Pope Francis

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Monday, 28 September 2026 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr, and St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 9 : 46-50

At that time, one day, the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so He took a little child and stood him by His side. Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My Name, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the One Who sent Me. And listen : the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.”

Then John spoke up, “Master, we saw someone who drives out demons by calling upon Your Name, and we tried to forbid him, because he does not follow You with us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him. He who is not against you is for you.”

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Monday, 28 September 2026 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr, and St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 18 : 1, 2-3, 6-7

Hear a just cause, o YHVH, listen to my complaint. Give heed to my prayer, for there is no deceit on my lips.

Let my defence come forth from You; Your eyes see what is right. You have probed my heart, searched me at night, tested me by fire, and You have seen no wickedness in me.

I call on You, You will answer me, o God; incline Your ear and hear my word. For You do wonders for Your faithful, You save those fleeing from the enemy as they seek refuge at Your right hand.

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Monday, 28 September 2026 : 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Wenceslaus, Martyr, and St. Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Job 1 : 6-22

One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before YHVH, and Satan came with them. YHVH asked Satan, “Where have you been?” Satan answered, “Going up and down the earth, roaming about.”

YHVH asked again, “Have you noticed My servant Job? No one on earth is as blameless and upright as he, a man who fears God and avoids evil.” But Satan returned the question, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not built a protective wall around him and his family and all his possessions? You have blessed and prospered him, with his livestock all over the land. But stretch out Your hand and strike where his riches are, and I bet he will curse You to Your face.”

YHVH said to Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power. But do not lay a finger upon the man himself.” So Satan left the presence of YHVH. One day, while his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their eldest brother, a messenger came to Job and said, “Your oxen were plowing, and your donkeys were grazing nearby when the Sabaeans came and carried them off. They killed the herdsmen. I alone escaped to tell you.”

While he was still speaking, another messenger came, “God’s fire fell from the sky and burnt all your sheep and the shepherds as well. I alone have escaped to tell you.” He had hardly finished speaking when another messenger arrived, “Three raiding teams of Chaldeans have killed your servants and carried off your camels. I alone have escaped to tell you.”

He was still speaking when another messenger came and said to Job, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking in the house of their eldest brother when suddenly a great wind blew across the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they all died. I alone have escaped to tell you.”

In grief Job tore his clothes and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshipped, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked shall I return. YHVH gave, YHVH has taken away. Blessed be His Name!”

In spite of this calamity, Job did not sin by blaspheming God.

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Sunday, 27 September 2026 : Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we heard from the Scriptures very clear sets of readings in which we are reminded of a very important thing that all of us as Christians have to do in our lives, and that is for us to be obedient, to the will of the Lord, our God and Master, in all things and in everything we say and do in our lives. Each and every one of us as Christians should always be truly dedicated and committed to the path which God has shown and revealed to us, in carrying out His Law and commandments at every moments of our lives and to the best of our abilities in doing what is righteous, just and full of Christian virtues as much as possible. We have to be truly dedicated to God in all things, and not just in name or formality only.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard of the words of the Lord delivered to His people, calling upon all of them to repent from their sins and wicked ways, highlighting how everyone will be judged by each and every one of their deeds and actions, their words and all that they have not done, and also by what they have not done in their lives, their every interactions with one another. The righteous ones will be judged for the sins that they have made, and if they are found wanting and lacking, then they will suffer for what shortcomings and mistakes they had made. Meanwhile, on the other hand, even the wicked  will be justified and made worthy for the good and faithful deeds that they have done. This is a reminder for us not to think that we are more deserving of God’s grace or more worthy than others, and then neglect our need to do God’s will.

In our second reading today, taken from the famous part of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Philippians, we heard the Apostle highlighting the obedience of Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, Our Lord and Saviour, in fulfilling what His Heavenly Father had commanded Him to do, entrusting in His hands, the salvation and deliverance of all of the people of God, the whole mankind, through His suffering and death on the Cross. He has done everything that God the Father has told Him to do, perfectly obeying everything even unto death. Unlike the first Adam, the first man and our first ancestor, and his wife, Eve, the first woman, who both disobeyed the Lord and His commands, by choosing to listen to the lies and falsehoods of the devil instead of trusting in God, Christ as the New Adam has obeyed the Lord perfectly, showing us that it is indeed possible for us to be truly faithful, obedient and committed to God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Matthew about the parable of the Lord, as He told His disciples about two sons, who were different in how they responded to their father’s call upon them to do his commands. One of the child told his father that he would do what he had been asked to do, but in the end, did not do the works, while the other child said that he did not want to do what he had been asked to do, and yet, still did the work in the end, nonetheless. we heard how the Lord then asked the disciples on who actually did obey the father in the end, and it was rather unanimous that everyone agreed how the one who actually did the works, despite having refused the father’s commands earlier on, and having verbally said that he did not want to do as he was asked to. Of course, ideally, it is even better that we listen, obey in both words and actions, but as we heard and discussed, we must indeed act on what we have been called to do, and not be idle on it.

From what we have heard in that Gospel passage, we are all reminded that what God wants from us is not just mere words and proclamations only, and not just mere promises that can be empty and meaningless. He wants from us true commitment and actions, which we all should show in our every moments in life. Otherwise, if we do not do and act in the manner that we have professed our faith or beliefs in, then we are just like those hypocrites who say and profess belief in something and yet, act in a different manner from what they had said. This is not something that each one of us should be doing in our lives. The Lord Jesus in particular has often rebuked and criticised the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for the hypocrisy of their faith and actions, and therefore, He also reminded us all, that we must be people of action, of doing God’s will in all things.

We already have the perfect example for this, which is none other than the Lord Jesus Himself, our Lord and Saviour, Whose perfect obedience we have just discussed and reflected upon. The Lord has shown us all His love and kindness, His mercy and compassion, not just with mere words and professions only, or only through promises and more promises. Instead, He has fulfilled them with real action, embodying that love through His Son, Who bore His Cross, filled with the innumerable burden of our sins and wickedness, suffering all the punishments and consequences that should have been ours, so that by His action and genuine love, all of us may be saved and delivered from damnation and certain destruction. He has shown us all the path to eternal life through His Cross, and revealed His love to us through every wounds that He endured for our sake.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have seen just how great God’s love is for us, and we have been so blessed that God has done everything for our sake, by suffering and dying on the Cross for us. He showed His love for us in real action and commitment, to the Covenant of love that He has established and affirmed with all of us. Therefore, each and every one of us should also have the same kind of love in us, love that is genuine and generous, first of all for the Lord, our God, Who has loved us and cared for us all these while, and Who has suffered and died for our sake. And we should also have the same kind of love for our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow men and women, who live all around us, and whom we encounter in our various occasions and opportunities.

That is our calling and mission as Christians, to show God’s love and compassion, His kindness and mercy through our own actions, words and deeds. As Christians, we are all called to be filled with God’s love, to be virtuous and righteous as best as possible. Through our exemplary actions, works and deeds, that is how we can convince more and more people to come to know the Lord and to experience His love. Each and every one of us must remember that we are all part of this same ministry and mission entrusted to us by God, as members and parts of His Church, to be loving and compassionate, kind and generous to each other, and to show the light of Christ, His way and truth to everyone that we encounter in each and every moments of our lives.

Therefore, let us all remind ourselves each day and at every moment, so that we may always strive to do our best to be the good role models and examples for our fellow brothers and sisters, as good and loving Christians, filled with care and concern for our fellow men and women, and always striving to do what God has taught and shown us to do, in every opportunities presented to us. Let us all remind and inspire one another that our every works, actions and deeds may always truly glorify the Lord, our God and Master. May God bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, and help us in our journey and lives, in all things, and be with us always. Amen.

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Sunday, 27 September 2026 : Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 21 : 28-32

At that time, Jesus went on to say, “What do you think of this? A man had two sins. He went to the first and said to him, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’ And the son answered, ‘I do not want to.’ But later he thought better of it and went. Then the father went to his other son and said the same thing to him. This son replied, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go.”

“Which of the two did what the father wanted?” They answered, “The first.” And Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you : the publicans and the prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came, to show you the way of goodness, and you did not believe him; but the publicans and the prostitutes did. You were witnesses of this, but you neither repented nor believed him.”

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Sunday, 27 September 2026 : Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Philippians 2 : 1-11

If I may advise you, in the Name of Christ, and if you can hear it, as the voice of love; if we share the same Spirit, and are capable of mercy and compassion, then I beg of you, make me very happy : have one love, one spirit, one feeling, do nothing through rivalry or vain conceit.

On the contrary, let each of you gently consider the others, as more important than yourselves. Do not seek your own interest, but, rather, that of others. Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ had : Though He was in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking on the nature of a servant, made in human likeness, and in His appearance found as a Man.

He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend in heaven, on earth and among the dead, and all tongues proclaim that Christ Jesus is the Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Philippians 2 : 1-5

If I may advise you, in the Name of Christ, and if you can hear it, as the voice of love; if we share the same Spirit, and are capable of mercy and compassion, then I beg of you, make me very happy : have one love, one spirit, one feeling, do nothing through rivalry or vain conceit.

On the contrary, let each of you gently consider the others, as more important than yourselves. Do not seek your own interest, but, rather, that of others. Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ had.

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Sunday, 27 September 2026 : Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 24 : 4bc-5, 6-7, 8-9

O YHVH, make known to me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and instruct me, for You are my God, my Saviour; I hope in You all day long.

Remember Your compassion, o YHVH, Your unfailing love from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, but in Your love remember me.

Good and upright, YHVH teaches sinners His way. He teaches the humble of heart and guides them in what is right.

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Sunday, 27 September 2026 : Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Ezekiel 18 : 25-28

But you say : YHVH’s way is not just! Why, Israel! Is My position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong? If the righteous man turns from his righteous deeds, and sins, then he dies, because of his sins.

And if the wicked man does what is good and right, after turning from the sins he committed, he will save his life. He will live and not die, because he has opened his eyes; and turned from the sins he had committed.

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Saturday, 26 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture we are reminded yet again of the need for each one of us as Christians to be always mindful and aware of what we all need to do in our lives, in doing the actions that are in accordance with God and His ways, obeying His will and commandments, and keeping in mind that each and every single things that we say and do, all these will be accountable to God on the Day of Judgment. And not only that, but in all the things that we are able to do and in the capacity of doing, but not doing because we neglect our responsibilities, we shall also be made accountable for them as well, for everything that we have failed to do when we are perfectly capable of doing them.

That was the gist of what we heard from the Book of Ecclesiastes or Qoheleth in our first reading today. We heard how the author reminded those who were young that they ought to keep those words in mind, reminding them that each and every one of their actions will be accountable to God. There is nothing that we do which will not be known or unveiled to God. The Lord knows everything in our hearts and minds, and He shall judge us all by everything He knows of us. We have been given the opportunities and the time to do the things that God has shown us, to be His faithful disciples and witnesses in the midst of our communities, in each and every chances and moments provided to us.

And we should not be ignorant of that calling to do something, to participate in the good works and efforts of the Church, in its various outreach and commissions, and not only that but also in our own individual capacities, even to the smallest and simplest things like living our lives worthily and faithfully in accordance to the Law and commandments of God. In a world where there are plenty of temptations for us to disobey God and to embrace the path of worldliness and sin, each one of us have been called to seek the Lord wholeheartedly and to follow Him, while knowing that this path that God has called us to walk in, may not be an easy or smooth one. There may be lots of hardships and challenges, but we must persevere and continue going on, with God by our side, guiding and strengthening us.

As we heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord spoke to His disciples regarding Who He truly was, and what He was about to endure during the moments of His Passion, suffering and death. Back then, no one would have known or expected that the Lord would have suffered such a grievous fate. In fact, many among the followers of the Lord would have expected that He would lead them all into glory and victory against the Romans and other oppressors, and reestablish the kingdom of David, the kingdom of God’s people Israel. The coming of the Messiah was understood as a time of great glory and triumph, where the Lord would gather His people and give them the freedom and victory against their enemies.

But they had misunderstood the Lord’s intentions, and the Lord Himself told them that in truth, He, the Messiah, the Son of Man, just as the prophets themselves had predicted, particularly that of the prophet Isaiah, He would have to suffer grievously for the sake of His beloved ones. He would have to be rejected and oppressed, punished and tortured, scourged, beaten and spat upon for the sake of our salvation and liberation. And yet, knowing all that would happen to Him, and all the sufferings that He would have to endure, the Lord Jesus still obeyed His Father’s will perfectly and carried out everything to perfection, suffering and dying on His Cross at Calvary. Out of His ever enduring and amazing love, He willingly embraced His role in bringing forth our salvation.

Through that act of supreme love and sacrifice, the ultimate selfless expression of love, God has shown us first of all that He loves us in an infinitely wonderful way, and He has always cared for us all these times despite of our frequent disobedience and refusal to believe in Him. And not only that, but through His Son, the same Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the same suffering Son of Man, God showed us the perfect obedience and the perfect role model that His Son has done for us, so that we know that it truly means for us to be Christians. The Apostles and disciples of the Lord themselves followed His examples, remembering His new commandment and mandate at the Last Supper, that they ought to do whatever that their Lord and Master had done.

This is a reminder that each one of us following in the footsteps and examples of the Apostles and the innumerable saints, holy men and women of God, we have to listen to the Lord, obey His will, His Law and commandments, and do what He has called us to do and make good use of the time and opportunities that He has presented to us. We are all given many different and unique talents, opportunities and other things that can allow us to do so many great wonders, and we should realise that each one of us have this part to play as God’s people, to be active and committed in giving ourselves and our lives for the cause of the Lord at all times. This is what we should do instead of being distracted by the many temptations all around us, the temptations of power, wealth, worldly glory and many others.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of two great saints, St. Cosmas and St. Damian, whose faith and devotion to God, and whose actions and contributions to their fellow brothers and sisters, fellow faithful people of God, should inspire all of us to live our own lives faithfully and worthily of the Lord. St. Cosmas and St. Damian were known to be a pair of twin brothers who were both physicians, renowned for their care for the sick and the needy in their community, as they provided care for the physical ailments of the people, and gave the care for free to the poor and those who could not afford to be healed. Miracles were attributed to them, and many came to them seeking for help.

Their faith and dedication to God also became inspiration to many people, as they lived virtuously and with great dedication to God. And as they were arrested and persecuted by the local governor for being Christians, then being the height of the intense persecutions of Christians under the Diocletianic Persecution, they remained firm to their faith in God to the very end, as they gave up their lives in honouring God, in refusing to bend to the demands of the pagan authorities to obey the Emperor’s orders and to abandon their Lord, God and Master. They chose to live worthily and die in faith and obedience, showing every members of the Christian faithful what it truly means to be Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, can we all therefore be inspired by these great examples as well, that each and every one of us should be great role models and inspirations ourselves to our fellow brothers and sisters, in all of our lives, actions and deeds. Let us all be the bearers of the light of God to our fellow brethren, especially all those who have not known God and His love, His truth and Good News. Let us all do our very best to glorify God by our lives and actions, and be with Him, doing our part to serve Him all the days of our lives, as we should have done. Amen.

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Saturday, 26 September 2026 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 9 : 43b-45

At that time, while all were amazed at everything Jesus did, He said to His disciples, “Listen, and remember what I tell you now : The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.” But the disciples did not understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what He meant, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.