Lenten season

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Thursday, 5 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all reminded that as the followers and disciples of the Lord, each and every one of us must always strive to live our lives faithfully in accordance to what He Himself has shown and taught us, in showing great love to one another, especially to those whom we love and those whom the Lord has placed in our lives to love, our beloved ones, and then also all those who are marginalised and less fortunate around us, the poor and the needy, and these are not limited only to those who are having financial and material difficulties, but also those who are ostracised, unloved and forgotten by the community.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the words of the Lord which had been delivered by Him to His people through Jeremiah, calling on all of them to repent from their sinful and wicked ways, turning back from their worldly ways and returning once again to follow the path of the Lord. Back then, the prophet Jeremiah was sent to the people of God in the kingdom of Judah, at the last days of its existence to tell them all of the terrible fate that they would soon endure because of their lack of faith in the Lord from the time of their ancestors and predecessors, and their dependance on worldly powers and means rather than on the Lord their God, in Whom they should put their faith and trust in.

The people of Judah, the kingdom and the whole body of nobles, according to the Scriptural accounts, chose to depend on the backing and support of the Egyptians and their Pharaoh, in the struggle between the regional powers, just as the Babylonians were gaining strength and growing in power at that time. And this choice of depending on worldly means instead of trusting in the Lord was the very reason for their downfall, and there were also false prophets who went against the words of the prophet Jeremiah, convincing the king and his nobles to follow their preferred course of action instead, claiming that the Lord would crush the Babylonians with the help of the Egyptians and their forces.

All of that eventually led to the ruin and destruction of Judah as the Babylonians came with their armies and forces, defeating the armies of the Egyptians and leaving Judah without means of protection. And as the Babylonians came upon them and besieged Jerusalem, destroying other cities and eventually conquering the kingdom, destroying the great Temple in Jerusalem and bringing many of the people of Judah to exile in distant lands, everything that Jeremiah had spoken finally came true. And to all of us listening to these words from the Scriptures, we are reminded that we should not put our faith and trust in the power of man and in worldly devices alone, but we must put our faith in the Lord together with all of our efforts.

Then, from our Gospel pasasge today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord told His disciples and followers, of the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, using the example of Lazarus, a poor man who was always sitting by the doorway of the house or mansion of a rich man. We heard in this well-known story of how the rich man ignored the sufferings of the poor man Lazarus at his very own doorstep, refusing to allow him to even have the crumbs of bread from his table, even when there were a lot of opportunities for him to help the poor man. And we heard of how when both Lazarus and the rich man passed away, they ended up in different places.

From what we heard of the great joy and vindication of Lazarus, who was finally enjoying relief and happiness together with Abraham and the other righteous people of God, and in contrast how the rich man was suffering in the fires of hell. Through this example and parable which the Lord had used to highlight His points and ideas to the disciples, we ourselves are also being reminded that we should not ignore the plight of the poor and the needy all around us, or else, we will end up facing the same predicament as the rich man. It was not about his wealth or possessions that made him wrong, but the rich man’s apathy and lack of action had caused him to commit the sin of omission in not helping out his fellow man, Lazarus, when he could have done so, many times.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, let us all remember that all of us as Christians are called to do good in our daily living, to live up to our Christian calling and mission in whatever way we can, in each and every moments of our lives. We should always remember to put God at the centre of our lives and do our very best in our every actions, words and deeds so that by our everyday efforts and works, even in the smallest things that we do, we will always help more and more people all around us. As Christians, we are called to be active in reaching out to our fellow brothers and sisters around us, to our fellow men and women who need our help and company, among other things.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to help and guide us all in our lives, remembering that in each and every moments we should continue to live our lives virtuously, in loving God and in loving one another around us, especially those whom God has given us all to love, and also those whom we encounter in our lives, in our everyday moments that we have been given the opportunities to show care, love and concern for those who have been placed in our paths. Let us all continue to show them the generous love that we can give them, in whatever way we can, so that by our generous love and compassion, we may truly be worthy of God and His love, and show forth God’s love to all those whom we encounter, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 5 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 16 : 19-31

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores.”

“It happened that the poor man died, and Angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died, and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus, with the tip of his finger dipped in water, to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'”

“Abraham replied, ‘My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off, while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort, and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you, or from your side to us.'”

“The rich man implored once more, ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father’s house, where my five brothers live, let him warn them, so that they may not end up in this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'”

“But the rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham; but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.'”

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Thursday, 5 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the one who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

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Thursday, 5 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 17 : 5-10

This is what YHVH says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from YHVH! He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness.”

“Blessed is the man who puts his trust in YHVH and whose confidence is in Him! He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit.”

“Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him? I, YHVH, search the heart and penetrate the mind. I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.”

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Wednesday, 4 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Casimir (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that as Christians, that is as those who follow and commit ourselves to walk in the path of the Lord, it is inevitable that somewhere along our paths and journeys in following God, that we will encounter difficulties and challenges, hardships and trials, and yet, we should never lose faith in the Lord. Instead, we should be ever more steady and strong in our commitment and dedication, in everything that we say and do, in each and every moments of our lives. We must always trust that the Lord will guide and provide us in all things.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, we heard of the account of the plots and the attempts against the life of Jeremiah, the prophet whom the Lord sent as the last prophet to guide the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, and how Jeremiah truly suffered greatly in many occasions because of those plots and attempts, from all those who were opposed to hios ministry and works among the people of God. He was falsely accuswed of treason and being disobedient against the King, betraying the people and the country. But God was always with Jeremiah and did not leave or abandon him especially during the times of his greatest trials and difficulties.

God was with Jeremiah when he stood up against the false prophets and messengers, all those who plotted against him, speaking lies and untruths before the king and the people. Jeremiah brought God’s words to His people, words of warning and reminders for them all that their cities and the Temple of God in Jerusalem would be destroyed, and their kingdom crushed and conquered by the Babylonians for the many sins and wickedness which they had committed against the Lord. For this courageous deliverance of the truth of God and for revealing what the people would face and endure, Jeremiah was persecuted and had to face a lot of struggles, and if not God’s providence and intervention, he would have perished.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, where we heard the account of the moment when the two disciples, members of the Twelve, St. James and St. John, who came with their mother to the Lord and asked Him for positions of special favour, to sit by His left and right when He comes into His Kingdom, and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel, as was commonly believed at that time. The significance of such a request is that they expected to be made very important individuals in the Lord’s Kingdom, thinking that the Lord came to restore the Kingdom of Israel in the literal sense, such as how it was during the days and time of David and Solomon. Therefore, it was at least part of their expectation to receive wealth, glory, prestige and power.

But they did not realise that the Kingdom of Christ, the Kingdom of God is not like that of this world, and is not the same as how the world operates. To follow Christ is not about gaining glory, majesty, power or fame, wealth or satisfaction of the world. Following Christ is about doing what He has entrusted to us to do, to walk in His path despite the opposition and challenges from the world, and often we may have to face rejection and stubborn refusals from those around us, and sometimes even those who are near us and closest to us just like how the Lord Himself was betrayed by Judas Iscariot, one of His own closest inner circle member. Yet, we must not lose faith and we must not be disillusioned or disheartened by all these challenges and difficulties because God is and will always be with us.

It is an important reminder for all of us that becoming disciples and followers of the Lord require from us a commitment and dedication that is not easily maintained if we lack the determination and faith in God. To be disciples and followers of Christ truly does not mean that we will gain material or joyful benefits from it, although this may indeed be part of our journey. Our primary focus and intention should be directed towards the Lord our God, our Heavenly Father Who has always blessed us wonderfully, in each and every moments of our lives. We must not be easily distracted by the temptations of worldly glory, fame and ambitions, which had led so many astray in their paths towards the Lord. Instead, we should show good example by our faithful commitment to the Lord, in following Him despite the challenges we may have to encounter in our respective paths in life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to progress through this season of Lent, let us all continue to discern our way of life and see in what way we can be better and more committed disciples and followers of His, and we can do this by following the good examples set by our holy predecessors, one of which, whose feast we are celebrating today, is St. Casimir of Poland. St. Casimir was a Royal Prince of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, who was known for his great piety and devotion to God, as well as charity and care for the needy and the poor in the kingdom from his early age. He was remembered for his exemplary faith and actions, his chaste and holy lifestyle at a time when it was common for someone in his status to embrace a debauched and hedonistic way of life. St. Casimir dedicated his life to the end to the glory of God, and despite dying in a relatively early age due to tuberculosis, the example of his holiness and dedication to God continue to inspire many people right up to this day.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, can we follow the good examples of St. Casimir and many other of our holy predecessors in how we ought to live our lives? In this season and time of Lent, let us all reorientate our lives and redirect our focus in life back towards the Lord, Whom we should put right at the very centre of our lives. Let us all turn towards Him with faith, and do whatever we can to serve Him faithfully each day and at every moments given to us. May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us all and may He empower each and every one of us to be ever better and stronger in our desire to serve Him, and to do His will, at all times. May God bless us always, in our every actions, deeds and efforts, to glorify Him by our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 4 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Casimir (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 20 : 17-28

At that time, when Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples and said to them, “See, we are going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, who will condemn Him to death. They will hand Him over to the foreigners, who will mock Him, scourge Him and crucify Him. But He will be raised to life on the third day.”

Then the mother of James and John came to Jesus with her sons, and she knelt down, to ask a favour. Jesus said to her, “What do you want?” And she answered, “Here You have my two sons. Grant that they may sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left, when You are in Your kingdom.”

Jesus said to the brothers, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They answered, “We can.” Jesus replied, “You will indeed drink My cup, but to sit at My right or at My left is not for Me to grant. That will be for those, for whom My Father has prepared it.”

The other ten heard all this, and were angry with the two brothers. Then Jesus called them to Him and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations act as tyrants over them, and the powerful oppress them. It shall not be so among you : whoever wants to be more important in your community shall make himself your servant.”

“And if you want to be the first of all, make yourself the servant of all. Be like the Son of Man Who has come, not to be served but to serve, and to give His life to redeem many.”

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Wednesday, 4 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Casimir (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 30 : 5-6, 14, 15-16

Free me from the snare that they have set for me. Indeed You are my Protector. Into Your hands I commend my spirit; You have redeemed Me, o Lord, faithful God.

I hear whispering among the crowd, rumours that frighten me from every side – their conspiracies, their schemes, their plot to take my life.

But I put my trust in You, o Lord, I said : “You are my God;” my days are in Your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, from those after my skin.

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Wednesday, 4 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Casimir (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 18 : 18-20

Then, they said, “Come, let us plot against Jeremiah, for even without him, there will be priests to interpret the Teachings of the Law; there will always be wisemen to impart counsel and prophets to proclaim the word. Come, let us accuse him and strike him down instead of listening to what he says.”

Hear me, o YHVH! Listen to what my accusers say. Is evil the reward for good? Why do they dig a grave for me? Remember how I stood before You to speak well on their behalf so that Your anger might subside.

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Tuesday, 3 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we all ponder upon their message and importance in our lives, particularly as we progress through this time and season of Lent, let us all continue to reflect carefully on how each of these words can impact us in our lives and in how we live our lives. We must be mindful that our every words, actions and deeds reflect our identity as Christians and our part in the works of the Lord through His Church in this world. If our actions, words and deeds are contrary to what He has shown us all in love and compassion, then in the end, we may end up bringing about scandals that can hurt the whole Church and the efforts of evangelisation.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the Lord’s call to His people, the people of Israel while referring to the historical ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, calling on all of them to repent from their many sins and faults, from their wickedness and disobedience, their refusal to obey the Law of God and their persistent rebellion against the commandments of the Lord and the path that God has set before them. The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah was a reference to the destruction which God had wrought against those two cities that had been committing great sins against God and others alike.

However, lest we may end up misunderstanding the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, unlike the prejudices that had happened in the past history of the Church, it has been long misinterpreted that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah referred to certain kind of sexual sin and perversion. Instead, the actual sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was in fact one of the lack of hospitality shown to guests and strangers in one’s midst, their lack of social justice and care for the needy and the poor, as well as morally corrupt actions which in no way prejudiced or make wrong any particular sexual preference or identity, as what was commonly misinterpreted by many throughout history.

And that was why God punished Sodom and Gomorrah, as they showed severe lack of hospitality against Lot and his family, whom they saw as strangers and foreigners that did not belong in their community, and their attempted assault on the two guests, the disguised Angels of God, more as a way to discredit and as contempt against Lot and his family, whom they had never welcomed into their midst. It was this same attitude which the Israelites had also exhibited during the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah. They persecuted the prophets and messengers of God sent into their midst in order to remind and guide them in their paths, and treated them as strangers and foreigners in their own land, much like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

But God was kind and loving to His people nonetheless, and He kept on offering them path to redemption, opening the floodgates of His ever generous mercy and compassion to all. He sent His prophets again and again, like Isaiah and his many predecessors and successors to help lead and guide those wayward yet beloved people of His back to His loving Presence. This kind of patient love is the Lord has always offered His people, and as long as they wanted to come back to Him, He will always welcome them, care for them and nurture them. However, if they so choose to completely reject Him and abandon Him, then in the end, it will be their own stubbornness and rejection which will be the reason judging against them.

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 telling His disciples and followers that all of them should not practice their faith in the manner that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had practiced theirs, in their hypocrisy and attitudes which were self-centred and selfish, focusing on their own status, privileges and special position in the community of the people of God, seeking attention and praise from everyone around them. It is this attitude which prevented them from truly being able to follow the Law and commandments of the Lord in the manner that is truly worthy and suitable of the Lord.

What the Lord told the disciples were often mistaken and misunderstood in the context of the Church, as some people criticised the Church for having titles like Pope, Cardinal, Bishop and Father, in referring to the priests of different ranks in the hierarchy of the Church. What the Lord meant was not that He was against all those titles, which were indeed necessary in the scheme of things, but rather, He does not want us to become so preoccupied by those titles and privileges, as the Pharisees had done at that time, that we become proud and self-centred, forgetting that our faith and what we believe in, and whatever we do and carry out in that faith are all not about ourselves, but about how we manage our relationship with God and with one another.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, it is very important that all of us continue to live faithfully in the path the Lord has prepared for us, and loving generously in the manner that He has loved us all first. Let us all be grateful in whatever way He has created us all to be, in whatever He has called us all to do, in loving Him and in loving one another, especially to those whom He has entrusted to us all to love, so that by our every actions, words and deeds, people may indeed come to know that we truly belong to the Lord, and that we truly genuinely believe in whatever we profess to have faith in. May God bless us always, and may He strengthen us all in each and every moments of our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 3 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 23 : 1-12

At that time, then 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 raise 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 reserved 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.”