Homily of the Mass

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Monday, 3 August 2026 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are presented with the words of God’s truth and the sufferings that we may have to face as those who faithfully follow and obey God. We are all reminded that the Lord is always and will always be with us, but often we may have to endure difficulties and challenges along the way if we are to follow Him. God shall provide what we need, and if we trust in Him and believe in His providence then in the end, we shall be triumphant with Him, and will share in the glory that He has promised to all of us as His constant and ever enduring love for us have always shown us without fail at all.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah of the clash and competition between that of Jeremiah and Hananiah, one of the false prophets in the court of the king of Judah. Before the assembly of the people of Judah, Hananiah proclaimed that God would break the yoke of the king of Babylon which the latter had imposed on them, and that God would return everything that the people had lost, a happy resolution of their then predicament. Back then, the kingdom of Judah was in its last days, threatened from all sides, and especially from the forces of the Babylonians, and naturally, many people feared those Babylonians and they were trying to do whatever they could to appease those who had overwhelming force and capable of destroying Judah and Jerusalem.

Jeremiah was the only one who had consistently and persistently spoke the truth of God, reminding the people of the upcoming calamity and destruction, as the sins and disobedience of the people had led them into that fate. Judah and Jerusalem would be destroyed and conquered, and the people would be exiled to Babylon, just as the prophets before Jeremiah had foretold, and which Jeremiah himself had also spoken of. But that did not mean that God did not love His people. Rather, they still had to suffer the just consequences of their own choices and actions, in persistently and continuously disobeying God and living wickedly for so long, having refused to listen to the reminders which God had given to them through His many prophets including that of Jeremiah himself.

Hananiah was not speaking the truth when he was speaking about what would happen to the kingdom and people of Judah. He was pandering to the popular sentiments and desires, and like that of the many other so-called false prophets and officials, they all tried to please the king and the people as naturally nobody liked to hear any bad or negative news or prophecies. Historically, there was also pressure by those people to push the king and the people to side with the Egyptians in the regional power struggle between Egypt and Babylonia, in which the people and kingdom of Judah were caught right in the middle of. They were putting more trust in worldly means and powers, machinations and manipulations rather than to put their trust in God as they should all have done.

That was why Jeremiah was sidelined, ostracised and persecuted against as most of the officials and the people favoured siding with the Egyptians in their struggles against Babylon, instead of listening to God and repenting from their sinful ways. They trusted more in man’s ways and worldly means to resolve their problems and troubles. They deluded themselves into thinking that they could do anything they want, and that they could imagine life and everything the way they wanted it to be, and not heeding the Lord’s words and reminders, His constant calling and persistent desire to be reunited and reconciled with His people, those whom He had always loved despite their sinfulness and rebellious nature.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord’s famous miraculous feeding of the five thousand men and thousands of other women and children with merely just five loaves of bread and two fishes. In that occasion, the Lord showed His great providence and love for His people, caring for the needs of those who had chosen to follow Him and devoted themselves to Him, and who had become hungry after following Him. He also wanted to highlight to us that despite our many infidelities and lack of faith in Him, our constant rebelliousness and disobedience, but He has always cared for us and for our well-being, giving us all the tangible examples and evidence of His ever enduring love and kindness.

The Lord fed His people with His own hands, and gave them sustenance both in physical and spiritual manner, strengthening them with miraculously multiplied loaves of bread and fishes, as well as with the words of His wisdom and truth. He calls on us all to follow Him, the Bread of Life and the Hope of all mankind, so that we do not delude ourselves anymore with false expectations and temptations of the world, but instead, turn towards the Lord, our Saviour and King, with full and genuine faith. All of us are called to return towards the Lord and to trust in Him once again, rather than to allow ourselves to be deluded and swayed by worldly temptations and concerns.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we all therefore capable of doing what we have been all called to do? To love the Lord our God most genuinely in the manner that He Himself has shown and taught us first? Let us all put our trust always in He Who has never abandoned us especially in our time and hour of greatest need, ever ready to help and provide for us whenever we need help and guidance. It is now therefore up to us whether we want to allow the Lord to help and guide us all in our paths, or whether we are more willing to follow the ways of the world as the people of Israel and Judah had once done. Let us all ponder carefully all these and see in what way we can truly be good and genuine disciples of the Lord in all things, becoming good role models and examples for one another, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 2 August 2026 : Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday all of us heard one clear message from our Scripture readings today, that God is Love, and God loves each and every one of us so greatly and so wonderfully that we must really appreciate all that He had done for us all these while. Too often we mankind have ignored God’s love, rejected His compassion and mercy and preferring to do things our own way. Imagine how terrible it is for to be so stubborn and to rebel against God Who has loved us all so very much, in doing injustice and causing harm to those around us, even towards those whom we profess to love and care for, out of our selfishness and disobedience against God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the Lord spoke to us all, calling on us to look for Him, that He will provide for us whatever we need, be it food or drink, be it sustenance in other form, as well as love and care, and He will fulfil the Covenant that He had once made with our ancestors, and which He has renewed again and again throughout time, and which He made one final renewal for all eternity in the New Covenant that He has established through Christ, His Son. Yes, God Who truly loves each one of us, His people, will never abandon us and He will provide for us wonderfully, and He did not hold back anything at all, not even His own Son for our sake and well-being.

And in the Gospel passage today, we heard of the well-known miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and the fish, as the Lord was faced with five thousand men and thousands more of women and children, their family members, who followed Him as He taught them and spoke to them of God’s truth and love. As we all know, the Lord miraculously fed all the multitudes of people with just five loaves of bread and two fish, blessing them and breaking them for all the people to eat until they were all satisfied. The Lord fed His people who hungered for food, and not just the physical food as we heard how they all ate of the bread and the fish, but in fact also, the food of the Word of God, as the people listened to the Lord teaching to them. The Lord said, that ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every words that come from the mouth of God’. It is there then the Lord, the Divine Word Incarnate in the flesh, became the Bread of Life for all of His people.

Thus, from what we have heard in today’s Gospel and the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of just how God fulfilled His promises and words, that truly, He meant every single words that He had said, and gave us the ultimate gift and the perfect manifestation of His love in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. For through Him we received the guarantee of eternal life and glory with Him, that by our living and genuine faith, we are to be part of this Covenant He has made with us. As I said earlier on, God is Love, brothers and sisters in Christ, and God’s love is the very reason why the world and all of us exist. God is perfect in all things, and His perfection means that He does not have need for anything. Yet, in the overflowing love that exists between the members of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, God Who is Love created all of us to share in this wonderful love, for that is what love is all about, to show care and concern, passion and desire for the best things for one another.

And God’s love for us is so powerful, great and all-encompassing that St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans in our second reading today said, ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?’ and he also said how no power, no matter how great, be it on earth, in heaven or hell, or from wherever in the universe or beyond, will be able to separate us from the love of God, the wonderful, gentle and all-encompassing love of God. God’s love has been provided for us so generously, and which He has shown again and again through the generations, just as our Gospel passage today is just one small example of this Love. God has always shown us all this Love most wonderfully as He had done throughout all of history, without exceptions to all of His beloved ones, that is all of us.

Yet, the question that often then comes to our mind is that, ‘Lord, if You love me so much, why is it then I have to suffer in this world?’ And this question is often the number one reason why we doubt, why we are unsure of God’s love, why we even become angry at God and refuse to believe in Him. We see suffering all around us, and which we also see in ourselves, and we doubt God’s love and even existence, for after all, if God does love us, then shouldn’t all of us be happy and good? This is then where we need to understand that while God’s love for us have always been genuine, unconditional and true, the same often cannot be said for us. Our love is often conditional, selfish and self-centred, tainted with desire and greed, with jealousy and even with hatred. And that is why we have not been able to experience the fullness of God’s love as all the many temptations and obstacles present in our lives prevented us from truly experiencing this true love.

For example, on the matter of hunger and food, sustenance and providence that we have focused on a lot today, a lot of people may ask, if God truly loves us, then why is it that people are suffering daily from hunger, from famine, from lack of food and from impoverishment? Should all these things be absent if God truly loves us? These are definitely questions that run through our minds if we look at the situation all around us. Brothers and sisters in Christ, the answer is actually simpler than what we think. God’s love has been abundantly given to us, and He has blessed us wonderfully. In the optimal and expected condition, this would have meant that everyone has enough for themselves, and yet, if we look around carefully, don’t we see plenty of inequalities, as some people dined in great excess and how food wastage is common in many countries, just as others suffered from hunger and famine in other countries? It was in fact our greed that had led to this sad and unfortunate situation.

What do I mean, brothers and sisters in Christ? It was our misuse and indeed, abuse of God’s wonderful love and also freedom given to us that led to much suffering of all forms all around the world, in the past as it is in the present now and how it will also be in the future. As people succumbed to their greed and the temptations in desiring for more good things for themselves, this led to oppression, manipulation, extortion and even exploitation of others just so that some people can enjoy benefits at the cost to others, those who are less powerful, less wealthy and less privileged. This is why suffering has been perpetuated and continued to happen throughout time and history, and why, despite God’s love and providence, many still suffer in our world today.

Alas, this is exactly what I meant when I said that the way we mankind has loved is imperfect, conditional, selfish and self-centred. We allow our ego and pride to mislead us, and greed to pull us into the trap of selfishness and self-centredness, and we have not loved as God loved us, as we were so preoccupied with ourselves and our desires that we ended up hurting others, being unfair, selfish and wicked in our actions in life. That is why today, all of us as Christians are reminded that as God is Love, and as He has shared His love with us, we too shall love just as the Lord has loved us, in an unconditional, selfless and sincere way. This is true, genuine love that all of us must have within us, and which we must aspire to and spread in our practice towards one another. As children of humanity, and as God’s beloved children, and all the more, as Christians, we need to walk in the path of God’s love.

Therefore, we need to show this love through our every day actions, through every little gestures and interactions we have with one another. We must remember how God fed His multitudes of thousands and everyone had enough, just as in the past, during the Exodus, God fed His people with manna and everyone had enough to eat, with no one lacking or had excess, and as proven by the twelve baskets of leftovers that God had given His people more than enough. As it was our selfishness and greed that caused hunger, suffering and sorrow for many, then it is our responsibility and calling to be the ones leading the way and show everyone the path of God’s love. Are we willing to do that, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we willing to show God’s wonderful love to our fellow brothers and sisters, and are we willing to challenge the customary ways of this world by rejecting the inherent selfishness and greed present in our current way of life?

As we all share in the one Body of Christ, let us all remember that we are first and foremost brothers and sisters, one family in the same one Lord, and through Him we have been united and have a share in His infinite and amazing love. Let us share God’s blessings by being more generous in giving, in whatever means we are able to, in order to help those who are less fortunate and suffering in our midst, especially this year as we have seen so many people suffering the effects of the conflicts and instabilities all throughout the world, economic uncertainties and inflation, violence and all the injustice faced by those who are less privileged and those who had been prejudiced against.

Many people have suffered, lost their jobs and getting retrenched, lost their pay or got their wages and salaries cut or suspended. Many people have fallen sick and suffered, from various diseases and problems they faced. And we have seen how during these difficult and challenging times, the stresses and trials caused great friction and conflict within our communities, that we saw all the civil disturbances, riots and troubles that occurred between the divided members of our communities, as people fought one another over matters of racial divisions and prejudices, economic imbalance and insecurities, biases and intolerance. We have seen how people acted selfishly in trying to protect themselves, causing further harm and sufferings to the marginalised and the less fortunate.

Unfortunately, Christians were among many of those who participated in these actions, these selfishness and lack of compassion which caused even greater anguish and suffering for those who have already suffered. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all reflect on this and discern in what way that we can share the love of God in our communities beginning from now, if we have not done so yet. Let us all be filled with God’s love and love Him first and foremost, and love one another with genuine love, now and always.

May the Lord, our loving God and Father continue to love us as He has always patiently been doing all these while. May He grant us the strength to continue to show the same love, and the perseverance and compassion in our hearts, to reach out to our less fortunate brethren all around us, to those who were unloved and poor, those who had been marginalised and suffered, especially during these difficult days and times. May God bless us and our good endeavours and works, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 1 August 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures we are presented with the realities facing those who are faithful and committed to God, all the more so especially for those who have been called to be shepherds and ministers to the people of God, like that of the prophets and messengers of God. As we heard in our Scripture passages today, the prophets and servants of God often had to suffer a lot of rejection and even persecution unto death, as what many of faithful servants of God had experienced in the past, as well as many other holy men and women of God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah of the confrontation between the priests and the false prophets of Judah with Jeremiah, who was at that time, the only faithful prophet and servant of God left in Judah, during the last days of that kingdom. Jeremiah had been delivering the words of God to His people in Judah, warning all of them that the city of Jerusalem and the whole of Judah would soon be destroyed because of the continued sins and the wickedness of the people who refused to listen to God or to repent from their sins and evil ways, all of which they would have to account for before the Lord, their God.

As such, Jeremiah was seen as a troublemaker and even a traitor by some among the people, and his messages contradicted those so called false prophets who conveyed their own messages and rhetoric of glory for the kingdom of Judah. Those false prophets told the king of Judah and the people that they would be able to overcome their enemies and they would triumph, when in truth, those words did not come from God. What Jeremiah spoke about would eventually come true when later on the Babylonians came, besieged and destroyed the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem, and brought the people to exile, and Jeremiah was proven to be true in the end.

When the priests and the false prophets confronted Jeremiah as we heard in our first reading today, we heard the bitter animosity that existed between them, and how Jeremiah was really alone in his struggle against them, and he was cornered and even had threats against him, as he was accused as a doomsayer and even traitor to the people and the kingdom, with people calling out for his death. But as we heard in our first reading today, Jeremiah made a firm stand before the people, and stating that everything he had said came from the Lord Himself, and saying that the people all needed to repent and turn away from their sins before it was too late for them.

That made some of the people to come to believe in Jeremiah and sided with him, including some of those who would eventually help him in his dire hours of need, and rescued him from his troubles later on. The Lord showed His providence for His faithful servants in this case, while making His will and words known to all. In our Gospel passage today, we also heard yet another one of His servants standing up for the truth, and admonishing those who had been disobedient against God, as was told in the case of St. John the Baptist and him admonishing king Herod and his unlawful, adulterous relationship with Herodias, his own brother’s wife.

St. John the Baptist was arrested and imprisoned because of what he did and said, but that did not dampen his spirit or stop him from continuing to rebuke the king for his continued lack of morality and his disobedience against God. And eventually as we heard in our Gospel passage today, Herodias, who held a deep grudge against St. John the Baptist, plotted his death by making use of her own daughter to seduce Herod during a celebratory party, and ended up in tricking him into ordering the execution of the faithful servant of God. St. John the Baptist was martyred for his commitment and faith in the Lord, for his desire to bring God’s salvation to His people.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, the renowned founder of the religious order known as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptorists. St. Alphonsus Liguori was truly a great man of God, a bishop and faithful servant of the Lord, who dedicated his whole life to the service of God, his Lord and Master. He was born into a small minor noble family, and went on to excel in his academics and studies, and became a lawyer for quite a number of years. However, he did not truly find true satisfaction and joy in life, and was looking for deeper meaning in his life. St. Alphonsus Liguori then eventually sought the Lord in the consecrated life, as a priest and missionary of the Lord, in proclaiming the love and truth of God to many people, with his initiatives and efforts reaching out to tens of thousands of people, who were touched by his genuine and clear sermons, filled with truth and genuine love of the Lord.

St. Alphonsus Liguori desired to show more of the Lord’s compassionate and merciful side to many of the people who have been lost to Him, while at the same time also stressing the importance of repentance and turning away from one’s sins. St. Alphonsus Liguori hence established the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, the Redemptorists, which began a great campaign of ministry all throughout the whole world, in bringing the knowledge of the Divine Redeemer, the Mercy of God to more and more of the people of God. Later on, the order would also add on to their charism and ministry, the propagation of the devotion to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, having been entrusted by the Pope himself with the care of the Byzantine Icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help, which complemented and added on to their missions in seeking the salvation of souls, the redemption of sinners and the liberation of the whole world from the forces of sin and darkness.

St. Alphonsus Liguori himself, despite having been appointed and made a bishop in his later years continued to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the people entrusted to his care, never ceasing to carry out his hard work and efforts for the salvation of souls. He ensured the discipline and the well-being of his priests and members of his congregations, encouraging more and more among the people of God to lead a life that is truly worthy of the Lord. Hence, all of us should really look carefully upon the examples and the actions which St. Alphonsus Liguori had done in his life, in all of his ministry and works, and be inspired by them, so that we ourselves may also carry out the same mission and work, in dedicating ourselves to the glory of God, and to the salvation of our fellow men, all those who are still suffering the tyranny and bondage to sin.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord, and being inspired by the examples of the saints, the holy people of God, particularly that of St. Alphonsus Liguori, let us all hence be great role models and inspirations ourselves, in leading lives that are truly worthy of the Lord, by doing God’s will and obeying His Law and commandments at all times. May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey, and may He empower us all to carry on with our lives with great zeal and obedience to God, now and always, forevermore. St. Alphonsus Liguori, holy servant of God, pray for us all sinners, that the Lord, the Most Holy Redeemer, may always show His mercy and compassion towards us all. Amen.

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Friday, 31 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received today, we are all reminded that we must not be like those hypocrites and our fallen predecessors who have not truly dedicated and committed themselves to the Lord as they should have done. We must be truly faithful and humble in what we do in our lives so that we do not end up falling into temptations of pride, ego and human ambitions, and all other things that may prevent and distract us from finding the true path towards the Lord and His salvation. We must learn to listen to the Lord speaking to us in each and every moments of our lives, heeding His words which He has spoken to us in the depth of our hearts and minds.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the account of the works of Jeremiah amongst the people of the kingdom of Judah is highlighted to us. The prophet Jeremiah was sent by God to His people living in Judah, the southern half of the once united kingdom of Israel. Back then, at that time, the northern half of the kingdom, also known as Israel, had been destroyed and conquered by their enemies, the Assyrians, which destroyed not just their towns and homes, but also uprooted and forcibly moving many of them far away from their ancestral lands, bringing them into exile in distant and far-off lands of Mesopotamia and Assyria. It is this same exact fate which would soon befall the kingdom and people of Judah as well.

Thus, the Lord told Jeremiah to go up to the Temple, the Holy House of God which had been built and established by King Solomon of Israel to be the great and worthy House where God Himself would dwell among His people. However, people of Judah had also disobeyed the Lord and refused to follow and obey His Law and commandments truthfully and wholeheartedly. They allowed themselves to be tempted and swayed by the temptations of the evil ones, and they did not offer their sacrifices and offerings with hearts and minds that were truly focused and centred on God. Instead, they also worshipped other pagan idols and false gods, corrupting the Temple and the worship of God with their attitude and actions. For all those things God therefore chastised them and wanted them to realise that they had to be responsible for their choice of actions in life.

Then in the Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew where we heard of the time when the Lord Jesus went back to Nazareth, to His own hometown where He grew up in. The people of that town refused to believe in the Lord and even openly doubted Him, quoting how He was merely the Son of the village carpenter, namely St. Joseph, the foster father of the Lord. This means that they belittled the Lord and thought that it was impossible for someone of such a humble and lowly stature and status in the society to have been given the power and wisdom as they had heard about the Lord. At that time, as is also often throughout history, jobs like that of a carpenter, while truly essential and important for the community, it was also one that is often looked down upon and be prejudiced against.

Essentially, the people of Nazareth thought that they knew it better, and in their pride, they closed their hearts and minds against the Lord, refusing to listen to Him and to believe in Him despite everything that they themselves might have witnessed, seen and heard, from all the signs and wonders that the Lord Jesus had performed in their midst and in the regions surrounding Nazareth. This was in fact the same attitude shown by the people of Judah at the time of the prophet Jeremiah, in refusing to believe in this prophet of God, preferring to dwell in their own denial and thoughts that what the prophet Jeremiah had told and forewarned them could not have come to reality. It was too late for many of them by the time they realised that Jeremiah was speaking the truth.

This is also a reminder for all of us as God’s followers and disciples that in the course of our lives as Christians and in the midst of our faithful living of our respective missions and works, our everyday living as the faithful and holy people of God we may encounter challenges and difficulties in our journey of faith and life, especially from those who refuse to believe in the Lord and His truth, and also those who have allowed their pride and ego to cloud their thoughts and minds, their judgments and ways. It is also a reminder for us therefore not to be distracted by these same temptations either. We should always keep in mind that we are all called to holy and worthy lives that are truly reflecting our beliefs in the Lord, at all times, and we should be good role models and examples for our fellow brethren as well.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Founder of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits. On this day as we recall the life of this great saint of God, we recall the actions and works that St. Ignatius of Loyola carried out in his life, in his dedication to serve the Lord, that we may also be inspired to do the same in our own lives. St. Ignatius of Loyola was born Inigo Lopez into a family of lower nobility in the region of Basque in what is now northern part of Spain. And after a rather turbulent early years in life, the young St. Ignatius of Loyola was attracted into a life in the military, and was persuaded and tempted by the many hedonistic and materialistic pursuits of the world, that in his teenage years, he took up gambling, dancing, duelling and pursuing young women, as were common in those days among the nobles and the rich.

Then, when St. Ignatius of Loyola joined the military, for about more than decade, he encountered a lot of glorious moments and victories, but when he was injured in a particular battle, he faced a life-changing moment and encounter with God, through which he decided to renounce the allures of worldly glory and temptations, of greatness and desires, and henceforth, committed himself to a life that is dedicated to the greater glory of God alone. This would become the motto of the religious order that he would establish, that is the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. Their motto is ‘Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam’, that is ‘For the Greater Glory of God’. St. Ignatius of Loyola gathered several other like-minded people, who became the first members of the Jesuits, and dedicated themselves and their efforts henceforth in serving the Lord at all times.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the commitment and dedication shown by St. Ignatius of Loyola and his fellow Jesuits, many people came back to the faith, turning away from the falsehoods and heresies of their past. Thus, St. Ignatius of Loyola became the examples for many others to follow the Lord more faithfully, and by his commitment and dedication, he became for many of us a shining beacon of God’s light and truth. Are we able to do the same with our own lives, brethren? Are we willing and able to embrace the Lord and His path just as St. Ignatius of Loyola had done with his life? Let us all hence turn wholeheartedly towards the Lord once again, reject the path of sin and evil, and be ourselves the worthy bearers of God’s truth in our world.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in faith and our commitment to follow and serve Him genuinely and faithfully at all times, and may we all be humble in accepting God’s will, be willing to listen to His teachings and truth, and embrace His love, and not be like those people of Nazareth and the religious leaders like the Pharisees who had hardened their hearts against Him. Let us all be more like St. Ignatius of Loyola and many others of our holy predecessors in their actions and true faith in God, now and always. May God bless us always in our every efforts and endeavours to glorify His Holy Name in our world today, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 30 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all called and reminded of the love that God has shown us all, and everything that He has provided for us, in calling on all of us to return to Him, to find Him and to be reconciled with Him, so that we are no longer lost to Him but instead be moulded into a new people, a people who are faithful to God and His path, His truth and ways, and a new people who have embraced wholeheartedly the Law and commandments of God. That is also what each one of us as Christians have been called to do in our lives, to be sincere in how we live our lives each day with true and sincere faith in our loving God and Father.

In our first reading today, from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard the Lord speaking to His people through Jeremiah, using the example of a potter working on his spoilt and broken pottery in delivering His point and truth across. He told them all through Jeremiah that just as the potter reshaped and patiently moulded the potter piece that was misshapen and broken, hence, He, the Lord, God of Israel and all also was like a Potter to the people, moulding and guiding them as a people, leading them down the path of righteousness, and patiently guiding them when they became astray, sending prophets and messengers to remind and help them to find their way back to Him.

The Lord used that comparison in order to make His people to understand just how patient He was in helping and guiding all of them, even if they were to be stubborn and unflinching in their position and behaviour. The Lord had done that for hundreds of years, kept on reminding the people through many generations of prophets and servants, sending them to both the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In occasions, they succeeded and helped the people to return to the right path, but the people often proved more stubborn, falling back again and again into their sinful ways, despite all that God had done throughout time to help and guide them, and yet He kept on trying and persevering on this out of His love for them.

Those who dwell, work and possess pottery especially back then might know just how difficult it is to make, craft and prepare a pottery work. It often requires patience and precision in order for a good quality pottery piece to be made, and sometimes it requires a long time and repeated efforts in order to achieve the desired product and quality. And what is amazing with pottery is that, as they are being made, they are flexible and easily adaptable in shape, and at the hands of a skilled artisan and potter, it can truly become a great piece of art and masterpiece. The Lord is that masterful potter Who moulded His people, His work of art, ever so patiently and kindly.

However, once the piece of work is completed, the result of the product will depend a lot on the pottery piece itself. If they are lacking in certain substances or parts, then it is more likely than not that the final product may be less than desired in terms of quality. That is what happens when the materials used are defective and flawed. And all of these represent us in our current state of life, just as it was for the Israelites, the people of God to whom Jeremiah spoke to. We are all flawed beings, sinful and corrupted by those sins we have committed. Yet, the Lord, our Potter, Guide and Master ceaselessly and continuously guided us on our way and journey to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord spoke to His disciples regarding the kingdom of Heaven, in which He compared to a great net filled with various fishes of all types and sizes. The Angels will gather all of them and eventually sort them out. Those that are good will be gathered and kept, while the bad ones will be discarded. This is something that certainly many of the Lord’s followers and disciples understand, many of them being fishermen themselves or were working closely with them. The Lord told them all that all the faithful should be like the good fishes or else, they would face the consequences of their own evils and wickedness in the end.

How is that so? The net represents the Church of God, God’s kingdom in this world. To His Kingdom, God has called us all and invited us all to enter into His Presence, through His Church. And we have been given the opportunities and the means for us to embrace God and His ways, His truth and love through what we have heard in the Church. But it is really up to us whether we want to embrace God and His ways, or whether we prefer to follow our own paths and disobey God. If we continue to disobey the Lord and walk in the path of sin, then in the end, we are going to be like the bad fishes to be discarded at the end of time, to be destroyed and annihilated because of our own stubborn disobedience and rebellion.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Chrysologus, a great and holy man of God whose life and devotion to God, great works and efforts should be great inspiration and model for all of us to follow. St. Peter Chrysologus was born in what is now part of northern Italy during the final decades of the Roman Empire in the Western Mediterranean, where he became first a deacon and then archdeacon in service to the Church, before the then Pope appointed him as the Bishop of Ravenna, which was then the de facto capital of the Western Roman Empire. It was told in Church tradition that the Pope saw a vision of St. Peter the Apostle and St. Apolllinaris of Ravenna pointing to a young man who would become the new Bishop of Ravenna, and this vision referred to the then young St. Peter Chrysologus.

St. Peter Chrysologus gained his epithet of Chrysologus or ‘Golden-worded’ exactly because of his often simple yet powerful homilies which touched the lives and hearts of countless people who were under his care and listened to him. St. Peter Chrysologus explained the Scriptures and the Christian teachings well and he also made a firm and courageous stand against all the falsehoods, heresies and other evils of his time, doing his best to lead the people of God in the path towards God all throughout his whole life. St. Peter Chrysologus is truly a great example for all of us as Christians, in everything that he had done and in the efforts that he had in devoting himself completely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow in the footsteps of St. Peter Chrysologus and the many other saints, holy men and women of God in our lives, so that we may continue to do our best to grow ever stronger in our faith in the Lord, and that we may be truly worthy and faithful in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another. Let us all let the Lord to shape and mould our lives, as our loving Potter and Master, so that our lives may be ever more worthy of Him, and that our lives and actions be ever more attuned to His will, in all the things we do, and that we may grow ever closer to Him, now and always, evermore. May God be with us all and bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Wednesday, 29 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, the friends of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and also some of His closest disciples. Through all of them we are reminded of the great and loving relationships that the Lord shared with His friends and closest confidants, as St. Martha and St. Mary were often hosting the Lord at their house while St. Lazarus was one of those that the Lord resurrected from the dead, after he passed away from sickness. The Lord showed His great love to all of them, and revealed the nature of His generous love and compassion. All of us are truly fortunate that the Lord has not abandoned us and indeed, He will never do so, and that is why, through these three great saints, all of us are reminded to come ever closer to Him and seek Him.

As we heard in our Gospel reading passage today, either of the account of the resurrection of St. Lazarus from the dead, and also how St. Martha and St. Mary welcomed the Lord into their place, we heard of the interactions between these three saints and holy people with the Lord Himself, how they were beloved by God, and how the Lord wanted to tell us that if we believe in Him, then we shall have no need for fear or uncertainties, and there is no need for us to be afraid of anything because the Lord will always be by our side, and we will always be guarded and protected, given the blessings and strength, grace and might from God. St. Lazarus’ death and his resurrection by the Lord showed us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and not even sin and death can do that, as God, the Master and Lord of life and death, have dominion over all things.

Meanwhile, St. Martha and St. Mary showed us all the love that one ought to have for one’s fellow brother and sister, just as we can see how distraught both of them were at the passing of their brother, and yet, at the same time, they still held on to the faith in the Lord, believing in Him and in the Resurrection, which came to complete fulfilment with the Lord’s resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. St. Martha and St. Mary also showed us in the other occasion, of what it means to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, with all of our heart and attention, and as a reminder that sometimes we may be swayed and distracted by the many worldly matters and attachments which may lead us down into our failure to recognise God’s Presence in our lives, or in being so busy and preoccupied in doing things in our lives, even if for the Lord, that we forget to remember Him and spend time with Him.

As we heard from the famous account of how St. Martha hosted the Lord in her house with her sister St. Mary, we heard of how St. Martha was really very busy preparing everything for welcoming the Lord, which presumably included cooking, preparing the food, the table and everything, in trying to be as hospitable as possible. Meanwhile, St. Mary was seated by the Lord’s side, spending time with Him and listening to Him, and when St. Martha complained to the Lord about her sister not helping her, the Lord quietly chided her obsession and preoccupation with her works and efforts, which made her to forget what she should also be doing at that time, which is to spend good, quality time with the Lord and to listen to His words, rather than to spend so much time preparing all things for Him, but ignoring Him and His presence and words in the process.

That is a reminder for us that the Lord wants from us our love and attention, our whole hearts and minds, undivided focus and more, and not all the busy actions and preoccupations we have in life, in all the things that may distract us from focusing ourselves upon the true focus of our lives, that is the Lord Himself, the Lord and Master of us all. That is why today, all of us are reminded as we rejoice in the glorious memories of the three siblings turned saints, St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, that each and every one of us should always put our faith and trust in the Lord, and we should always place the Lord first and foremost before everything else. We must always do our best so that we will not be swayed easily by the temptations and obstacles present all around us, threatening to mislead us away from the path of the Lord and His salvation.

As Christians, each and every one of us are expected to be wholly devoted to the Lord, and to live our lives with great commitment and focus on Him, so that all the others who witness our works, actions and deeds, and who hears us and our words, and interact with us all, they may be inspired to come to know more about the Lord and His salvation. You can essentially say that we are all God’s missionaries and the beacons of His light and truth in our communities and in the world. It is through us that we can either help to bring more and more people to come towards the Lord and His salvation, or to deter and discourage the same people from coming to approach the Lord by our own scandals and lukewarmness in faith. We must not allow worldly desires, distractions and temptations from leading us down the path towards our downfall.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the examples of faith shown by those three great saints, particularly that of St. Mary, in her focus and attention on the Lord, in her devotion and commitment to Him. And from St. Martha, let us all be inspired by her desire to serve and love the Lord, but at the same time, let us all keep reminding ourselves that we should not allow our actions, our piety and all to distract us somehow from our love and focus on the Lord. As it is very easy for us, just as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had shown throughout the Gospels, to be swayed and distracted, to become proud and haughty over our own actions of faith, that our faith become inward looking and exclusive, self-righteous and lacking in genuine and true love for the Lord. This is something that we all must be careful of, and strive to avoid, by keeping our focus solely on the Lord alone.

May the Lord, ever glorified through the lives and actions of His holy ones, the glorious saints and martyrs, and particularly on this day, through St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, who are dear to Him, continue to bless us all and guide us in our own journey of faith and life, so that we may always be ever faithful to the Lord in all things. May we continue to strive and persevere in faith, even amidst the many challenges and trials all around us. May God bless our efforts and good works, our every endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 28 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Lord speaking to us through the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, regarding the matter of God’s love for each one of us, and how each one of us are also called to lead a life that is both holy and worthy of God. We are constantly being reminded to turn towards God with faith, sin no more and to do no more what is wicked and unbecoming of our status as Christians. We are all called to be holy just as our Lord and God is holy, and to be righteous and just in the way that He has shown and taught us, so that our lives will truly reflect genuinely what we believe in and we are not merely paying lip service in our faith in God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, of the prayer which the prophet Jeremiah made on behalf of the people of God in Judah, which began with the Lord’s words mentioning how the Lord was sorrowful of the sufferings and the plight endured by His people in Jerusalem and Judah. They had endured a lot of trials and tribulations because of their own mistakes and disobedience against God, in turning towards the pagan gods and idols instead of the Lord, following the wicked ways of the world rather than turning back towards the Law and the commandments of God, as many among our ancestors and predecessors had done.

The Lord has sent His prophets again and again to help set His people on the right path and to remind them of what they had to do as His disciples and followers, as His flock and His people. However, the people had often hardened their hearts and minds, closed themselves off from the Lord and disobeyed Him time and again, and they often persecuted those prophets and messengers who had been sent to remind and guide them in the right paths. Yet, God was still ever patient in reaching out to them, because ultimately should they remain in sin, they would be lost to Him forever, and that is not something that God wants to happen to us, His beloved ones.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the continuation of the parable which the Lord told His disciples, the parable of the wheat and the weeds, in which an enemy had spread weeds among the wheat crops in a field. The weeds cannot be removed from the wheat without killing the wheat crops themselves, and they also compete with the wheat crops for nutrients, water, space and more. The owner of the field, who represents the Lord our God, let both to grow together until the day of the harvest, when all the wheat were collected into the barns while the weeds are finally removed, burnt and destroyed.

This is a reminder to all of us, God’s beloved people that if we continue to live our lives in the manner of the wicked and if we remain in the state of sin, then we are like weeds growing in the field of the Lord, that is this world. On the other hand, if we are faithful to the Lord, then we are like the wheat growing wonderfully and fruitfully in the field of the Lord. And we have that choice whether we want to be like the wheat or to be like the weeds. God has given us all plenty of time and opportunities, the choices and the means for us to embrace Him, His love, His truth and His path. If only that we have the courage and the willingness to commit ourselves to that path towards His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all reminded that while we still have the time and opportunity to do so, we should do our best to turn towards the Lord with contrite hearts and minds, seeking Him with all our hearts and with all our might and strength, and we should do our best to glorify God by our lives and actions from now on. We are all called to be exemplary in faith and to be role models for one another so that we can be true disciples of the Lord and truly are the healthy and fruitful wheat of the Lord’s field. That is our calling as Christians today, and we should do better by looking upon the examples of the great saints, our holy predecessors.

That is why we are all reminded that we are the ones whom the Lord had called and chosen to be His own, to be truly loved by Him and that we are all indeed precious in His sight. Each and every one of us as God’s holy and beloved people ought to nurture within us the strong desire to follow the good examples of the Lord, all that He Himself has shown and taught us, and inspired us to do through His Church. We are the ones who ought to make manifest the light of Christ’s truth and love in our world today, just as our world today is filled with so much darkness and evil. Our faithful living of our lives will be our greatest witnesses we can possibly give to the Lord, in fulfilling what He has shown and entrusted to us to do.

May the Lord, our ever loving, kind and compassionate God continue to help us in being ever more faithful, committed and dedicated to Him, in each and every moments of our lives so that we may indeed be the worthy bearers of His Good News and truth, His love and Presence in this world today. We are all called to be truly fruitful in everything that we do, in our every moments in life. May all of us bear forth this faith wonderfully as best as we can, in living as exemplary Christians at all times, in leading more and more people towards God and the eternal life in Him. Amen.

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Monday, 27 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day all of us heard the readings from the Scriptures in which we heard the manifestation of God’s anger at His people’s disobedience and lack of faith as they constantly and consistently refused to listen to Him and continued to follow the path of sin instead of the path of the truth. Through the prophet Jeremiah, the Lord wanted to make it clear to His people that it was by their stubbornness and refusal to believe in Him that they would face ruin and destruction, their constant and continued disobedience against everything that God Himself has shown and taught them throughout their history.

And the destruction did come upon the people of God, of both Israel and Judah, crushed by their enemies and exiled from their lands, as a result of them putting their trust in their own might and power, in worldly power and alliances, in their pagan idols and gods rather than to trust in God. God had sent so many prophets and messengers to them, showed them signs and revelations and yet they still would not believe, and kept on following the path of rebellion and disobedience, hardening their minds and hearts against God and His servants, refusing to accept the fact that they could have erred and made mistakes in their paths and choices in life. 

In our Gospel passage today, we heard something similar to this as the Lord spoke to His people in parables, teaching them about the kingdom of heaven and its meaning. And the Lord highlighted to His disciples that He always taught in parables and spoke in cryptic terms so as to both reveal the meaning of the truth He brought to those who are willing to listen to them, and to hide them from those who have hardened their hearts and refused to listen to Him. It was not that God purposefully wanted to make it difficult for the people to understand Him, but for those who have hardened their hearts and minds against Him, not even the clearest and easiest things to be understood can be accepted.

This brings us then into the realisation that unless we are willing to embrace the Lord and His ways, then we will not be able to appreciate fully His truth and love, and we will not be able to embrace Him fully as we should have. Our hardened hearts and minds would have been closed to the Lord nonetheless, and still, we have to realise just how great God’s love for us has been, that He is still always ever willing to reach out to us all with His ever generous love and kindness. And this is also shown through the parable that the Lord used in explaining the kingdom of heaven, the parable of the mustard seed and the parable of the yeast and three measures of flour. 

In all these parables, the Lord brought forth the fact of how those little things like mustard seed and yeast, mustard seed being one of the smallest among the seeds and yeast being very small and microscopic in size, were able to grow into immense proportions beyond imagination. The mustard seed grow into a relatively large tree with many branches while the yeast allow the dough to rise quite significantly in size. Similarly that yeast can make the dough to rise to much greater proportions. It is something that many people would not have expected, that some of those things, so small and seemingly so insignificant can be the harbingers of things so magnificent, great and amazing in the end of the day.

The significance of this is such that subtly, the Lord is telling us that we need to make ourselves small and insignificant before God, minuscule and tiny, if we want to grow and be truly great before Him. It is by discarding all sorts of pride and greed, ego and ambition, selfishness and hubris, and instead embracing humility and meekness that we will be able to grow in faith. Unless we humble ourselves, we will be too full of ourselves to be able to nurture ourselves with the love of God, and there will be no space for the Lord within our hearts, within our minds and within our lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, then, similarly, for the mustard seeds to grow and for the yeast to be able to make the dough to rise, they require specific conditions that if not fulfilled, then those things will not be able to happen. The mustard seeds need water, the right temperature and oxygen in the air to germinate, and later on will also need nutrients from the soil and sunlight to grow well into a great tree. Similarly, yeast also need the absence of oxygen and warm conditions for them to be able to function and make the dough rise. If the conditions are not fulfilled for either of them, then nothing good would have come out of them.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, are we able to live faithfully in God’s presence so as to provide the best condition for ourselves to grow in the sight of God, to grow like the mustard seed and to rise like the dough with yeast? We are all called to be good and fruitful Christians in life, and we should indeed do what we can to serve God and to dedicate ourselves to Him and to His ways, to be righteous and to be exemplary in how we act in our everyday living that by our faith, we become God’s shining examples, in living up to our Christian faith most sincerely and with great dedication so that we may inspire and help lead many others towards God and the salvation in Him.

Let us all therefore not harden our hearts and minds as what the people of God had once done, and instead, allow God to enter into our hearts and minds by making ourselves small before Him, humbling ourselves and dedicating ourselves to Him with all of our heart and with all of our strength. May the Lord be with us always and may He strengthen us all each and every moments of our lives that we may truly grow well in the faith and bear wonderful, bountiful fruits, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 26 July 2026 : Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded by the passages of the Sacred Scriptures for us all to seek the true treasures of our lives that can be found in the Lord our God alone. Each and every one of us are reminded that as Christians, all of us have been called and chosen by the Lord to be His own beloved people, and we have also responded to this call through our baptism and initiation into the Church of God. All of us are brought into the presence of God, and have been blessed with the many gifts and blessings, rich graces and wonders, through the Wisdom that He has bestowed upon us, in the Holy Spirit that has come to dwell upon each one of us, as the members of His Church. The Wisdom of God has come to dwell in our midst, granting us the knowledge and understanding of truth, much as how God has blessed King Solomon with great wisdom and understanding unparalleled in his time.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, the account of the moment from the youth and early days of the reign of King Solomon of Israel, just shortly he ascended to the throne following the death and passing of his father, King David of Israel. Both King David and King Solomon are remembered for their great and righteous rule, as great and noble kings, who ruled over great and golden era of the Kingdom of Israel, as righteous and just rulers over the people of God. King Solomon in particular was renowned for his great wisdom, his great riches and glorious rule over a vast kingdom, which were presented unto him by God, as we heard in that passage today. Solomon was initially still young and inexperienced, unsure about his rulership and uncertain about the challenges and other obstacles that he might have to face, and hence, he sought for God’s help, praying and asking Him for the gift of wisdom to help him in being a good and worthy ruler over God’s people.

And as we heard, that it was because of this request that God has blessed Solomon even more wonderfully and greatly, because he did not ask for any kind of worldly glory, greatness or material wealth, and all sorts of things that people may often be asking for. Instead, Solomon asked for the grace and the guidance to know what is right and just, the discerning and intuitive mind to do what is right and appropriate, the wisdom and intellect to do God’s will and to ability to govern the people of God well and with responsibility. Therefore, as Solomon was not asking for a selfish desire and want, and he was selflessly asking for a gift that was meant for the good of others, God granted him his wishes, and blessed him even far more than what he has ever asked. God blessed Solomon with such great wisdom and wealth, power and glory, that his name became famous throughout the world.

King Solomon was filled with God’s wisdom and grace, and his kingdom was great because of that. However, this does not mean that he was impervious to faults and mistakes, and he was neither perfect nor infallible. While mostly having reigned with great justice, wisdom and faith in the Lord, building up the great Temple dedicated to God in Jerusalem and leading God’s people and kingdom to its magnificent days, but later on in his life, King Solomon allowed himself to be swayed by the temptations and the attachments of worldly corruptions and pleasures. He had a large number of wives and concubines according to the later part of the Book of Kings, many hundreds of them, with many of them coming from the various peoples living in the lands surrounding the kingdom of Israel, and who brought pagan practices and wickedness into the king’s court.

Thus, while Solomon was guided by the Wisdom of God in the early and middle part of his reign, but later on, he allowed worldly glory, pride, wealth and all of his greatness to cloud his judgment and wisdom, and mislead him and the people into the wrong path, the path of evil and sin. That is why, linking to what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, in the Lord’s words to His disciples, speaking to them regarding what it means to come and seek the kingdom of God, to seek the true treasures that can be gained and found in the Lord alone. We should not allow ourselves to be deluded and tricked by the many false treasures present all around us, which offered us temporary and ultimately disappointing results and outcome, and which pleasure and joy do not truly lead to true satisfaction and happiness, unlike what is found in God.

For example, King Solomon himself, in his pursuit of power and glory, likely sought to gain alliances and worldly renown, as well as great prestige and fame from having so many marriages and concubines, as part of the customs of the world at that time. But instead of solidifying his rule and dominion, it led to the fracturing of his united kingdom shortly after his death, as the ten tribes of the Israelites broke free to form the northern kingdom of Israel, leaving just the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the southern kingdom of Judah for the House of David, to Solomon’s descendants. And despite of his massive armies and huge armada of chariots according to the Scriptures, all of these came to naught, and the kingdoms after Solomon would fall apart due to civil wars, conflicts and would eventually be crushed and conquered by their enemies.

Through all of those examples and many other historical evidences in our world history, the Lord has shown us time and again how those who seek Him should commit themselves wholeheartedly to Him, and place Him at the centre and as the main focus of their lives. All of us are reminded of the limitations of our human power, abilities and intellect, all of which pale in comparison with the power and wisdom of God. The value and worth of following the Lord and His path, knowing and appreciating His truth and love are far beyond any treasures that this world can offer us, as while the treasures of this world can only offer us temporary joy in this world, and in accordance with what the Lord Himself told His disciples, that those could perish and be destroyed by fire and by the other forces of the world, there is nothing that can destroy or affect the true treasures that we can find in God alone.

Now, just as we all have heard it from the Gospel passage today where the Lord Himself used the parable of the precious pearl to highlight the true treasure that is in the kingdom of God, and the other comparisons which highlighted how the followers of the Lord ought to seek this true treasure, let us all ask ourselves what is our treasures in life and what it is that we are seeking for in our lives. Are these treasures referring to any kind of worldly glory, fame, wealth and other material goods and pleasures of this world? Are we looking for and being obsessed with all those desires and temptations being present all around us? Or do we rather seek the treasures of the Lord, the righteousness, justice and virtues in God?

Do we rather seek the certainty and guarantee of God’s love and compassion, in everything that God has always been faithful and committed in providing to us, as He has proven yet again and again, in fulfilling the Covenant which He had made with each one of us. St. Paul in our second reading today, in his Epistle to the Romans also reassured us by reminding us of the ultimate gift of love from God, the gift of His own Firstborn Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Saviour and King, delivering us from the tyranny of sin and death, and into eternal life. That is what each and every one of us should be aspiring towards, what we should be focusing our attention towards in our daily living.

And nothing can truly separate us from the love of God, as not even sin and death can do that, less so even those worldly forces that can destroy any other false treasures of this world, but can never bring us apart from the Lord, Who willingly sought us out and did His best to reconcile us to Himself, by the most selfless sacrifice that His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, offered on the Altar of His Cross. All of us have been truly blessed to be beloved by the Lord in such a manner, and we have to be thankful for all that He has given and blessed us with, all these while. That is why we should strive from now on to live our lives no longer under the sway of any worldly temptations and desires, or influenced by the corrupt forces being present all around us. Let us all as Christians be exemplary in all of our actions, our way of life and our deeds that we may truly be worthy of the Lord and everything that He has assured and promised us all through His Son.

Let us all reject the path of sin and evil, and embrace anew the path of God’s righteousness and virtue, and entrusting ourselves anew to the Lord, like King Solomon of old, that God’s Wisdom may guide us and keep us firm in faith, and guard us against any forms of worldly excesses and wickedness that had brought about the downfall of many among our predecessors. May God be with us always and may He continue to show us His Wisdom, so that we may always be His most worthy and wise disciples and followers, whose actions and works, efforts and endeavours are for His greater glory alone. Amen.

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Saturday, 25 July 2026 : Feast of St. James, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the Lord’s great Twelve Apostles, namely St. James the Greater, the elder brother of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, and one of the sons of Zebedee who followed the Lord Jesus since the very beginning of His ministry. St. James was also one of the closest among all of the Lord’s disciples, part of the three disciples that the Lord often brought with Him in important occasions, together with St. Peter, the leader and chief of all the Apostles, and St. John himself, St. James’ younger brother. All the three of them were present at every major occasions in the Lord’s ministry, such as at the Transfiguration of the Lord, the healing and the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus, the synagogue official, as well as the moment of the Lord’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, among others.

And as compared with St. John the Apostle, his brother, St. James was also notable as being likely the first among the Apostles to die of martyrdom, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, with Apostolic and Church traditions placing his martyrdom just a decade or so from the time of the Lord’s death and Resurrection. On the other hand, St. John was the last of all the Apostles to pass away, and the only one among all of them who did not die of martyrdom, although he did suffer a lot of persecution, sufferings and oppressions throughout his many years of life. Nonetheless, both brothers have followed the Lord faithfully and with great dedication to the very end, enduring many challenges and hardships, struggles and difficulties throughout their ministry, and they did all that they could to proclaim the Good News of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the same two brothers St. James and St. John, who came together with their mother, and at that time, their mother asked the Lord to grant the two of them the places of honour by the left and the right hand side of the Lord. As we heard, this action brought about a lot of insecurities and jealousy from the other disciples of the Lord, and it highlighted to us the dangers of temptations of worldly power and glory, and one which we should resist or else we may end up falling into the wrong paths in life, and not the path that the Lord has shown us. Then, we must understand the context that at that time, many of the people living at the moment of the Lord’s work and ministry thought that the Messiah, that is the Saviour to be sent by God, would be a great conquering King and Ruler, born of the House of David so that the Kingdom of Israel of old can be restored.

That was why among many of the disciples of the Lord, there might have been many who hoped that the Lord Jesus, Whom they considered as the Messiah, would be the One to bring back the glorious days of the Kingdom of Israel, and liberate them all from the hands of their foreign oppressors and rulers, the Romans as well as the foreign rule of the Idumaean Herodian kings. Therefore, when the mother of St. James and St. John made such a request, and the displeasures and jealousy of the other disciples at that time, were all borne out of the misguided ideas and misunderstandings regarding what the Lord’s mission truly was, and what His disciples and followers would have to go through and experience in the midst of their own ministries and works. Thus, the Lord told the two brothers, St. James and St. John, that it was not for Him to decide Who should sit on His left and right, and if they would be able to drink of the cup of suffering that He Himself was about to drink.

Through this, the Lord Himself wanted to reveal the kind of hardships and sufferings, challenges and trials that St. James and St. John and also all the other Apostles and disciples of His, may have to undergo and endure in the midst of their ministries and works. St. James himself eventually was to go on his missionary works and trips, proclaiming the Good News to the far ends of the world, most well-known of which is in the region of Hispania, in what is now parts of Spain, where he proclaimed the Lord and His Good News to many of the people there, and to whom Our Lady herself, Mary, the Mother of God, appeared to in order to encourage and strengthen him, in the apparition known now as Our Lady of the Pillar. St. James’ ministry is the reason why his greatest shrine is now located at the place of his former ministry, in what is now known as Santiago de Compostela, named after the Apostle himself.

St. James eventually would be martyred after that in Jerusalem, as we heard in the Acts of the Apostles, when king Herod Agrippa who wanted to gain favour with the Jewish leaders and elders, persecuted the Christians and their leaders, arrested St. James and then executed him. He was thus likely the first of the Apostles to die in martyrdom, and many of the other Apostles would also suffer and die in the subsequent years and decades. Nonetheless, their faith and commitment to God remained firm and strong even throughout those difficult years, and that faith is something that all of us as Christians should also be inspired with, and be strengthened from. And we have also been constantly reminded that the works of the Lord which He had begun and entrusted to His Apostles like St. James and others, have not yet been completed, and there are still many areas and circumstances where we are called to be like the Apostles in proclaiming the truth of God, His Good News and salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be strengthened by the examples and dedication shown by St. James the Apostle, all his work and ministry, and in his courage to spread the word of God and the faith, and in having indeed drunk of the cup of suffering and martyrdom that the Lord Himself had drunk from. Let us all be genuine and committed disciples of the Lord ourselves and let us all seek to do what the Lord had called us to do, and be ever more faithful to Him in all of our ways. Let us all be exemplary and good in our every words, actions and deeds, in our every interactions and relationships with one another. We are all parts of the Church and its mission to evangelise and to proclaim God’s truth, salvation and Good News to all the whole world, and each one of us have to commit ourselves to this mission in whichever areas and parts that we are able to contribute in, as God has entrusted to us all.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and guide each one of us, and may the intercession of St. James, His Apostle continue to help us in our journey, and empower us all should we face many challenges and trials throughout our journey of faith and life so that we may always be strong and faithful even through the most difficult and challenging moments. May God bless us all and may He bless our every works and good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.