priestly homily

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Tuesday, 27 October 2026 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in our Scripture passages today we are all reminded to live worthily of the Lord through our own relationships particularly that of within our own Christian families. Each and every one of us as Christians are called to be the faithful and committed members of our respective Christian families, building up within our own Christian communities good and faithful Christian families and relationships, which are truly the bedrock of Christian communities and the Church, and is essential in ensuring that the Church and the faithful community remain strong amidst the many challenges, temptations and trials they may all face.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, the Apostle spoke of the responsibilities that each and every members of the Church and in their respective obligations as families and as sons and daughters of God to do what has been expected of them in building up a loving and harmonious relationship within their families, in which every members are committed to each other and in which love is the foundation of their relationships. St. Paul elaborated on what each members ought to do, and how all Christians are tasked to follow this example, and to build up their holy and loving Christian families.

Back then, while various cultures had their own definition of families and marriages, which were in fact not very distinct from Christian marriage and family, but in practice, people still quite commonly practiced things like having mistresses and concubinage, especially in the culture of the Roman Empire. There were also quite a lot of immoral behaviour and attitudes, excesses of worldly habits and actions which led to great scandals and which are unworthy of those who have been called as Christians, as God’s own beloved children and people. As Christians, all of them were given higher standards and responsibilities, the path that the Lord Himself has shown and revealed to them, as the path to righteousness that they should follow as part of their lives.

St. Paul therefore reminded the faithful people of God that they are called to be the beacons of God’s light and truth, and that they ought to show good examples in the way they all lived their lives, where they were dedicated to one another in love, and where they were not led and guided by the temptations of their worldly desires, greed, pride and ambition. St. Paul told all of the people that they ought to show love and care for each other, in caring for the needs of their family, where husbands, wives, parents, children and relatives are all united in the bond of Christian love and virtues. Each and every one of us have our own roles to play in showing our Christian love genuinely to the best of our abilities, at every moments in our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples and followers regarding the kingdom of God using a parable. Through the parable of the mustard seed and flour, the Lord wanted to highlight to them about the coming of His kingdom, and how each and every one of those who believe in Him, the members of the Body of Christ, the Church, are truly building and establishing this kingdom of God in this world. Yes, that is right, brothers and sisters in Christ, the kingdom of God is indeed already in our midst, and we witness its presence through our Church, the community of the faithful and also through our respective Christian families.

And we are all reminded through the parables mentioned of the importance of providing the necessary conditions for the nurturing of this kingdom of God in our midst, just as the Lord made use of the examples of the germinating and growing mustard seed, as well as the leavening of bread dough with the use of yeast. All of those are examples that were well known and understood by the people, as agriculture and bread-making are things that are crucial to the livelihood of most if not all of the people. Through this example, the Lord wanted His people, that is all of us included, to realise that we have to nurture our faith through providing the optimum condition needed for the growth of our faith, and this is important especially for our younger generation.

That is why the family is truly the domestic Church, the smallest and yet very important subunits of the Church. If our families are not founded upon the firm foundation of our Christian faith and the truth of God, and if the love of God is not present within our families, then easily our Christian families, our Christian communities and all the people in them will be swayed and tempted away from the path of the Lord’s righteousness and virtue, and we will be easily divided and led away from the unity that we should have within our families and communities. Unless we make the conscious efforts to live our lives according to the Christian truth and love, we have not been doing what we are called to do as Christians.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore commit ourselves to a renewed effort to be exemplary Christians in all things, in upholding our Christian values and virtues at all times, in all opportunities and possibilities. Let us all show by our faithful commitment to God, what it truly means for us to be Christians, and how we can help lead and inspire one another to be ever closer to God. May God bless us always and our every endeavours, and may He bless and strengthen our families, that we may always be committed to God and to one another, and be filled with love, the love of God, always and evermore. Amen.

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Monday, 26 October 2026 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the words of the Lord telling all of us to remain faithful and true to Him. We must not allow the wickedness and evils of this world from coming into our midst and corrupt us. If we let those things to mislead and distract us from the path that the Lord has shown us, then many of us will unfortunately likely end up falling down the slippery slope towards damnation. We must remember that as Christians, each and every one of us are called to be righteous, good and full of Christian virtues, that in all the things we say and do, we always bring greater glory to God. All of us are also reminded that God is always ever kind and forgiving towards us, and we should always seek His mercy, kindness and love.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus regarding the Apostle’s reminder to the people of God there on how them being the people and children of God, they were all called to a greater new life, full of genuine faith and actions as Christians, and how they should not follow their past ways and wicked path anymore. They were called to a greater new existence, one that was no longer based on the ways of their predecessors and ancestors. Instead, they were all called to follow in the path that God has set before them, and which He Himself had shown to them through His Apostles and His Church. As Christians, all of us are called and reminded to look upon these examples to guide us in how we ourselves ought to live our lives.

St. Paul reminded the people of God in Ephesus how the Lord has called on all of them to be holy just as He is holy, and He called on all of them to be virtuous and good in their path, and not to bring scandal to the Lord’s Holy Name and to His Church. As Christians, they were all expected to make a stand against the wickedness of the world, to abandon the temptations of the world and to side with the Lord wholeheartedly. The Lord told them and also to all of us, that we cannot be servants of both God and Money, and that is, we cannot be servant of both the Lord and of the world. If we allow ourselves to indulge in the temptations of worldly glory and power, sooner or later we may end up falling deeper and deeper into the path of sin.

Instead, we are all reminded of what He Himself had done, all the teachings He has given us and all the truth that He has revealed to us, so that through all of those, we may know how we can proceed ahead as Christians in our way of life, in our actions and deeds, in whatever path we follow. That is what we ought to reflect as we recall the message of the Word of God contained within the Sacred Scriptures we have heard today. We heard from the Gospel passage today regarding the confrontation between the Lord and the leader of the synagogue simply because the Lord healed a crippled woman on a Sabbath day. For the context, the Sabbath day refers to the day prescribed by the Law of God since the days of Moses as the day dedicated to rest and meant to focus the people’s attention on God instead on their worldly affairs.

The Lord had wanted to heal the woman who had been crippled and kept bent and enslaved by the evil spirits for a long period of eighteen years, and He highlighted to His opponents and naysayers, just how ridiculous it was that the woman would have to wait any moment longer just because it was the day of the Sabbath, which according to the Jewish laws and customs back then, was a day when no work was allowed at any circumstances. Meanwhile, the Pharisees and the leader of the synagogue, who likely held the same belief, were most particularly strict and extensive in their efforts to preserve this custom and practice, in enforcing these rules on the people.

However, in doing so they had become elitist and wicked in their ways, as they became self-righteous and prejudiced against all those whom they deemed to be inferior to themselves, which were essentially everyone else, and especially those who were afflicted with diseases like that of the crippled woman herself. Yet, the Lord courageously challenged this action and view of the Pharisees and the synagogue elders, and healed the woman, showing all the people of God what God truly wants from all of us, to be loving and forgiving just as God Himself has shown us His love and compassion, His forgiveness and mercy. This is the true essence of what it truly means to believe in the Lord, to put ourselves in the acts of love and kindness towards one another just as the Lord Himself has shown us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through all of these readings from the Sacred Scriptures that we must never be full of pride, ego and vile thoughts in our hearts and minds, thinking that we are better and superior than others, and thinking that we alone have the right ideas and judgments, without the willingness to listen to the wisdom of God shown to us through the others around us, just as the Lord had done as He confronted the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law criticising Him on His healing work on the woman who had been crippled for such a long time. We are reminded that first of all, God is Love, and His ways and commandments are all about love, the love that He has always had for us, and the love therefore that we ought to have for Him also, and the same love that we ought to show one another as well.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator, continue to show us all His most generous and wonderful love, in each and every moment of our lives. May through His examples in loving us all unconditionally and most generously, all of us also learn to be kind and compassionate to everyone around us, that in each and every moments, we will always strive to come ever closer to God and His ways, and become truly genuine believers and members of His Body, the Church. May more and more people also come to believe in the Lord through us and our good examples, and may He continue to bless us in our good endeavours. Amen.

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Sunday, 25 October 2026 : Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded of our first and most important obligation as Christians, as God’s people, that all of us must always be filled with love, both for our Lord and God, as well as for our fellow brothers and sisters, our fellow mankind. Love is always at the centrepiece of our Christian faith and devotion to God, and it is the central theme upon which our whole faith and existence revolve around. Without love, our faith in God is empty and meaningless, and not only that, but without love we would not have existed in the first place, as it was first of all by God’s love that each and every one of us were created and saved. Love is and has always been the cornerstone of our faith in God, and is the most fundamental and core tenet of our Christian beliefs.

In our first reading passage this Sunday, taken from the Book of Exodus, we heard about the words of the Lord to His people through Moses, in which He presented to them everything that He expected of all of them to do in their lives, so that, in all of their ways, actions and in everything they say and do, they would always be exemplary, faithful and committed to God, in obeying His Law and commandments just as He has shown and commanded each and every one of us to do. The Lord wants each and every one of His disciples, followers and people to be truly filled with love, first of all the love for Him, and then at the same time, He also wants each one of them to love one another, for us all to be loving towards our fellow brothers and sisters all around us. Unless we are filled with this love for God and for our fellow brethren, we cannot truly live our lives wholeheartedly and properly as Christians.

That is why He showed us all His love through His Law and commandments, by revealing to His people, to all of us, this path of true love as He has passed down first of all through Moses to the people of Israel, and which He would later on explain and expand upon through His prophets and messengers, and most important of all, through His own beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who have brought the full revelation of God’s love in the flesh, manifested and made tangible for us, and also taught and explained to us the full meaning and purpose of the Law which God has given us. God showed us all His love first of all, so that we too may also love Him with all of our heart, dedication and might, and then we may also practice and experience the same love in our interactions with our fellow brothers and sisters all around us.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the confrontation between the Lord Jesus and the Pharisees, who tried to test and trap the Lord with their questions. The Pharisees in particular were a group of the Jewish people who were very particular and concerned regarding the Law of God, which had been passed down through Moses and many generations of the people of God, from time to time and from mouth to mouth, in oral and written traditions down the many centuries since the time of the Exodus. This Law of God had gone through many changes, additions and transformations, as the teachers and preservers of the Law and commandments, traditions and customs of the people of God had made amendments and modifications to them according to the prevailing conditions and situations of the time. This resulted in the Law of God and its many stipulations and tenets, as listed in the Torah or the original Scriptures, listed in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy to be twisted and changed out of context from their original purpose.

And it is worth mentioning today that the Pharisees were those who were particularly concerned about the details, rituals and practices of the Law, as one of the most influential groups and leaders among the Jewish community. The Pharisees had a very strict and rigid interpretation of the Law of God, as they enforced upon the people a very detailed, ritualistic and particular way of observing the Law, from how they ought to live their lives in the community, the practice of ritual washing and purification, and the enforcement of the Law of the Sabbath and the ban on any works and actions on that day, among many other things. Unfortunately, this led to them opposing the Lord and His disciples, persecuting and oppressing them throughout His earthly ministry, dogging them and disturbing them throughout including the occasion highlighted today in the Gospel passage, when they tried to question and trap the Lord with the question regarding the Law.

What was their intention? They thought and claimed to know the Law better than anyone else, and that they and their interpretation of the Law alone was correct and acceptable, worthy and good for the Lord and His people. Hence, perhaps out of the desire to test the Lord, and to see if the Lord was truly One Who knows about the Law, they asked Him regarding the Law, of which one among the many hundreds of the commandments, laws, tenets and practices, which traditionally numbers six hundred and thirteen if not more, is the most important one among all of them. This exposed the flaw and mistakes in the way that the Pharisees had lived their lives and faith, as they focused so much and was so obsessed with the details and the minute things in the Law, that they ended up doing the practices, commandments and other tenets of the Law without truly understanding the purpose and intention of why the Law was given to us in the first place.

It means that they have lived their lives and faith, practicing very strictly the commandments of God, the Law and the rituals, emphasising on the details of the Law, and doing them to the letter, but not appreciating and understanding the spirit of the Law, the intention of why the Lord had given the Law to us, which is in fact is to teach us all about love, and how love is very crucial for us to be able to understand, appreciate and apply the Law fruitfully in our lives. First of all, the Law was meant to help all of God’s people, all of us to put the Lord at the centre and as the focus of our lives, as we are reminded to love the Lord with all of our heart, with all of our might and strength, just as the Lord Himself has loved us all so dedicatedly and wonderfully. Then, as the Lord Jesus Himself highlighted, the same kind of love ought to be shown to others all around us, our own fellow brothers and sisters, be it those whom we know and love, and those whom we encounter, acquaintances, strangers, and even those who despised and hated us.

This is why all of us as Christians, we are all called to be truly faithful to God in all things, and we have to be full of His love, kindness and compassion, in loving Him as well as our fellow brethren all around us, at all circumstances and opportunities. The Lord has taught and shown us by His own examples and experiences, which Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, had done in His ministry and works in our midst. We should not be like many among the Pharisees who merely were going through the motion and focusing so much on the details, rituals and particulars of the Law, that they forgot to love, to practice what the Lord Himself wanted them to do in their own lives. Instead, they had used the Law to lord over their fellow brethren, in being condenscending and superior-minded, in thinking that they were better than others simply because they obeyed the Law in the manner that they did.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all in our daily living, in our every words, actions and interactions be truly faithful and obedient to God, and be filled with love for Him, at all times. Let our lives as Christians be enriching in love and faith, and let us all be great examples, role models and inspirations for one another, so that our lives may truly bring the richness of God’s grace and love to all of mankind, all over the whole world, in whichever parts and places that we all encounter each other. Let us all bring God’s love, truth and Good News to more and more people throughout the world, and enlighten them in this world darkened by sin and evil, wickedness and disobedience, with our love and kindness, our compassion and exemplary attitudes, in following and doing what God Himself has shown and taught us through His Son and His Church. May God be with us all, and may He continue to empower and strengthen each one of us, so that we may remain always ever faithful to Him, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 24 October 2026 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are meant to do what we can as Christians, having been given various talents and gifts, blessings and graces by the Lord. Each and every one of us are therefore expected to make good use of those gifts of the Lord and be fruitful in the grace of God, bearing the rich fruits of our actions and commitments in life, in accordance to what each one of us have been called to do as Christians. All of us are reminded today of this calling, and we should embrace the Lord’s calling wholeheartedly.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, we heard about the matter of the gifts that God had given to His disciples, to the Apostles and the others who have given themselves to the service of God. The Lord has granted them all the gifts and the blessings, the opportunities and the abilities to do His will, and gave them each a mission to fulfil in their lives. St. Paul therefore wanted to remind the faithful in Ephesus of their calling and mission in life, on the significance of them being Christians, as followers of the Lord. The Lord has called on all of them to be the members and parts of His Church, His one united Body, made up of all the different various parts, all the different peoples of different origins and background.

The Church of God is made up of all these people and parts, each one of them with their own talents and capabilities, with their own missions and responsibilities. For example, as mentioned, the Lord called and gave the gifts and entrusted some with their responsibility as Apostles, some others as missionaries and teachers, while some others were entrusted to be evangelists and preachers, while others were called to be involved in building good and faithful Christian families, to be good fathers, mothers, children and other members of the Christian community, as parts of the same united Body of Christ, the Church.

At that time the Church and the Christian communities in the various parts of the Mediterranean and elsewhere were still in their early stages, as the Apostles and the other missionaries spread the Good News and the Christian faith to various parts of the world, proclaiming the truth of God courageously despite the many challenges that they had to face. The Lord has sent His disciples to those places, revealing His truth and salvation to all the people of all the nations. That is why, the Lord wants us all to remember how all of us have the same mission that He has entrusted to His Apostles and disciples, and thus, we have to make good use of the gifts and talents given to us. We can neither be idle or ignore our calling and mission.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord telling His disciples that all those people who had suffered due to the riot in Galilee and the collapse of the tower in Siloah had met their end, and while it was not due to any fault of theirs, but the Lord highlighted to them all, that unless they changed their ways and actions, then they would face the end in the same manner as those who had perished experienced. He used this example to highlight how all of our actions and works, our beliefs and faith truly matter as they all determine whether we are going to be worthy of the Lord, or whether our actions and lives will condemn us at the Day of Judgment. The choice and opportunities have been given to us, and now therefore it is up to us whether we will act on it or not.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all realise that as Christians, as members of the Church of God, all of us like that of the Apostles and the early Christians, are all the same disciples of the Lord, and we all share the same calling and mission which the Lord had given and entrusted to us through His same Church. Each one of us have been given the gifts and talents, and the various capabilities and opportunities, for us to reach out to more and more of our fellow men, and proclaim the truth of God through our own exemplary lives and actions. We do not have to perform amazing and wonderful things, as in truth, what really matters is for us to do whatever we can, in our own small little ways, to do the will of God, and to follow His path, at all times.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret, the founder of the religious order of the Claretians also known as the Congregation of Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, named after its founder. St. Anthony Mary Claret was an archbishop and renowned missionary, who lived approximately two centuries ago, laboured and worked as God’s servant in various places especially Spain and in the colonies of the Spanish Empire, such as in Canary Islands, and also in other areas. He was a great missionary with zeal and love for God, felt and embraced the call to the priestly life, and thereafter went on missions to evangelise and to spread the Good News of God to more and more people. He faced a lot of challenges along his mission and journey, but he always did his best to proclaim the Lord faithfully and courageously.

St. Anthony Mary Claret spent a lot of time in preaching among the people, which became very popular, and many people came to listen to his preachings. He also spent a lot of time in the confessionals, helping many people to come closer to the Lord, by reconciliation and healing, and by listening to their troubles and problems. Many were touched by the courageous and clear sermons from this holy man of God, and by his dedication as a shepherd of the Lord’s flock. He established the Claretians soon after he returned from his missionary works in the Canary Islands, and then later on was quickly appointed as Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, in which he continued his mission as shepherd and missionary in the territory of Spanish Cuba, reforming the diocesan seminary, establishing schools and hospitals, and founding another religious order named Religious of Mary Immaculate.

St. Anthony Mary Claret continued to serve the people of God with amazing commitment and dedicating his great charism with most passion and commitment, and many came to be saved through his efforts. Miracles and wonders were attributed to him, as according to accounts and eyewitnesses, he levitated during prayers and celebrations of the Mass, and his prayers stopped even calamities like storms and earthquakes, and supernatural lights and phenomena would be seen as he celebrated Mass, facts which astounded many and attested to his great personal holiness and virtues, and he was also given gift of foresight and revelation, as the Lord revealed to him several challenges and trials that the world and the Church would be facing.

St. Anthony Mary Claret eventually became the personal confessor of the Queen of Spain, Isabella II. He continued to do his many works for the glory of God and for the good of his fellow men in his various capacities, continuing to commit himself wholeheartedly for the Lord’s mission and works. He continued to inspire many people in generations after his passing to this very day, and his religious orders continued to work and being inspired by their founder’s great examples. Therefore, each one of us should also be inspired to do God’s will and to follow Him wholeheartedly as St. Anthony Mary Claret and many other holy men and women of God had done. Each and every one of us as Christians should always strive to do what the Lord has taught and shown us all to do.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence commit ourselves anew and let us be exemplary in our every actions and works throughout our lives. May God be with us all and may He empower and strengthen each and every one of us, so that we may continue to live our lives most worthily and be the shining beacons of His light and truth, bearing His Good News and love to all whom we encounter daily in life, just as St. Anthony Mary Claret had done in his life and ministry. Let us always do our best to bear rich fruits of our actions rooted and grounded in our genuine Christian faith and beliefs, so that more and more people may come to be touched by our sincere faith and come ever closer together with us towards God. May God bless our every good endeavours and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 23 October 2026 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John of Capestrano, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to live our lives faithfully at all times, in the path that the Lord has set before us, and in doing what He has commanded all of us to do. The Lord has called on us to do His will, to proclaim His Good News among the people of all the nations, and He has taught us what we should do as His disciples. Each one of us are now therefore called and expected to be dedicated as children of God, in living our lives most worthily as those who have been made God’s own people.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, the Apostle reminded all the faithful there of the calling for all of them to live their lives worthily of God, to be committed and true to their faith, to do the will of God as they have been expected to, and to proclaim His Good News by their lives and actions. All the Christians have been given the vocations as God’s own beloved disciples and people, to walk in the path He has shown them, in loving Him with all of their hearts and might, and in showing that same love to their fellow brothers and sisters, unconditionally just as He has loved them all unconditionally as well. Each and every one of us have our own unique calling and vocations in life.

As I have mentioned in my earlier discourses this past week, the Church community in Ephesus and in many other early Christian communities back then were often divided between the Jewish converts and the converts among the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people made up of various peoples like Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Syrians, Anatolians and many other people, all of whom had welcomed the Lord and accepted Him as their Lord and Master. But some of those from the Jewish community kept their past prejudices against those who belonged to the non-Jewish community. This is because they considered themselves being superior as they were directly descended from the Israelites of the past, and upheld the strict practices and customs of the Jewish people.

Some of those same Jewish converts, many of whom were likely members of the Pharisees and the scribes, even attempted to impose their excessive version of the Jewish Law and customs on all the faithful, including that of the Gentiles. As such, this would have made it very difficult for the converts from among the Gentiles to follow the Christian faith as contextually we must understand that some of the practices and customs of the Jewish people were seen by many of the Gentiles and pagans of the time as being aberration and strange, or even downright repulsive and undesirable.

Hence, St. Paul wanted the whole Church and all the faithful to realise that they should not be divided one against another by those bias and prejudices, or by any other differences that they might have between them. All of them are reminded to remain united as a whole united Body of Christ, the Church of God, with every members showing love and care for each other. There should be no more division or prejudices among them, whether they saw themselves as Jew or Greek, or any other Gentiles, or whether they were free people or slaves, or whether they were rich or poor, or whether they were males or females. All are equal before the same Lord Who loves us all.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord told all of His people and disciples that there were signs that they had seen, and they should henceforth act upon what they had seen. He was in fact referring to the signs and wonders which He Himself had done before all of the people, and yet many of them still doubted Him and refused to believe in Him. They would rather remain in their disbelief and in believing their own ways rather than to trust in the Lord, or to open their hearts and minds. They had all seen and heard whatever that the Lord had done, in all of His teachings and miracles, and yet they had failed to believe, and some even opposed the Lord and His disciples openly.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as what the Apostle St. Paul spoke to the faithful in Ephesus of, what we heard today in the Gospel passage reminds us all of just how we mankind have often allowed our own selfish nature and pride to undermine us in our path and progress towards God and His salvation. And all of that had prevented us from finding the Lord, keeping us trapped within our own prideful ways and habits. As long as we continue to resist the Lord, and not following Him in the way that we should have done, then we are not truly devout and committed Christians, no matter how much we try to convince ourselves and others otherwise.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians, let us all realise that each and every one of us are expected and have been called to love God and also our fellow brothers and sisters with all of our strength and ability, and not only that, but we are also expected to love others without being biased or prejudiced against anyone. All of us should love one another equally regardless of our background, origin, racial status, wealth, possessions, societal status, gender or whatever other worldly divisions and prejudices we often placed ourselves in. We have to rid ourselves of these, and endeavour to keep the Church and all the faithful united together.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John of Capestrano, whose life and examples should inspire us all in how we can be better disciples and followers of the Lord in all things. St. John of Capestrano was a famous Franciscan friar and priest, and a courageous and dedicated preacher and servant of God who committed himself wholeheartedly to the Lord, in obeying the commandments and the Law of God. He was a renowned theologian whose works and efforts, in spreading the Good News and the truth of the Gospel of Christ have borne a lot of good fruits, in proclaiming the salvation of God to more and more of those who have not known them. He preached to huge crowds that came to listen to him, which numbered even more than a hundred thousand people in one occasion, and he also attained great successes in other places as well.

St. John of Capestrano also dedicated himself to the Lord, putting Him above all else, even volunteering to raise and lead a large army together to fight against the forces of the Ottoman Turks that were threatening Christendom at that time, fighting in a Crusade launched by the Pope to resist the mighty forces of the enemy and unbelievers. He kept on inspiring all the soldiers who fought during that Crusade and conflicts, and while he eventually survived the battle, he fell ill from the bubonic plague and passed away shortly after. Nonetheless, the memories of his courage, commitment to God and efforts in proclaiming the Lord, in giving himself completely to the Lord and His cause are remembered by many long after his death, even to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all henceforth renew our commitment to the Lord, and strive to lead a life that is also truly holy and worthy of the Lord, free from bias and prejudice that had befallen our predecessors as we have discussed earlier on. Let us all commit ourselves to follow God in all things, and do whatever we can so that our lives may always be exemplary and inspirational to all others around us, and to all who interact and spend time with us. We should always be the source of inspiration and the bearers of God’s light and truth to others all around us, that we may help more and more people to come ever closer to the Lord and to His loving Presence. May God be with us always, and may He empower and strengthen each and every one of us, in our every day moments, and may He bless our every efforts and good works in glorifying His Name, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 22 October 2026 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John Paul II, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we heard from the Scriptures, a reminder that following Christ, His truth and salvation is not as easy as it may seem to be. There will likely be challenges and trials, and often we may have to endure opposition and difficulties along the way. But we must not lose faith or hope because as long as we remain firm in our faith and trust in the Lord, then we will always be taken care of and provided for by the Lord. There will be hardships and as history has shown us, some if not many of us even may have to endure persecutions and martyrdom for our faith, but in the end, we all will be triumphant together with God.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, we heard the Apostle telling the people there about what he desired of them to do, and as he prayed for their sake to the Lord, asking on God to bless them and to provide for them, with strength and wisdom, with guidance and encouragement, St. Paul also reminded all the faithful to believe wholeheartedly in the Lord, to trust in the truth and faith which they had received from the Lord and His Apostles and missionaries, and he also prayed for them that they all would be blessed in all things, and that God would be glorified through their words, actions and deeds.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard through the Lord Jesus Himself, Who came to tell all of His followers that His coming did not mean that those who follow Him and believe in Him will immediately be free and spared from all hardships, trials and challenges. We must understand the context that back then, many of the people kind of expected that the Messiah or the Saviour to come to them and deliver them immediately out of their troubles, freeing them from their enemies and from the dominion of foreign rulers, and reestablish the kingdom of Israel. Hence, many of them had hoped that by following Christ, they would be free from hardships and troubles.

On the contrary, as the Lord Himself presented it to them, His coming and His truth would cause divisions even among the believers and between the believers and those who were close to them. There would be challenges and hardships that they would have to encounter, as there would definitely be those who refused to listen to the truth of God and preferred to follow their own paths, and throughout the history of the Church this had happened again and again, as the faithful especially in the early days of the Church had to contend with opposition from their own family members, relatives and friends, and many were oppressed and martyred because of that.

That is why the prayers of St. Paul for the Church and the faithful in Ephesus became even more significant as it reminds us all of those challenges and trials that we as Christians may and will have to face in our journey of faith, as we embark on this mission in life to proclaim the truth of God through our lives and works. St. Paul prayed that God would strengthen and encourage the faithful so that they all will be filled with grace and perseverance, with the wisdom and the ability to comprehend the truth of God. He prayed over them that they would not easily fall prey to temptations to bring them apart from the Lord and His Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what is the significance of what we have heard in our Scripture readings today? It reminds us all that we have to continue to be faithful to God despite the obstacles, trials and challenges that we may face as Christians in our journey of faith, and we also need the guidance, strength, wisdom and providence from God to help us in this struggle and journey. We cannot do this alone, or else we will very soon realise that the challenges facing us are greater than what we can solve and handle on our own. God and His Church are with us in this, and we have to always remember this fact, and not give up the faith, as our predecessors had done.

This also means that all of us are reminded to give our best to  serve the Lord by living our lives to the fullest as devout Christians, in loving God and in living our lives according to His Law and precepts, and also by helping and inspiring one another to remain faithful to the Lord in all things. We must remain strong in the Lord, in our conviction and desire to serve Him and to love Him, and dedicate our time and effort to remain true to our faith so that whatever happen, we may encourage each other to stay in our path of faith towards God and His salvation, and not be tempted to abandon the Lord for the other paths towards our downfall.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the great and holy pastors of the Church, the recent Pope, Pope St. John Paul II, the first Polish Pope and the first one who was not an Italian in over four hundred and fifty years. Pope St. John Paul II was born as Karol Jozef Wojytla in Wadowice in Poland during the time right after the First World War, also known as the Great War at that time. He was born in a devout family, but was faced with a lot of difficulties from early on in his life. He encountered many personal tragedies when he was young, as his mother passed away early, and so was his elder brother due to sickness. His father cared for him well, and the young Karol grew up into a fine young man. However, circumstances would again cause him great tribulations and sufferings, as merely twenty years after the First World War, the Second World War erupted in Europe with the invasion of Poland by the NAZI German state.

This would begin the many years and decades of sufferings and persecutions for the Polish people, first of all by the NAZI Germans who invaded Poland and persecuted not just the Jewish people they then targetted, but many of the non-Jewish Poles as well. The years of war were difficult, and the young Karol also had to contend with losing his beloved father during those years, and it was at that time, that he joined the seminary, preparing for his priestly formation clandestinely and quietly amidst all the conflicts and destruction happening all around due to the NAZI atrocities and the war. Even the young Karol almost lost his life in one occasion, but God’s grace was with him, and he survived through all the challenges, and was eventually ordained as a priest of the Lord after the war. But that was not the end of his challenges and difficulties.

For then the Soviets and the Communists took over control over the country and subjugated many Polish Catholics and its leadership to a lot of challenges and persecutions, both officially and unofficially. Father Karol Wojtyla remained rather unassuming and quiet in his ministry among the faithful people of God, and he was particularly popular among the youths and students, a ministry which he continue to carry out faithfully until he was appointed as the Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow by the Pope, and then eventually succeeding as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Krakow. For many years after, the then Archbishop and afterwards Cardinal Wojtyla gradually became the centre of the faithful resistance against the atheist Communist government of Poland, such as a well-known moment when he stood up courageously against the efforts of the Communists to establish a new city, Nowa Huta, without a church, unlike others in Poland. Then Cardinal Wojtyla spent efforts to establish a church there, with the foundation stone blessed by the Pope himself, then Pope St. Paul VI.

Cardinal Wojtyla would then unexpectedly be elected as Pope, succeeding his predecessor, Blessed Pope John Paul I who had just reigned for thirty-three days. His Pontificate was one of the longest in the recent centuries, spanning over twenty-seven years, and during those periods, he continue to dedicate himself faithfully in the Lord, becoming an instrumental figure in the downfall of Communism in many parts of Central and Eastern Europe and also elsewhere around the world, becoming a great world figure and peacemaker in many occasions. In his numerous trips all around the world, visiting many countries and places where no Pope has ever set foot before, even in those places where there were only few Catholics, Pope St. John Paul II showed the great love of God manifested through Christ and His Church to countless people around the world.

Pope St. John Paul II also faced an assassination attempt early in his Pontificate, but he survived, and was well-known for his visit to his would-be assassin, and how he forgave his assailant, praying for him and his conversion. Pope St. John Paul II continued to do many other great things for the good of the Church and the faithful all throughout the world, and even in his final years, when he was faced with a lot of personal sufferings and hardships from his Parkinson’s disease and other complications, he continued to serve the Lord faithfully, becoming the face of God’s love and persistent compassion and mercy to many who were also suffering in this world. To the very end of his life, Pope St. John Paul II continued to remain firm in his conviction and dedication in serving God, and this should be an inspiration to many of us as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, from the life of Pope St. John Paul II, and also from what we have discussed earlier on from the Sacred Scriptures, let us all therefore ponder upon the great love of God which all of us have had the privilege of receiving so that we may continue to live our lives faithfully in God’s Presence despite the sufferings and hardships we may encounter in our paths and lives. Let us all continue to dedicate ourselves and our every moments in life with great faith and strive to glorify the Lord ever more by our exemplary lives and actions, following in the good examples that Christ Himself has shown us, and as His saints, like Pope St. John Paul II had done. May the Lord be with us and bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 21 October 2026 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of the responsibilities and the missions which God has entrusted to us as we have been called to be His disciples and followers, and as His beloved ones, His own children and people, all of us are expected to be like our Father and Lord in all things, and each one of us share the same responsibilities as members and parts of the same Church of God. And what is this mission, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is to proclaim the word of God and His truth to all the people of all the nations, all those whom we encounter in our lives each day and at every moments. That is our calling and mission as Christians, in each and every moments of our lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, the Apostle spoke of the revelation of truth which had come to them all through the Apostles and the many other disciples, followers and missionaries of the Lord. And this revelation is such that God has called on all of the people, all the children of mankind to follow Him, both from among the Jewish people and origin, and those from the non-Jewish or Gentile origin alike, and whether they had already been faithful to God, or whether they were once pagans and unbelievers. The Lord has called on all of the people, regardless of their background to follow Him and to walk in His ways through what He has revealed to them in truth and in His Good News.

Back then, as it was common throughout the Jewish diaspora and communities, there were often frictions and disagreements between the Jews and the Gentiles as the former saw themselves as the chosen people of God, as the descendants of the Israelites, the inheritors of the kingdoms of King David and King Solomon. To those people, especially the ones who were belonging to the group of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, they took great pride in such a status, and considered the Gentiles to be unworthy and even unclean, as back then, even going to visit and enter the house of a Gentile or a pagan could make one unclean according to the customs of the Jewish laws. And all of these disagreements and divisions often led to great frictions between those people belonging to the early Church from their different origins.

St. Paul was therefore reminding the people of the real truth which the Lord Jesus Himself had revealed to everyone, that God’s salvation is meant to all the people, regardless of their background or origin, regardless of their races or past status and beliefs. There is no discrimination by God and hence, the Church and the community of the faithful should not be biased or discriminate against anyone at all either. The Jewish converts to the Christian faith was reminded to be welcoming and to drop their condescending attitude on the Gentiles, both those who have embraced God and those who have not yet believed in God. They should no longer hold on to their past prejudices and negative prideful attitudes that had become serious stumbling block not just for themselves but also for others to come closer to God.

It is this self-righteous attitude which often led to the downfall of many among the righteous, not only that they caused them to commit wicked and unworthy acts against their own fellow brothers and sisters, who are all beloved equally by God, but also because such attitude would eventually lead to the faithful becoming slack and complacent in their way of living their lives. Why is that so? That is because then those who saw and thought themselves as being worthy and righteous like many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law would spend their time and effort on self-aggrandisement and praise, inflated by their ego and pride, and ending up falling into sin and temptations to sin instead.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why in our Gospel passage today we are reminded through the parable which our Lord has told His disciples, telling them all the story of the diligent steward and the lazy, irresponsible steward. In that parable, the stewards are representative of each and every one of us, God’s disciples and followers. The diligent and committed steward represents those who listened to the word of God, embraced His calling and dutifully carried out the mission that they had been entrusted with. Meanwhile, the lazy and irresponsible steward represents those who have not listened to the Lord and refused to act on the mission which had been entrusted to them.

As Christians, all of us are expected and called to be active in our faith, so that we will not end up being like the lazy and irresponsible steward. The Lord had made clear the consequences of such inaction and lack of responsibility, and clearly all of us should heed and take note what we need to do in obeying God’s call and how to be active in living our lives with genuine faith. All of us have been called to devote our time, effort and attention to do the will of God, and we should not delay or drag our feet any longer. We should always be ready to welcome the Lord when He comes again, and we should always be ever prepared, ever truly sincere in how we live up to our Christian faith and put concretely forward everything that we believe in, through real actions and genuine commitment.

May the Lord, our ever loving God and Creator continue to help and guide us in all of our respective paths and journeys in life so that we may truly be sincere in our desire to follow Him and in being committed to walk down His path, without anymore prejudices and biases against one another, and without thinking that we are somehow superior and better, or more deserving of God’s love and grace than others. Instead, let us all be kind, loving and helpful, to support one another and inspire each other to live an ever better Christian living from now on. May God bless our every efforts and endeavours to glorify His Name, in all the things we do, in each and every moment. Amen.

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Tuesday, 20 October 2026 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard from the Scripture passages, a reminder that as Christians and members of God’s Church, we must always be first and foremost, dedicated to God and centre our lives on Him. For it was through God that all of us have been vindicated and liberated from the chains of our sins. And as long as we live, we should glorify the Lord by our lives, at all times. Each and every one of us are also reminded that we are all part of the same Church and Kingdom of God, all of us under the dominion of our most loving and compassionate God, Who has gracefully made us all to be His own people, those whom He had called and chosen to be His own. Consequently, we are reminded therefore that our lives should always be centred on Him and aligned to His will.

The first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians highlighted very, very clearly the role that Christ our Lord has played in the salvation of all mankind. The Lord Jesus has made peace between us and God, and He has reconciled us through His Cross, which reconnected us to God’s love and grace. By His perfect and humble obedience on the Cross, Christ has bridged what was once a great chasm separating us from God that was impossible to cross. He came when we had no hope and were in a wretched state. He extended God’s love and compassionate mercy to us, and redeemed us with love when we were in the greatest need for His love, care and mercy. He made a new Covenant with us when we were in darkness, lost and were distracted by sin, calling on all of us to return to Him with love and sincere faith and commitment. We can therefore see just how generous the Lord had been towards us all these while.

And all these are very timely kind reminders from the Lord to us, that each and every one of us ought to be ready and prepared for the Lord by living our lives each day with the full conviction and desire to proclaim our Christian faith through our lives, to serve the Lord and glorify His Name by our every living moments. We must always be ever ready and prepared, as the Lord reminds us again today, how the time of reckoning may come at any time, and we do not want to be caught unprepared. Each and every one of us have been told that in the end of our lives, and at the end of time, we will be judged by what we have done in our every moments in life, by what we have failed to do in reaching out for the good of others, and by every moments of us either following or disobeying God and His commandments.

How do we then live our lives that we truly become worthy of our Christian faith and God? We can therefore look upon the examples of the Lord Himself, as He dedicated Himself completely and humbly to obey the will of His heavenly Father, in reaching out to us all, the wretched children of mankind, in loving us all even when we have not been faithful and obedient to Him, and when we have abandoned and betrayed Him for false gods and idols. And when I refer to idols, I am not merely mentioning all those idols and false gods that the people worshipped, but rather, even more tangibly in our world today as it had been in the past, there had been other idols like money, power, worldly glory and ambition that had chained so many of us and our predecessors.

We are all called to love as generously as the Lord has loved, to show the love of God in everything that we say and do, in all of our interactions with one another. We should be faithful bearers of our Christian faith in our community, and to be beacons of God’s light, to love and care where others had caused hurt and injury, to bring forgiveness and compassion where hatred and jealousy, anger and divisions had once reigned. That is why we need to be really careful and mindful with our actions and way of life, so that we do not end up causing scandal to our faith and the Church, because our every actions, words and deeds can both bring good things and inspiration to others when done in accordance to our faith and belief in God, or it can instead end up leading to others becoming disillusioned or scandalised by our lack of sincere and genuine faith.

It is why we are all called to live our lives with faith that is truly sincere, strong and alive. We are not merely following the Law and commandments of God without understanding and appreciation of His intentions for us, and we also do not and should not obey blindly as some had done, doing things and observing the faith without truly internalising what God had truly shown and taught each and every one of us, His beloved people, all throughout history. All of us are part of the living Church of God, in which God’s words, His Law and commandments live well throughout all of our every moments, our every breaths, actions, words and deeds. In all that we do, in all that we say, we should always be filled with that genuine faith, that we may truly be the shining beacons of God’s light, truth and Good News.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all called to be true disciples of Christ, not just in  appearances or formality, but in real deeds, in all the little things we do that bring honour and glory to God. Are we willing and able to commit ourselves to the Lord in this way, brothers and sisters? God has called and chosen us to be His followers, but are we ready and willing to dedicate ourselves and answer His call definitively? Are we willing to be the real bearers of our Christian faith, and not merely just paying lip service to the Lord? Are we willing to show forth our belief and faith through real and concrete actions grounded in our love for God and hence, our love for one another? If we cannot do this in even the smallest moments of our lives, or worse still, by treating others with disdain and with prejudice, then how can we truly call ourselves as Christians?

Let us all hence discern God’s call carefully, and think of what each and every one of us can do in order to respond to His call. Let us all wait no more, and give our very best to serve God and to love Him with all of our hearts, by living virtuously and most-Christianlike in all of our works and efforts, actions and interactions. Let us bring God’s light, truth, compassion and hope to this world, that through our efforts, more and more people can be saved. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 19 October 2026 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John de Brebeuf and St. Isaac Jogues, Priests and Martyrs, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Paul of the Cross, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded of the immense love and mercy of God through which each and every one of us have received the assurance of eternal life and salvation, all of us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. All of us must remember how the Lord cares for us and how He treats us as truly precious people, as His own children, so that we will remember that we should remain focused on Him and not on worldly things and all else which can easily distract us in our way and journey towards His salvation and eternal life.

In our first reading today from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, we heard of the words of St. Paul reminding all the people of God there of everything that the Lord had done for them, in their great fortune in having been rescued and redeemed by their Lord, Master, Saviour and Redeemer. All of them have deserved death and destruction, damnation and hell, and yet, God had mercy on them and because He is so full of love, and to all of us this reminder serves the same purpose, because God’s love, compassion and mercy are extended to all of us, regardless of our background and how great a sinner we have been in our respective lives.

St. Paul himself highlighted just how fallen and wretched our human nature and existence were, and yet, because of God’s love and mercy, all of us have received a new lease of life, a new hope and liberation from our downwards path towards destruction. St. Paul encouraged all of us just as he did to the faithful in Ephesus, reminding us of just how great and rich God’s mercy and compassion truly are. But at the same time, we must also not take His love and mercy for granted, or else, we will end up spurning these advances of love and mercy by the Lord, as what had happened to many of our predecessors, who were so caught up in their pride, ego and greed that they ignored the Lord and His love and mercy.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, that was precisely the reason why so many had faltered in their journey towards the Lord. They all failed to appreciate and embrace the Lord’s approach of love and compassion towards them. They took His love and generosity for granted and ignored and abandoned Him at their own convenience. In the end, they were all condemned not because God did not love them, but because they had little to no faith in Him, and they rejected Him by their own conscious effort and accord. They refused to embrace God’s love and mercy, and preferring to remain in the state of sin, although God has so generously given them His loving compassion and has always offered them His forgiveness.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard about the words of the Lord speaking to His disciples using the example of a rich man who asked Him to judge and support him for his part of the inheritance against his own brethren. The Lord then also mentioned a parable about a rich man who was consumed with worry and preoccupied with his greed and desires, thinking of how he could accumulate more of whatever wealth that he had been gathering up to that point. The Lord concluded that parable and story with the warning of how even that rich man would meet his end, because if God so wills it, his life could end there and then, and nothing of what he had accumulated would accompany him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what does the Lord want us to learn from these passages today? Through His Church and the Scriptures today, the Lord wants us to know that we should be vigilant with ourselves and with the many temptations ever present all around us, lest we may be tempted to abandon Him and His love for the sake of worldly glory, material wealth, fame, possessions, human praise, status and many other things in this world which often distracted us and dragged us away from the path of God and into the path towards damnation and destruction. We have often indulged in these worldly desires and ended up forgetting about God, about His love and mercy.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of several great and holy people, whose faith, commitment and devotion to God can serve as inspiration and as great role models for us all to follow so that we may also know how we should live out our lives in commitment to God. St. Isaac Jogues and St. John Brebeuf were French Jesuit missionaries who ministered and worked in the region of what is today part of the province of Quebec in Canada, as they went to the indigenous peoples living in those regions, bringing unto them the Good News of God, the salvation of God to them. Together with several other missionaries, they laboured hard tor the sake of the Gospel. Then, we also honour St. Paul of the Cross, a priest and mystic who was also the founder of the Passionists.

First of all, St. John Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues and their fellow missionaries were all very hardworking and committed in their missions to spread the Good News of God in the very harsh conditions of the subarctic parts of North America, in what is now known as Quebec, that was then known as New France. The missionaries had to persevere through a lot of hardships and difficult environmental conditions, in often subzero conditions and afflicted by diseases, while being in the wilderness and facing opposition and resistance from some among the indigenous natives that viewed the missionaries with suspicion or even outright hostility and rejection, and this was what eventually led to their martyrdom in the end, when they were attacked and massacred by those who refused to believe.

Nevertheless, the inspirational examples and faith of the missionaries made quite a number of converts among the natives, some of whom were also martyred together with them. In particular, for the example of St. Isaac Jogues himself, martyred during one of his missions among the Iroquois natives, his faith and determination inspired his own killer such that when this killer was arrested and awaiting his execution, he chose to be baptised as a Christian, and took upon St. Isaac Jogues’ name as his own baptismal name, and thus, the curious case of St. Isaac Jogues’ ‘double martyrdom’ happened. As we can see, the examples and efforts of the missionaries like St. Isaac Jogues, St. John Brebeuf and their fellow missionaries and martyrs touched the lives and the hearts of so many, who were called to follow Christ henceforth.

Meanwhile, St. Paul of the Cross was the founder of the Passionists as mentioned. He was a young man that felt the stirrings of God’s call early on, and which continued to vex him throughout his growing years, as he encountered various people and experiences that directed him towards the path of God. Eventually, this inspired him to establish a community of like-minded men who were willing to follow the Lord and to live their lives in commitment to God, in promoting the love of God for each and every one of us, particularly through His Passion, that is His suffering, His endurance of a most humiliating and painful death on the Cross, and His perfect love manifested to all of us through those actions. This was how the congregation that St. Paul of the Cross established came to be known as the Passionists, as they fervently championed the propagation of God’s love and the revelation of that love by calling on all the people of God to remember His Passion and suffering for our sake.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the examples of those holy men and holy servants of God should inspire each and every one of us in how we ourselves should be living our own lives so that in whatever it is that we are doing in life, in our work, in our various efforts and commitments, so that we may truly inspire everyone around us and all those whom we encounter in our daily lives, interacting and working with us. Let us all strive to be always truly faithful and committed to God. Let us all get rid from ourselves, our hearts and minds, the corruption of pride, ego, greed, desire, and all the attachments to the worldly things all around us which can distract and mislead us down the path of disobedience and sin.

Instead, let us remind ourselves always of the Lord’s great love and the Holy Passion that He has endured and suffered for our sake, and thus, commit ourselves thoroughly to His cause from now on. May God bless us all in our every efforts and endeavours, in all the things we say and do, so that we may draw ever closer to Him and His love, His grace and kindness. Amen.

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Sunday, 18 October 2026 : Twenty-Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of our obligation as Christians, to obey the Lord our God, His will, His Law and commandments. Each and every one of us as the disciples and followers of the Lord ought to live our lives righteously and virtuously as He has always shown and taught us how to do, and be good and dedicated men and women, who also obey the rules and laws of whichever countries and states that we belong to, or wherever we dwell in. We should always strive to live a good, worthy and exemplary lives that everyone all around us can be inspired by, whenever they witness our works, actions and deeds, and in how we interact with each other.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, in which God spoke through Isaiah to His people, revealing His intent in the many years and even centuries to come, as we heard of one King Cyrus the Great, whom we know today as the first of the Great King of Persia, which was then also known as the Achaemenid Empire. This was in fact a prophecy and premonition of what would come to happen, as the prophet Isaiah and his ministry among the people of Judah happened about two centuries before the time of King Cyrus of Persia. With regards to the Israelites, King Cyrus has a special role and part in their history because this King would liberate the people of Israel and their descendants, who were exiled to Assyria, Babylon and far-off regions, when he came to power over the land.

This mention and praise of Cyrus the Great was notable as usually most of the people who did not belong to the Israelites and their group, were often wicked and evil in their ways of life and in their lack of faith in God. However, King Cyrus the Great was widely seen and regarded as a great example and role model, and was also a paragon of virtue and righteousness, as per the many historical and Scriptural records and evidences. He was often lauded not just as a great and mighty ruler, and conqueror of many nations, but also as a virtuous, just and pragmatic ruler, who respected the customs of the many people who lived in his entire vast dominion, and he also respected the worship of the Lord, God of Israel, allowing the people of Israel to return to their lands and to worship their God.

As such, through the great examples of King Cyrus the Great of Persia, all of us are reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us are also exhorted and expected to do what God had told and taught us to do in our lives. What God wants from us is our faith and commitment to Him, in doing His will and in living our lives in accordance with His ways, as alluded by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Thessalonians, that is part of our second reading passage today. St. Paul mentioned the work of the faith of the people of God, their labour of love and their endurance in remaining faithful despite the many challenges and obstacles that they had to endure throughout their journey of faith and life. This is again a reminder that as Christians, each and every one of us are expected to follow the path that the Lord has shown us, and dedicate ourselves to actions and works that are worthy of God.

This is then related to what we heard in our Gospel passage today, when the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law attempted to test the Lord and trap Him, when they asked of Him if they should be paying taxes to Caesar or not. This question seemed to be a rather ordinary question, but if we understand the implication behind this seemingly simple question, and also the context of the time, then we can better appreciate how dangerous and tricky it was for the Lord, for Him to answer this question. Why was that so? That is because should the Lord have answered that they all should be paying taxes to Caesar, then the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law could use that to discredit the Lord and rally the people’s opinion against Him, because back then, the Romans and their rule over the Jewish people and lands were generally disliked and even hated, especially due to the taxes imposed on them, and the way the Romans treated them as subordinates and subjects.

On the other hand, had the Lord responded by saying that they should not be paying taxes to Caesar, or the Roman Emperor, then the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law could also accuse the Lord of trying to incite the people to disobey the Romans and to start a rebellion, which was a very great treason and fault against the state, which was punishable by death. This was exactly the same accusation which eventually the chief priests, the elders and the Pharisees placed against the Lord when He was condemned to death and handed over to the Romans, under Pontius Pilate, to be crucified, because they accused Him of rebelling against the Emperor and by claiming to be the King of the Jews, which was grave treason. Refusing to pay taxes and the obligations to the Roman state is one of the signs of this treason, and those wicked fellow could have used the Lord’s refusal against Him.

Instead, the Lord knew their intentions and purposes very well when they asked Him that sinister question, and He evaded the troubles altogether, and showed His Wisdom by saying that, since the silver coin or the denarius that they paid their taxes with has the face of the Roman Emperor or Caesar embossed on them, therefore, they should all give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and then at the same time, also give back to God what belongs to God. With this single sentence, the Lord silenced all of His critics and enemies, and made it clear that as His followers, disciples and people, we are not called to resist the worldly obligations or works that we are all called to do, such as obeying the laws and customs of states, in doing our civic duties and obligations, in living our lives ever more faithfully as children of God and as righteous men and women, examples for everyone around us to follow.

Then, all of us should also give back to God what belongs to God just as the Lord Jesus Himself had mentioned, and what is something that belongs to God? It is all of us, brothers and sisters in Christ. God has created each and every one of us, calling us all to do what He has taught and shown us to do. And since we belong to God and we are His people, His beloved children, therefore, it is only right that we should do what is pleasing to God, and to give Him what truly belongs to Him, that is our hearts, our love and devotion. Each and every one of us should always strive to put the Lord as the centre and focus of our whole lives and existence, and do what we can so that we may always glorify Him by our lives, our every actions, works and deeds.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard throughout our Scripture passages today and discussed earlier, let us all do our best in each and every moments of our lives so that we may always be exemplary in our every actions and works throughout each and every opportunities that God has given to us all each day. Let us all be good and obedient citizens, who follow and observe the laws and rules of the state as long as they are for the common good and not a violation of the Divine Law of God. Let us all be exemplary citizens and people, whose lives are truly good examples and inspirations for all those whom we encounter daily in life, that it is not just that we obey the Lord faithfully in our actions and way of life, but we also become the shining beacons of virtue and faith to all others, like Cyrus the Great, the saints and other great examples of our past history had done.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen each and every one of us so that in our every commitment and efforts to serve Him, we will always continue to walk ever more devotedly in the path that He has shown us. May He empower us all to continue to carry out our works and actions in accordance with His will, in obedience to His Law and commandments, at all times. May God bless us all and may He remain with us all, in all times and opportunities. Amen.