Through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, He has established His Church in this world, and by the authority presented to His Church, He has given us the gifts of the Sacraments, especially that of baptism by which we have been cleansed from the taints of our original sins and welcomed into the Church of God.

However, it does not mean that once we are baptised and become members of God’s Church, then we are absolutely free from the threat of sin, as sin can once again threaten us all and as long as we exist in our mortal and worldly existence in this world, we will always be vulnerable to the temptations and pressures to sin, by disobeying God and disregarding His Law and commandments, and by not doing what He has asked and told us to do. Each and every one of us as Christians are still in this long journey through this life towards God, the journey that we all undertake in our own respective paths, facing the ever present threats and attacks from the evil ones around us, all those seeking our destruction and downfall. If we remain firm and strong in our faith in God, then we will be able to persevere against all these.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the rather harsh words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples as He told them that He came into the world bearing the truth and the Good News which would not necessarily lead to peace and harmony unlike what many of His disciples thought that He would do. We must first understand that at that time, the understanding and appreciation of the Jewish people regarding the Messiah or the Saviour promised by God, was one of happy and jubilant expectation, as they considered the Messiah to be the One Whom God would send into the world to restore the glory of the Kingdom of Israel, to return the people of Israel and their descendants once again to the glorious days of King David and King Solomon.

However, the Lord Jesus Himself said that this was not to be, and He told the disciples that the reality was rather that, those who followed Him and put their faith in Him would in fact face hurdles and struggles because of what they believed. That was why He told them that He would bring divisions and struggles, conflicts and hardships between members of the family, even those who were closest to each other. This would indeed come true as if we were to read the story of the lives of the martyrs and members of the early Church, where those early Christians often faced persecutions and oppositions, and these came not only from the Roman state or the Jewish authorities, but from their own closest ones, their own family members and close friends, who disagreed with their Christian faith.

It is an important reminder that being Christians is not something that may necessarily be easy for all of us to do. If we have lived our lives mostly comfortably as Christians, which can and do indeed happen, but more likely because we have not truly lived our faith seriously and genuinely. From time to time, when we live our lives faithfully and courageously, in how we truly love God and put Him at the centre of our own lives, and when we love sincerely those whom God had put in our paths and lives, those whom the Lord had entrusted to us to our care. There will be challenges and frictions, even with those close to us, and what we may find most uncomfortable is that, those who make our lives and faith miserable may be even our fellow Catholics, those who are supposed to be our fellow brothers and sisters, and yet, they may be the one who caused us the most harm and sorrow.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John of Capestrano, whose life and examples should inspire us all in how we can be better disciples and followers of the Lord in all things. St. John of Capestrano was a famous Franciscan friar and priest, and a courageous and dedicated preacher and servant of God who committed himself wholeheartedly to the Lord, in obeying the commandments and the Law of God. He was a renowned theologian whose works and efforts, in spreading the Good News and the truth of the Gospel of Christ have borne a lot of good fruits, in proclaiming the salvation of God to more and more of those who have not known them. He preached to huge crowds that came to listen to him, which numbered even more than a hundred thousand people in one occasion, and he also attained great successes in other places as well.

St. John of Capestrano also dedicated himself to the Lord, putting Him above all else, even volunteering to raise and lead a large army together to fight against the forces of the Ottoman Turks that were threatening Christendom at that time, fighting in a Crusade launched by the Pope to resist the mighty forces of the enemy and unbelievers. He kept on inspiring all the soldiers who fought during that Crusade and conflicts, and while he eventually survived the battle, he fell ill from the bubonic plague and passed away shortly after. Nonetheless, the memories of his courage, commitment to God and efforts in proclaiming the Lord, in giving himself completely to the Lord and His cause are remembered by many long after his death, even to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today therefore as we listened to the story of the life and works of St. John of Capestrano and as we reflected earlier on the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded that we should continue to have faith in God even amidst all the challenges and difficulties that we may have to face in our lives. We should not easily give up the struggle and faith, in all the things we do in life, so that by our every efforts and good works, we will continue to inspire faith and hope in everyone around us. We should continue to do our best to live truly good, faithful and worthy lives, one that shine wonderfully with God’s light and truth, at all times. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 23 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John of Capestrano, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Luke 12 : 49-53

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “I have come to bring fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what anguish I feel until it is finished! Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided : three against two, and two against three.”

“They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”