holy priests

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Tuesday, 23 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures and draw ever closer to Christmas, we are all reminded of the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, into our midst. The Lord has sent us His messenger and herald to prepare the path for His coming into this world, and He has fulfilled that promise, with the coming of St. John the Baptist, the one who was prophesied to be the one to prepare the way for the Lord. As we heard in our Scripture passages today, all these happened so that the Lord might come and rescue us all from our troubles and bring us into His loving presence once again, and that is the reason why we rejoice this Christmas.

In our first reading today, we heard of the words of the prophet Malachi, speaking about the coming of the days of God’s messenger, who would come to prepare the hearts and minds of the people, to prepare for the coming of the Lord, which was also alluded to in the words of the prophet Malachi. Malachi was one of the last prophets chronologically in the Old Testament era, who ministered to the people of God a few centuries before the Lord’s coming, and his words of prophecy further set the expectation of the coming of God’s salvation, which the people of God looked forward to, as they heard the words of reassurances that God had made through His many prophets, including that of Malachi.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account of the birth of St. John the Baptist, the one whom Malachi and the other prophets had been prophesying about, the one to prepare the path for the coming of the Lord. His miraculous conception and birth truly became knowledge among the people, as he was conceived by his mother at the age well-past childbearing and after being barren for so many years. His coming, conception and birth were also announced by the Angel of God before his father Zechariah, whose doubt led him to become mute before the moment as we heard in our Gospel today, that once the baby was named John as the Angel spoke of, Zechariah was miraculously able to speak once again. All of these and the later events in the life of St. John the Baptist serve as a reminder for us that as we approach the coming Christmas season with expectation and joy.

St. John the Baptist went on to call the people of God to be converted and to turn away from their sinful paths, and this is also therefore a reminder for all of us that as we approach Christmas, we should also prepare ourselves in heart and mind to turn towards the Lord, to return our focus upon Him, and to make Him the centre of our upcoming Christmas celebrations and rejoicing. We should not be distracted by the many temptations and distractions all around us, all the glamour and merrymaking surrounding the often secular and worldly Christmas celebrations. We have to be committed to the Lord and renew our faith in Him, and serve Him with ever greater conviction and zeal. We should do our best to make sure that we celebrate Christmas in the right way, and with the right predisposition and mindset.

That is why we should make use of this short remaining time before Christmas, whatever is left this Advent season to deepen our understanding of Christmas and its true meaning, its significance and importance for us. Today we should therefore spend some time to reflect upon the life and works of one St. John of Kanty, also known as St. John Cantius, a Polish priest and philosopher whose life and work should inspire us to become ever more worthy of God, ever more connected to Him, and ever closer to Him. St. John of Kanty was remembered for his great intellect and philosophical as well as theological prowess, as he became great professor and instructor, helping many of his students and followers to understand better their faith in God, as well as the many mysteries and aspects of the Christian faith.

Not only that, but the same St. John of Kanty was also well remembered for his great love for God, his personal piety and holiness, and especially also for his great compassion, love and care for the poor and the suffering all around him. He was known for his care for the needy students at his university and faculty, helping to support them whenever and wherever it was possible. He also spent time and effort to care for the poor and the needy in his community, and at wherever he was visiting and ministering. He lived his life simply and full of devotion, spending not more than what was necessary for him, and he made several pilgrimages on foot all the way to Rome. The faith and humility that St. John of Kanty showed in his life should be inspiration for all of us to follow in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us therefore seek the Lord with a new heart, with a new commitment to follow Him and to devote our time and attention to Him, and from this upcoming Christmas celebration, to put Him back as the centre and focus of our lives. Let us all follow the examples set and shown by St. John of Kanty, doing our best to walk faithfully in the path that God has shown us. First let us all start by changing our Christmas celebrations from one that is worldly and self-centred into one that is centred on God, as well as love and life-giving, inspired by the love  and generosity which St. John of Kanty has shown to those who were less fortunate all around him. Let us also remember that Christmas is all also possible, and that we can rejoice exactly because God has shown us His most generous love and kindness, compassion and grace.

May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, empowering us with the love and courage to do our best in our lives, to be ever more loving and generous to each other. Through our faithful and worthy Christmas celebrations, where Christ is at the very focus and heart of our joy, let us all inspire more and more people that each one of us may be the shining beacons of God’s hope, light and truth. Let us show our love and generosity to those around us and not be distracted by the worldly glamour and desires. May all of us draw ever closer to God and be blessed as we approach the glorious and joyful season of Christmas. Amen.

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Tuesday, 23 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 57-66

When the time came for Elizabeth, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard that the merciful Lord had done a wonderful thing for her, and they rejoiced with her. When, on the eighth day, they came to attend the circumcision of the child, they wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, “Not so; he shall be called John.”

They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name!” and they asked the father, by means of signs, for the name he wanted to give him. Zechariah asked for a writing tablet, and wrote on it, “His name is John,” and they were very surprised. Immediately Zechariah could speak again, and his first words were in praise of God.

A holy fear came on all in the neighbourhood, and throughout the hill country of Judea the people talked about these events. All who heard of it pondered in their minds, and wondered, “What will this child be?” For they understood that the hand of the Lord was with him.

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Tuesday, 23 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 24 : 4-5ab, 8-9, 10 and 14

Teach me Your ways, o Lord; make known to me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and instruct me, for You are my God, my Saviour.

Good and upright, the Lord teaches sinners His way. He teaches the humble of heart and guides them in what is right.

The ways of the Lord are love and faithfulness for those who keep His covenant and precepts. The Lord gives advice to those who revere Him and makes His covenant known to them.

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Tuesday, 23 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of Kanty, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Malachi 3 : 1-4, 23-24

Now I am sending My messenger ahead of Me to clear the way; then suddenly the Lord for Whom you long will enter the sanctuary. The Envoy of the covenant which you so greatly desire already comes, says YHVH of hosts. Who can bear the day of His coming and remain standing when He appears? For He will be like fire in the foundry and like the lye used for bleaching.

He will be as a refiner or a fuller. He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. So YHVH will have priests who will present the offering as it should be. Then YHVH will accept with pleasure the offering of Judah and Jerusalem, as in former days.

I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the day of YHVH comes, for it will be a great and terrible day. He will reconcile parents with their children, and the children with their parents, so that I may not have to curse this land when I come.

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Monday, 24 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to be humble and obedient to God’s will, to put our faith and trust in Him always, generously giving ourselves to Him, our Lord and Master, dedicating each and every moments of our lives for the greater glory of God. We should always strive to walk in the path and ways of the Lord even if it is difficult for us to do so because it is against what the world believes and practices, all because if we continue to do what is right and just according to God’s ways, it may be difficult and challenging for us. And yet, if we trust in the Lord and continue to have hope and faith in Him, we will realise that even the hardest of challenges and difficulties can be overcome.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel, we heard of the moment when the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, attacked the kingdom of Judah, where the remnants of God’s people still lived at that time, capturing and bringing quite a number of them to Babylon as tributes and servants, including those of Daniel himself and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were taught about the Babylonian culture, languages and ways, and as we heard, they were also forced to partake in the food and drinks provided by the king, which according to the customs of the Israelites at that time, were considered as unclean. Daniel and his three companions resolved to try their best to remain firmly faithful despite being in a rather difficult situation.

We heard then how the Lord provided for them, that when they requested to eat just the food and items that were clean and acceptable for them to eat, they still ended up healthier and better than those who have shared the sumptuous food and drink from the table of the king. They also grew greatly in wisdom and stature among men, and they became respected figures and advisers in the king’s court. Essentially what we heard is how God was always with those who remain faithful to Him even in most difficult moments and even as they encountered the most challenging trials and hardships in life. This is why we are also reminded that we should not allow those challenges and difficulties from preventing us to continue to work hard and strive to be ever faithful to the Lord, even in times of distress. We should continue to trust and hope in the Lord, at all times.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus Himself speaking and teaching to His disciples with the encounter and example of the faith of an old widow who went to the Temple and gave from her own poverty an offering of two small copper coins, while others were giving a lot larger offerings and some even making a show of their offerings. Here we must understand that the Lord did not make a point on comparisons between our actions and neither did He seek to be prejudiced against the rich and those who have more wealth and possessions. The Lord is not opposed to the rich and wealthy, but rather, the point that He wants to deliver across to us is that when we give, we ought to give generously from our hearts and not to count the cost.

Those who have been given more can give more if they so wish, and even those who are poor can also give from their poverty just as the old widow had done. What matters is that we truly give from the heart and not being insincere in giving. We should always strive to share whatever blessings and good things which God has given to us so that many people may benefit from our exemplary and faithful actions, words and deeds, filled with the most generous and compassionate love of God. Each and every one of us are called to contribute to the works and missions of the Lord through His Church in whatever way we can and in even the smallest and seemingly least significant things that we do in our lives. We should not think that our contributions are too small or that it is insignificant. The Lord treasures us and our efforts, even to the smallest details.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of great saints, holy martyrs of the Faith, whose examples and determination should serve as great inspirations for all of us, in how we ourselves should live our lives with faith. St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, are the ones who have devotedly committed themselves to God despite the many oppositions against them, from the state which was then very violently against the Christian faith, and from the community. At that time, Vietnam, which was ruled by an Emperor and his bureaucratic court, saw the burgeoning Christian mission in their country as a threat to themselves, and to their officially Confucian state religion. As such, the state persecuted Christians very severely, both the foreign missionaries and the local converts.

St. Andrew Dung-Lac was a convert to the faith, and became one of the first local priests to be ordained. According to the traditions and missionary accounts, he and many other Christian converts were persecuted and arrested, and having kept close to their faith and refusing to abandon the Lord, or betray their commitment to Him, they were put to death, and hence became great martyrs of the Church. Their examples, courage and devotion to God, despite the many trials, sufferings and challenges that they had to face amidst their ministry should be great sources of strength and encouragement for us, in how we ought to be ever strong and courageous in committing ourselves to the service of God, and in living our lives as genuine Christians in all things.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard from the examples and the lives of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and the many other martyrs of the faith in Vietnam, and also from what we have discussed earlier in our Scripture passages today, let us all therefore remind ourselves of the reality of being faithful Christians, that is all those who are faithful and committed to God. We should always strive to do our best in glorifying God by our lives, in doing what we can so that our actions and deeds, our every words and interactions may always inspire others to come to know the Lord and to believe in Him, like what St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions in martyrdom had done. May God bless us always in everything we do, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 24 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 21 : 1-4

At that time, Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury of the Temple. He also saw a poor widow, who dropped in two small coins. And He said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all of them gave an offering from their plenty; but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.”

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Monday, 24 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Daniel 3 : 52a, 53, 54, 55, 56

Blessed are You, Lord, God of our fathers, be praised and exalted forever.

Blessed are You in the Temple of Your sacred glory; Your praises are sung forever.

Blessed are You, on the throne of Your kingdom; honoured and glorified forever.

Blessed are You, Who fathom the depths, Who are enthroned on the Cherubim; praised and exalted forever.

Blessed are You, in the firmament of heaven; praised and glorified forever.

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Monday, 24 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Daniel 1 : 1-6, 8-20

In the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign as king of Judah, king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged Jerusalem. The Lord delivered into his hands king Jehoiakim of Judah, and some of the vessels from the Temple of God as well. These he carried off, to the land of Shinar, and placed in the treasure house of his god.

King Nebuchadnezzar ordered his chief eunuch Ashpenaz to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility : young men without physical defect, handsome, intelligent and wise; well-informed, quick to learn and understand; and suitable for service in the king’s palace.

They were to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans. They were allotted a daily portion of food and wine from the king’s table; and were to be trained for three years, after which, they were to enter the king’s service. Among these were young men of Judah : Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

As Daniel was resolved not to make himself unclean with the king’s food or wine, he begged the chief eunuch to spare him this defilement. By the grace of God, the chief eunuch had been sympathetic to Daniel. But he was afraid of the king, so he said, “If the king, who has allotted your food and drink, sees that you look more emaciated than the other young men of your age, he might think ill of me. It will put my life in danger to give in to your wish.”

Daniel then turned to the steward whom the chief eunuch had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. “Please test your servants for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink, and see how we look in comparison with the young men who eat food from the king’s table. Then treat us in accordance with what you see.”

The steward agreed and tested them for ten days, at the end of which, they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate the king’s food. So the steward continued to give them vegetables instead of the choice food and wine. To these four youths God gave wisdom and proficiency in literature, and to Daniel the gift of interpreting visions and dreams.

At the end of the period set by the king for the youths’ training, the chief eunuch presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them and found none to equal Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. These four became members of the king’s court. In any matter of wisdom and discernment about which the king consulted, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

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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.”