reflecting on the Scriptures

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Saturday, 15 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (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 all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we continue to be reminded of the greatness of God Who is capable of doing every wonders and good things in our lives, if we only put our trust and faith in Him. For the Lord Who has created this world and the whole Universe in all of its goodness has always intended for us to enjoy the fullness of His love and grace, and He would not want for any of us to suffer or endure all the challenges that we are facing in life now. But it was our own waywardness and disobedience against Him which had led to our own downfall and sufferings, as we end up causing harm and hurt to one another in our quest and pursuit of selfish desires.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Wisdom, we heard from that passage of the might and power of God as He carried out everything that He has always planned, in leading all of His beloved people to righteousness and to the path that He has prepared for them. He did everything according to His designs and plans, which He has gradually revealed to us through His Spirit and Wisdom provided to us through the same Spirit. He has always been for those whom He has loved, that is all of us mankind, without exception, and He has always patiently provided for us without cease and constantly, ever caring for us and loving us all unconditionally and generously.

God has always shown us all His Providence even through the most difficult moments, sending His help, guidance and protection, companionship and presence through the most difficult moments of our lives. We are therefore never alone in our journey, and whenever we want to give up in this struggle and whenever we fall into temptations to sin, and want to give up the struggles against the pressures of the world, we should remember that God is always ever present around us and supporting us in our daily struggles and challenges. It is often however that we do not realise or appreciate God being there for us because we do not have enough faith in Him and we are so preoccupied with ourselves and the things are busy fussing about instead.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the parable that the Lord Jesus used to teach His disciples, using that of an evil judge who feared neither God or man, and an old widow who constantly went to the old judge and demanded that the latter pursue her case and win justice for her. As expected, of course the evil and wicked judge refused to arbitrate on her behalf or even to take heed of her. But the old widow kept on persisting and insisting daily on the evil judge, kept on pestering her to take up her case until we heard that eventually he gave in to the demands of the old widow if only that he could rid himself of her incessant persistent demands.

As we heard in this Gospel passage, the Lord Jesus was making this comparison and reference to the case between the evil judge and the old widow to highlight just how much more generous and willing for the Lord our God to hear and heed our prayers and requests, if the evil judge himself granted the desires of the old widow. This is an important reminder and encouragement for all of us as Christians that no matter what, we should not lose faith or trust in the Lord because if we continue to have faith in Him and if we put our hope ever always in Him and His Providence, the Lord will be with us and will provide us all that we need, and eventually, while the wait may seem to be long and delayed, everything will be fine for us all. We must keep up this faith in the Lord, always.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Albert the Great, or St. Albertus Magnus, a renowned man of God and great teacher of the faith, whose life, works and dedication to God should inspire us all to be dedicated and committed to Him ourselves. Each and every one of us should heed the good examples set by this wonderful man of God, so that we may also be always faithful to Him, at all times. St. Albert the Great was born in what is now Bavaria in southern part of Germany, during the High Middle Ages. He was brought up well academically and showed his talents early on. He then became a member of the Dominican Order, and studied to become a theologian, which began his great and long ministry as a teacher and theologian henceforth.

St. Albert the Great later on became one of the provincials of the Dominican Order, and carried out his duties with great obedience and dedication. And while later on he was appointed as a bishop, as the Bishop of Regensburg, he remained humble and committed to the missions entrusted to him, walking all around his diocese on foot instead of riding a horse as he was entitled to. He dedicated himself to whatever missions God had entrusted him with, and despite the honour and respect that many people and his positions entitled him with, he remained very humble and focused on the Lord, not being swayed by the temptations of worldly power and glory. Instead, he committed himself wholly to the Lord and to the people of God, all throughout his life, and this is something that we should be inspired to follow as well. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have discussed earlier from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures and also from the life and examples shown by St. Albert the Great, let us all therefore continue to strive to live our lives worthily in the Lord, doing whatever we can so that we will always focus and centre our lives in God, and to be constantly faithful in our dedication to Him, remembering that in everything that we do, we should always bring glory to God. We must also continue to have faith in Him, trusting that if we continue to trust Him and seek for His guidance and help through persistent prayer as the old widow in the parable had done, the Lord will indeed move to help us and provide for us all that we need.

May the Lord continue to inspire and strengthen us all such that we can continue to move forward in life with fullness of faith and trust in Him, knowing that He is ever present in our lives, being by our side and constantly journeying with us without cease. He has always been supporting us, loving us and caring for us, and He will never cease providing for us and guiding us through good and bad times alike. Let us all no longer be doubtful and continue to walk forward with ever greater trust in God, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 14 November 2025 : 32nd 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, we are all reminded that we should not be ignorant of the Lord and His Presence, His Wisdom and truth being present all around us. We should always heed in mind of the signs of times and all the teachings that He has revealed to us so that we may truly be committed and faithful to all things that He has taught us to do as His followers and disciples. We must always do our best as Christians, as God’s holy and beloved people to bear witness to our faith and commitment to God in all things and in all circumstances, in all of our works and interactions with one another.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Book of Wisdom, we heard of the words from the author highlighting the futility of all those pagans and unbelievers who worshipped the elements and aspects of the natural environment around them instead of worshipping the Lord, their God. It was common for the many polytheistic worship at that time to feature many deities, gods and goddesses that had their background in the nature’s diverse aspects and features, like the Sun, the Moon, the sky, the stars, lightning, the sea, earthquakes, volcanoes, nature and many other parts of nature, some of which awed and brought about terror to many, which led them to worship these as their gods and deities.

But the Lord had made it clear and showed His desire to reveal His truth to all the nations, which was exactly what St. Paul and the other Apostles and missionaries of the Lord had been doing. St. Paul went around to the many places where people still had not yet known about the Lord, and he introduced the Lord to them all, not only through words and preaching, but also more importantly through real and concrete actions and how he and the other missionaries lived their lives sincerely and worthily at all times, becoming great examples and role models to everyone who witnessed their works and actions. The way how they had lived their lives sincerely as Christians persuaded many more people than what they had preached.

St. Paul showed great wisdom and courage in revealing how the one and only one ought to be worshipped is indeed none other than the Lord Himself, and not all the other created things and natural phenomena as the pagans had believed and worshipped in. And how does this then relate to us? Essentially, even though many of us do not worship the pagan gods and idols in the present day world, but the truth is that we are all still idolising and even to the point of worshipping worldly things, desires and attachments, all the things that tend to keep us away from the Lord. Examples of these include money, titles, wealth, status, among other things, which themselves are not bad or evil, but our desires for them are what made these great distractions for us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard the Lord Jesus making the speech to the people gathered before Him about what would happen at the time when the Lord will come again at the end of time, the time of the reckoning and the Final Judgment of all things. He spoke of the historical past occasions when God’s judgment fell upon His people suddenly after they had been given many chances one after another. God has always been patient in loving His people throughout time and He has been giving them many chances, again and again because He wanted them all, all of us to be truly reconciled and reunited with Him.

But at the same time, we must also remember that He despises all forms of sins and wickedness, all forms of disobedience and corruptions caused by our sins against Him and against each other. And that is why as Christians it is important that we must always keep in mind how we behave and act in life. We must not take God’s love, mercy and generosity for granted, or else, retribution will come towards us. All those people who perished during the time of Noah, in Sodom and Gomorrah and others that the Lord referred to, shared common traits, namely pride, arrogance, haughtiness and refusal to listen to God and His kind reminders and words, and that was why they all perished.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are therefore reminded by the Lord through these words we have received in the Scriptures today. Are we willing to reflect on our way of life and how we have lived them so far? Have we spent so much time in pursuing for worldly interests and ambitions that we have forgotten to see the bigger picture and realise what it is that God truly wants us to do in life? It is very easy for us to lose sight on the way that the Lord has shown and taught us when we are so busy pursuing many things we often desire excessively in this world, which lead us to the wrong paths away from God and His salvation.

This is why we should continue to do our best to keep our focus in the Lord at all times, striving to glorify Him at each and every moments in our lives, through everything that we say and do. May the Lord also continue to bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 13 November 2025 : 32nd 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, we are reminded that not all faith and aspect of the faith can be easily visible or perceived, as in fact the reality is such that much of our faith lies within us, in what is beyond our human ability to perceive and understand. In order to appreciate all these and to understand the power of faith in our lives, we must have this Wisdom with us, and allow the Wisdom of God to guide and lead us all in our actions, in our deliberations and in our works. Wisdom is something that God has imparted upon us and is something that is truly beautiful, allowing us to draw ever closer to God, our Creator and Master.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Book of Wisdom, we heard from the author of this Book another long exhortation on the Wisdom of God and how this Wisdom has been imparted and given freely to each and every one of us, especially as Christians, who have received the gift of Wisdom through the Holy Spirit Whom God had sent into our midst at our Baptism and Confirmation. And by this Wisdom, God has helped us all to journey in this life with His constant yet subtle guidance. By His Divine Wisdom, He has shown us the path forward in life, to find our way to Him once again and to be fully reconciled with Him.

Why this reading is important for all of us today is because with Wisdom, all of us can know the Lord ever more closely and more intimately in our interactions with Him. Through the Wisdom that God has imparted to us, if we truly use this Wisdom well, we can better perceive the true nature of God, His love and all that He has done for us in our midst. Through Wisdom we can see just how much God had carried out His works in our world today, even when we may not immediately realise or appreciate His hands being at work in guiding and strengthening us throughout our respective journeys in life. If we allow God’s Wisdom to lead and guide us in life, we will certainly flourish and grow greater in faith.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist where the Lord Jesus was presented with a question by a Pharisee who asked of Him of when the kingdom of God would come into their midst. We must first understand that in the common understanding and perception of the Pharisee as well as probably most of the Jewish people at the time, the coming of the Messiah or the Saviour Whom God promised to send to His people was closely associated with the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel, the Kingdom of God’s people as how it was like during the glorious and golden ages of the rules of King David and King Solomon.

However, the Lord responded to the Pharisee that the kingdom of God is not something that is tangible in the manner that was understood or perceived by many of the people. The kingdom of God had in fact already arrived with the coming of the Lord Himself, Who brought upon all of us, God’s beloved people, the revelation of truth and Good News of salvation. The kingdom of God is truly all around us, within us and everywhere, for the Kingdom of God is in fact the Church, the same One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that God Himself has established in this world, and which we are all part of, the part of the same Body of Christ, the Church of God.

The Lord also said that His disciples must be wary if they were to hear anyone saying that the time is at hand, or show certain wonders and signs, calling on others to believe in them, because the coming of the Lord was not immediate at that time. The Jewish people had expected then that the Messiah, the Saviour sent by God would come with great power, authority and with wonderful signs, and that He would lead the chosen people of God to triumph against their enemies and oppressors.  But the Lord spoke the truth and the reality of what would actually happen, that the same people He had been sent to, would in fact reject and persecute Him, and this was a premonition of the things to come, culminating in the Passion and death of Jesus on the Cross.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all gather together and reflect on these series of readings from the Scriptures, let us all remember first and foremost how dearly beloved and precious each one of us are in the eyes of the Lord. God does not want us to face destruction and annihilation because of our disobedience and sins, and hence that was why He provided us with the means through which we can find our way out of our predicament and into His light. He gave us none other than His own Begotten Son in order to willingly bear the burden of our sins out of love. And in addition, as we discussed earlier, God also gave us all His Wisdom to help and guide us in our journey towards Him.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Creator continue to bestow us all His Wisdom so that in each and every moments of our lives, and in all of our actions we may continue to be guided by His Wisdom in each and every single things that we do in life. May the Wisdom of God continue to help us lead a life that is truly worthy of Him and help us to be good inspiration for one another, in being truly faithful and committed, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 12 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures we are reminded that God is the source of all power and sovereignty in this world and nothing exists in this world that do not have their origin in God, the true Lord and Master over all things, over the whole entire Universe and all of existence. And yet, at the same time, this Lord and Master of all the Universe is so loving and kind, compassionate and merciful towards us that He wants us all to be loved and taken care of by Him, to be healed from whatever afflictions that affected us all which had caused us to endure sufferings, trials and challenges in our respective lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Wisdom, we heard of the words of the author regarding the matter of power and authority in this world, and just as mentioned earlier, how God is the ultimate source of all power and authority, and no one, no king, powers, groups or anything in this world have power or sovereignty that did not come from God. God has entrusted this world in our care and He has entrusted to each one of us respective unique responsibilities and opportunities, which He wants us to embrace courageously and willingly, so that we may indeed make good use of all those things and opportunities that we have been provided with by God.

We should not allow ourselves to be deluded into thinking that we owe the Lord nothing, as it is important that we remember what the author of the Book of Wisdom said, that those who have been given greater power, authority and responsibility, more will be expected and required of them. This is a reminder to each and every one of us that we must always take seriously all the opportunities, expectations and responsibilities entrusted to each one of us in the many diverse areas of our lives. We should not take for granted whatever the Lord has given and entrusted to us, as whatever He has blessed us with, we will have to account for later on in the end. Have we made good use of what God has given to us?

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the occasion when the Lord Jesus encountered ten lepers in the wilderness as He and His disciples were on their journey towards their next mission. At that time, leprosy was a disease that was truly feared as it was a contagious disease that was difficult to be cured, and easily spread between people especially in close quarters. That was why in the Law of God that was presented to the Israelites through Moses, those who contracted leprosy had to wander off in the wilderness away from the rest of the community with the practical intention of preventing further spread of the disease among the people. Those who suffered from the disease could only return if they showed themselves to the priest and the latter certified that they no longer had the leprosy.

And as we heard, the Lord did not fear the lepers who were calling on Him to have mercy on them and He did not distance Himself from them, and He healed them all because of their faith, telling all the ten of them to follow the commandments of the Law and showed themselves to the priest. They obeyed and followed the Lord’s instruction, and was healed along the way. But only a Samaritan among the ten lepers returned to the Lord and thanked Him while the other nine lepers, presumably all Jews, kept on going their way with great joy. The Samaritans were then greatly reviled and hated by the Jews, and were often seen as heretical or even outright pagans by the latter, and yet, here we see a truly great faith that eclipsed that of the others.

We are reminded of two important things through this story of the healing of the ten lepers. First of them is obedience, which the ten lepers did, in obeying the Lord’s words and command, and therefore we should also obey the Lord our God in the same way as well. Although we may be perfectly well physically without any diseases of the flesh unlike those lepers, but we must not forget that we are all sinners, and if we understand sin and how it works against us, sin is no different from leprosy, and is arguably far worse. Sin kept us away from God, just as leprosy kept those who suffered from it from the community of God’s people. And only the Lord alone can heal us from our afflictions of sin, through His mercy and forgiveness, which we ought to be truly thankful for. That is the second important lesson that we should learn from the Samaritan leper, that is of gratitude.

Today, we should all be inspired by the examples set by St. Josaphat Kuntsevych, the saint and martyr whose feast we are celebrating. His great examples in being faithful and loving to God, faith in Him, and also his love and care for his flock, those people entrusted to him by God, all should inspire us all to become better and more dedicated disciples and followers of God ourselves. St. Josaphat Kuntsevych was the Archbishop of  Polotsk over the territories in what is now Belarus and parts of northern Ukraine, where back then there were divisions among the faithful people of God between those who were in Communion with the Pope in Rome and those who were in rebellion against the authority of the Vicar of Christ.

St. Josaphat Kuntsevych was one of the bishops who led the faithful who wished to reconcile themselves to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope and restore the unity of the Church, as part of the efforts known as the Union of Lublin. However, that reunification of the churches did not solve all the problems and divisions that existed, as quite a few among the clergy and the people resisted the efforts at reunification, and struggle to maintain their divisions and independence. St. Josaphat Kuntsevych laboured hard to minister to all of his flock and bridge the differences among his flock, including reaching out to those who resisted the efforts of reunification. He continued working hard despite all the opposition he encountered, and which led to his martyrdom as the mob rose up against him and murdered him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected upon the life and examples shown by the faith and courageous dedication of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych, let us all continue to do our own part to serve the Lord ever more courageously and faithfully at all times. Let us all be good role models and inspiration for one another just like how the saints had been great inspiration for us in how we ought to live up to our faith. May God bless us always, and may He continue to strengthen us with the courage and commitment to continue glorifying Him by our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 11 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (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 God had never intended for us all to be facing and enduring these sufferings that we have in this world as He has always meant for us to enjoy the good fruits of His blessings and graces from the very beginning, but sin came in the way and hence caused us to fall into this great predicament. At the same time, since we are also God’s creatures, we are also His servants and people, and this comes with expectations and responsibilities that are demanded and required for us to follow. Each and every one of us should always do our part in living our lives so that we will always do God’s will and serve Him faithfully at all times as we should.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Wisdom, we heard of how each and every one of us created in God’s own image and likeness have been meant to exist in perfect bliss and harmony with God, and not to suffer from the many trials that we are currently facing in this world. Yet, because of our disobedience against Him, we have become separated from God and the fullness of His love, as sin corrupted us and our souls, our whole beings, and prevented us from truly being together with God. And yet, even though we mankind have fallen into such a state, God did not neglect or abandon us, or seek for us to be destroyed and annihilated for our mistakes and faults.

On the contrary, God continues to love each one of us nonetheless, opening wide the doors of His mercy, compassion and love, providing help and assistance at each and every moments so that we may be able to return to Him and be fully reconciled with Him. He has done this through the giving of His own Beloved Son to us, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He has also provided and sent us His Holy Spirit to nurture and guide us in our paths so that we may continue to journey towards Him, with the Wisdom and gentle guidance that He has provided to each one of us. God calls us all to follow Him and gave us that desire to seek Him and to be fully reunited with Him in the end.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples telling them that all of them, and also all of us, as the followers of the Lord, are all His servants and we are therefore expected to do what He has told and instructed us to do, and hence, we have to do what we are required and expected. In each and every moments of our lives, we should always do our best such that we are always doing what God, our Lord and Master wants us to do in each opportunities and circumstances. The question is, are we all willing to commit ourselves to do what God has instructed and shown us to do in our lives?

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint of God, a great and dedicated servant of God whose righteous deeds and works, outstanding and exemplary life can become great examples and inspirations for us all to follow in how we live our own lives with faith in God. St. Martin of Tours was a soldier turned man of God, who was renowned for his commitment and faith in God, his virtuous life and actions, from even before he gave everything to the Lord. St. Martin of Tours was once a soldier in the Roman army during the late period of the Roman Empire, and it was told that he was called by God during his time as soldier, and one of that unique experiences is when he encountered the Lord Himself disguised as an old man in a blizzard.

At that time, according to the story, St. Martin of Tours was travelling on horseback in his centurion’s armour, and he encountered an old man in the midst of a blizzard or cold weather, who was naked and had nothing to protect him against the cold. It was there and then that St. Martin of Tours cut half of his cloak with his own sword, and then used that half of the cloak to cover the old man’s body. Later on, as he was sleeping, St. Martin of Tours encountered a vision of the Lord appearing to him, and revealing to him that the old man was after all, the Lord Himself in disguise. Through this experience and others, St. Martin of Tours eventually left his life as an army centurion behind, and thereafter, he dedicated himself to God, following the teachings and examples of another great saint, St. Hilary of Poitiers.

Eventually, he became a hermit and preacher, committing himself to preach the word of God and to evangelise to the people, in which many people were convinced and became believers in Christ. Later on, he was chosen by acclamation by the people to become the Bishop of Tours, in which capacity, St. Martin continued to do his best in caring for the needs of the flock entrusted to him. He cared for their spiritual needs and served them well, and established good administration and missionary works in his Diocese, while protecting his flock from the effects of various heresies and falsehoods running rampant at that time. Right up to the end of his life, St. Martin of Tours dedicated himself completely to God and to the people whom He had been entrusted with, truly a great example and role model for us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon the good examples set by St. Martin of Tours and do our part such that we may continue to be faithful in all things and at all circumstances, following the good examples and inspiration from St. Martin of Tours and many other examples from our holy predecessors. Let us all continue to walk faithfully in the Presence of God at all times, allowing Him to gently guide us through this journey of life towards Him. Amen.

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Monday, 10 November 2025 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (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 each and every one of us are called to be truly and genuinely faithful to the Lord in all things, in embracing the fullness of God’s wisdom and guidance, through the Holy Spirit that He has sent upon us. And through this Wisdom we have received important guidance and strength to carry out our activities and our works with faith, to do what God has called us to do and to fulfil everything that He has entrusted to us, to lead others towards Himself through our good examples and by being inspiration for everyone around us.

In our first reading today as mentioned, we heard from the Book of Wisdom how God’s Wisdom has come to dwell in us through His Spirit, and how this Wisdom has guided us through this journey in life, showing us the path going forward and how we ought to navigate the various twists and challenges in life. If we allow God to show us the path going forward, then surely we will be able to find the right path through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the Wisdom which He has imparted to us through the same Spirit which inspires us and moves us gently along in life towards what God wants us to be, and where He wants us to contribute as members of His Church.

We are reminded that as Christians we should not easily allow ourselves to be swayed and misled by the temptations, pressures and the coercions of worldly desires and ambitions, attachments and all the other negative things surrounding us. We must not let ourselves be led by the currents of this world, but instead through our firm faith in God, we ought to have that very strong anchor in faith, in doing whatever is needed to resist the many temptations and pressures from all around us to conform to the ways and manners of this world. But we really need to put our full faith in the Lord, in trusting His Wisdom and guidance at all times and circumstances.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples about the dangers of those who have not truly been faithful and had been hypocritical in their faith, all those who have caused scandal for the Lord and the faithful by their actions and way of life, which is wicked and unworthy, which lead to others falling into sin as well. God does not look kindly upon those who have lived their lives in such a manner and hence, He reminded His disciples that they all ought to live their lives with genuine faith and dedication, committing themselves and each moments of their lives with true sincerity in their faith in the Lord at all times.

It is an important reminder to all of us as Christians that we should not take lightly our responsibility to live our lives in each and every moments ever more courageously and with great dedication as genuine Christians. We should continue to live wholeheartedly at all times and in all circumstances showing what our faith truly is all about, and how we can be better Christians, better disciples and followers of the Lord, by showing this faith through real and concrete actions in our daily lives. We should not be ignorant of those whom God had placed in our lives and in our paths for us to care for, especially more so those who are precious and dear to us, as they are indeed our responsibilities as good and faithful Christians, to love as God has loved us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Leo the Great, one of the great leaders of the Church and a renowned Pope, whose contributions and deeds were so great that he was indeed one of the very few Popes known with the epithet, ‘the Great’. Pope St. Leo the Great was one of the longest reigning Popes in the Church, reigning over the whole Church over a period of over two decades, during an important and tumultuous time both for Christendom and in the secular world. His efforts, works and deeds had inspired many and helped many people to remain firmly faithful to the Lord despite the many trials and challenges facing them at that time. Pope St. Leo the Great helped to lead the Church through those difficult times, and his leadership, actions and numerous writings, which made him to be honoured as a Doctor of the Church, should inspire us all to be ever more faithful to God as well.

Pope St. Leo the Great led the Church through a divisive time in Christendom, as there were numerous heresies and disagreements which had not been completely resolved and settled by the preceding Ecumenical Councils, such as the ones at Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus. Pope St. Leo the Great wrote extensively and sent his ambassadors and legates to the Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in the Year of Our Lord 450, ten years into the reign of Pope St. Leo the Great, condemning the heresies of monophysitism that were rampant in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Then, in the secular side, Pope St. Leo the Great was also well-renowned for having led the Church and the city of Rome through two difficult time periods, first was when the King of the Huns, Attila, came to the city, and the Pope came to see him personally, and managed to make the Hunnic king to turn away back to his lands, sparing Rome from destruction. He was less successful with the Vandals that came few years afterwards and sacked Rome, but he managed to reduce the extent of the destructions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the life and contributions of Pope St. Leo the Great, as well as from the words of the Sacred Scriptures earlier, we are reminded that we are called to be genuine, faithful and loving Christians at all times and circumstances. We should not be merely outwardly faithful or pious but lacking in genuine and deep understanding of the faith or genuine love for God. Let us all continue to walk in faith at all times, inspiring one another to become ever better disciples and followers of the Lord by doing our best to do so in our own lives. May God bless us always in all of our endeavours and good works. Amen.

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Sunday, 9 November 2025 : Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the whole entire Church celebrates together the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Mother Church of all the whole entire world, the most important and prominent of all the churches, as the seat of the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, the seat of the Papal authority, power and sovereignty over the whole Universal Church. Some may have thought that St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican is the most important church of all, given its unique position in Vatican City, just adjacent to the Apostolic Palace where the Popes reside in, but this is actually not the case. Indeed, most of the major celebrations by the Pope and other important major celebrations and commemorations are celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica due to its size and also importance, being essentially the largest church in all of Christendom and also convenient centre of the Church’s coordination and ministry.

However, in terms of actual significance and importance, St. Peter’s Basilica, also known officially as the Papal Major Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican is second in rank after that of the Lateran Basilica, which commemoration of Dedication we are celebrating today. The Lateran Basilica is the actual seat of the Pope and the place where his Cathedra as the Bishop of Rome is located at. In order to understand this better, first we must all know that each ordinary or bishop of a diocese has his own Cathedra, located in a church which is therefore known appropriately as a Cathedral, the Cathedral and also the Mother Church of the entire diocese. Since ancient times and the earliest days of the Church, the bishop’s authority has always been associated and linked to his seat of teaching and authority, which is his Cathedra.

That is why whenever a new bishop has been ordained, he officially takes over the governance of his diocese when he has been installed and enthroned on his Cathedra, a ceremony which is even more explicit and clear in nature amongst our brethren following the Eastern Christian traditions. In the same way therefore, the Pope as the Bishop of Rome also has a Cathedra, the Cathedra of the Diocese of Rome and its bishop, who is also the Pope and the Vicar of Christ. This Cathedra is located at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is therefore, given the universal nature of the Papal authority and supremacy over the whole Church, is appropriately the Mother Church of the whole entire world. Hence, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, sometimes also known by its official name of the Archbasilica of Our Saviour, and of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist in Lateran, is truly the most important church of all.

Historically, this very important particular House of God was also among the first churches to be built following the end of official persecutions of Christians and the whole Church by the Roman state, as well as the beginning of period of toleration and eventually support by the Roman Emperors and state for the Christian faith. Prior to the Edict of Milan which ended a long series of persecutions against Christians, most Christians usually worshipped in secret, gathering in places where they would not be easily seen and found out being Christians, such as in the catacombs, the tombs where many of the martyrs and saints were buried, as well as in houses, outside of cities and other secret places that were relatively safe from the knowledge of the authorities. Most Christians were not able to openly profess their faith in God, and many were persecuted, suffered and died for their faith in God.

Therefore, when the Roman Emperor Constantine decided to end the official persecution of Christians which had lasted for almost three centuries, and extended toleration and even support for the Church, it was a time of new beginnings for the Church and to the Christian communities long accustomed to great persecution and sufferings. The Emperor helped to fund and provide the lands which would become the place where the then Pope, Pope St. Miltiades, would establish a new church dedicated to God, the Most Holy Saviour of all, as a most worthy House of God and as the seat of the Pope and Vicar of Christ, and hence, as the centre of all of Christendom. The Church since the earliest days and the beginning had always considered St. Peter and his successors, the Popes, to be the ones entrusted by God with the governance and leadership over the whole Church.

That church, what would become the Basilica of St. John Lateran, was dedicated on this date, the ninth day of November, about seventeen centuries ago, in the year of Our Lord 324, just eleven years after the Edict of Milan. This church therefore became the beginning of a visible authority of the Church which had remained long hidden from the world, as it emerged out of the long and dark periods of persecutions, into a new period of establishment and expansion, as many new churches, facilities and communities were established all throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, and seventeen centuries later, this work of evangelisation and establishment of the Church which had begun even earlier since the days of the Apostles, still continued on after the Christian faith has reached the very ends of the world.

On this day, we celebrate the day of the Dedication of this great House of God, the Mother Church of all the whole entire world. What does it mean by a church being dedicated to God? It means that the church as a building and edifice has been solemnly blessed and marked by God to be a House and Temple worthy of His Presence, and worthy of the Divine Sacrifice taking place there, where the bread and wine, by the power of God, through the offerings and hands of the ordained, in persona Christi, are changed in essence, reality, matter and all into the Most Precious Body and the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Himself. And henceforth, because the very Real and Holy Presence of God is present and contained within the church, it has to be purified and blessed, dedicated to God for purpose only of divine worship and praise.

Otherwise, the Sacraments cannot be celebrated within the church, and therefore it is imperative that a church has to be dedicated before it can be properly used for any benefits for the faithful and the community of the people of God. That is why we celebrate and rejoice in the dedication of a church because that moment of dedication is the time when the people of God can finally celebrate together the Sacraments and be in the Holy Presence of God. The Church of God rejoices because a new House of God where the people can gather together as a Church has been blessed and hallowed as such, appointed to be a place of holiness and virtue, and for the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is rightful therefore that the people celebrates the dedication of their parishes and the anniversary of that dedication, and the people in a diocese to celebrate the dedication of their Cathedral and the respective anniversaries.

Therefore, it is most fitting and right for the whole Church to celebrate together the dedication of this great Basilica of St. John Lateran and its anniversary, which happens on this date, as it is the Mother Church of all of us, reminding us of the unity of all Christians through the leadership and guidance of St. Peter and his successors, the Popes and the Vicars of Christ. As we celebrate this Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, we therefore renew our commitment to the unity between all the faithful people of God, all members and parts of this same Body, the one and only Church of God, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. We remember the seat of the Pope and his authority, over the whole Church, together with all the bishops and other leaders that the Lord has appointed, and the deposit of faith that has been preserved from the time of the Apostles themselves, and those are what we celebrate today.

And not only that, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are also reminded at the same time that while we rejoice greatly at this House of God which God has blessed and made worthy to be the Temple of His holy Presence, we should not forget that there is yet another Temple of God, the House of His Presence that is equally important for each and every one of us. And what is that, brothers and sisters? It is the body that we have, each and every one of our body, heart, mind, soul and indeed, our while entire beings. We are all the Holy Temples of God, the Temple of His Holy Presence just as St. Paul told the faithful and the Church in his Epistle to the Corinthians. All those who have received the Lord and accepted Him as their Lord and Saviour, are all the dwelling places of God, Who is truly present in us.

Those who are familiar with the rites of dedication of a church will know that what happens during the dedication is exactly just what we as Christians went through during our initiation to the faith, be it as infants or as adult converts. Just as the church is blessed with holy water, so has us as Christians received the holy waters of baptism, and just as the church is anointed with oil, on the twelve consecration crosses, we too have received the anointing with holy oils of sacred chrism during our baptism as well. The incensation of the Altar and the whole church is mirrored by the incensation of all the people of God in the Mass as the living Church, the Temple of the Lord’s Holy Presence, marking that each one of us are truly set aside to be holy and worthy of God. And just as the Altar is clothed in white, so we have also received the white garments at our baptism.

What is even more important is that, while churches and even the great Basilica of St. John Lateran are all made with the hands of men, imperfect and flawed, the One Who crafted and made us all was none other than God Himself. He made us all to be worthy and perfect, but unfortunately, due to our disobedience and refusal to follow His path, His Law and commandments, sin had entered into our hearts, our very being and corrupted this Temple and House of God that is our bodies and our being. Yet, God did not give up on us or destroy us, because of His ever enduring love for us, and He gave us the means towards our salvation and liberation from sin through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, God has called all of us to holiness and to be worthy of Him, remembering that each one of us have received the Lord Himself, in His Real Presence through the Eucharist, and also have been sanctified and set aside by our baptism, and our whole initiation into the Christian faith and Church. Therefore, let us all be reminded of the need to keep ourselves as far as possible to be blameless and free from sin, and refrain from doing things that are contrary to God’s will and can lead us down the slippery slope towards sin and damnation. We have to do our best to guard and take care of ourselves to avoid falling into the many temptations, coercions and pressures all around us trying to drag us away from the path towards God’s salvation and eternal life.

Let us hence live our lives to the best of our abilities, to be good role models and inspirations for one another in faith. Let us all be truly worthy of God dwelling and being with us all the time. Otherwise, if we fail to fulfil our respective Christian callings and missions, then it will be more difficult for us to come nearer to God. May the Lord give us the strength and the perseverance to remain firmly committed to Him despite the challenges and hardships we may have to encounter along the way, keeping our body, heart, mind, soul and our whole existences and beings free from sin, as the Temples of the Lord. May God be with us all, and as He blessed the great Basilica of St. John Lateran, may He also bless us all in our future good works and endeavours. Amen.

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Saturday, 8 November 2025 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and reflect upon the Lord’s words, we are reminded to do what the Lord had told and shown us to do in our lives, to be truly faithful and committed in all things, to be truly obedient to God and to do our parts and contributions as the ones whom God had called and chosen, as those whom God has gathered from among the nations to be His own beloved people. All of us should always be exemplary and do whatever we can so that we may be shining and good examples of our faith to everyone around us.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the last parts of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle, we heard of the gratitudes which St. Paul gave to all of those whom he had collaborated and worked with throughout his various ministries and works, and he also elaborated on all the good things which each one of them had been doing and carrying out in those collaborations he had done with those fellow Christian missionaries and disciples. He has worked faithfully and collaborated with those mentioned in doing the great works of the Lord, which God had entrusted and given to each one of them.

Thanks to their hard works and efforts, the Church was growing fast and spreading more and more throughout the whole known world then. None of those disciples of the Lord were acting alone or in silos, as they all worked and collaborated together for the greater glory of God. They endured many sufferings and challenges from those who have persecuted their faith, those who challenged them and made their lives difficult. And yet, they trusted in the Lord and believed in His ever constant Providence and guidance, as they continued to walk faithfully in following the path which the Lord Himself had led them through in their journey of life.

This is therefore a reminder for all of us as Christians that we should also continue to do our best in living our lives with great and genuine faith, and we should not forget that God will always provide for us all that we need. He will not give us a challenge that is truly beyond our capacity to endure, and with Him by our side, we will be triumphant in the end. And not only that but God also wants us all to work with one another, to live our faith sincerely with each other, in helping and strengthening one another in genuine living of our Christian lives, inspiring one another to be ever stronger and more committed to God at all times.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, in which the Lord reminded His disciples that they must be careful and vigilant in making important choices in their lives, in choosing on what paths they ought to take in their respective lives. This passage follows right after the parable of the dishonest steward that we heard yesterday where the Lord presented the dichotomy and the stark choice between following God and following the ways of the world. The Lord presented this as the choice between God and Money, and showing how the people cannot be half-hearted or divided in their focus, as ultimately, they all have to make a choice between following God and following ‘Money’ which is representative of worldly manners and ways.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must not misunderstand this as God wanting us to reject all kind of worldliness and money itself, as money in itself is in fact neutral and not evil. Instead, it is the attachment and desires which we have for money and for other worldly desires and ambitions, all of which are leading us further away from God and closer towards the path towards damnation. That is why we are being reminded to keep ourselves focused on the Lord and not be tempted or swayed to move away from Him, exchanging our faith in Him for the pleasures, ambitions and desires of this world. Instead, we should make good use of whatever blessings, good things and opportunities which God has given us for good purpose in accordance with the will of God.

That means each and every one of us should strive to make good use of whatever the Lord has entrusted to us, be it small or large, insignificant or significant. He has given us all these with the aim of teaching and guiding us all on how we can responsibly make use of everything that He has granted to us, so that they may be used for good and worthy purposes, for the greater glory of God and for the good of those whom we encounter in life and for the benefit of those whom we have been entrusted with by God, especially for those who are truly dear, precious and beloved to us. We should continue to do our best to contribute our actions and efforts for the good of the Lord’s Church and all the people of God around us.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and empower us all in each and every moments of our lives in living up to our faith in God. May He continue to encourage us to persevere in faith and remain truly faithful to Him even when we may be facing hardships, trials and difficulties in life. We should not easily give up the struggle or give in to the many temptations present all around us. We should instead continue to inspire our fellow brothers and sisters in the faith, now and always, through our every actions, words and deeds. Amen.

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Friday, 7 November 2025 : 31st 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, we are reminded to be truly faithful in all the things that we do, in doing what God has entrusted to us to do, and not be dishonest in our dealings, in our every actions, efforts and works. We are challenged to make good use of everything that God has entrusted to us and blessed us with, so that everything that God has given us can be utilised for the greater glory of His Name and also for the good of those whom the Lord had placed in our paths and respective journeys in life. 

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Rome, we heard of the words of the Apostle to the people there regarding what he had done in carrying out the missions which had been entrusted to him, in ministering to the people of God and in proclaiming the Good News to more and more people who have not yet known God and His truth. St. Paul also had done so many things to deliver this truth and Good News of God to more and more people, both among the Jews and the Gentiles, or the non-Jewish people, in everything that he had done.

He laboured for many years and even decades, patiently showing what the Lord had taught through both words and actions, through his every interactions with those he had encountered during all those journeys. In fact, he also laboured with collaborators and fellow workers and servants of the Gospel, working and growing with them as they journeyed together. They encountered many hardships and challenges, and they even fell out at times, disagreed and quarrelled with each other. But God was always with St. Paul and the others, helping and encouraging them through all the challenges and trials that they faced. The Lord has always been kind and supportive to all of those who have been faithful to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which the story of the Lord to His disciples using the example of a dishonest steward and his master has been told to us. The dishonest steward had been accused of dishonest actions and behaviours to his master, and he was hence confronted by the same master who then told him that he would soon be out of employment. In this story, the dishonest steward then did all that he could to secure for himself a way out of his predicament by carrying out even more dishonest actions. In case we did not get what he was trying to do as described in the Gospels, he was in fact cheating even more against his master.

Why was that so? That is because he manipulated the debts of those who were indebted to his master, by rewriting their debts to a lower value, essentially helping them to reduce their debt load, doing so without consulting his master. This was great help to those who were indebted to the master, and hence, it would have made them to be in turn indebted to the dishonest steward, and as he had planned, this would have given him some lifeline to secure himself when he became unemployed. This is what he had done in even further dishonesty to secure for himself his own selfish desires and ambitions.

All these are reminders for us Christians that we should not allow ourselves to be tempted and corrupted by all these worldly ambitions and desires, all of which can lead us to even further dishonesty and sins, just as the dishonest steward had done. We may also be confused on why the master praised the dishonest steward for his dishonest actions, for his supposed astuteness and selfish deeds, but this is in fact a reminder for all of us that we should resist these worldliness and selfish desires, and use this example as a lesson for us to make good use of our lives and means in this world to aim for more worthy and righteous way of life, manner of life that is in accordance with God’s will in all things.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to these words of the Scriptures and all that we have discussed and discerned earlier on, we are reminded that each one of us have been entrusted by God with the unique responsibilities, opportunities and callings, in making good use of these opportunities, blessings and paths that God had provided to us. Now what remains is for us to embrace these opportunities and blessings, all these things that God had put in our path so that we may indeed be truly dedicated and fruitful in all the things that we say and do, in our every actions, words and deeds.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen each and every one of us in all of our every good efforts and endeavours. May He continue to provide us all for everything that we do, in our every efforts and works such that we will keep on glorifying God by our lives and actions, even in the smallest things that we do. In each and every moments of our lives, let us all be good role models and examples for everyone around us, showing our genuine Christian faith in all things, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 6 November 2025 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the passages from the Sacred Scriptures in which the Lord reminds us all that we should not be quick to criticise one another and think that we are more worthy than those around us or those we encounter. Unfortunately, this attitude is quite common within the Church and many among us may have encountered attitudes and behaviours, actions and ways which might have scandalised us because all these actions and attitudes are in contrast to what the Lord Himself has told and taught us. And if we do not truly believe and live our lives in the manner that we have been expected to do, how can we then expect others to believe in Him as well?

Worse still, instead of bringing people closer to God, our actions and attitudes might push people further away from Him as these things we have done convinced people that we are no better than hypocrites and as all those who are not sincere about their faith in the Lord. As Christians, each and every one of us must always put the Lord at the very centre and as the very focus of our lives, and yet, as many among us Christians, we have caused hurt, scandal and hardships on others around us, both towards our fellow brothers and sisters in the same faith, and also to others who have not yet known or believed in God. In all these, we are reminded that we should not be only outwardly faithful but instead we should truly embody our faith in every breaths and actions we take.

In our first reading today, from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, we heard of the Apostle telling them all not to be judgmental against their own brothers and sisters in faith, their fellow men and women, because ultimately, each one of us have our own flaws and imperfections, and none of us can truly claim to be better than the others around us. At the same time, the Apostle also said that God’s love has been freely extended and given to everyone, and therefore, because God Himself has loved each and every one of us equally and most lovingly, we should not be biased or prejudiced against anyone simply because we think that we are better or more righteous than others.

It is this attitude of being self-righteous, prideful and arrogant which had led so many, like the Pharisees and the chief priests among them, that many of these people failed to see the truth and reality of God, to whom they had all been intended to receive. All those pride and arrogance prevented them from humbling themselves that they might truly appreciate and understand what God had taught, revealed and wanted to show to them. That was why those people ended up hardening their hearts and minds, refusing to believe in God and His works, His teachings and truth, despite their own understanding of the Law and the Prophets affirm all the things that the Lord Himself had done among His people through His Son.

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 encountered some Pharisees who harshly criticised Him and His actions, simply because He often enjoyed the company of the tax collectors, who often invited Him to speak to them and to share their meal with them. Contextually, we must understand that the Pharisees were the religious and intellectual elites of the Jewish community, with the main preoccupation and focus on the preservation of the Jewish Law, commandments, customs and practices. As such, they were very highly respected by the community. Meanwhile, tax collectors were often viewed negatively back then, as they were often seen and considered as traitors to the people because of the nature of their work.

The tax collectors worked to gather the taxes meant for the local kings like Herod, as well as the Roman overlords who ruled over the whole region. Due to the demands placed on the people who were already suffering from hardships, challenges and difficulties, it was no surprise that the tax collectors were very much hated by many among the people. They were reviled, hated and rejected by much of the community, being ostracised and literally everyone avoided and hated them. Yet, the tax collectors themselves were the very ones who were in fact closest to the Kingdom of God, because they had regret and strong desire to be reconciled with God. That is why the Lord also wanted to reassure His people of His providence in all things.

The Lord used the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin to highlight His points and ideas, as in both parables, two important possession of a person had been lost, and the one seeking those lost possessions went all of the way to find and rescue the lost sheep, and also to find the lost coin. This is a reminder to all of us that the Lord Himself put the same efforts and sincerity in reaching out to us, to find and discover us, and to bring us all back towards Himself. Are we even aware of all the love and patience that the Lord has always shown us? Or have we often taken His love and generosity, His patience and compassion for granted? These are the questions we are constantly being reminded to consider carefully as we ponder on our paths going forward.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do whatever we can, as we have just discussed in the Sacred Scriptures, in doing what God has shown us all, in being truly faithful to Him, and not in merely paying lip service to Him. We are reminded that we should all be genuine in our faith in the Lord, in doing what He has commanded and entrusted to us to do, living our faith in life with sincerity and with clear effort, knowing that in each and every moments of our lives, we are always called to be good examples and role models to one another, and to be the ones to deliver the light and truth of God to this darkened world, so that 

May the Lord help us all to remain strong in our faith, conviction and dedication to glorify Him in each and every moments of our lives, in how we should carry out ourselves and our behaviours and attitudes so that we may truly be good, worthy and genuine disciples of the Lord, His holy and beloved people, to whom He had entrusted His teachings and truth, which He has passed down onto us through His holy Church. May God continue to bless each and every one of us such that in our every good endeavours and efforts, our every good works and contributions, we will continue to do the great works of God, for His greater glory. Amen.