holy women

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Saturday, 23 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are reminded from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures today that we should always be humble and righteous in life, in everything that we say and do, in our every actions and interactions with one another so that we may indeed be truly genuine in being faithful to God. We should not merely be paying lip service of our faith or be superficial in our Christian faith and commitment, but we should instead seek to be wholeheartedly devoted in all things to God’s will, and in committing ourselves to whatever it is that He has entrusted to us and called us all to do in our respective areas and capacities in life, in making good use of the opportunities that God has given to us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Ruth we heard of the story of one woman named Ruth, who hailed from the land of Moab beyond the land of Israel, and hence was a Moabite. She was the wife of one of the sons of Elimelech and Naomi, two Israelites whose children married Moabite women. When Elimelech and the two sons of both him and Naomi passed away prematurely, both of their wives were widowed, and when Naomi released both of them from their obligations to her, Ruth kept on staying and refused to go, vowing that she would always follow her and take care of her mother-in-law, and that she would have Naomi’s God as her own God and Master. And that was how both Naomi and Ruth returned to the land of Judah.

And then we heard of the encounter between Ruth and Boaz, one of the relatives of Ruth’s late father-in-law, Elimelech. We heard how Boaz was eventually touched by Ruth’s great sincerity and devotion to her mother-in-law, her great personality and beauty, and they eventually fell in love and were married together, becoming the ancestor of the House of David, as their son Obed was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David, whom God would call to be the great King over all of His people, the Israelites. And we can also clearly see how even among David’s ancestors, there were foreigners like Ruth, a Moabite, whom many of the Israelites often deemed to be wicked and unworthy, and yet, like Ruth has shown it herself, her faith in God and her virtues were greater than many of the Israelites themselves.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and followers regarding the behaviours and attitudes of the Pharisees. In that account of the Lord’s words regarding the Pharisees, the Lord criticised the actions and ways that the Pharisees took in carrying out their daily activities and also their attitudes towards the faith. Those Pharisees often paraded their faith and pious practices, seeking to be praised and adored for their great dedication and piety to God. That was why they often prayed loudly and publicly in the places where many people could see them doing so, wearing their wide prayer bands and headdresses, proclaiming their fast days and other works, and seeking important places in celebrations and feasts.

Yet, despite all these public display of piety and faith, many among the Pharisees at that time often had condescending attitude against those whom they deemed to be inferior than them, and they often criticised and attacked those whom they disagreed with in the matter of how their faith should be lived and practiced. They sought worldly glory, ambition and influence rather than truly and genuinely being faithful to the Lord, and that was how they ended up resisting the Lord so frequently in everything that He had done, in refusing to believe in Him even when the evidences and reality have all pointed out that what the Lord had done, taught and shown them all were indeed the truth. This is why all of us as Christians should always be vigilant against the temptations of pride, ego and ambition, and seek instead to be humble and truly faithful to God in all things.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Rose of Lima, the very first saint from the New World or the Americas to be canonised as saint. She was born in Lima as Isabel Flores de Oliva in what is today Peru during the late sixteenth century in what was then Spanish colony in the New World, to a noble family of mixed heritage, with her father being an officer in the Spanish Army then, while her mother was a criolla or a mixed-race native of the region. She was more popularly known as Rose because of one of her servants who said that her face was miraculously transformed into a rose upon looking at her. And the young St. Rose of Lima grew strong in the faith and dedication to God, carrying out great acts of penance and devotion to God, resisting all the suitors who came to seek her.

St. Rose of Lima was renowned for her commitment to chastity and dedication to God, and against her parents wishes for her to marry, she was committed to a vow of virginity to God, and she further deepened her devotions, to the Blessed Sacrament in her daily reception of the Lord, and more, as she continued to grow older. She really wanted to become a religious sister, to be a member of the Dominican Order that was attracted to her great piety and dedication to God. However, her parents’ objection prevented that, and St. Rose of Lima chose instead to become the member of the Third Order of St. Dominic, taking a perpetual vow of virginity, and living in a most holy, pious and chaste manner for the next eleven years until her passing, famously wearing a heavy silver replica of the crown of thorns to emulate the sufferings of Christ.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have listened from the examples and inspiration of St. Rose of Lima and also from the Scripture readings which we have received today, we are reminded of the need for all of us to listen to the Lord calling on us to follow Him, to be humble in all things and to reject the temptations of worldly glory and desires, so that we may truly be committed and faithful to the Lord, and not to fall into the temptations to sin. As Christians, that is as God’s holy and beloved people, all of us should always strive to be good role models and examples in our faith and way of life. We should proclaim God’s truth, His Good News and salvation through our actions and deeds in life, and not just merely by our words and appearances, like what the Pharisees had done.

Let us all therefore help one another in remaining truly faithful and committed to God, putting Him as always at the very centre of our lives and existence. May God be with us always, and may He continue to strengthen us in faith and in our perseverance to follow Him ever more wholeheartedly, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 23 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Holy Virgins)

Matthew 23 : 1-12

At that time, Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees have sat down on the chair of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say; but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even lift a finger to move them.”

“They do everything in order to be seen by people : they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first places at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and they like being greeted in the marketplace, and being called ‘Master’ by the people.”

“But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father, because you have only one Father, He Who is in heaven. Nor should you be called Leader, because Christ is the only Leader for you.”

“Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.”

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Saturday, 23 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, Virgin (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Holy Virgins)

Psalm 127 : 1-2, 3, 4-5

Blessed are you who fear YHVH and walk in His ways. You will eat the fruit of your toil; you will be blessed and favoured.

Your wife, like a vine, will bear fruits in your home; your children, like olive shoots, will stand around your table.

Such are the blessings bestowed upon the man who fears YHVH. May YHVH praise you from Zion. May you see Jerusalem prosperous all the days of your life.

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Saturday, 23 August 2025 : 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Rose of Lima, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Holy Virgins)

Ruth 2 : 1-3, 8-11 and Ruth 4 : 13-17

Naomi had a well-to-do kinsman, Boaz, from the clan of her husband Elimelech. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to pick up the left-over grain in the field whose owner will allow me that favour.” Naomi said, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. It happened that, the field she entered belonged to Boaz of the clan of Elimelech.

Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Do not go away from here to glean in anyone else’s field. Stay here with my women servants. See where the harvesters are and follow behind. I have ordered the men not to molest you. They have filled some jars with water. Go there and drink when you are thirsty.” Bowing down with her face to the ground, she exclaimed, “Why have I, a foreigner, found such favour in your eyes?”

Boaz answered, “I have been told all about you – what you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death, how you have gone with her, leaving your own father and mother and homeland, to live with a people you knew nothing about before you came here.”

So Ruth was taken by Boaz and became his wife. YHVH made her conceive and give birth to a son. The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be YHVH Who has provided you today with an heir. May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and stay in your old age, for he is born of a daughter-in-law who loves you and is worth more than seven sons.”

Naomi took the child as her own and became his nurse. And the women of the neighbourhood gave him his name, saying, “A son has been born for Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, who was David’s father.

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Tuesday, 12 August 2025 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should continue to be faithful to the Lord as we have been reminded these past few weekdays, with reassurances and reminders that God is always faithful and committed to the Covenant that He has made with each and every one of us, His beloved people. He will not abandon any of us to the darkness and destruction, and we are all always precious to Him and beloved by Him in all things and at all circumstances. We have to put our faith and trust in the Lord and be good examples of faith and commitment to Him, our Lord and Master, so that many more people may also come to believe in Him as well.

In our first reading today, we heard of the conclusion of the exhortation and reminders which Moses gave in a speech to the people of Israel, as some sorts of a farewell speech towards the end of the Israelites’ forty years of journey through the desert towards their Promised Land of Canaan. Moses had already spent those forty years guiding, leading and shepherding the people of God and including the time that he spent earlier on in Egypt in liberating God’s people from the hands of the Egyptians and their Pharaoh. And throughout all those challenging years, Moses had to face a lot of hardships and grievances, from all the stubborn attitudes of the Israelites and their constant rebelliousness and disobedience against God, their constant complaints and refusals to obey God’s Law, and even to personal betrayals such as those by his own siblings, Aaron and Miriam, who openly contested the leadership of the Israelites with him before God.

Moses had remained firm in his conviction and commitment to lead the people of God, and even though he himself also committed mistakes that prevented him from entering the Promised Land of Canaan, but he lived to see the moment when the people of God finally was about to enter to the lands promised to them. And it was at that very time and moment that Moses made this speech before the whole assembly of the Israelites, telling and reminding them to keep in mind everything that God had done for their sake, with all of His love and kindness, compassion and mercy, and all that God had done in protecting them from their enemies and providing them with all their needs. That is what we heard being mentioned by Moses in our first reading passage today.

God had cleared the path for His beloved ones, and prepared everything just as He has planned it, and the people of Israel should indeed appreciate and be thankful of the great blessings and graces which they had indeed received from God, and which they had often taken for granted. Like the Israelites, who had been instructed to pass on their knowledge of God and everything that God had done for them to their next generations, so that even with the passage of time, God’s works and deeds might still be known, hence, this is also something which we ourselves ought to be doing in our own lives today. We should be good role models and inspirations for everyone around us so that in everything that we say and do, we will inspire many more to believe in God as well.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the story from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist reminding each and every one of us that we should be truly faithful to the Lord and be truly committed to His paths and ways in each and every things that we do in life. All of us as Christians have been called to have a genuine faith and strong relationship with God beyond what is superficial and mere formality. This is highlighted by the Lord when He first mentioned how all of His disciples and followers ought to be like the little children in their faith and trust in Him, and this is significant because if we truly understand what the Lord meant, it means that He was calling on all of them to have a faith that is truly genuine and heartfelt, and not one that is conditional and burdened by our many desires and temptations.

The faith of a child is truly pure, brothers and sisters in Christ. When a child believes in something, he or she truly believes from all of his or her heart. This is exactly what the Lord wants us all to do, that we ought to have genuine faith and true, enduring love for God, with all of our strength, with all of our hearts and with all of our might, or else our faith is one that is merely superficial and meaningless. Therefore, unless we have this strong, enduring and vibrant faith in God, it will be difficult for us to continue to follow the Lord faithfully and in a genuine manner. Unfortunately for many of us, our faith are often intermingled with all sorts of veiled interests and desires, as we have allowed these worldly corruptions to affect us and distort our faith in the Lord.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, who was born in France in the late sixteenth century, and eventually married Baron de Chantal, from whom she got her surname, becoming a dedicated wife and mother of the household, caring for her husband and for her father-in-law, while at the same time also spent a lot of time and effort in caring for her neighbours and those who were needy in her community and surroundings. When her husband was killed in a hunting incident almost a decade after their marriage, St. Jane Frances de Chantal continued to dedicate herself to her family and caring for her children. Eventually, she felt the calling to religious life, and despite rejections and discouraging remarks due to her widow status and age, she kept on persevering.

Eventually, she founded the Congregation of the Visitation, gathering together women of similar conditions as hers, those who have been rejected by the other religious orders on grounds of health and age. They all were unlike most other religious orders for women that tended to remain sequestered in cloisters and monasteries, but they openly went out to the public spaces and the community to minister to the people of God, which is their charism and calling. The great generosity and sanctity shown by St. Jane Frances de Chantal inspired many people both from within her congregation and from outside, showing the kind of faith, love and dedication that each and every one of us as Christians ought to have for the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of the life examples of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, and having also discerned what we have just discussed from today’s Scripture readings, let us therefore develop a strong, genuine and vibrant faith in the Lord, doing all that we can so that in everything that we say and do, we will always be ready to proclaim the Lord and His Good News to all, through even the smallest things that we do daily in our lives. May our actions, words and deeds truly show our Christian faith, and that we may always be genuine in our belief in the Lord, in all circumstances and in all things. May God bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 August 2025 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Matthew 18 : 1-5, 10, 12-14

At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child, set the child in the midst of the disciples, and said, “I assure you, that, unless you change, and become like little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble, like this child, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, and whoever receives such a child, in My Name, receives Me.”

“See that you do not despise any of these little ones; for I tell you, their Angels in heaven continually see the face of My heavenly Father. What do you think of this? If someone has a hundred sheep and one of them strays, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hillside, and go to look for the stray one? And I tell you, when he finally finds it, he is more pleased about it, than about the ninety-nine that did not go astray.”

“It is the same with your Father in heaven. Your Father in heaven does not want even one of these little ones to perish.”

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Tuesday, 12 August 2025 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Deuteronomy 32 : 3-4a, 7, 8, 9 and 12

For I will proclaim the Name of the Lord and declare the greatness of our God. He is the Rock, and perfect are all His works, just are all His ways.

Recall the days of old, think of the years gone by; your father will teach you about them, your elders will enlighten you.

When the Most High divided humankind and gave the nations their inheritance, He set up boundaries for the people after the number of the sons of God.

But the Lord keeps for Himself His portion Jacob, His chosen one. The Lord alone led them, without the aid of a foreign god.

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Tuesday, 12 August 2025 : 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Deuteronomy 31 : 1-8

When Moses finished telling all Israel these words, he said, “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I can no longer deal with anything – Remember that YHVH told me that I shall not cross the Jordan River. Now Joshua shall be at your head, as YHVH has said. He, your God, will go before you to destroy these nations before you, and you will drive them away.”

“YHVH shall deal with these cities as He dealt with Sihon and Og, the Amorite kings, and their land, which He destroyed. So when He has given these nations over to you, you shall do the same, according to what I have commanded you. Be valiant and strong, do not fear or tremble before them for YHVH, your God, is with you; He will not leave you or abandon you.”

After this, Moses called Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel : “Be valiant and strong, you shall go with this people into the land which YHVH swore to their ancestors He would give them and you shall give it to them as their possession. YHVH shall go before you. He shall be with you; He shall not leave you or abandon you. Do not fear, then, or be discouraged.”

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Wednesday, 23 July 2025 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the great love and providence which God has given to each and every one of us, and how this love has been shown to us most generously through what He had done to us mankind throughout history, and how He has indeed sowed the seeds of His love in us, the seeds of our faith and trust in Him, and the seeds of hope, which He has provided to us so that we may all grow ever stronger in our faith, hope and love, in our commitment and dedication as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own, as the ones whom He had made holy so that we may be truly worthy of Him and everything that He has prepared for us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus of the account of the time when the Israelites were journeying through the desert, continuing from the account of the Exodus and liberation of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt that we have heard in the past few weekdays. In that account of what happened, the people of Israel had been journeying hungry and thirsty through the dry and lifeless desert, and they began to complain against God and Moses for having brought them all out of the land of Egypt, where they had been enslaved by the Egyptians before. They complained that although they were enslaved but at least they had good food and good things to drink in Egypt, and they would rather be slaves instead of dying there in the desert.

This attitude, which would be repeated again and again throughout Israel’s long sojourn in the desert showed the lack of genuine and strong faith in God. They kept on grumbling and complaining despite having seen God’s signs and wonders, His miracles and power being shown before them when He was liberating them from the hands of the Pharaoh and the Egyptians, when He opened the sea itself before them to walk through the seabed, dry and safe, and crushing the forces and chariots of Pharaoh afterwards, among other mighty deeds He had done. And we heard how despite the complaints and grumblings that His people had made, God was still very patient in loving them and in caring for them, promising that He would send them food and sustenance throughout their time and journey in the desert.

That was how the Israelites came to be sustained and nourished by the manna, the heavenly bread that came down upon them on every morning except on the morning of the Sabbath days. They also received another sustenance through the flock of birds that the Lord sent to them every evening. Through all of these we can see just how great and loving God is towards all those who are beloved to Him. He always provides for the needs of those who are dear to Him, caring for them to the best way possible, leading them all to the path of grace and happiness. He never breaks His promises and reassurances, and we are reminded to be ever more faithful and committed to the Lord at all times, and no longer allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by the pressures and the fears in our hearts and minds that may lead us astray as they had done to the Israelites.

From our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the well-known parable of the sower in which the Lord used the example of the sower spreading his seeds in various places to highlight His intentions in teaching His disciples and others about providing for ourselves favourable and good conditions for our faith to grow so that we may grow ever stronger in our faith and love for God, that as Christians we may be ever more committed in following the Lord, our most loving God and Master. In that parable, the Lord spoke of a sower who actually represented the Lord Himself, the One Who sowed the seeds of faith, hope and love in the hearts and minds of many in this world, that is represented by the field and the other places that the seeds have been sown.

And what we heard from the parable of the sower is very important because it is related to the behaviour of the Israelites back then during the time of their Exodus and journey towards the Promised Land of Canaan. They did not have much faith in the Lord precisely because they were like those seeds which fell on the roadside or on the barren and rocky soil or on the good soil but with thorns and brambles surrounding them, which means that their faith in the Lord was not cultivated in a truly fertile ‘soil’ that is a commitment to a loving and good relationship with God. That was why they lost their faith in the Lord so quickly, especially when they were facing troubles and difficulties in their journey, leading them to complain and being ungrateful despite everything that God had done for them.

Yes, even after they had been given the manna and the flocks of bird to eat daily, and also good quality water to drink throughout their journey, they still complained nonetheless, and they could not be truly happy because they sought what was material and earthly in their desires, and not trusting in God Who has always loved them and provided for them throughout their whole journey. That would be what we may experience as well if we do not have true and genuine faith in the Lord, and if we do not put Him as an emphasis and focus in our lives. Each and every one of us as Christians should always strive and seek for things that are beyond this world and not to seek or desire for worldly glory and ambitions in this life.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Bridget of Sweden, who was born into a family of nobility in medieval Sweden. She was born in the early fourteenth century, and had a rather usual early life, being married to another nobleman, having several children, one of whom, St. Catherine of Sweden, was also honoured as a saint. When she was widowed by her husband’s death, she became the member of the Third Order of St. Francis, serving the needs of the poor and the less fortunate. St. Bridget herself also established the religious order later known as the Bridgettines, the Order of the Most Holy Saviour, a joint community of men and women dedicated to the care of the needy and the poor, those who are suffering and sick.

She also made many well-known pilgrimages to Rome starting with the Jubilee Year in 1350. Then subsequently, she made more pilgrimages to Rome and worked hard among the people there, caring for the need of those who were troubled by sickness and other maladies. She continued to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to the Lord to the end of her life and inspired many others to do the same as well. She received many visions from the Lord and was a renowned mystic in her own right, and many of her experiences and visions were documented, serving as inspiration for many more people beyond her time and reach. And all of us should also be inspired by her great faith and commitment in loving the poor and caring for the need of those who are sick and less fortunate, in whatever means and capacities we can contribute.

May the Lord continue to help us to appreciate all the love that He has given us, and inspired by the examples and faith shown by our holy predecessors like St. Bridget of Sweden among others, let us all continue to nurture in us a heart that is truly centred on the Lord and commit ourselves with ever greater conviction and faith to serve and follow the Lord at all times. If we provide this fertile ground by which the Lord’s truth, His Good News and teachings can be sowed and nurtured, then surely we will bear rich fruits of our faith and grow ever stronger in virtue and charity, and be good inspiration and example to others, and be worthy beacons of God’s light, now and always. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Wednesday, 23 July 2025 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Matthew 13 : 1-9

At that time, that same day, Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. Many people gathered around Him. So He got into a boat, and sat down, while the crowds stood on the shore; and He spoke to them in parables about many things.

Jesus said, “The sower went out to sow; and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path; and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly, because the soil was not deep. But as soon as the sun rose, the plants were scorched; and they withered, because they had no roots.”

“Again, other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop : some a hundredfold, others sixty, and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!”