holy Popes

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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the love of God which He generously ever poured down upon us, showing us His mercy, love and compassion, just as we have often been reminded of. At the same time, we are also reminded to seek the Lord and His mercy, His forgiveness and love, just as how the Syro-Phoenician woman had done in our Gospel passage today, that our sincere and strong desire to seek the Lord, to find His love, mercy and compassion shall liberate us from the bondage of our wickedness and sins, and deliver us into a renewed life blessed and strengthen by God and His grace. God has always loved and been kind to us, and He has also always been full of mercy and forgiveness for us, but we have to be cooperative with Him, allowing Him to come to us, to transform our lives for the better.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, in which God would restore His people, the Israelites once again, to be His blessed and beloved people, restored and empowered, saved and liberated from their troubles just as He had done for them many times previously. These words of the Lord which He spoke to His people, the remnants of the Israelites living in the kingdom of Judah, would indeed come true in the upcoming decades. And these came after the Lord has spoken of all the misfortunes, destructions and hardships that they all would have to encounter in their path, as they had disobeyed Him and disregarded His Law, His commandments and precepts, and thus, they would have to endure the consequences of their actions. This showed us all that God truly loves each and every one of His people, but He does not condone their actions.

As a loving Creator and Father to His people, as their Lord, Master and King, God has always cared for them all as He has constantly shown throughout history and as recorded in the Old Testament, but at the same time, as a just and holy God, as mentioned, He does not condone their sinfulness, wicked actions and deeds that are contrary to the way and the teachings which He had passed on to them. He does not want any one of them to be swayed into the wicked path in life, into the path of darkness from which there could be no escape or hope. That was why God chastised His people, punishing them and correcting them but with the ultimate intent of leading them all towards Himself and restoring them to the state of grace together with Him. God does not desire our destruction, as it was us who have willingly chosen to reject His salvation and grace.

God remembers the Covenant which He had made and established with His people, and through Jeremiah, He wanted to remind them with all of that, that while He abhorred their sins and wickedness, but He still wanted them all to return to Him and to repent from their many sins and evils before it was too late for them. That is why, it is also a very important reminder for all of us that we should not take God’s love, compassion and mercy for granted. God has always been very patient with us, but at the same time, we must realise that if we continue to resist Him and refuse His love and kindness, it may come to pass that it ends up too late for us to accept God’s favour, love and mercy, and when it is too late for us, it is by all those sins and wickedness that we shall be judged by, and we shall be condemned by all those wicked and evil attitudes which we have carried out in our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, as mentioned earlier we heard of the interactions between the Lord Jesus and a Syro-Phoenician woman who had come to seek His help with regards to her very sick daughter. The Syro-Phoenician region was outside the lands where the Israelites lived in, and at that time, that region was also not where the descendants of the Israelites lived in, and therefore the Syro-Phoenician woman in the reckoning of the Jews would be considered as an outsider and a pagan. And for many among the Jews, the Syro-Phoenician like the other Gentiles were considered unworthy and unclean, and it was often taboo for a Jew like the Lord Jesus Himself to mingle and interact with the non-Jews like the Syro-Phoenician woman. Not only that, but the Jews at that time also had a rather exclusive and elitist view of themselves as God’s chosen people, and looking down on others who did not believe in God as they did.

Thus, when the Lord seemingly mocked the woman and was being rude in replying harshly to her by stating that He was only sent to the people of Israel and that the food should not be given to the dogs, it was a representation of the folly of the prejudices shown by the Israelites and their descendants against those others whom they had deemed to be inferior and less worthy than them as God’s disciples and followers. But the Lord showed His disciples and others, including all of us that even among the non-Israelites, there could be great and wonderful faith too. The Syro-Phoenician woman ignored the insults and kept on asking the Lord with great faith, even humbling herself, saying that even the dogs gained the scraps of food from the table. This is a representation of just how one with great faith shall be blessed by God, and God’s love is in truth, for everyone, and not just for any particular group of people. All of us, regardless of race, background or origin, have all been called and chosen by God to be His beloved people.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of two great saints and holy men of God, whose lives and dedications to God can serve as great role models and inspirations for each and every one of us in how we should live our own lives as Christians. Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Cajetan both had lived truly virtuous and worthy lives that have shown us all what it truly means to be true and genuine, faithful and committed Christians, as God’s holy and committed disciples and followers. They have lived their lives with great faith in their own unique ways, that even when they faced difficulties and challenges, they continued to persevere on in trusting in the Lord and in being faithful to Him. They did not let the hardships, oppositions and all the other obstacles they encountered to dissuade them from their efforts and good works for the sake of the Lord and for His people.

Pope St. Sixtus II was one of the important and influential leaders of the early Church, who has dedicated himself as the Pope and thus as leader of the whole Universal Church, to lead the faithful and the Church through turbulent and difficult times. He led the Church through a time of challenges and divisions, as there was a particularly divisive Novatian heresy that happened just prior to his pontificate, which caused divisions in the Roman Church, and also in relationships with the Church in Africa and in the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Pope St. Sixtus II dedicated himself to heal the rifts and divisions in the Church, while at the same time, he also led the Church through the difficult times of persecutions and oppressions by the Roman state. It was during one of these oppressions, during the reign of Emperor Valerian that Pope St. Sixtus II was martyred. He remained firm in his faith and commitment to God, to the very end.

Meanwhile, St. Cajetan was an Italian priest who lived and ministered to the Church and the people of God during the Renaissance period, at the time when there were lots of challenges facing the Christian faithful, both from the corruption within the clergy and laity alike, and when the moral and spiritual standards of the people of God were waning. St. Cajetan committed himself thoroughly to minister to the people of God, devoting himself to reach out to those who have been lost from the Lord, calling upon them to return to Him. He established a congregation named the Theatines, gathering those who wished to follow the Lord’s call and serve the people of God, particularly those who were poor and less privileged. Through his efforts and works, St. Cajetan impacted the lives of many and brought many ever closer to God and helped them to come to God’s salvation and grace.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all remind ourselves that we all should have strong and genuine faith in the Lord, devoting our time and effort to follow Him wholeheartedly. Let us all continue to follow in the good examples and in the footsteps of our holy predecessors, like that of Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Cajetan. Let us all continue to walk in the path which the Lord has shown us, and continue to show our love for God and for our fellow brethren, in all and every one of our actions, words and deeds in life, now and always. May God be with us all, and may He empower us in faith, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Matthew 15 : 21-28

At that time, leaving that area, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from the area, came and cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So His disciples approached Him and said, “Send her away! See how she is shouting after us.” Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”

But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus, and said, “Sir, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to puppies.”

The woman replied, “That is true, Sir, but even puppies eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Jeremiah 31 : 1-7

YHVH declares that when that time comes He will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be His people. Thus says YHVH : The people who survived the sword have found grace in the desert. As Israel was seeking for his rest YHVH appeared from afar saying, I have loved you with a love everlasting, so I have kept for you My mercy. I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuilt, o virgin Israel!”

“You will take up your tambourines and go out dancing joyfully. You will plant vineyards again on the hills of Samaria, and the farmers who plant them will enjoy their fruit. There shall be a day when watchmen will call out on the hills of Ephraim, “Come, let us go to Zion, to YHVH our God!”

For YHVH says this, “Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say : ‘YHVH has saved His people, the remnant of Israel!’”

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Wednesday, 29 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Sacred Scriptures presented us with the words of God’s truth and reminders for us to seek not worldly glory and ambitions in the midst of our Christian living and faith in the Lord, that our lives and actions should not be based on our wants and desires for worldly matters and glory, joy and satisfaction, for any attachments of worldly nature, all of which are truly meaningless and immaterial in the end. As Christians, each and every one of us are called to forgo all these kind of ambitions and desires, unhealthy attachments to the temptations of the world all around us. We are reminded to love the Lord our God, in Whom alone is our sole hope and the only source of our true happiness, as the world cannot provide us all with true happiness that last.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Peter, we heard of the words of the Apostle St. Peter, continuing from what we have heard in the past few days of his exhortations to the faithful people of God, as he spoke to them all about the matter of believing in God and His salvation, in everything that He had done for our sake. St. Peter told the faithful that it is not by our gold and silver that we have been saved, or by any worldly means, but rather through the great love and sacrifice which the Lord, our most loving God has shown us, through His Son, Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour, Whom He had sent into our midst that we may witness and experience directly the fullness of His love. This was why St. Peter told all the people of God that they must remember how it was through Christ that they had all been saved.

He exhorted all the faithful to achieve an internal purification and realignment with God, so that their whole lives may indeed be orientated and focused towards Him. In this world, there are indeed a lot of temptations and pleasures of the flesh that can easily mislead us down the wrong path towards our downfall and destruction. We must not allow all those from corrupting us and leading us astray from God’s path and righteousness. That is why as Christians we must always strive to keep our focus in the Lord and not on worldly things and matters. Unfortunately, the reality is such that many people are ensnared in their endless desires for material goods and wealth, for the glory of the world and for other worldly attachments that kept us from truly being able to commit ourselves wholly to the Lord.

Then, in our Gospel passage today from the Gospel of St. Mark, we heard of the moment when the two sons of Zebedee, who were both members of the Twelve, the closest inner circle among the Lord’s disciples, namely St. James and St. John, came together with their mother who asked the Lord to give special preference and treatment to her sons. The mother of St. James and St. John asked if the Lord could grant them a seat at His left and right side when He accomplished His mission, which was then commonly interpreted as the reestablishment of the Kingdom of Israel. As such, they were trying to gain favour from the Lord and gain earthly renown, glory and prestige, as to sit at the sides of the King was truly a very honourable position indeed.

This immediately brought about the ire of the other disciples who resented the two disciples’ efforts to climb over all of them. Contextually, the disciples of the Lord had been competing with each other, debating, quarrelling and grumbling among themselves on who was the most important and the most esteemed one among them. The Lord therefore made it clear to all of them that becoming His disciples and followers is not about chasing after worldly glory, pleasures and ambitions. Those who seek worldly glory and honour, ambitions and power are not worthy to be His disciples, as for the Lord, to follow Him means that they must always be focused on the Lord, and be ready even to suffer for the Lord’s sake, even to the point of losing everything, even their lives.

This is why as Christians, again we are all reminded not to allow ourselves to be easily swayed by the temptations of worldly glory, pleasures and ambitions. We must always focus ourselves on the Lord and His truth, and guard ourselves from the excesses of materialistic lifestyle and all the tempting things which the world has always offered us. The evil one and all of his forces are always ready at hand to strike at us, making use of all these temptations and things to turn us away from the Lord and drag us down the path towards our downfall and destruction. We must always strive to do what is good and right according to God’s will.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Paul VI, one of the recent Popes who reigned beginning from the time of the Second Vatican Council about sixty years ago, and the predecessor of the much beloved Pope St. John Paul II. Pope St. Paul VI was born as Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini or more commonly known as Giovanni Battista Montini, into a family of rural nobility at the turn of the nineteenth to the twentieth centuries. He was born in what is today part of northern Italy, and entered the seminary at a young age, ordained as priest and beginning a long career afterwards in the diplomatic service of the Holy See and the Roman Curia. He was known for his great organisational skills and he eventually became an acquaintance and assistant to Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who would become Pope Pius XII.

The then Monsignor Montini worked in the Secretariat of State together with Archbishop Domenico Tardini as close confidants of Pope Pius XII during the years of the Second World War and its aftermath. He helped to reply the letters to the Pope from various parts of the world in his capacity as an assistant and secretary, as the Pro-Secretary of State of the Holy See, managing the often difficult diplomatic situations at the time, as well as the problems with refugees and food shortage in Rome and its vicinity. And then, afterwards, after the war, Pope Pius XII eventually appointed Archbishop Montini to be the Archbishop of Milan after the death of the previous Archbishop. As Archbishop of Milan, Archbishop Montini, the future Pope continued to work diligently for the sake of his flock, and he was noted for his closeness to the workers and the less privileged.

When Pope St. John XXIII succeeded Pope Pius XII, he made Archbishop Montini as a Cardinal, and in the later preparations for the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Montini was often involved in its many preparatory sessions. When Pope St. John XXIII passed away early in the sessions of the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Montini was the clear favourite to succeed him, and he was indeed elected as Pope in the Year of Our Lord 1963, where he continued the good works of his predecessors, reforming the Church through the successful completion and conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, together with other series of reforms to the pastoral approach and governance of the Church.

Through his many efforts in reaching out to the marginalised and in reforming the approaches of the Church in evangelisation and in the interactions between the Church and the world, Pope St. Paul VI helped to bring the Church to more and more people, proclaiming the faith to more of those who have not yet known the Lord, and at the same time also help the world to understand the Church and the Christian faith, its teachings and all the precepts of the Christian faith more clearly. Pope St. Paul VI continued to work hard and to do lots of wonderful deeds throughout his Pontificate, inspiring many of the faithful even to this day through his good examples and commitment to God. He showed us all how we should live our lives as Christians, ever centred on God and not on the many worldly temptations around us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore commit ourselves anew to the Lord in the same way, following the good examples of Pope St. Paul VI and the many other great saints, holy men and women of God, in their lives and examples so that our own lives may truly shine forth, proclaiming God’s truth and salvation to more and more people. May all of us continue to do our part in our own respective ways, in our various callings and missions, to do what the Lord had entrusted to us to do, for His greater glory, and not for our own personal ambitions or worldly fame, satisfaction or pleasures. Let us all shun all the worldly ambitions, our ego and pride, and do our best so that our lives may truly be holy and worthy of God, at all times. Amen.

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Wednesday, 29 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Mark 10 : 32-45

At that time, Jesus and His disciples were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead. The Twelve were anxious, and those who followed were afraid. Once more Jesus took the Twelve aside to tell them what was to happen to Him.

“You see we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be given over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to the foreigners, who will make fun of Him, spit on Him, scourge Him and kill Him; but three days later He will rise.”

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to Him, “Master, we want You to grant us what we are going to ask of You.” And He said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They answered, “Grant us to sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, when You come in Your glory.”

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink, or be baptised in the way I am baptised?” They answered, “We can.” And Jesus told them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink; and you will be baptised in the way that I am baptised; but to sit at My right hand or at My left is not Mine to grant. It has been prepared for others.”

On hearing this, the other ten were angry with James and John. Jesus then called them to Him and said, “As you know, the so-called rulers of the nations behave like tyrants, and those in authority oppress the people. But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. Think of the Son of Man, Who has not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life to redeem many.”

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Wednesday, 29 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Psalm 147 : 12-13, 14-15, 19-20

Exalt YHVH, o Jerusalem; praise your God, o Zion! For He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your children within you.

He grants peace on your borders and feeds you with the finest grain. He sends His command to the earth and swiftly runs His word.

It is He, Who tells Jacob His words; His laws and decrees, to Israel. This, He has not done for other nations, so His laws remain unknown to them. Alleluia!

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Wednesday, 29 May 2024 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Paul VI, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

1 Peter 1 : 18-25

Remember, that you were freed from the useless way of life of your ancestors, not with gold and silver, but with the precious Blood of the Lamb without spot or blemish. God, Who has known Christ before the world began, revealed Him to you in the last days. Through Him, you have faith in God, Who raised Him from the dead, and glorified Him, in order that you might put all your faith and hope in God.

In obeying the truth, you have gained interior purification, from which comes sincere mutual love. Love one another, then, with all your heart, since you are born again, not from mortal beings, but with enduring life, through the word of God, Who lives and remains forever. It is written : All flesh is grass and its glory like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever. This word, is the Gospel, which has been brought to you.

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Saturday, 25 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church, Pope St. Gregory VII, Pope, and St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests, Popes and Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to listen to the words from the Sacred Scriptures, we are again constantly being reminded of the need for us all as Christians to be truly genuine in our faith and obedience to God. We should not be hypocrites who profess to believe in God and yet in our daily living, in how we live our lives, in how we act and behave, in what we say and do, we do not truly believe in the Lord, and we even sully and profane His Holy Name because our actions had been contrary to what we believe in, to our Christian faith and calling.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. James in which the Apostle continued with his exhortations to the people of God that we have heard in the past one or two weeks, as he told the people not to give in to the many temptations of the world, highlighting the fact that all those temptations had led to many people to fall into the path of sin and destruction, which leads only to damnation and suffering for us, and that was why the Apostle exhorted all the faithful to stay away from the path of temptation, disobedience and sin, all the things which could lead the people astray from truth and therefore into their downfall and defeat.

St. James told the faithful to stay rooted in their faith in God and to have genuine relationship and connection with God. Through prayer and the building of genuine commitment and relationship with God, we mankind can continue to live through our lives with renewed faith and that important connection that can help anchor us all in the faith. We must use the many opportunities, chances and moments that the Lord had given us so that we may build and establish a truly vibrant and living relationship with Him, strengthened through prayer and quality time, and through the faithful living of our lives as Christians.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples, reminding them all to be like little children in their faith. He was making this reference because they had been fighting and quarrelling with each other over favour and preference by the Lord, debating and disagreeing among themselves who among them was the greatest and the most important among the Lord’s followers. The Lord contrasted those attitudes with the pure faith of little children, who truly believe in the Lord and put themselves completely in His care, and not allowing themselves to be swayed by the temptations of the world.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of not just one but three holy saints of the Church, and these holy men and women hopefully can encourage us all through their exemplary lives so that by their good examples, we may indeed be strengthened in our resolve and commitment to follow their examples and live our lives ever more worthily in the Lord. First of all, St. Bede the Venerable was an English saint and remembered for his numerous writings and works on history as well as other Church matters, and then Pope St. Gregory VII was the leader and Pope of the Church, known for his role in the Investiture Controversy against the Holy Roman Emperor and his reforms of the Church, and lastly St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi who was a renowned Carmelite nun and mystic during the late Renaissance era.

St. Bede the Venerable was raised from young in a monastic area during the Anglo-Saxon period of England and its surrounding regions, eventually becoming a monk, ordained deacon and eventually as a priest, to be a faithful and good servant of God and His Church. As mentioned, St. Bede was well-known for his numerous writings and intellectual works, through which he chronicled not just many aspects of history of the British Isles and the general region, history of the world and other things, but his many writings and translations of the Scriptures were very influential in helping many generations of the Christian faithful in the British Isles and beyond after his time.

Pope St. Gregory VII as mentioned was embroiled in the bitter Investiture Controversy that had lasted for quite some time between the Church authorities and the secular powers of the world, with the Pope leading the Church on one side, while the Holy Roman Emperor entrusted with power and rule over all of Christendom on the other side. The Holy Roman Emperor, while crowned and anointed by the Pope to be the God-appointed ruler of all Christendom, began claiming the power to choose the bishops and prelates over the lands under his dominion as well, which was something that the Pope reserved to himself as the Vicar of Christ.

Thus, this led to a lot of struggles and disagreements, with the Holy Roman Emperors even appointing their own rival Antipopes to be the rival of the Popes in Rome, and to cast doubt on their authority, while trying to bring the Popes under Imperial dominion, power and influence. Pope St. Gregory VII laboured hard to oppose this intrusion of secular power into the spiritual and Church domain, rights and privileges, and he also spent a lot of time and efforts to reform the Church and its clergy, many of whom had fallen to corruption and excesses of the world. The Lord did many truly great things through this holy Pope and servant, who had dedicated himself thoroughly to His cause.

St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi was born into a very wealthy and influential family in what is today Italy, and since young, she had been brought up in great piety, and she soon exhibited great love and commitment to God, practicing self-mortification and wearing even a replica of the crown of thorns and other means to restrain her own worldly desires and temptations, while at the same time beginning to experience visions and mystical experiences that she would receive and encounter throughout her whole life. Eventually, after resisting her family’s effort to marry her to another nobleman, St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi joined religious life, dedicating her whole life to God, experiencing many visions and writing down her experiences, through which she inspired many others who were touched by her experiences.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard from the great examples of these three saints, holy men and women of God, in how they dedicated themselves and their whole lives to the Lord, let us all therefore strive to do our best to follow in their footsteps and to carry out whatever it is that God has entrusted to us to do so that by our every lives, actions and deeds, in our whole entire way of living, we may truly be worthy and will be great inspiration ourselves for all those who have witnessed us and our lives. Let us resist the temptations of worldly glory and desires, and the temptations of our ego, ambition, pride and other things that can lead us down the path towards our downfall. May God be with us always, and may He empower each one of us to live ever more faithfully in each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

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Saturday, 25 May 2024 : 7th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church, Pope St. Gregory VII, Pope, and St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests, Popes and Holy Virgins)

Mark 10 : 13-16

At that time, people were bringing their little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, and the disciples rebuked them for this. When Jesus noticed it, He was very angry and said, “Let the children come to Me and do not stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”

Then He took the children in His arms and, laying His hands on them, blessed them.