Lenten season

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Monday, 7 April 2025 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. John Baptist de la Salle, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the dangers of sin that can corrupt us and lead us down the wrong path of rebellion and disobedience against God, and eventually we all may fall into the eternal damnation and suffering in Hell, if we are not careful with how we carry out our lives. We are reminded that we should not easily be tempted by the temptations of the flesh, of pleasures and desires that can lead us deeper and deeper into sin. At the same time, we are also reminded that God has always been generous in His mercy and desire to forgive us all our sins and faults, and He has always reached out to us lovingly, giving us many means for us to find the way to God’s salvation. 

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Daniel in which the story of Susanna, an Israelite woman who was prominent in the exile community in Babylon in her predicament when she was faced with false accusation by two of the elders of the people who lusted over her and tried to force their way with her. Those elders wanted to prevent anyone from knowing their wicked deeds and therefore, they used their influence and great respect within the community to push the community to condemn Susanna to death, so that by this action, she might be silenced and then their wicked deeds would not be discovered. But before they managed to carry out such a wicked action, the Lord intervened on behalf of His faithful and righteous one, saving Susanna from certain death through Daniel.

Empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit, Daniel spoke the word of God and proclaimed His Wisdom before the people, showing how the plots and the wickedness of the two elders would be uncovered, and how the righteous would be provided for by God. We heard how Daniel, by the power of the Holy Spirit, unveiled the wicked intentions and lies of the two elders which led to the vindication of Susanna and for the two elders to be punished instead. This is an important reminder for all of us that we should not allow sin to have its way with us, or else, like those two elders, we will end up committing more sin, one after another. And that may lead us to destruction in the end, as those elders had experienced. In this time and season of Lent, we have been reminded and given the opportunities to reconcile ourselves with the Lord and to come back towards Him.

Then, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the time when the Lord Jesus encountered a group of Pharisees and teachers of the Law who sought to trap Him with the case of a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. According to the Jewish laws and customs, especially the extra strict and rigid rule enforced and followed by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, such an act of adultery would have led to punishment by stoning to death. That was why the Pharisees asked and pressured the Lord to respond to the case of the adulterous woman with the wicked intention of hoping that they could find something wrong in what He was to say and therefore they could accuse Him or advance their own cause. 

For example, if the Lord had said that the adulterous woman should be forgiven and shown mercy, as His enemies would have expected Him to do, given His penchant for outreach to sinners like prostitutes and tax collectors, then the Pharisees could accuse the Lord of colluding and siding with sinners, disobeying and refusing to obey the commandments of the Law of God. On the other hand, if the Lord said that the adulterous woman ought to be stoned for the sin that she had committed, then it was exactly what the Pharisees themselves would have done, and thus they could add on or gain to their own popularity and cause by claiming that what the Lord Jesus taught was affirming the teachings and the ways of the Pharisees.

But the Lord calmly evaded the argument as we all have heard, while those Pharisees continued to pressure Him to take action on the adulterous woman. It was there and then that the Lord in His Divine Wisdom told those people that if any one among them had no sin in them, then that person could cast the first stone to be thrown at the woman. And we heard how one by one, all those people left, beginning from the oldest, who likely had committed the most sins and disobedience to God, to the youngest ones among them. The truth is that, there was indeed one person there at that place who was without sin, and that was none other than the Lord Jesus Himself. And although He could indeed have cast the first stone, Jesus showed us all the meaning and importance of God’s generous mercy and forgiveness.

He showed this to us all by forgiving that woman from her sins, pardoning her from the faults that she had made. Not only that, but as we heard, the Lord also told the woman that she should sin no more and live her life in the manner that is worthy of God from then on. And it is here exactly where we are reminded of what God has always desired to do with us, to forgive us all our sins and to bring us back to His loving embrace, while at the same time reminding us that we should no longer disobey Him, or to remain in the state of sin. Instead, all of us are called to embrace wholeheartedly the mercy which God has for us, and to change our way of life so that we are no longer corrupted and defiled by sin and its allures, showing that we truly commit ourselves to God and to His path of righteousness and virtue.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John Baptist de la Salle, a saint whose life and examples can be inspiration to many of us in how we ourselves ought to live our Christian faith and way of life each day. St. John Baptist de la Salle is the founder of the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools or also known well as the De La Salle Brothers. He was born in Reims in what is today France where since a young age he has been intended for service to God, eventually becoming the canon at Reims Cathedral and then ordained as a priest after a short period of time taking care of his immediate family, his brothers and sisters after the sudden passing of his parents. St. John Baptist de la Salle was inspired for his future role in the Catholic education through his interactions and works with the Sisters of the Child Jesus as he assisted them in establishing a school in Reims.

Eventually this inspired the then young priest, St. John Baptist de la Salle to dedicate himself in the area of education after seeing how so many young children did not have the opportunity for education due to the nature of that time’s society and how education worked then, being mostly reserved for those in the higher strata and echelons of the society. Without proper education, those children, especially the poorest, the weakest and the least among them had little chance to improve their lives or to have some sorts of economic improvement and social mobility. This inspired St. John Baptist de la Salle to establish the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools, calling together more men who were willing to follow in his examples and passion to work for the less fortunate. And that was how the Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools eventually grew until today where they were involved extensively in education all around the world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to live our lives faithfully in the manner that the Lord had taught and shown us, and let us all be inspired by St. John Baptist de la Salle and our many other holy predecessors in how they all devoted themselves to the Lord, doing their best such that they were truly worthy of God in all of their actions. Let us all distance ourselves from sin and from all sorts of wicked things in life. Let us embrace God’s mercy and forgiveness, humbly asking Him to forgive us our faults, trespasses and all the things which we have committed in our daily lives. May God continue to strengthen us and empower us in our lives, and may He bless us with the perseverance to endure the challenges and struggles in life, so that we may draw ever closer to Him, and make best use of this Lenten season to commit ourselves anew to God, to be more faithful to Him, to sin no more and to live a new life in God’s grace. Amen.

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Monday, 7 April 2025 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. John Baptist de la Salle, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 8 : 1-11

At that time, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak He appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to Jesus, and He sat down and began to teach them. Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone.

“Master,” they said, “this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but You, what do You say?” They said this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against Him. Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with His finger. And as they continued to ask Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And He bent down again, writing on the ground.

As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before Him. Then Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go away and do not sin again.”

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Monday, 7 April 2025 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. John Baptist de la Salle, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 22 : 1-3a, 3b-4, 5-6

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.

He guides me through the right paths for His Name’s sake. Although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are beside me : Your rod and Your staff comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of my foes. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord as long as I live.

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Monday, 7 April 2025 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. John Baptist de la Salle, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Daniel 13 : 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62

There lived in Babylon a man named Joakim, who was married to a very beautiful God-fearing woman, Susanna, Hilkiah’s daughter, whose pious parents had trained her in the law of Moses. A very rich man and greatly respected by all the Jews, Joakim was frequently visited by the Jews in his house adjoining a garden.

That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges, in whom this word of the Lord became true, “Wickedness has come forth from Babylon, through the elders appointed judges, who were supposed to govern the people.” These men frequented Joakim’s house, and all who had legal disputes used to come to them.

After the people had left at noon, Susanna would go into her husband’s garden for a walk. The two old men began to lust for her as they watched her enter the garden every day. Forgetting the demands of justice and virtue, their lust grew all the more as they made no effort to turn their eyes to heaven.

One day, as they were waiting for an opportune time, Susanna entered the garden as usual with only two maids. She decided to bathe, for it was a hot day. Nobody else was there except the two elders watching her from where they had hidden themselves. She said to the maids, “Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the garden doors while I bathe.”

When the maids had left, the two elders hurried to her and said, “Look, the garden doors are shut and no one sees us. We desire to posses you. If you refuse to give in, we will testify that you sent your maids away for there was a young man here with you.” Susanna moaned, “Whatever I do, I am trapped. If I give in to your desire, it will be death for me; if I refuse, I will not escape your persecution. I would rather be persecuted than sin in the eyes of the Lord.”

Susanna shrieked, but the old men shouted, putting the blame on her. One of them ran and opened the garden doors. Hearing the noise in the garden, the household servants rushed in by the side entrance to see what was happening. They were taken aback when they heard the elders’ accusation, for never had anything like this been said of Susanna.

The next day a meeting was held at Joakim’s house. The two elders arrived, vindictively determined to have Susanna sentenced to death. They ordered before all the people, “Send for Susanna, Hilkiah’s daughter and Joakim’s wife.” They sent for her, and she came with her parents, children and all her relatives. Her family and all who saw her wept.

The two elders stood up and laid their hands upon her head. Completely trusting in the Lord, she raised her tearful eyes to heaven. The elders started making their accusation, “We were taking a walk in the garden when this woman came in with two maids. She ordered them to shut the garden doors and dismissed them. Then a young man came out of hiding and lay with her. We were in a corner in the garden, and we saw this crime from there.”

“We ran to them, and caught them in the act of embracing. We were unable to take hold of the man. He was too strong for us. He made a dash for the door, opened it and ran off. But we were able to seize this woman. We asked her who the young man was, but she refused to tell us. This is our statement, and we testify to its truth.”

The assembly took their word, since they were elders and judges of the people. Susanna was condemned to death. She cried aloud, “Eternal God, nothing is hidden from You; You know all things before they come to be. You know that these men have testified falsely against me. Would You let me die, though I am not guilty of all their malicious charges?”

The Lord heard her, and as she was being led to her execution, God aroused the Holy Spirit residing in a young lad named Daniel. He shouted, “I will have no part in the death of this woman!” Those present turned to him, “What did you say?” they all asked.

Standing in their midst, he said to them, “Have you become fools, you Israelites, to condemn a daughter of Israel without due process and in the absence of clear evidence? Return to court, for those men have falsely testified against her.” Hurriedly they returned, and the elders said to Daniel, “Come and sit with us, for you also possess the gifts bestowed by God upon the elders.”

Daniel said to the people, “Separate these two men from one another and I will examine each of them.” When the two elders were separated from each other, Daniel called one of them and said, “How wicked you have grown with age. Your sins of earlier days have piled up against you, and now is the time of reckoning.”

“Remember how you have passed unjust sentences, condemning the innocent and freeing the guilty, although the Lord has said, ‘The innocent and the just should not be put to death.’ Now, if you really witnessed the crime, under what tree did you see them do it?”

The elder answered, “Under a mastic tree.” Daniel said, “Your lie will cost you your head. You will be cut in two, as soon as the Lord’s Angel receives your sentence from God.” Putting the first one aside, Daniel called the other elder and said to him, “You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, you have long allowed yourself to be perverted by lust.”

“This is how you have dealt with the daughters of Israel, who out of fear have yielded to you. But here is a daughter of Judah who would not tolerate your wickedness. Tell me then, under what tree did you catch them committing the crime?”

The answer came, “Under an oak.” “Your lie has also cost you your head,” Daniel said. “God’s Angel waits to cut you both in two.” The whole assembly shouted and blessed God for helping those who hope in Him. They turned against the two elders who, through Daniel’s efforts, had been convicted by their own mouths. In accordance with Moses’ law, the penalty the two elders had intended to impose upon their neighbour was inflicted upon them. They were sentenced to death. Thus was the life of an innocent woman spared that day.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Daniel 13 : 41c-62

Susanna was condemned to death. She cried aloud, “Eternal God, nothing is hidden from You; You know all things before they come to be. You know that these men have testified falsely against me. Would You let me die, though I am not guilty of all their malicious charges?”

The Lord heard her, and as she was being led to her execution, God aroused the Holy Spirit residing in a young lad named Daniel. He shouted, “I will have no part in the death of this woman!” Those present turned to him, “What did you say?” they all asked.

Standing in their midst, he said to them, “Have you become fools, you Israelites, to condemn a daughter of Israel without due process and in the absence of clear evidence? Return to court, for those men have falsely testified against her.” Hurriedly they returned, and the elders said to Daniel, “Come and sit with us, for you also possess the gifts bestowed by God upon the elders.”

Daniel said to the people, “Separate these two men from one another and I will examine each of them.” When the two elders were separated from each other, Daniel called one of them and said, “How wicked you have grown with age. Your sins of earlier days have piled up against you, and now is the time of reckoning.”

“Remember how you have passed unjust sentences, condemning the innocent and freeing the guilty, although the Lord has said, ‘The innocent and the just should not be put to death.’ Now, if you really witnessed the crime, under what tree did you see them do it?”

The elder answered, “Under a mastic tree.” Daniel said, “Your lie will cost you your head. You will be cut in two, as soon as the Lord’s Angel receives your sentence from God.” Putting the first one aside, Daniel called the other elder and said to him, “You offspring of Canaan and not of Judah, you have long allowed yourself to be perverted by lust.”

“This is how you have dealt with the daughters of Israel, who out of fear have yielded to you. But here is a daughter of Judah who would not tolerate your wickedness. Tell me then, under what tree did you catch them committing the crime?”

The answer came, “Under an oak.” “Your lie has also cost you your head,” Daniel said. “God’s Angel waits to cut you both in two.” The whole assembly shouted and blessed God for helping those who hope in Him. They turned against the two elders who, through Daniel’s efforts, had been convicted by their own mouths. In accordance with Moses’ law, the penalty the two elders had intended to impose upon their neighbour was inflicted upon them. They were sentenced to death. Thus was the life of an innocent woman spared that day.

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Sunday, 6 April 2025 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we mark the occasion of the Fifth Sunday of Lent, and this reminds us how close we are to the beginning of the Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum, with the former beginning a week from now with Palm Sunday. Therefore, as we enter into this moment of contemplation and reflection, and remembering what we have just heard from our Scripture readings earlier on, the Word of God, we are all called to keep in mind how we ought to prepare ourselves well so that we may truly embody our faith and belief in our every moments in life, that we may truly bear the rich fruits of this Lenten observance and practice that hopefully we have carried out well and faithfully throughout this blessed time and season of Lent provided to us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the Lord said to His people, reminding them all of the great deeds which He had done before them and their ancestors, mentioning how He had opened the path for the Israelites through the sea, and crushing the forces of armies, chariots and horses sent to chase after them. We heard how the Lord reminded His people of everything that He had done in guiding them to the land that He has promised to them from the time of their forefathers, opening the path before them and clearing their enemies and those who sought their downfall and destruction, leading the armies of His people to triumph and victory. All those things God had done for the people that He truly cherished and loved, but unfortunately they and their descendants forgot about them and ignored the Lord.

That was why He sent them these reminders and made them known His intentions and thoughts just as He had done through His prophets, like that of Isaiah. God wanted all of His people to know that He is always with them and that He will not abandon us, unlike just how unfaithful and weak our faith and obedience to Him have been. He wants all of us to know that we are all precious to Him, and none of us are to be separated from Him. God will do whatever it takes to help us to find reconciliation, healing and forgiveness through His most generous and rich mercy, calling on all of us to embrace His love and to put our trust once again in Him. If we know we are truly beloved by God, would it not indeed make us happy and hopeful knowing that we have God by our side, journeying with us together and supporting us in each and every moments of our lives?

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Ephesus, we are being reminded of the great love which God has given to us, and the grace that He has bestowed upon us, His beloved children and people, by the Covenant which He has established and made firm through His own only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One sent into our midst to reveal to us the manifestation of God’s most generous love and mercy, which He has freely given to all of us so that we may receive life through Him. And as St. Paul highlighted in that passage today, through Christ we have received the promise of the Resurrection, the ultimate triumph against sin and death, which we all shall share just as we have shared in His sufferings and death on the Cross.

By His death and resurrection, Christ our Lord has overcome sin and the world, and broke free the chains that prevented us from coming back to the Lord, our most loving Father and Creator. Our disobedience and refusal to obey the Lord’s truth and Law prevented us all from being reunited with our God and Father, and it was by Christ’s most selfless and loving sacrifice on the Altar of His Cross that He has offered on our behalf the perfect and most worthy offering on behalf of each and every one of us, so that He may redeem all of us, bringing about healing and atonement for each and every one of our innumerable sins, which had corrupted and ruled over us, dominating us, but now by the power of God, we have been made free and worthy once again to receive the fullness of His love and grace.

Then, last of all, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus encountered a group of Pharisees and teachers of the Law who sought to trap Him with the case of a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. According to the Jewish laws and customs, especially the extra strict and rigid rule enforced and followed by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, such an act of adultery would have led to punishment by stoning to death. That was why the Pharisees asked and pressured the Lord to respond to the case of the adulterous woman with the wicked intention of hoping that they could find something wrong in what He was to say and therefore they could accuse Him or advance their own cause. 

For example, if the Lord had said that the adulterous woman should be forgiven and shown mercy, as His enemies would have expected Him to do, given His penchant for outreach to sinners like prostitutes and tax collectors, then the Pharisees could accuse the Lord of colluding and siding with sinners, disobeying and refusing to obey the commandments of the Law of God. On the other hand, if the Lord said that the adulterous woman ought to be stoned for the sin that she had committed, then it was exactly what the Pharisees themselves would have done, and thus they could add on or gain to their own popularity and cause by claiming that what the Lord Jesus taught was affirming the teachings and the ways of the Pharisees.

But the Lord calmly evaded the argument as we all have heard, while those Pharisees continued to pressure Him to take action on the adulterous woman. It was there and then that the Lord in His Divine Wisdom told those people that if any one among them had no sin in them, then that person could cast the first stone to be thrown at the woman. And we heard how one by one, all those people left, beginning from the oldest, who likely had committed the most sins and disobedience to God, to the youngest ones among them. The truth is that, there was indeed one person there at that place who was without sin, and that was none other than the Lord Jesus Himself. And although He could indeed have cast the first stone, Jesus showed us all the meaning and importance of God’s generous mercy and forgiveness.

He showed this to us all by forgiving that woman from her sins, pardoning her from the faults that she had made. Not only that, but as we heard, the Lord also told the woman that she should sin no more and live her life in the manner that is worthy of God from then on. And it is here exactly where we are reminded of what God has always desired to do with us, to forgive us all our sins and to bring us back to His loving embrace, while at the same time reminding us that we should no longer disobey Him, or to remain in the state of sin. Instead, all of us are called to embrace wholeheartedly the mercy which God has for us, and to change our way of life so that we are no longer corrupted and defiled by sin and its allures, showing that we truly commit ourselves to God and to His path of righteousness and virtue.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, we are all expected to live our lives in the manner that God has shown and taught us to do, to be truly inspirational and exemplary in each and every things we do in life, in our every words, actions and deeds so that our every moments in life truly embody our belief and faith in God. God has called on all of us to be a truly holy and righteous people, those whom He had called and chosen to be His own. Therefore, we should indeed heed His call and do our part so that we may truly be worthy to be called the children and holy people of God. May our Lenten observances and practices help us all to draw ever closer to God, walking ever more courageously in the path that He has shown and led us through.

May God be with us all, and may He continue to bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, in our desire to be reunited and reconciled with Him, so that one day all of us may enjoy forever the fullness of God’s glory and love. Amen.

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Sunday, 6 April 2025 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 8 : 1-11

At that time, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak, Jesus appeared in the Temple again. All the people came to Him, and He sat down and began to teach them.

Then the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees brought in a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They made her stand in front of everyone. “Master,” they said, “this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now the Law of Moses orders that such women be stoned to death; but You, what do You say?” They said this to test Jesus, in order to have some charge against Him.

Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with His finger. And as they continued to ask Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who has no sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And He bent down, again, writing on the ground. As a result of these words, they went away, one by one, starting with the elders, and Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing before Him.

Then Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She replied, “No one.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go away and do not sin again.”

Alternative reading (Reading from Year A)

John 11 : 1-45

At that time, there was a sick man named Lazarus who was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This is the same Mary, who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was sick.

So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.” On hearing this, Jesus said, “This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God’s glory, and the Son of God will be glorified through it.”

It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after He heard of the illness of Lazarus, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Only then did He say to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” They replied, “Master, recently the Jews wanted to stone You. Are You going there again?”

Jesus said to them, “Are not twelve working hours needed to complete a day? Those who walk in the daytime shall not stumble, for they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, for there is no light in them.” After that Jesus said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going to wake him.”

The disciples replied, “Lord, a sick person who sleeps will recover.” But Jesus had referred to Lazarus’ death, while they thought that He had meant the repose of sleep. So Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead; and for your sake I am glad I was not there, for now you may believe. But let us go there, where he is.” Then Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. As Bethany is near Jerusalem, about two miles away, many Jews had come to Martha and Mary, after the death of their brother, to comfort them. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world.”

After that Martha went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, “The Master is here and is calling for you.” As soon as Mary heard this, she rose and went to Him. Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met Him. The Jews, who were with her in the house consoling her, also came. When they saw her get up and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep.

As for Mary, when she came to the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping, who had come with her, He was moved in the depths of His Spirit and troubled. Then He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They answered, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

The Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “If He could open the eyes of the blind man, could He not have kept this man from dying?” Jesus was deeply moved again, and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha said to Him, “Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.” Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone.

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You for You have heard Me. I knew that You hear Me always; but My prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did.

Alternative reading (shorter version of reading from Year A)

John 11 : 3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

So the sisters sent this message to Jesus, “Lord, the one You love is sick.” On hearing this, Jesus said, “This illness will not end in death; rather it is for God’s glory, and the Son of God will be glorified through it.”

It is a fact that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; yet, after He heard of the illness of Lazarus, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Only then did He say to His disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.”

When Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. And she said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world.”

Jesus was moved in the depths of His Spirit and troubled. Then He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They answered, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.

The Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “If He could open the eyes of the blind man, could He not have kept this man from dying?” Jesus was deeply moved again, and drew near to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across it. Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha said to Him, “Lord, by now he will smell, for this is the fourth day.” Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So they removed the stone.

Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You for You have heard Me. I knew that You hear Me always; but My prayer was for the sake of these people, that they may believe that You sent Me.” When Jesus had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Untie him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did.

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Sunday, 6 April 2025 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Philippians 3 : 8-14

Still more, everything seems to me, as nothing, compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. For His sake, I have let everything fall away, and I now consider all as garbage, if, instead, I may gain Christ. May I be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own, that comes from the Law, but with the righteousness that God gives, to those who believe.

May I know Him, and experience the power of His resurrection, and share in His sufferings, and become like Him, in His death, and attain, through this, God willing, the resurrection from the dead! I do not believe I have already reached the goal, nor do I consider myself perfect, but I press on till I conquer Christ Jesus, as I have already been conquered by Him.

No, brothers and sisters, I do not claim to have claimed the prize yet. I say only this : forgetting what is behind me, I race forward, and run toward the goal, my eyes on the prize, to which God has called us from above, in Christ Jesus.

Alternative reading (Reading from Year A)

Romans 8 : 8-11

So, those walking according to the flesh cannot please God. Yet your existence is not in the flesh, but in the spirit, because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to Him.

But Christ is within you; though the body is branded by death as a consequence of sin, the spirit is life and holiness. And if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is within you, He Who raised Jesus Christ from among the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. Yes, He will do it through His Spirit Who dwells within you.

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Sunday, 6 April 2025 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 125 : 1-2ab, 2cd-3, 4-5, 6

When YHVH brought the exiles back to Zion, we were like those moving in a dream. Then, our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with songs of joy.

Among the nations it was said, “YHVH has done great things for them.” YHVH had done great things for us, and we were glad indeed.

Bring back our exiles, o YHVH, like fresh streams in the desert. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs and shouts of joy.

They went forth weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing, they will come home with joyful shouts, bringing their harvested sheaves.

Alternative Psalm (Psalm from Year A)

Psalm 129 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-7a, 7bc-8

Out of the depths I cry to You, o Lord, o Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears pay attention to the voice of my supplication.

If You should mark our evil, o Lord, who could stand? But with You is forgiveness.

For that You are revered. I waited for the Lord, my soul waits, and I put my hope in His word. My soul expects the Lord more than watchmen the dawn.

O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with Him is unfailing love and with Him full deliverance. He will deliver Israel from all its sins.

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Sunday, 6 April 2025 : Fifth Sunday of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 43 : 16-21

Thus says YHVH, Who opened a way through the sea and a path in the mighty waters, Who brought down chariots and horses, a whole army of them, and there they lay, never to rise again, snuffed out like a wick. But do not dwell on the past, or remember the things of old. Look, I am doing a new thing : now it springs forth. Do you not see?

I am opening up a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The beasts of the land will honour Me, jackals and ostriches, because I give water in the wilderness and rivers in the desert that My chosen people may drink. I have formed this people for Myself; they will proclaim My praise.

Alternative reading (Reading from Year A)

Ezekiel 37 : 12-14

YHVH said to Ezekiel, “So prophesy! Say to them : This is what YHVH says : I am going to open your tombs, My people, and lead you back to the land of Israel. You will know that I am YHVH, o My people! When I open your graves and bring you out of your graves.”

“When I put My Spirit in you and you live. I shall settle you in your land and you will know that I, YHVH, have done what I said I would do.”

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Saturday, 5 April 2025 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Vincent Ferrer, Priest (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 continue to pass through this penitential season of Lent, we are being reminded through what we heard from the Word of God of the challenges and trials that the Lord Himself had been facing in His ministry, and the similar sufferings and challenges which His servants and messengers, the prophets and the Lord’s disciples had also endured in the midst of their works and efforts. And all of these things happened because of the temptations of worldly desires and pleasures which had afflicted many people and made them to disobey the Lord and entertain instead their greed, pride, ambition and other worldly pursuits that brought them to clash against God and His ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the prophet spoke about the plotting and all the sufferings which the people of God, those who resisted God’s words and truth, had done towards His prophets, including to that of Jeremiah himself. For the context, Jeremiah was sent to the kingdom and people of Judah at the last years of its existence as an entity, and just before Judah and Jerusalem were crushed, conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians and their armies. Jeremiah tried to remind the people of the sins that they had committed, which had greatly angered God, and of the consequences which they would have to face amidst the sins that they had committed. But the people of Judah continued to resist his efforts and even plotted against him, almost killing him on occasions, but God saved him from death and safeguarded him.

That was mentioned in the same passage where Jeremiah mentioned how God would indeed remember His servants, and how He would protect them and provide for them, so that even though they would have to suffer and endure challenges and trials, but ultimately, God will avenge all those misdeeds from those who have wronged His servants and messengers. He would not abandon them in their time of need, and this is a reminder therefore also for those who have kept their faith in God, for all of us that if we trust in the Lord and believe in Him wholeheartedly, we will then receive the assurance of God’s providence and guidance, and in the end, we will share together in the Lord’s triumph and glory. Not even the forces of evil and darkness can overcome us all if we remain truly faithful in God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the members of the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council, consisting of many of the Pharisees, the Sadducees and other influential leaders of the Jewish community, deliberated and debated with one another, disagreeing on the nature and identity of the One known as Jesus, Whom some of them considered as the Prophet of God or the Messiah, but many others rejected and refused to believe in, accusing Him of wrongdoing and even blasphemy against God in whatever He had taught and done before the people of God. Many of those who opposed the Lord were truly ‘blinded’ by their jealousy against Him, because He grew increasingly popular, and they probably even feared Him and His growing influence, fearing that it would affect their own popularity and privileged status in the community.

That was why we heard such bitter and persistent opposition against the Lord despite all the Wisdom that He has shown in His teachings and words, and despite all the wonders and miracles that He has performed, which certainly and clearly indicated that He is truly the Messiah, the Holy One of God, the One sent into this world in order to redeem and save it, to save all of us mankind from certain damnation and destruction. The same hardships and challenges that the prophets in the past like Jeremiah had faced, which we heard in our first reading passage today, was also faced by the Lord. And this pointed out to us the ugly nature of our human and worldly desires, our ambitions and greed, all the things which can prevent us from truly finding our way to God and His salvation, and which this Lenten season is meant to help us to overcome these obstacles.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent Ferrer, a renowned and holy priest who was born in the region of Valencia in what is now the eastern part of Spain. St. Vincent Ferrer joined the Dominican Order or the Order of Preachers from a rather young age of eighteen, and he committed himself to become a Dominican priest despite his parents pleading with him to take the path of secular priesthood instead due to the latter having more worldly privileges and renown than being a religious priest. But St. Vincent Ferrer remained firm in his vocation and conviction to serve the Lord as a Dominican, and eventually he was ordained as a priest. He was involved in the conflicts surrounding the contemporary Western Schism in which rival claimants to the Papacy caused bitter divisions among the faithful people of God along political lines. He was a good preacher and missionary, converting many of those who have fallen to the wrong paths into the true path of Christ.

St. Vincent Ferrer was also known for his role in mediating political issues and conflicts, in helping to resolve the conflicts between the rival kingdoms at the time, ending wars and bringing about peace to the region. He also continued to do many other good works for the glory of God and for the benefit of the faithful and holy people of God. Through his commitment and dedications, his efforts and tireless works, his personal piety and faith in God, he has inspired many others to follow the Lord and to believe in Him. And therefore, we ourselves have also been called to be good role models and inspirations to our brethren around us, to everyone whom we encounter in our daily lives, so that by our examples and actions, we may help lead more and more people ever closer to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have all heard from the story and life of St. Vincent Ferrer and through what we have just discussed from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all called to embrace God’s love and mercy, and to be truly virtuous and just in our actions, in our whole way of life. Each and every one of us should not allow the temptations of the world, the temptations of worldly pleasures and ambitions to keep us away from God or to put obstacle in the path of our fellow brethren as we all journey together towards God as one faithful flock of His beloved people. Let us instead be the shining beacons of His truth and love, and be the bearers of His Good News and salvation to the nations, through our every actions, words and deeds, all anchored in our firm faith in Him, now and always. Amen.