Marian celebrations

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Saturday, 12 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, in which we honour Mary and her most holy name, which like that of her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is feared by the devil, our great enemy, who has always despised her for having taken so many away from his clutches, because of all of her efforts in reaching out to us, all these time, in trying to bring us back once again towards the Lord, our Saviour, her Son. Mary has always cared for all of us, whom her Son had entrusted to us to be her own, and hence, we have her as our own beloved mother. Through her many efforts and outreach towards us, Mary had brought so many among us and our predecessors out of the darkness of sin and evil, and back into the path towards the salvation and eternal life in her Son.

In our first reading today, we heard several possible readings for today, the Epistles written by St. Paul the Apostle, either from the Scriptures or the day or the readings for this Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, and in them we heard reminders for all of us that ultimately, it was by the coming of the salvation of God through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Our Lord, that we have been saved and guaranteed the assurance of heavenly glory, if we continue to be faithful to Him, and if we kept on obeying His Law and commandments, and walk faithfully in His path, then we shall truly be blessed and empowered by Him, to be His disciples and to be the shining beacons and examples of His love and truth in this world.

It is a reminder for all of us today that God is and should be our focus and emphasis in life, and it was through His Son that God has rescued us from our fated destruction and damnation, because His coming into this world opened up for us all the path of liberation and freedom, the light that pierced through the darkness that surrounded all of us. And what about Mary and the role that she plays in all of this? Mary is the one through whom we have the surest and most direct path towards the salvation in her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and that is why, we have the famous phrase, ‘Ad Jesum per Mariam’ or ‘To Jesus through Mary’, which highlights to us the very important role that Mary has in helping all of us, her beloved adopted children, in our path towards redemption.

We must all understand clearly that Mary did not save us all by herself, or that her Most Holy Name is holy and sacred by her own right and volition. Instead, Mary is indeed Holy, her Name truly Holy and wonderful, and feared by the devil and all of his wicked forces, because of her faith in God, her righteous and most exemplary actions and life, and her connection and love that she has for her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, as the Mother of God, and also for all of us, her beloved children, through which not only that the devil is constantly reminded of the final defeat that he will face in the end, but also how often he had been thwarted in his efforts to condemn souls into hell, and to corrupt the children of mankind because of the great efforts of Mary, the Mother of God, and our mother.

And since Mary is the Mother of God, and the mother of a King is truly honoured in the kingdom in the past, Mary is truly a mighty Queen by association with her Son, Our Lord and King, and we ought to honour her and to treat her and her Name with utmost deference and respect. That is why, just like the Most Holy Name of her Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, we must also honour the Most Holy Name of Mary, as a name that is truly powerful and effective against the attacks and depredations by the forces of evil, invoking our loving Mother’s protection and intercession on our behalf, that God will be moved to protect us from the attacks and the oppressions by the forces of evil being present all around each and every one of us.

But even more so than her connection to her Son, as the Mother of God and of our Lord and Saviour, we honour Mary because of her virtues and righteousness. It was her total obedience to God that allowed her to play such an important part in the history of our salvation. Her ‘yes’ to the Archangel Gabriel and her commitment to the missions entrusted to her showed unto us the perfect role model and inspiration for all of us to follow in how we ourselves should be living our lives, that is with faith and commitment to God. Mary’s faith and commitment should be the strong inspiration that encourage us all to be following God wholeheartedly in the same way as well, and this is yet another reason why the devil fears her so much, because there is nothing in her that he can find any blame with. Sin has no power over her, and hence neither did the devil ever have any dominion over her.

And through her works, even now from her heavenly throne, beside that of her Son, Mary continues to help bring many more of us to the salvation and eternal life assured to us by her Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Mary has never ceased to intercede for all of us sinners, having always shown her love and care for us, just as her numerous apparitions and miraculous presence have shown us, how she truly wants all of us to come ever closer to the throne of her Son’s mercy, to be forgiven our many sins and wickedness, so that we may once again be worthy of God, and be no longer distant or separated away from Him, entering into renewed relationship with Him, one that is founded upon the strong and enduring love that we ought to have in Him, and that our faith in Him will always be strong.

Today, let us all ask our blessed and loving Mother Mary, whose Most Holy Name we honour and glorify, to pray for us always, to intercede for us sinners, that we may be forgiven our many sins, and be reconciled with her Son, Our most loving Saviour, our God and Creator. May Mary, Holy Queen and Mother, continue to guide and help us all in our journey of faith and life, that we may always come ever closer to the glory and joy of Heaven, and distance ourselves from the wickedness and evils of sin. May God be with us too, and may He empower us all to follow Him ever more faithfully, at all times. Amen.

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Saturday, 12 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 6 : 43-49

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “No healthy tree bears bad fruit, no poor tree bears good fruit. And each tree is known by the fruit it bears : you do not gather figs from thorns, or grapes from brambles. Similarly, the good person draws good things from the good stored in his heart, and an evil person draws evil things from the evil stored in his heart. For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart.”

“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what the one is like, who comes to Me, and listens to My words, and acts accordingly. That person is like the builder who dug deep, and laid the foundations of his house on rock. The river overflowed, and the stream dashed against the house, but could not carry it off because the house had been well built.”

“But the one who listens and does not act, is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. The flood burst against it, and the house fell at once : and what a terrible disaster that was!”

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 1 : 39-47

Mary then set out for a town in the hill country of Judah. She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb.

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, giving a loud cry, said, “You are most blessed among women; and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! How is it, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? The moment your greeting sounded in my ears, the baby within me suddenly leapt for joy. Blessed are you, who believed that the Lord’s word would come true!”

And Mary said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!”

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Saturday, 12 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 115 : 12-13, 17-18

How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the Lord.

I will offer You a thanksgiving sacrifice; I will call on the Name of YHVH. I will carry out my vows to YHVH in the presence of His people.

Alternative Psalm (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Saturday, 12 September 2026 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

1 Corinthians 10 : 14-22

Therefore, dear friends, shun the cult of idols. I address you as intelligent persons; judge what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a communion with the Blood of Christ? And the bread that we break, is it not a communion with the Body of Christ?

The bread is one, and so we, though many, form one body, sharing the one bread. Consider the Israelites. For them, to eat of the victim is to come into communion with its altar. What does all that mean? That the meat is really consecrated to the idol, or that the idol is a being.

However, when the pagans offer a sacrifice, the sacrifice goes to the demons, not to God. I do not want you to come into fellowship with demons. You cannot drink, at the same time, from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons. You cannot share in the table of the Lord and in the table of the demons. Do we want, perhaps, to provoke the jealousy of the Lord? Could we be stronger than He?

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Galatians 4 : 4-7

But when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son. He came born of woman and subject to the Law, in order to redeem the subjects of the Law, that we might receive adoption as children of God.

And because you are children, God has sent into your hearts the Spirit of His Son which cries out : Abba! That is, Father! You yourself are no longer a slave but a son or daughter, and yours is the inheritance by God’s grace.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Most Holy Name of Mary)

Ephesians 1 : 3-6

Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus our Lord, Who, in Christ, has blessed us from heaven, with every spiritual blessing. God chose us, in Christ, before the creation of the world, to be holy, and without sin in His presence.

From eternity He destined us, in love, to be His adopted sons and daughters, through Christ Jesus, thus fulfilling His free and generous will. This goal suited Him : that His loving-kindness, which He granted us His beloved might finally receive all glory and praise.

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates together the occasion of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating the moment when Mary, the Mother of God, was born. This Feast is celebrated exactly nine months after Mary’s Immaculate Conception on the eighth day of December, just like how the celebration of Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord, is celebrated nine months after the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, when the Lord was conceived in the holy womb of Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate Mary’s birth and rejoice in her because through her, her exemplary life and obedience to God, her commitment to her mission and the desire she had in serving the Lord and in loving her Son, we have received the assurance of God’s salvation through her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Mary has been specially prepared by God’s grace and power, to be spared and made immaculate, free from the taint and corruption of original sin, as highlighted in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Hence, when she was conceived, unlike others among mankind, Mary was pure and immaculate, and after nine months, was born of her mother, St. Anne. Both St. Anne and St. Joachim, Mary’s parents, according to Apostolic and Church traditions, were faithful to God and upright, and they were living near the Temple of God, and that was when, according to the Law of Moses, Mary was presented as their firstborn, at the Temple, dedicated and consecrated to God, which gave an indication of the great and very important role that she was to do in the history of the salvation of mankind as the one to be the New Ark of the New Covenant of God.

Mary grew up faithfully and was brought up well by her parents, and remained full of God’s grace, throughout her whole life. She obeyed the Law and the commandments of God, and lived a truly holy and exemplary life, and the Lord sent His salvation to this world through her, just as we have heard in our first reading today of the assurance which God has spoken to His people through the prophet Micah. God reassured the people that His salvation would come through a Woman, that was to be Mary, who would give birth and bring unto this world its salvation, with the coming of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, through her. Mary became the New Ark of the New Covenant of God, the Ark crafted in perfection and grace by God Himself so that she would be truly worthy to bear the Divine Word of God, Incarnate in the flesh within her.

It was also through Mary, as well as Joseph, her husband, that the Lord Jesus, Son of God and Saviour of the world, was born into the House of David and to the race of Israel, as according to tradition, Mary herself, just like Joseph, belonged to the tribe of Judah and was also descended from King David of Israel. In today’s Gospel passage, we heard of the lineage and genealogy of the Lord being presented to us, highlighting His descent from Abraham all the way to David and from David to Himself, through the lineage of kings and the rightful heirs of the Kingdom of Israel through His foster and legal father, St. Joseph, making Him the Heir of David, the One promised by God to His people and to David himself, that the rule of his house and the Kingdom his house will remain forever, because it is God Himself Who has come to us in the flesh, to take up the Throne and rule over all of His people.

Thus, today as we celebrate this Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we are all reminded of the important role that Mary has in the story of salvation. Not only that through her, the Lord has manifested Himself in the flesh, and dwelling amongst us, but it was also her faith and total commitment to God that allowed all of that to happen. When the Archangel Gabriel came to her at the moment of the Annunciation, to proclaim to her and through that, to all of us, the Good News of God and the long awaited coming of the Messiah, it was Mary’s total obedience to God, her full trust in Him and His power, His plans and all which allowed the Lord’s plans and works to become manifest in this world. It was Mary’s resounding ‘Yes’ to God which brought unto us the salvation of God, in the person of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Now, besides Mary having accepted her role in the plan of God’s salvation, it was also her righteousness, virtues and fullness of grace, as mentioned, which made her to be truly worthy of honour and praise, and why we really rejoice together at the occasion today in memory of her Nativity or birth into this world. With her examples and inspirational life, all of us as Christians, as God’s beloved and holy people should also be inspired and encouraged to follow the Lord and obey His commandments as best as possible, so that we may indeed be truly worthy of God and His grace. We honour Mary because she is the Mother of God, our Lord and Saviour, and also because through her, we can indeed find the clearest, best and surest path to God’s salvation and grace. Through Mary, we can find the best and easiest, most direct path to her Son.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we rejoice today in honour of Mary’s Nativity, let us all once again renew our commitment to God through His mother, the Blessed ever Virgin Mary, whose faith and devotion to her Son, her love for Him and also for all of us, have touched and inspired us to be God’s faithful disciples and followers as well. Let us all be reminded that God has entrusted Mary to us, to be our own Mother, and at the same time, also entrusted us all to her, to be her own children, so that she may guide us all to the right path towards her Son, to the salvation and eternal life promised to all those who are faithful to Him. Let us all not be ignorant anymore of our calling in life, to follow the Lord ever more faithfully in our way of life, and to dedicate ourselves to Him much as Mary herself has loved the Lord and dedicated herself wholly to Him.

May the Lord, our most loving God, Creator and Master, continue to help and guide us in our journey throughout life, and may He empower each and every one of us so that all of us may indeed be ever more faithful in everything we say and do. May all of us commit ourselves to God and His cause, with ever greater desire to love Him wholeheartedly as Mary, the Mother of God and our Mother had done. Holy Mary, Mother of God, whose birth we commemorate and rejoice in today, pray for all of us, your beloved children, that we may continue to live our lives worthy of your Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 1 : 1-16, 18-23

This is the account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar), Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron of Aram. Aram was the father of Aminadab, Aminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon.

Salmon was the father of Boaz. His mother was Rahab. Boaz was the father of Obed. His mother was Ruth. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the king. David was the father of Solomon. His mother had been Uriah’s wife. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Then came the kings : Abijah, Asaph, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah.

Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon, Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel and Salathiel of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud, Abiud of Eliakim, and Eliakim of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, and Akim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar of Matthan, and Matthan of Jacob.

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and from her came Jesus Who is called the Christ – the Messiah. This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”

All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 1 : 18-23

This is how Jesus Christ was born : Mary His mother had been given to Joseph in marriage, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, made plans to divorce her in all secrecy. He was an upright man, and in no way did he want to discredit her.

While he was pondering over this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. She has conceived by the Holy Spirit, and now she will bear a Son. You shall call Him ‘Jesus’ for He will save His people from their sins.”

All this happened in order to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet : The Virgin will conceive and bear a Son, and He will be called Emmanuel, which means God-with-us.

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 12 : 6ab, 6cd

But I put my trust in Your unfailing love, my heart will rejoice on seeing Your salvation.

I will sing to YHVH, for He has been good to me!

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Tuesday, 8 September 2026 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Micah 5 : 1-4a

But you, Bethlehem Ephrata, so small that you are hardly named among the clans of Judah; from you shall I raise the One Who is to rule over Israel. For He comes forth from of old, from the ancient times.

YHVH, therefore, will abandon Israel until such time as she, who is to give birth, has given birth. Then the rest of His deported brothers will return to the people of Israel. He will stand, and shepherd His flock with the strength of YHVH, in the glorious Name of YHVH, His God.

They will live safely, while He wins renown to the ends of the earth. He shall be peace.

Alternative reading (Second Reading if this Feast is celebrated as a Solemnity)

Romans 8 : 28-30

We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love Him, whom He has called, according to His plan. Those whom He knew beforehand, He has also predestined, to be like His Son, similar to Him, so, that, He may be the Firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

And so, those whom God predestined, He called, and those whom He called, He makes righteous, and to those whom He makes righteous, He will give His glory.

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Wednesday, 5 August 2026 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the feast of the Dedication of one of the four greatest churches in the whole Christendom, namely one of the four Papal Major Basilicas in Rome. This Basilica that we are celebrating today is the greatest of all the churches and edifices dedicated to the Blessed Mother of God, Mary most Holy. Hence, we celebrate today the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, also known as Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore. In that great Basilica was displayed the very popular Icon of the Blessed Mother of God, known as ‘Salus Populi Romani’, or the Protectress of the Roman People, which is a very old and ancient Byzantine icon dating to the early days of the Church, which became an important and integral part of the devotions in this great Basilica.

The story of how the Basilica of St. Mary Major was founded cannot be separated from the miraculous occasion of Our Lady of Snows, which was a miracle that happened when snow fell in Rome, at the exact site of the Basilica of St. Mary Major at Rome’s Esquiline Hill, during the Pontificate of Pope St. Celestine I, about a hundred years or so after the ending of official persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire by the Edict of Milan. At that time, it was told by Church traditions that an elderly and devout Christian couple prayed to the Lord and through His Mother, to show them how they ought to best give their whole assets and properties for the good of the Church and the faithful, and thereafter, as mentioned, miraculously snow appeared and fell upon the Esquiline Hill in Rome at the height of summer, on this date, the fifth day of the month of August, which was also the date when the Basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Snows, named such after the miracle, was dedicated to God and to His blessed Mother, as gifts from the aforementioned devout couple, who dedicated their wealth for the good of the Church and the faithful.

Ever since, this great Basilica had seen endless streams of the faithful, many pilgrims and others who sought for the help and intercession of the Blessed Mary, Mother of God. Countless Popes have also entrusted themselves, the Roman people and all Christians to the protection of the Blessed Mother of God, whose love for the Lord, her Son, our Saviour, is an inspiration for all of us, and is also the means by which all of us can love the Lord with ever greater commitment and devotion. Pope Francis, our current Pope and Vicar of Christ for example, has always visited this Basilica of St. Mary Major, to the blessed and miraculous Icon of Salus Populi Romani at every occasions before and after his Apostolic Journeys outside of Italy, entrusting to the Lord through Mary, His blessed Mother, the missions and works that would be carried out and accomplished in all those trips and journeys.

On this blessed day, when we mark the anniversary of the dedication of this great Basilica dedicated to the Mother of our Lord and God, we remind ourselves once again that as Christians, all of us should be exemplary in our way of life and in our faith in God, because we are all ourselves the Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, where the Lord Himself dwells, in our hearts and minds, in our whole bodies and in our whole beings. Just as the Basilica of St. Mary Major and other consecrated and dedicated churches and chapels are great Houses, consecrated and dedicated for the divine worship of God and God alone, thus, all of us who are the ‘Living Stones’ and the ‘Living Church’, the public manifestation of the Lord’s kingdom in His visible Church, all of us are the Holy Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, through His own Precious Body and Blood which He has given to us, and which we have partaken in, and also through the Holy Spirit that God has given to us and dwelled within us.

That is why, just as the great Basilica of St. Mary Major and other holy edifices and Houses of God had been set aside, purified and made worthy of the Lord, thus, it is very important that all of us realise just how much more precious it is for us all, as the Living Houses of God’s Holy Presence, to be truly worthy of Him and to consecrate ourselves to the Lord, to dedicate and commit ourselves to His cause and path. Each and every one of us are called to holiness and greatness, set aside and taken from the darkness of this world. The light and love of God, His truth and glory have been given to us, the seeds of faith and love, hope and truth have all been sown in us, awaiting for us to provide them the best and most appropriate conditions such that they may truly bear fruits of faith and love in us, and that our faith in God may be truly genuine and living, not just merely a formality or empty faith.

That is why, as we rejoice together in the memory of the dedication of this great House of God dedicated to His blessed Mother, all of us should remind ourselves to renew our own dedication to God, and to commit ourselves anew to the path that the Lord has shown us. And there is no better way to do this than to look upon the very examples and good model that Mary herself has shown us with her exemplary and most wonderful life. Mary, in her total commitment to the Lord, and in her wholehearted dedication to her Son, to all that she has been entrusted with, we may be inspired to follow her good examples and be strengthened with the same love and devotion to the Lord, in all the things that we say and do, in our every actions and works, in our every deeds and interactions at every moments, in our lives, in every opportunities and time provided to us.

Let us all be the shining and great examples of faith and dedication to all those around us, by our commitment to a life of virtue and faith, righteousness and justice so that in all the things we say, act and do, we will always ever be truly devoted to the Lord. Let us all distance ourselves from the darkness and wickedness of sins and evils all around us, and let us all turn towards the Lord with renewed conviction and desire to love the Lord our God with ever more zeal and faith, and to be the missionary and evangelising disciples that can be the means through which more and more people all around us may come to know of the Lord and His salvation and grace. Let us all be the great inspiration and examples to others, and help one another in the conduct of our faith so that hopefully in all and everything that we say and do, we will always be filled with heartfelt dedication to God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Master, be with us always, and may His blessed Mother Mary, our patroness and protectress, our blessed mother and gentle guide, continue to help us and intercede for us sinners. May the Lord be with us all His Church and faithful ones, and may He bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours, in following Him and in doing His will, at every opportunity and occasions, in all the places we are at, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 5 August 2026 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major)

Matthew 15 : 21-28

At that time, leaving that area, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from the area, came and cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So His disciples approached Him and said, “Send her away! See how she is shouting after us.” Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”

But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus, and said, “Sir, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to puppies.”

The woman replied, “That is true, Sir, but even puppies eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Alternative reading (Mass of Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major)

Luke 11 : 27-28

At that time, as Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to Him, “Blessed is the one who gave You birth and nursed You!”

Jesus replied, “Truly blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it as well.”