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Sunday, 28 September 2025 : Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday each and every one of us are reminded that all of us as Christians, as those whom the Lord had called and chosen, as His own beloved and holy people, we are all expected to lead lives that are truly worthy of the Lord in all the things that we say and do, in being committed to God and in loving Him wholeheartedly, just as we also ought to show the same love to everyone around us, to those whom we love and who are precious to us, and also to those who have no one to love them, those who are poor and needy, all those whom the Lord had placed in our path so that through the opportunities, the blessings and all the good things He has given us, we may use them to touch the lives of others positively.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Amos in which the prophet rebuked the people of God who had lived wickedly and in disregard of the ways of the Lord, and how they continued to celebrate and steeped themselves in lots of merrymaking and parties despite them having led the people of God and the nation ever deeper into the path of their downfall and destruction. The prophet Amos was sent to the Israelites in the northern kingdom centred in Samaria during the time of its prosperity and power, and yet, the people were morally corrupt and disobedient against God, abandoning Him for the pagan gods and idols, and doing exactly what the prophet Amos was rebuking them all against.

The prophet Amos was essentially mentioning that if the people continued to do that and if they kept on disregarding God’s words and commandments, then they would face the consequences of their wickedness and disobedience against God. The Lord does not look kindly on their behaviours, in how they rejoiced in the midst of their sins and disobedience, in how they behaved wickedly towards one another. And yet, God in His ever loving and patient kindness towards His people continued to love them nonetheless and did His very best to reach out to them just as what He had done by sending the prophet Amos and many other prophets and messengers to those wayward people. God kept on sending His messengers and prophets even as they continued on opposing Him and refusing to believe in Him, and in the end, they faced destruction and had their cities and kingdom destroyed by their enemies.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to his protege, St. Timothy, we heard of the words that the Apostle spoke to St. Timothy regarding the importance of living one’s faith genuinely, in practicing what all of us have believed as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people, those whom He had called and chosen to be His own. St. Paul also reminded the faithful through St. Timothy that all Christians ought to walk in the path of God, in being holy and godly, in doing the will of God and being good examples and role models for one another in their faith and in their way of interacting with each other. That is because, unless we truly devote themselves to the Lord faithfully, we cannot truly call ourselves as Christians, and especially if our actions and attitudes contradict what we believe in.

Unfortunately, the reality in this world is often one of apathy, lack of faith and true understanding of what it truly means for us to be good and faithful Christians. For some people, they may think that it is good enough just for them to be in so called ‘personal relationship with God or with Jesus’ and then nothing else matters. Alternatively, with similar attitudes, one can even be hypocritical in their way of living their faith, selfishly seeking their own salvation and righteousness, but neglecting their responsibilities in this world, their need to care and love for those around them who have loved them sincerely and genuinely, confusing their own comfort zone and community as Heaven, while there are others who suffer because of their neglect and their inconsistent attitudes, lacking in accountability and responsibility, hurting those who care for them due to their own lack of maturity in faith.

This is something that is related to what we have heard in our Gospel passage this Sunday, from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the well-known parable that the Lord Jesus used to teach His disciples, that is the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, where the story of Lazarus, a poor man sitting down in front of the house of a rich man was told to them and all of us, as reminders for all of us that we should never neglect those around us who are poor, needy and who have been placed in our hands and responsibility so that we may help and assist them with whatever it is that they may need in their lives. That rich man may not necessarily have lived wicked ways of life, and one interpretation is that, he might even be a devout person like those of the Pharisees and the religious and the societal elites of the community.

But, his fatal mistake was his neglect of the one whom God had put into his path, thinking that he had everything he needed in his life and his friends. The poor man Lazarus begged and waited at the doorstep of the house of the rich man, seeking even crumbs of bread from the table of the rich man, but had none at all until the day he passed away. And this leads to the need for us to question ourselves and our own actions in life. Have we treated those who care for us in this way as well? Have we ignored those whom the Lord had placed in our lives and gave us the responsibility and the opportunity to care for? Or are we all too blinded by our own pursuits, in whatever it may be? Have our own actions led to us neglecting and ignoring those whom we can love but chose not to because we are so full of ourselves?

Like those Pharisees of old, they were so overzealous and overly obsessed with their own version of the faith, that they shut the doors of their minds and hearts against God trying to reach out to them and speak to them, to make them understand what it truly means to be faithful to Him, and to see God being present in all things and in all people, even in the least and those the society often considered to be unworthy and wicked. If God continued to love all these people, then we should also do the same in our own lives as well. If we do not do what we can do in loving others and showing care and concern for those who need them, then that is the sin which the rich man committed, the sin of omission. This reminds us that sin is not just about doing what is wicked or evil, but also by not doing what we should be doing in our lives, and chose not to do so.

Like the rich man who regretted after he fell into hell, those of us who neglected those whom God had put in our path, for us to show care, love and concern, and all those beloved ones to us all the more, then we too shall regret for not having shown better care and attention to those whom the Lord had called us to love and care for. This is exactly what the Israelites in the northern kingdom had done, and which the prophet Amos had chastised them for, and it is a timely reminder for all of us to show genuine faith in the Lord and to love everyone generously, to those who need our love and compassion, the poor and the needy, the oppressed and the ostracised, and even more so to those who love us the most. Let us never take them for granted any longer.

May the Lord guide us ever in our path, so that we can be good role models and inspirations for everyone around us, to be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth, and to lead all the people to Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, by our genuine actions and lives. Amen.

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Saturday, 27 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for us all to continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord. Each and every one of us should always continue to do our best to keep our faith in Him regardless what challenges, trials and obstacles we may be facing in our respective paths in life. We should not allow ourselves to be distracted and persuaded by fear and uncertainties around us, that may lead us down the path which lead us further away from the Lord, because we did not have enough faith and trust in Him and because we think that there are others which we can depend on. It is by staying with the Lord that we can truly receive true happiness and satisfaction in life.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, we heard the heavenly vision that the prophet of God received seeing the vision of an Angel of God whom he encountered, as the Angel was about to measure the city of Jerusalem, the Holy City of God’s people. The prophet Zechariah himself was sent to the people of God who had returned to their homeland from their exile in Babylon, a few centuries before the coming of Christ. Zechariah ministered during the reign of the Great King of Persia, Darius the Great, at a time when the people of Israel and their descendants were already well settled in their recently reclaimed lands, and as they were building again the Temple of God that had been destroyed many years before.

The Lord reassured His people that He would always be with them, providing them and giving them whatever they needed. He would always guide and strengthen them, and He would bless them once again with His great grace and blessings, restoring joy and happiness to them because He truly cared about them and wanted them all to be truly happy and blessed in all things, and no longer be separated from Him. That is why God reassured them all through the prophet Zechariah that if they were to continue to walk in His path and to do His will, obeying His Law and commandments, then they will all be truly joyful, and will walk ever in God’s favour and strength, and they will no longer face and endure the humiliations that they had once experienced before.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the ominous words from the Lord Jesus to His disciples, highlighting how He would soon be handed over to His enemies, betrayed, rejected and made to suffer the greatest and most terrible sufferings and challenges, all because the world itself refused to accept Him, with many of His enemies and detractors opposing Him because they were unable to accept the fact that they could be wrong or mistaken in their ways, deluding themselves with their pride, ego and arrogance that they knew it better than the Lord Himself. And yet, the Lord showed them all His patient love, the love which has been manifested perfectly in His own Person, the Incarnate Son of God made Man.

And in Christ our Lord, the Lord had made good of His many promises to His people, reminding them all that He has always been faithful to the Covenant that He had made with them, and also the promises that He would always love them and show His mercy and compassion on them. He came into our midst to show us all that His most generous love for us is always pure and genuine, patient and everlasting, and He has always loved us all through our uncertainties and lack of faith, our disobedience and our wayward living. He wants to restore us all to Himself, to be reunited with us and to bring us all together once again, His beloved and blessed flock, to be one and whole in Him, as a holy nation and as those God has gathered to be His own. He went through the worst sufferings through the Cross so that by His suffering and death, we may have eternal life.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, a renowned French missionary and priest who was especially remembered for his great care and dedication to the poor in the society. It was his inspiration that inspired the foundation of the today’s Society of St. Vincent de Paul which lived and strived to carry on the legacy of this great saint’s actions in ministering to the poor and the needy, the neglected and the less fortunate in the community. St. Vincent de Paul was born to a family of peasant farmers in France a few centuries ago, and was eventually sent to the seminary to further his education where he was then ordained as a priest at the young age of nineteen. He furthered his studies and then encountered an event that changed his life forever.

He was abducted by Barbary pirates that were rampant at the time and was enslaved for about two years in the region of Tunisia, and passed on from master to master, before eventually encountering a former priest that had apostasised to gain his own freedom from slavery. Eventually, St. Vincent de Paul and his last master resolved to escape back to France and found a way to secretly leave the place where both of them had been enslaved. After St. Vincent de Paul returned to his homeland, he was committed to a renewed zeal and desire to help others who were less fortunate, those who were poor and oppressed, remembering his own misfortune and hardships in life, which nonetheless did not make him lose his faith in the Lord. He founded the Vincentians and other charitable organisations that eventually led him to be made the patron of all charities, after he was canonised.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, from what we have reflected from the words of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life and works of St. Vincent de Paul, let us all continue to do our best therefore to show our trust and faith in God, in doing our very best to glorify God by our lives. Let us always strive to be good role models and worthy examples of our Christian faith to everyone around us, to each and every one of those whom we encounter in our daily lives. May the Lord continue to bless us in all of our endeavours, in everything that we say and do so that we may always draw ever closer to Him and may He strengthen us all in our conviction to glorify Him by our lives, as always, and evermore. Amen.

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Friday, 26 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should always put our trust and faith in the Lord, in all the things that we have committed to Him in life, in every aspects and parts of our lives. We must also not think that our lives will be smooth sailing and easy if we are to follow the Lord faithfully and if we walk in His path, but what we can be assured of is the fact and reality that the Lord Himself will always be with us, journeying and walking with us in our paths towards Him. We should not be afraid but we should instead be renewed and strengthened in our faith and conviction, knowing that God will never abandon those who are truly beloved and dear to Him, and if we continue to hold on to faith and hope in Him, we will never be disappointed.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Haggai in which we continue to hear about the the words of the Lord directed to the leaders of the people of Israel in Judah, consisting of the leader of the House of David, Zerubbabel who was also the Governor of Judah, the High Priest and others, reminding them of the Lord’s will and the obligation they had in reestablishing the Temple of God in Jerusalem, after they had rebuilt the city and settled in nicely back in their homeland. King Cyrus of Persia and his successors had allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland and to resume their worship of their Lord and God, something which the Babylonians had not allowed them to do, and which they had been oppressed for decades and suffered for.

The Israelites had been humiliated, faced great sufferings and challenges in their exile in Babylon and those distant lands, uprooted from their ancestral lands and made to be a nation without a home and having had their city of Jerusalem and its once glorious Temple, the one built by King Solomon for God, destroyed, ransacked and plundered. And at that time, since the Lord had finally led His people back to their homeland, and restored their dignity and status, their blessings and grace, it was time for them all to rebuild the House of God, the place of worship where the Israelites ought to centre their attention, focus and their whole lives upon. That Temple at the time was the place where God’s Holy Presence descended and dwelled among His people.

However, as mentioned by the prophet Haggai, the leaders of the people delayed and tarried in not hurrying to rebuild the Temple of God despite having the means and the resources to do so. The prophet Haggai told those leaders of the people that they must not indulge themselves with pleasures while the people of God was without the House and Temple of God’s Holy Presence where they could worship Him and focus their attention to Him in their lives. And the Lord also reassured them all that if they were to carry out this mission, they would be blessed and strengthened by God, and He would restore the glory of Israel, the joy and happiness that they would enjoy once again with their Lord and Master being by their side.

Then from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the exchange and conversation between the Lord and His disciples in which He asked them about His identity, and what the people said Who He truly was, and they then said all those things which the people said, that He was one of the Prophets, or a great Teacher of God, but St. Peter, the one who led the Twelve and the other disciples courageously said before the whole assembly of the disciples that the Lord Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God Who had been sent into the world, to be the One to redeem and free all the people of God from the tyranny and domination of sin and darkness, the One Who had been promised for many ages, and been long awaited by the people.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard ourselves from this Gospel passage today, we are reminded of God Who is always ever present among His beloved ones, His holy people, just as He has constantly shown to us all mankind throughout our whole history and existence. God has always been with His people, ever since He led them all out of the land of Egypt, journeying with them and staying with them in the Ark of the Covenant, which then resided at the Temple of God in Jerusalem. And afterwards, when the Temple was rebuilt once again in Jerusalem, God renewed His assurance and presence, and then, made His Presence amongst us most tangible as He came Himself in the flesh, in the Person of His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the One sent to be our Saviour.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, two martyrs who were twin brothers and renowned physicians in the region of Asia Minor, where they were well-known for their dedication to the people there, who came to seek them for help with their various physical maladies. They also helped minister to the people of God spiritually, and were courageous in their faith in God as always. At that time, the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his fellow Co-Emperors enacted a very harsh campaign of persecution against Christians throughout the Roman Empire, and as a result, many of the faithful were persecuted and martyred, and this included that of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, who were arrested and tortured, before finally martyred for their faith. But their courageous faith and dedication to God, their piety and worthy lives still inspired countless others throughout the history of the Church till this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, and everything that they had done for the sake of the Lord and His people, their courageous faith and martyrdom, in defending their faith in Him. Let us also remember our responsibilities as Christians to walk ever more faithfully in God’s Presence and to be good role models and examples for one another. May the Lord continue to help and guide us all in our respective journeys in life so that we may always inspire others in each and every moments of our lives, even in the smallest things that we do, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 25 September 2025 : 25th 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 Sacred Scriptures and as we gather to ponder on the meaning of God’s words, let us all remind ourselves of the need for each and every one of us as Christians to do God’s will and to obey His commandments. To each and every one of us have been given the means, the abilities, opportunities and the calling for all of us to make good use of what we have been given so that we will go forth and carry out what the Lord had commanded us to do, to glorify Him by our every actions, words and deeds in life, in everything that we say and do so that we may truly proclaim His Good News and truth to everyone whom we encounter daily in our everyday life. That is what we are expected to do as Christians.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Haggai, we heard of the words of the Lord directed to the leaders of the people of Israel in Judah, consisting of the leader of the House of David, Zerubbabel who was also the Governor of Judah, the High Priest and others, reminding them of the Lord’s will and the obligation they had in reestablishing the Temple of God in Jerusalem, after they had rebuilt the city and settled in nicely back in their homeland. Back then, the Israelites had been allowed to return to their homeland after lengthy period of exile in Babylon and other far-off regions, after the new regime of the Persians under King Cyrus the Great and his successors allowed them to reclaim their ancestral lands and worship the Lord once again.

The Israelites had been humiliated, faced great sufferings and challenges in their exile in Babylon and those distant lands, uprooted from their ancestral lands and made to be a nation without a home and having had their city of Jerusalem and its once glorious Temple, the one built by King Solomon for God, destroyed, ransacked and plundered. But God never forgot about His people and He continued to watch over them and through His guiding hands and the means known to Him alone, by leading and inspiring certain people, including that of the King of Persia, He eventually led His people, already repentant and regretful over their past actions and those of their ancestors, back to the land meant for them to stay and dwell in, and restored them to grace and blessings once again.

However, as mentioned by the prophet Haggai, the leaders of the people delayed and tarried in not hurrying to rebuild the Temple of God despite having the means and the resources to do so. The prophet Haggai told those leaders of the people that they must not indulge themselves with pleasures while the people of God was without the House and Temple of God’s Holy Presence where they could worship Him and focus their attention to Him in their lives. This was indeed of a paramount importance because understanding how the Israelites became scattered and exiled from their homeland, it was because of their lack of faith in God in the first place, and that was why there was indeed a need to restore God’s central place in the community.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of astonishment from King Herod Antipas of Galilee, who wondered about everything which he had received regarding the miracles, wonders and works of Jesus, the One God had sent into this world to be the Saviour of all. Herod was surprised and amazed because what he had heard about Jesus sounded as if St. John the Baptist, the man of God and famous preacher that he had persecuted, arrested and unintentionally killed, had come back to life once again. That was because St. John the Baptist was indeed the precursor of the Messiah, the one sent by God to prepare the path for His Saviour. Hence, naturally, what he did would be similar and along the same manner and idea as that of the Lord Himself.

But what the Lord showed us all through all the works that He had done is the reminder for each and every one of us that we have been given the means and the abilities, the opportunities and the responsibilities to make good use of the various gifts given to us. All of us should always be ready and vigilant to be active in contributing and making use of those opportunities and blessings we have been given to do God’s great and wonderful works in the midst of our respective communities. And as it was said, that to those who have been given more, more would have been expected, therefore we are reminded that being Christians is not one of idle discipleship but instead one that is active and lived daily in our lives.

The question now is, are we all willing to commit ourselves to do God’s will, and to obey Him? Like the leaders of the people of God who had been chastised and reminded by the prophet Haggai, we must realise that each and every one of us have with us the important responsibility to make good use of the blessings, the opportunities and all the other good things that God has given and blessed us all with. We should always be aware of those opportunities and blessings that we have been given most generously by God and do our very best to use them well for the good of those whom God had entrusted to us, and all those we encounter in each and every moments of our lives.

May the Lord our God continue to help us in our journey and life, doing our best to serve Him and to do His will through each and every things that we do, in our every day moments even in the smallest things so that by everything we say and do, we will always glorify God and point the way for others to follow. Let us continue to be committed in our everyday living to be good and faithful Christians as always, and be worthy and shining beacons of God’s light in our communities. Amen.

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Wednesday, 24 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded that God is truly merciful, loving and forgiving towards all of His beloved people, even those who have offended Him the most, and He is always ever patient in guiding those who have slipped away and fell away from His path to return once more to His grace and blessings. Now what matters is whether we are willing to embrace that generous mercy, forgiveness and love or not. God has always given us His mercy and forgiveness generously, without limits, and He has given us all many opportunities to embrace Him and His most loving and generous mercy, but it is indeed up to us whether we want to accept that offer of mercy or not.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezra in which the prophet and priest Ezra presented before the Lord the prayers that he offered on behalf of the people of Israel, who had finally returned to the land promised to their ancestors after long period in exile in distant lands. They had managed to rebuild their lives, their homes and their cities, and most significantly, with the support of the Persian monarch and state, they finally had the freedom to worship their God again, and rebuild the Temple and House which had once stood in Jerusalem dedicated to the worship of God. That was a truly joyous occasion amidst the long period of suffering and humiliation endured by the people of God, through which God has shown His persistent and patient love towards them.

All those sufferings and hardships were after all caused by the disobedience which the people had done, in refusing to walk in the path of faith as the Lord had taught them to do. Instead of listening to the prophets and messengers that had been sent to remind them of their true purpose, their true allegiance and obedience to God, their ancestors had hardened their hearts and minds, persecuting those servants of God who had laboured patiently and courageously in their midst. That was why they fell from grace and were left to suffer the consequences of their disobedience and sins, which brought them to their downfall and the destruction of their kingdom, their cities and their livelihood. But God never forgot about them or abandoned them, as while He chastised and punished them, He has always done so with the intention to lead them to Himself.

That was how after having been humiliated and after having faced a lot of sufferings due to their disobedience, the people of God having repented from their sins and having been reconciled with God, came back to the land promised to them and their ancestors. The priest Ezra presented this collection of the people’s regret and repentance in prayer towards the Lord, highlighting the shame and the regret that they all had gone through and experienced, and had in their and their ancestors’ disobedient and wicked behaviours, committing to a new life and existence in God. And Ezra also thanked the Lord on behalf of the people for His constant presence and guidance, and for having always guided them all, staying with them throughout their good and bad times.

In the Psalm today, we also heard the song of Tobit, the man of Israel living in exile in Assyria after the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel who had faced a lot of hardships and challenges, to whom God had shown great mercy and love, delivering him out of his troubles and hardships. Tobit encountered hardships and challenges when he showed mercy and love to his fellow Israelite exile, and then faced blindness as another difficulty to add on to the trouble that he already had. But God did not abandon him and remembered his kindness and generosity, and how he still kept faith even amidst the hardships and challenges, and through the Archangel Raphael whom he sent to the world, Tobit was helped and cured from his condition, and others were also impacted in positive ways, as God answered their prayers.

All these are reminders that God is always with us all, His beloved people, and He never forgets about us. He has always cared for us and has always put us before anything else, showing us His patient guiding hands throughout even the most difficult and toughest moments in our lives. God has always been there for us, providing for us, lifting us up and strengthening us even when we thought that we were alone in facing those darkness and struggles around us. Even if we are to abandon Him, He will not abandon us, and to the very last moments, He will always be there for us, extending His hands and mercy to us, ever wanting to be reconciled and reunited with us. We should continue to hold on to hope and have faith in God, at all times, remembering His ever patient love and presence in our midst, even in our darkest moments.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples, to go in pairs before Him, as He sent them on the mission to go to those places that He Himself was to visit, to reach out to many more people and to carry out more good works for the Lord. He told them to not depend on themselves and their own means to survive, but rather depend on the good will of the people whom they were to visit, with the purpose that they should not depend on their own power or think that it was by their own greatness and abilities that they were able to achieve successes in their works and ministry, but rather, all of their successes were all due to the guidance and providence of God.

We are therefore also reminded that in our lives and also in our missions as Christians, all of us should not depend on only our own human power, abilities, achievements and intellect. Above all else, we should always be firmly rooted in the Lord and put our full faith in Him. We should allow Him to lead and guide us all in our every works, missions and efforts so that we do not grow conceited and proud, haughty and ambitious, thinking that it is by our own greatness and power that we manage to gain success, and we do not become distracted by the temptations of success and glory that we may end up losing sight on what it truly means to do the good works of God. Instead, we should always remain humble and continue to centre and focus ourselves on the Lord wholeheartedly as always.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our very best and strive such that we can continue to live our lives ever more worthily and faithfully in God’s Presence. Let us always follow the examples that our holy predecessors had shown us, and do our very best so that by our good examples and as good inspirations and role models to everyone around us, we will always glorify God by our lives in each and every moments. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 23 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that as Christians, that is as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us should always remember how beloved we have been by God at all times, and how He has given us all His providence and guidance, even through the most challenging and difficult moments, and if we are faithful to Him, in the end, God will lead us all into eternal and true happiness with Him, and we are all called to live our lives virtuously in the manner that all of us have been taught and shown by the Lord Himself through His Church. If we want to be true and genuine Christians, then we have to embody our faith and truly believe in Him wholeheartedly in all things.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezra, we heard of the moment when the people of God, the descendants of the Israelites gathered together under the leadership of the prophet and priest Ezra himself, whom the King of Persia had sent to be the leader of the people of God, who had once again dwelled in the lands which God had promised and granted to their ancestors. They had managed to rebuild their destroyed city in Jerusalem and its Temple, the House of God which had once been built by King Solomon, and destroyed by the Babylonians. The priest Ezra led the people in the ceremony and celebrations held to mark its consecration and dedication to God.

It was a moment of great triumph and rejoicing, considering how the people of God, the Israelites and their descendants had been facing a lot of tough and difficult moments in the past few centuries prior, which happened mostly because of their own lack of faith in God and their inability to commit themselves to the One Who has always cared for them and loved them, and their own preoccupation with worldly ambitions and desires that had distracted and kept them away from the path towards righteousness and virtue in their one Lord and Master. They had been brought low and humbled, cast from their prideful thrones, and made to endure sufferings and humiliations, but God was always with them throughout their journey, even in their most challenging and difficult moments.

This is why we are reminded through this passage of the need for us to continue to have faith in the Lord even through the most difficult and darkest moments in life. We must remember that we are never alone, because no matter how fallen and far we may have been from Him, God has always had a way to reach out to us and to show us all His Providence, even in the most unexpected way and manner. We have to trust in Him that He knows the path for us going forward, so that we will not be easily distracted or made astray by the many pressures, difficulties, obstacles and temptations in our lives. We should always stand firm in our trust in the Lord because eventually even though we may have to suffer for a while, but eventually, we will be vindicated by our faith in God.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard the very brief passage from the Gospel in which the Lord Jesus told those who were saying to Him that His mother and brothers were there looking for Him, that all those who obey the Lord and do His will were truly His brothers and His mother, this short passage is a reminder for all of us that each and every one of us are equally beloved by the Lord and we should always strive to do our best in following the Law and commandments of God, so that we will truly be worthy of being called to the Holy Presence of God, in accounting for our lives and actions before Him. We should always heed God’s call and make good use of all that He has provided to us.

And in highlighting His mother, it did not mean that the Lord Jesus was being disrespectful to her or to the relatives that had been there waiting for Him. In fact, the Lord was pointing indirectly at His own Beloved Mother, whose faith in God and dedication, all of her virtues and commitment are indeed great examples and inspirations for all of us as Christians, in how she has completely obeyed the Lord and trusted in Him, doing her very best to fulfil everything that God Himself has entrusted to her. That is why if we follow Mary’s good examples and faith, all of us can surely gain the inspiration and strength to live our own lives in the manner that is more appropriate, faithful and worthy of God, in showing love not only for the Lord, but also for our fellow brethren all around us.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, also much more commonly and famously known as St. Padre Pio, a Capuchin Franciscan saint, a holy and truly pious priest and servant of God who had been known well for his many miracles and wonders. St. Padre Pio was remembered for his great piety and commitment to God, for his humble dedication to the Lord despite the many challenges that he had to face throughout his life and ministry. St. Padre Pio did not have it easy early on in life as he had been born to a family of poor farmers, and they had faced a lot of challenges, and yet, they were all very devout and committed to God, spending a lot of time in devotion and prayer to God despite all the hardships that they had to endure in their lives.

Amidst all that background, the young St. Padre Pio has begun to discern the calling to serve God and become a priest, and at the same time, he has also begun experiencing various heavenly visions and mystical experiences that he would go on to experience through the rest of his life. Eventually, St. Padre Pio joined the Capuchin religious order and dedicated himself to the order’s way of life, but even in that he also faced struggles and hurdles, as he was not properly educated, and needed to further his studies first before he was allowed to join the order. He faced several bouts of ill health and problems during his formation years, and this problem still plagued him even after he was ordained a priest, an experience which was worsened by his mystical experience of being a stigmatist later on in life, bearing the wounds of the Lord Himself on his body.

The appearance of the stigmatq gradually made St. Padre Pio to be very famous later on in his life, but for many years and decades, he encountered a lot of doubts, opposition and also persecution from the Church hierarchy and others who cast doubts on the authenticity of the miracles and the stigmata which were associated with this holy man of God. He had to bear through periods in which he was banned from celebrating the Mass publicly and preaching to the people of God, all the while experiencing spiritual attacks from the devil. Yet, all these did not dampen his spirit, and he continued to live his life humbly, faithfully and devoutly in all things, spending a lot of time in prayer, and many more people were coming to him seeking for his help and guidance, and other occasions happened when miracles happened to those who have interacted with this man of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as reflect carefully upon the life of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, as well as on the messages delivered to us through the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should always be good role models and examples for everyone around us. Let us all continue to be ever more faithful in all things, and be the shining beacons of God’s Light, truth and love in our communities, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 22 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded by the message contained within the Sacred Scriptures which we have heard of the message of hope from God for all of His people. The Lord wants to remind us all through these readings of the Scriptures that if we continue to put our faith and trust in Him, and do our very best to live our lives with genuine faith and understanding of His ways and love, then we shall be provided for and protected by God, and God will always guide us all, and show us the way. And then, God also wants us all to make good use of whatever it is that He has given and blessed us all with, all the blessings, graces and opportunities that He has provided to us, so that we may use them well for the benefit of everyone.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezra, we heard of the moment when the Israelites living in exile in Babylon finally had their moment of freedom and emancipation after living in exile for many years. While traditionally it was numbered as seventy years or seven decades, the reality was such that some of those Israelites spent more years in exile while others spent less years in exile in Babylon, and for those people living in the northern kingdom of Israel, which was destroyed by the Assyrians almost two centuries earlier, some of them might have also returned to their ancestral lands as well, and it had been a long wait for all of them regardless. Contextually, the Israelites, the people of God had faced all these trials and challenges, all because their own disobedience against God.

They chose to follow the gods of their neighbours, abandoning the Law and commandments of God, persecuting the prophets and messengers sent into their midst to remind and call them to return to the Lord their God. They chose to embrace their worldly desires and ambitions instead of following the Lord and doing what He has taught and shown them to do, and as a result, they veered further and further away from the path that God has led them to, and as such, they fell from grace and lost the favour which God had once bestowed on them. They became divided and weakened, and they fell into disarray, becoming the object of derision and scorn from their neighbours, and were oppressed, conquered and subjugated by their enemies. Both Israel and Judah, Samaria and Jerusalem were destroyed and many of the people of God were carried into exile.

But the Lord did not forget them and still showed them all His wonderful and patient love as always. He reminded them of this love through His prophets and messengers that He sent to them, promising restoration and reconciliation for them, if they were to embrace Him once again with love and devotion, and with sincere and genuine repentance from their many sins and disobedience. That was what happened then, as God sent them deliverance through the King of Persia, Cyrus the Great, who conquered Babylon and emancipated those people of God who had been living in exile for many decades. He allowed the people of Israel to return to their homeland and to rebuild their lives there, and giving them the freedom once again to worship their God.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words of the Lord to His disciples in which He told them all with a parable using the example of lamp placed on a lamp-stand for everyone to see to highlight the need for their faith, for the faith that all of us have in the Lord to be lived genuinely in our own respective lives in each and every moments. This means that whatever God has given to us and blessed us with we should not ignore or neglect, or use them for the purposes that are not meant to glorify God. God has given us all various gifts, talents, abilities and opportunities which we should actively use and engage in our daily lives and in everything that we say and do so that in even the smallest things that we do, we will always do the Lord’s good works and proclaim His Good News to all.

The Lord also mentioned that whoever produces more, shall be given more while those who have not produced, even what they had will be taken away from them. This is the same reminder of how each and every one of us need to be active in living our faith, not through grand gestures or amazing achievements, but rather through daily actions and words which truly show that we are indeed God’s holy and beloved people. As Christians, it is imperative that we have to be full of God’s love as always, to love God wholeheartedly as we should, and not like the people of Israel in the past that had been unfaithful to Him. At the same time, we must also love all those around us, and especially those who are truly dearly beloved to us, and we should not neglect them or ignore their needs.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us have been given various responsibilities in our own areas of life, and we are all called to be active and faithful disciples of God, ever mindful of the impact that our words and actions have on everyone around us. Consequently, we should always strive to live our lives ever more faithfully in all things, by becoming closer to God and also to all those whom we love, practicing our genuine faith by showing love and care for everyone, including even to those who have hurt and disappointed us. It is by these actions of love that we are indeed showing tangible signs and evidence that we are God’s beloved people, and it is by those real and tangible actions and works that we can touch the lives of others and help them to come closer to God.

May the Lord our most loving God continue to be with us and guide us all in our respective journeys in life. May He continue to strengthen each and every one of us to carry out our daily activities showing ever greater faith and commitment to Him, so that we may touch the lives of many others around us, and thus helping many to find their way to the Lord as well, through inspiration of our own good and worthy lives filled with God’s grace and love. May God bless our every efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 21 September 2025 : Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all gather together to praise the Lord, all of us are reminded by the words from the Sacred Scriptures we have heard that we must seek not the desires and ambitions of the world, the temptations of worldly goods, matter, money and all the things which can distract us from our path in life towards God, in the need for us to obey the Lord and His teachings. Each and every one of us should always remind one another that our lives should always be anchored in our faith in Christ our Lord, doing our best to live in a righteous manner according to the path that God has shown us. It is by doing this faithfully even in the smallest things that we do, that we become truly worthy as those whom the Lord had called and chosen.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of the prophet Amos, we heard of the words of the Lord which He delivered through Amos to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel although he originated from the southern kingdom of Judah. The Lord sent words of rebuke and warning against all those wicked people who had not been truly faithful to Him, and worse still, as they even exploited the weak and the needy for their own benefits and profits, as mentioned in how they tampered with the scales and cheated the honest people who had come to them seeking for their services. And for all these dishonesty, wickedness and all the other evils that they had done, the Lord would punish them all and crush them all, as they rightfully deserved.

God wants all of His people to follow His path, everything that He has taught and shown them all. He does not want them to veer off into paths of evil and wickedness, through which they could end up in their downfall. The Lord therefore sent them many reminders and helpers to assist them, showing them the path to follow so that they may end up in the right path. These helpers and messengers were none other than the prophets and messengers of God, all sharing the same message which were meant for the people, ever reminding and calling on them to obey the Lord their God, and to follow His Law and commandments. And yet, the people still rebelled against the Lord and refused to obey or listen to the prophets, and in fact even persecuting and murdering those servants of God.

And many of these came about especially because of pride that afflicted many among them. Pride is truly indeed a great obstacle in our path as Christians, in being truly faithful to God amidst all the temptations of the world. And for the Israelites, their pride in thinking that their way of life could not be wrong or mistaken, or that they did not do anything wrong, was one of the main reasons why they persisted in their rebellion and disobedience against God. Then, their desires and attachments for worldly glory, pleasures and ambitions, all of these have also led them further astray as they sought for all the things and pleasures in the world which then misled and distracted them from the path towards the Lord their God, and closed their hearts and minds against the words of the prophets and messengers sent to remind them.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to his protege, St. Timothy, in which the Apostle spoke of the faith that all the Christian believers ought to have in their one Lord and Master, as St. Paul reminded to St. Timothy that there is indeed only one Lord and Mediator of all things, the Mediator of the New Covenant between God and His people, in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who had been crucified, suffered and died for all of our sakes. And St. Paul made it clear that it is this One Mediator and Lord that he, St. Timothy and all the other missionaries had been working hard to proclaim and speak about in many places and even in distant lands, and therefore he encouraged them all to continue to work hard in praying and asking for God to help and guide His people in all things.

Finally, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the parable which the Lord Jesus used to teach the disciples about the importance of putting their faith and trust in Him, and not to be easily tempted and distracted by worldly ambitions and desires, echoing what we have heard from the earlier Scripture readings as well. In that parable of the dishonest steward, we heard the story of a steward who had been accused of dishonesty and misdeeds in his work, and was therefore to be fired from his position, and we heard then how the dishonest steward then used his ideas and astuteness to try to secure for himself a living by modifying the contracts and debts of those who have owed money or things to his own master.

In doing that, the dishonest steward was trying to gain favour with those who had been indebted to his master, with the hope that when he was out of his job, there would be those who would take care of him. But if we look deeper, we can see how all these things ultimately came about and happened because of the steward’s own actions, his own greed, ambitions and desires that led him to be dishonest in his actions, which he then doubled down during the time when he was trying to secure a living for himself. While the master did praise the steward’s astuteness, this should not be considered as an endorsement or approval of what the steward had done. Rather, what the master highlighted and wanted us all to know is that, it is necessary for us to act in the way that the steward had done, in preparing for eventuality to come.

And for us all this eventuality is about the coming of the time when we all have to reckon and account for our lives before the Lord at the end and time of judgment. And since we know that this is coming up for all of us, then what is our choice of actions in our lives? Are we going to follow the way of the dishonest steward in indulging ourselves in worldliness or are we going to do what the Lord Himself has told us all to do? The choice is ours to make, and we should live our lives to the best of our abilities such that in everything that we say and do, we will always do what is right and just according to what the Lord Himself has shown and taught us, and this is what the Lord wants us all to do in our lives so that we may make best use of everything that He has provided to us to serve and glorify Him, at all times.

May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us in our good works and endeavours, and help us all such that we can resist the temptations of worldly glory, pleasures and ambitions, and seek instead to follow the path that the Lord has shown us. Let us all be exemplary and be good role models in how we live our lives each day, in obeying God and His Law and commandments, and in showing genuine love and care to everyone around us, particularly to those whom we love and care for, while not neglecting those around us who need our help and generosity as well. May God be with us always in all things, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 20 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us have been given and entrusted with many great and wonderful things by God Himself, all the talents, abilities, opportunities and the many other things which He has provided for us so that we may truly be fruitful and active in making good use of them for the benefit of all the people of God and all those whom we encounter in our paths and journeys as Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord. Each and every one of us should always do our best such that our every actions, words and deeds may inspire many more people to come to know the Lord, His love and truth.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to his protege and fellow missionary, St. Timothy, we heard of the Apostle reminding St. Timothy and all fellow Christians to always remember that they were all the servants and followers of Christ, the Lord and Saviour, God Himself Who has manifested His love and works through His Son, Whom He sent into our world in order to bring all of us, His beloved people into salvation and eternal life through Him. And because of this, each and every one of those who have professed their faith as Christians ought to continue to focus our lives on God and His teachings, to embody our faith in our everyday actions, in our every words and deeds, in everything that we say and do, at all times.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the famous parable that the Lord Jesus taught to His disciples, which I am sure we are all well aware of, that is the parable of the sower. In this parable of the sower, we heard of what happened to the different seeds that fell in different places, and how among all those seeds, only those that fell on rich and fertile soil managed to grow well and bear fruits, while all the other seeds, those that fell by the roadside, those that fell on the rocks and those that grew amongst the brambles and weeds, all those failed to grow. The Lord Himself had explained His parable and its meaning clearly to the disciples, highlighting how God has given to each and every one of us the gifts and opportunities, talents and abilities much like those seeds that were mentioned in the parable.

However, they had to be nurtured and cultivated, meaning that we should do our best to give the best conditions possible in allowing this faith, all the gifts and things that God had provided to us. And how do we exactly do that, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is by us spending more quality time with the Lord, doing our best to walk ever more faithfully in the Lord’s Presence at all times, in even the most ordinary things that we do. We must not underestimate the power of prayer and faith in our lives, and we should always strive to lead a life that is attuned to God’s will, doing our part such that we may grow ever closer to God and continue to glorify Him by our exemplary living, at all times. We should be good inspirations and role models for others around us, and that is one way how our faith can lead to so many more others finding their way to the Lord, and hence, bearing rich fruits for the Lord.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Korean Martyrs, or the Holy Martyrs of Korea, which are composed of many local Korean Christians and converts, both among the clergy and the laity alike, as well as the many missionaries who had come from distant lands, serving the Lord and His people, and all of whom endured great challenges, trials and sufferings amidst their ministry and living of their Christian faith. Today we remember all of these most courageous, faithful and loving people of God, who have borne the pains and struggles of being God’s faithful and beloved children and disciples, suffering prison, pains and sufferings, humiliations and hardships, and many of them even died as martyrs, choosing to die in faith rather than to give up their faith in God or to abandon Him and His Church.

At that time, the Korean state and government were very suspicious and hostile against the Christians and the missionaries who came to Korea to evangelise and proclaim the Lord and His Good News. They viewed the Christian faith and the missionaries as threat to their way of life and the authority of the state, as opposed to the strict Confucian nature of the society and the worldview of the time prevailing in Korea. And therefore, the state persecuted the Christians, both the foreign missionaries and also the local converts, oppressing and attacking them, forcing them to choose between their faith and suffering, or to obey the commands and demands of the state and abandoning their newfound faith and trust in the Lord.

St. Andrew Kim Taegon was particularly renowned among the saints and martyrs commemorated today as he was the first Korean Catholic priest, and he had a rough early life because his family, who had converted to the Christian faith were persecuted and he had his family members martyred for being followers of Christ. At a young age of fifteen, St. Andrew Kim Taegon chose to be baptised and then went to Macau to study as a seminarian and eventually was ordained as a priest in Shanghai in China. He later on returned to Korea to preach the Christian faith and Good News, evangelising to many of the people in his homeland. Eventually, he was persecuted with many other Christians, both missionaries, clergy and laity alike during intense persecutions against them, but he and the other faithful martyrs remained firmly faithful to the very end.

There was also the story of the faith of St. Laurent Imbert, the first Vicar Apostolic of Korea, the missionary which the Pope appointed to be the representative of the Church in Korea, laying down the important groundwork for the growth of Christianity in that area. St. Laurent Imbert dedicated himself to minister to the faithful people of God, the flock entrusted to his care by the Lord, despite the intensifying persecutions against him and many other missionaries. When he and the other missionaries had to go into hiding during those persecutions, St. Laurent Imbert voluntarily surrendered himself to the authorities, and encouraged two other priests to do the same as he hoped that by doing so, he might spare many other Christians, his own flock, from suffering more for being followers of Christ. Before he was martyred, he was remembered for his great quote from the Gospel, ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.’, showing the action that he and the Lord Himself had done in ensuring our salvation and liberation from sin and destruction.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the faith and examples shown to us by the Holy Martyrs of Korea, those whose lives and dedication to God have been most exemplary and strong, and who have inspired us all to continue to live our lives with genuine and strong faith in the Lord as we should have always done. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to commit ourselves thoroughly and wholeheartedly to the cause of the Lord, to be truly loving and generous with our compassion and mercy to one another, and to trust in the Lord’s providence and care, and in everything which He has reassured and promised us, the promise of everlasting life and true happiness, of glory everlasting with Him.

May the Lord our God continue to guide us all and strengthen us in faith as He has done to all those faithful servants, those Holy Martyrs in Korea who had dedicated their lives to Him and those who have done their best to remain faithful to Him despite the persecutions against them. May all of us continue to walk ever more faithfully and courageously in God’s Holy Presence and lead others to come ever closer to Him as well by our good examples and inspirations in life. Let us all be like the seeds that fell on the rich soil and bear wonderful fruits of our faith, that we may be found truly worthy by God. Amen.

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Friday, 19 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, are reminded that we have the important role in living our lives actively, courageously and intentionally for the glorification of God, in living our lives faithfully and in showing the same love which God has shown to each and every one of us, and not instead bringing about scandals and divisions within the Church because of our own actions and ambitions, all the things which we may have done which can harm the unity of the Church and the salvation of souls. All of us should always strive to live our lives worthily in the manner that God Himself has shown us so that we may lead more and more people towards Him.

In our first reading today, we continued to listen to the words from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to his protege, St. Timothy in which he exhorted him to continue to be faithful to the Lord at all times. St. Paul encouraged St. Timothy and indirectly all of us, God’s faithful people to continue to live our lives virtuously in the best way possible, doing our best to be good role models for everyone around us. He contrasted this to the attitudes of those who did not profess or teach in the same manner as the Apostles themselves had taught, those who have proclaimed the false message and ideas that do not align with what the Lord Himself has revealed and shown to us through His Church, His disciples and messengers. And we are reminded that we should not do this ourselves, and we have to be ever faithful in everything that we do in life.

St. Paul also spoke of how those false teachers and preachers were steeped in worldliness, in seeking to pervert the truth of God, engaging in controversies and conflicts, ambitions of the world, seeking for worldly glory and financial gain amongst others. These were the behaviours often exhibited by the Pharisees and the elders of the community, as well as some other false teachers such as one Simon the Magus as shown in the Acts of the Apostles. Many of these put their own selfish interests, ambitions and desires as their primary aims in life, and instead of serving God as they should have done. And those who seek worldly ambitions and glory will end up ruining themselves in the long run, and which was why the Apostle reminded St. Timothy and by extension, all the other Christian leaders and also all of us as Christians that we should not follow the same path as well.

Instead, as Christians, each and every one of us need to live our lives virtuously and in the manner that the Lord Himself has shown and taught us. We have to be the good role models and examples for one another so that in everything that we say and do, we will always inspire many others around us to walk down the same path of righteousness and faith, in doing what is right and just in the sight of the Lord and to help everyone around us to come to know the Lord, His truth and salvation, showing them all the true love of God manifested in our own lives, in each and every one of our actions, words and deeds. This is what we all have been called to do as Christians, as those whom the Lord Himself has called and chosen to be His own holy and beloved people.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard from the account of that Gospel regarding all the women who have followed the Lord Jesus in His ministry to the people of God, all those women both mentioned and unmentioned in their various roles as the followers and friends of the Lord. They spent and dedicated their time and efforts to support the Lord and His ministry, travelling around with Him and providing the needs of the Lord and His other disciples. These holy women were often not highlighted and well discussed in the hagiographies and in the accounts of the lives of the saints, but what they had done for the sake of the Lord, the efforts that they made and everything they committed to the Lord, all of those should indeed inspire us to do ever better in living our lives with faith in Him.

They humbly followed the Lord and listened to Him, quietly working behind the scenes and made use of their own means, funds and other efforts to support the good works of the Lord, and this is what we should be doing as well in our own lives. Each and every one of us are expected to follow their examples in being humble and selfless in doing our works and missions as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, so that by our daily actions, examples and courageous faith, we will inspire many others to follow in our paths in life leading towards God, and hence, we will help to lead so many others towards Him and that is what God has wanted us all to do in each and every moments of our lives, through the opportunities that He has provided to us.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Januarius, who was the Bishop of Naples in the time of the Roman Empire, when the Church and the faithful people of God were persecuted for their faith. St. Januarius according to tradition was born in Benevento in southern Italy to a rich Roman patrician family and he joined the priesthood from a relatively young age, and eventually becoming the Bishop of Naples, leading the Christian faithful in that region. All these happened during the middle of the third century, when the Roman Empire was undergoing lots of internal upheavals and problems, and then afterwards, with the rise of the Roman Emperor Diocletian to power, the latter launched a large campaign of intense persecutions against Christians, leading to the deaths and martyrdom of many among the people of God, including St. Januarius himself.

While not much was known about his martyrdom in detail, according to the accounts of the hagiographies or the stories about the saints, St. Januarius helped to hide Christians who were persecuted and at the same time also visiting secretly those who had been arrested for their faith. And amidst one of those visits, he was arrested by the authorities and he was eventually beheaded after several miraculous occasions that prevented him from being martyred. Nonetheless, the great faith and dedication which St. Januarius had shown became great inspiration for many of the faithful throughout the region and elsewhere even to this day, when the relic containing his blood miraculously liquifies during certain times including that of today, his feast day, and many devoted themselves to God through this holy servant of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having discerned the messages of the Sacred Scriptures and having looked through the great examples shown by St. Januarius in his great faith and dedication to God, are we all willing to follow in his footsteps, and in the path set before us by the many other disciples of the Lord who had gone before us? Each and every one of us can do many great things in our own lives, in living our lives ever more faithfully so that by our good examples and faith, many more people will come to believe in God. May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen each and every one of us always, in our determination to live our lives worthily in His Presence, now and always. Amen.