Reflection of the Bible

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Thursday, 9 July 2026 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we all heard from the readings of the Scriptures the words of the Lord proclaiming yet again His love and generous compassion for each and every one of us. The Lord has shown us His generosity and kindness, even though we have often sinned against Him, disobeyed Him and refusing to listen to Him. He still loves us no matter what, but at the same time, is calling us to turn away from our path of sin and evil, and to embrace once again His ways, to return to Him with contrite heart filled with love for Him. And God Who is always full of kindness and mercy towards us will embrace us and welcome us back to His fullness of grace and love once again.

In our first reading today, we heard from the prophet Hosea, the words of the Lord reassuring His people of the love that He has always had for them, and how He would continue to love them and provide for them, as He had done in the past even though they had disobeyed and transgressed against Him. God highlighted the sins and wickedness that the people had done, in worshipping the pagan gods and idols, in persecuting the prophets and servants whom the Lord had sent to their midst to remind them and to guide them back to the right path. Despite all these, God still loved them and desired for them to be reconciled with Him, and that was why He has always been patient in loving them because of His ever great and generous love.

However, as I mentioned earlier, the people’s sins and transgressions still had to be addressed and resolved. They could not continue to remain in sin, and as long as they still stubbornly remained on their path, they would have to suffer the consequences. If we remember what the prophet Hosea spoke in the other occasions throughout this week’s passages, in other parts of his book, then we should also remember that God also told His people of the consequences of their continued sins and transgressions, that they would be uprooted from the lands of their ancestors, their cities destroyed and them scattered throughout the nations.

Through what we have heard in our first reading today, we can see that God is indeed like a Father to all of us, His people. As as our Father, He certainly loves us all, just as He showed the Israelites through the words of the prophet Hosea and the actions He had done for their ancestors in the past. But at the same time, as a Father Who truly loves His children, He also does not want any of us His children to fall into the wrong path. Hence, as any fathers should rightly do, at times, there is a need for us to be disciplined and to understand and feel, to experience the consequences for our mistakes. That is also why we need to learn to be accountable and responsible for everything we do, both the good and wicked ones.

And God did not do so because He hated us. Instead, it was exactly because of that love He has for us that He has reached out to us with that same love. He loves us such that He wants us all to learn that in order for us to be truly worthy to be called His children and His people, then each and every one of us must do what we can, in our respective areas and capacities, in whatever callings and vocations we have in life, to be active in living up to our faith, and be exemplary in our every words, actions and deeds, in our interactions with one another so that everyone can indeed recognise God being present through us, with us being the bearers of God’s light and truth in our world today.

That is why all of us are called as we heard in our Gospel passage today, to be His faithful disciples and witnesses, like the ones whom the Lord Jesus Himself sent out before Him, to go forth to the many places that He Himself was to visit, and others, so that they might proclaim the Good News of truth to more and more of the people who have not yet known them. The Lord called on those disciples to do His will, and they went forth, dedicating themselves to their ministry. In the same manner, all of us are also called by God in the same way, to turn our backs against our old ways of sin, and to embrace wholeheartedly His path and righteousness.

The Lord has called on us all, His children and His people to follow Him and to reach out to others who have not yet known Him. And the best way for us to do it, is by living our lives faithfully to the best way we can do it. We have to lead good examples so that we may become inspiration for all others whom we encounter in life, or else, if we do not do so, or worse still, doing things that are contrary to our faith, then we may end up turning people away from God and preventing them from finding their way towards God’s salvation and grace. And in doing that, we become responsible for the downfall of those who have been lost to God due to our own unworthy actions, and we will have to face the consequences for those.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions, who were persecuted, made to suffer and eventually were martyred in China. At that time, missionaries went to China to bring the Christian faith to many people who have not yet known the Lord, proclaiming the Good News of God to more and more people. However, the Christian faith and the missionaries were seen with great suspicion and even treated with hostility by the government and officials who saw them as threats to their power and control over the people. The government persecuted the Christian missionaries and local converts sporadically and systematically at times, forcing them to abandon their faith in the Lord at the threat of great sufferings and torture.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong himself was a Chinese soldier who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse, a French missionary from the Paris Foreign Mission Society who was persecuted, arrested and then eventually martyred in the capital in Beijing. This experience among others led him to be a Christian convert himself, and eventually he became a diocesan priest serving the local Christian community, facing many challenges and hardships during his missions and works. Eventually, like many other Christians at that time, he was martyred about two centuries ago amidst an intense episode of persecutions against Christians. We remember this day the great courage and faith which St. Augustine Zhao Rong and the many other holy martyrs, the Holy Martyrs of China, have shown in their faith, dedication and commitment to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to do our best to follow in the great footsteps of the holy martyrs, St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of China. All of us should realise how much we have been blessed and loved by God, and by calling on us, and by us following Him and embracing His love, His compassion and kindness, we should always do our best to glorify Him and His Name in all things, and we should continue to live in the path of righteousness and justice, no longer distracted and misguided by sin and evil. Let us all be the great examples and inspirations for one another just as the holy martyrs had inspired us all in our own lives. May God be with us always and may He bless us in all of our good endeavours and works, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Wednesday, 8 July 2026 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the words of the Lord reminding us to distance ourselves from sin and evil, and to embrace His path, and to do what He has called us to do. Each and every one of us are called to be missionaries of our faith and witnesses of God’s truth and love to our fellow men. What we have heard in our Scripture readings today remind us that we are all called to holiness and to be committed to our Christian living and faith, in each and every opportunities and moments provided to us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Hosea, who ministered to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel during the last years of its existence. The prophet Hosea came to bring forth the word of God to those people who had rejected Him for so many years, refusing to listen to the advice and words of the prophets who had been sent to them to remind them and help them on their way, in rejecting the kindness and compassion that the Lord had extended to them for a long time, all the patience that He had shown them. Hence, through Hosea and other prophets, the Lord made it known that the kingdom of Israel would be crushed and destroyed.

The pride and haughtiness of the kings of Israel in Samaria and the unfaithfulness of the people would become their undoing, and their wickedness and disobedience would lead to them being uprooted from their lands, crushed and conquered by other nations, scattered and exiled to far-off lands. But at the same time, as we heard from the same passage, God still did not give up on them, and still yet called on them to return to Him, to abandon their stubborn attitudes and wicked actions, and called on them all to follow Him once again and heed His ways. He wanted them all to be saved, and to be reconciled to Him.

That was why we heard constantly about how God had always reached out to His people through His prophets and messengers like that of Hosea and many others, and even today, the Lord still does so through His Church, which we all belong to and are part of. We are reminded that all of us have a place in God”s Church and His Kingdom, and we are all called to holiness, to be one and united with God and with all of our fellow brethren, all making up the united Body of Christ, the Church of God, through which we all journey together in this world, and are called to seek the true happiness and eternal life that can be found in God alone.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard the Lord Jesus and His calling of the Twelve Apostles, as He called on each one of them to be the chief ones among His disciples and followers. Each one of them were called from different places and they had different backgrounds and origins, but all of them were called with a mission, to be the ones through Whom God would perform and continue His many good works among the people, and to establish and allow His Church in this worlds to grow and flourish. They were all imperfect men and people with issues and troubles, whom God called to a new existence and holy life, and gave them the strength and guidance to do so.

Through the calling of the Apostles and the other disciples, whom the Lord commanded with the mission to reach out to all the peoples and to preach to them the Good News of salvation and eternal life, the Lord wanted each and every one of us to be active in contributing to the missions and works of the Church. We are all called to be exemplary in our way of life so that by our actions and deeds, we may inspire others all around us to follow our examples and to believe in God as well. Unless we devote ourselves to God wholeheartedly, and live to the best of our abilities to be virtuous in all things, we cannot then truly call ourselves as Christians.

That is why we are reminded today through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures that we have heard, and by the Church of the need for all of us to turn towards the Lord wholeheartedly, doing all that we can to proclaim His truth and love in our world today, by our own actions, words and deeds, our every interactions and good works which truly embody what it means for us to be Christians, to be those whom God had called and chosen as His own holy and beloved ones. Each and every one of us share in the missions of the Apostles and the Church, to do what the Lord had entrusted uniquely to each and every one of us, in calling more and more people to salvation in Him.

May the Lord, our most loving God, Father and Creator continue to help and guide each and every one of us in our journey in life so that we may continue to live our lives wholeheartedly and faithfully at all times, becoming good examples, role models and inspiration for everyone around us, to those whom we encounter in life, so that we may help lead many more people towards the salvation in God. May our lives be truly fruitful and blessed, not just for ourselves but also for everyone around us. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 7 July 2026 : 14th 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 Lord as contained in the Scriptures, we are presented with the sins that we have often committed in life, as shown in what the people of Israel had done in the past, and how God is freeing us all from the bondage to those attachments to evil, wickedness and sin. Through Christ, His beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, God had brought His salvation and grace upon us, and He has shown us the path towards eternal life and joy through Him. Now, the question is for us Christians, is how do we respond then to His call for us? Are we going to embrace God’s call with faith or will we instead turn away from Him and seek what is evil in the world around us?

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Hosea on all the wickedness that the Israelites in the northern kingdom centred at Samaria had done, in their rebellion against God. The kings and the people chose to worship pagan idols, the golden calf of king Jeroboam, the first to mislead the Israelites into sin, and then Baal and Asherah and many other Canaanite gods, on top of persecuting the many prophets and messengers that God had patiently sent into their midst to help them to rediscover the right path in life. They stubbornly refused the Lord and His messengers, and shut the doors of their hearts and minds against Him, persecuting and oppressing those prophets and messengers for correcting and reminding them.

Thus, through what we heard in our reading passage today, we are all reminded that while God’s mercy, compassion and love are truly vast and boundless, and while God is ever patient, but He also wants us to know that sin has no place before Him, and we cannot ignore those sins, or else they will threaten to drag us off the path towards God’s salvation. Sin is a terrible force that corrupts us and makes us defiled and unworthy of God, and God alone can heal us from this affliction through His forgiveness and grace. Yet, it also depends on us accepting and embracing His love and mercy. Without that active participation from us in embracing the great and generous mercy of God, then His mercy will not avail us and we will not have embraced the full extent of that mercy, love and kindness.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to the Pharisees and to His disciples at the time when He was accused by the Pharisees of colluding with the prince of demons in His miraculous healing and exorcism of the man who was possessed by evil spirits. Those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were among the most educated and influential members of the community, but they were also those who were the most vocal in their opposition against God, against His works and efforts. Despite everything that the prophets had proclaimed and spoken regarding Him, many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law failed to see the truth as they were too preoccupied with their own prejudices and ideals that they refused to listen to the truth that God has brought unto them through His own Son.

And they also refused to open their hearts and minds to believe in God, much as how the people of Israel at the time of the prophet Hosea and before that had been unfaithful, stubborn and wicked in their actions. Much of this can be attributed to pride, ego and greed, all of which had often led mankind to their fall, all throughout history. Nonetheless, the Lord continued to persevere through His mission, reaching out to the people, who were described in our Gospel today, as likened to a flock of sheep without a shepherd. The Lord took pity of them, loving them and showed them His truth, teaching them and guiding them to the right path, sending them all His own beloved Son in the end to show us all the path towards the everlasting life in Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, therefore we are all reminded that all of us must be ever vigilant against sin, and we have to always be wary that we do not fall into the temptations to turn away from God and His path. We should not allow the pressures and the coercions of this world and the allures of sin to force us to embrace the ways of the world. There will be plenty of avenues through which Satan and his followers will try to strike at us, trying to turn us towards the path of sin and evil. We have to resist them and entrust ourselves in the Lord, and follow Him with commitment and faith, in doing what is right and just in His Presence at all times.

As Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, and those who have responded with faith to His call, let us all therefore seek to humble ourselves more, turn away from the path of pride and from the vices of the world, resisting and rejecting the various temptations and pressures which had brought down many among our ancestors and predecessors. We should always remember everything that the Lord had done for our sake, in how He has reached out to us with love and mercy, and keep in mind that none of us are perfect, and none of us are truly better than the others around us, and therefore, instead of having a selfish and self-serving attitude, thinking that we are better than others, let us all begin from ourselves, by realising our sinfulness and strive to seek and embrace wholeheartedly God’s mercy and forgiveness, and love Him and our fellow mankind with the same kind of love that God has shown us all first.

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to guide and strengthen us all in our paths in life so that we may continue to walk ever more faithfully in His path and in His loving Presence, becoming great source of inspiration and hope for everyone around us. May He bless our every good deeds, efforts and endeavours, in everything that we do for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 6 July 2026 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall the words of the Lord, we are reminded to turn wholeheartedly towards God and to remember just how much He has loved us, so graciously and wonderfully, and how through Him we shall receive the assurance of eternal life and true joy in His presence. The Lord has always been kind and loving towards us, and He has always reached out to us with love and patience, embracing us whenever we return to Him and wanting to be reconciled to Him. That is just how much God cares for us, when many of us simply often ignored Him and disregarded His love. This is why we are reminded today of the great miracles and wonders that He had done for His people, in gathering them back from their exile, in healing their troubles and problems, and even in raising them from the dead.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Hosea, we heard the Lord speaking to His people in the northern kingdom of Israel, who during the ministry of Hosea was on the last days of its existence, threatened from all sides by its neighbours, especially by the mighty Assyrians, who conquered many of the nations including Israel itself. Eventually the state of Israel itself was subjugated, crushed and utterly destroyed by the Assyrians, who destroyed their capital of Samaria and their other cities, carrying off their people into exile far away from their homeland in shame, a people who had once rejected the messages of the prophets and messengers that God had sent to them to remind them all. All these because they trusted more in themselves and in their pagan gods rather than in God.

In the past week, if we have been following the daily readings, we heard the readings from the prophet Amos, another prophet God sent to the land of Israel somewhat earlier than Hosea, telling them of this impending and unavoidable fate of destruction, because of their continued stubbornness and wickedness, and their refusal to repent their sinful ways. The Lord told them all that they would experience because of their pride, their lack of faith and evils, but at the same time, He also wanted to tell them that the path to His forgiveness, mercy and grace still remained open. He did not despise them but rather, He despised their sins and wicked way of life. And that was why He sent them the many reminders and help through the prophets to assist them in living their lives worthily, only for them to treat those messengers badly.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the two great miracles that the Lord performed for those who sought His help, in which one of them was a woman who had long suffered from a bleeding problem, while the other was the daughter of a synagogue official who had become sick and eventually died while the Lord was still on His way to her house. In both cases, the woman with the bleeding issue and the synagogue official himself were seeking for the Lord, wanting for healing to come from God, because they truly believed in Him. They had their own respective faith in the Lord and turned towards Him in their hour of need. And it was by that faith that God had rescued and saved them, giving them the providence which He had assured them with.

The woman had suffered from the bleeding which according to the Law would have made her unclean and unworthy of God, and as per the Jewish customs and laws, she could not have taken part in the worship and prayers at the Temple because of her unclean nature. She tried to approach the Lord discreetly because her condition understandably most likely had caused her to be somewhat a pariah or outcast within the community, and she did not want to draw attention to herself, or to the Lord. And it was by her faith that she was healed, because she sought the Lord and entrusted herself to Him, and the Lord made known her faith to everyone, and how her faith in Him saved her. This reminds us that no sinner is beyond redemption, and we should not be ashamed to seek for the Lord.

Meanwhile, what we heard from the account of the healing and resurrection of the dead daughter of the synagogue official reminded us all that there is nothing that the Lord cannot do for us, for He is the Master of all, even over live and death. Through Him and His will alone we exist, and through His love and grace we receive the gift of eternal life and the assurance of salvation and true joy, which the Lord gave to all those who are faithful to Him. The Lord has shown His compassion and kindness to those who entrust themselves to Him, and not even death could stop Him. And through His raising of the dead daughter of the synagogue official, He showed us all that there is nothing for us to worry or be afraid about, as His followers and as we embark on His path in this life of ours in this world, even in the present day world.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Maria Goretti, a renowned saint remembered for her faith in the Lord, her righteousness and steadfastness amidst the things that she had to face and endure, the trial of her faith and dedication to God. St. Maria Goretti was a young woman who was born to a family of poor farmers, and her father’s early death led to her family having to live together with another family, the Serenellis, whose son, Alessandro, attempted to rape St. Maria Goretti as he made advances upon her. St. Maria Goretti resisted Alessandro’s advances and dissuaded him from committing such a sin with her, and as a result, she was assaulted many times by Alessandro, who stabbed her many times with a knife before fleeing likely out of fear that his heinous act would be discovered.

St. Maria Goretti was found in a critical state, but just before she passed away, she told her mother and others that she forgave Alessandro and stating that she would want him to be in Heaven with her, along with her concern for her mother. This reflected what the Lord Himself had done for all of us, when He was on His Cross, praying for us and asking His Father not to hold our sins against us, those who have condemned Him to death on the Cross. Eventually, St. Maria Goretti’s assailant, Alessandro, repented from his sins and mistakes, and after having gone through the period of punishment and trial, in which time St. Maria Goretti appeared to him, Alessandro became a totally changed man, and together with the mother of St. Maria Goretti, they attended her canonisation as a saint.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us as Christians, as God’s followers and people are therefore reminded of our obligation and calling to commit ourselves to the Lord, to give our all in devotion to God, remembering just how the Lord Himself has been faithful to the Covenant He has made with us. And as part of that Covenant, all of us are called to live our lives as faithful and committed Christians, just as how St. Maria Goretti had lived, in her upholding of the sanctity of her virginity and her upright life, and how she forgave her assailant and murderer, and her prayers for him, right to the end. Can all of us do the same with our lives as well, brothers and sisters in Christ? Can we commit ourselves more wholeheartedly as how our holy predecessors had done?

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to be with us and bless us, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may indeed live our lives most worthily, in all things and at all times. Let us all always keep in mind the great and ever generous love that God has for all of us, His beloved ones, and do our best to serve Him at all times. May all of us dedicate ourselves with ever greater commitment and faith, now and always, and be ever great role models and inspirations for our fellow Christian brothers and sisters all around us. Amen.

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Sunday, 5 July 2026 : Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that God has revealed to us His most amazing kindness and love, which He has extended to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by His coming into this world and by His works, as He set to save us all from our many predicaments and troubles, gathering us all into His loving embrace and caring for each one of us. All of us are reminded of the love which God has shown us, a most generous love surpassing all others, and which He has shown as an example for each one of us, so that we may follow His examples in how we live our own lives, in committing ourselves to His cause and walking ever more faithfully in His path, as a people whom He has called and chosen from this world.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Zechariah, we heard the joyful proclamations from the prophet Zechariah to the people of God, made during the time of his ministry, which happened according to historical sources during the reign of the Persian ruler Darius, of the Achaemenid Empire. At that time, the city of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah and Israel had been crushed and destroyed by their conquerors and oppressors, as the people had abandoned the Lord and refused to walk in the path that He had shown them. As a result, they were defeated by their enemies, their cities and towns ransacked and destroyed, and the city of Jerusalem itself and its Holy Temple, the House of God built by King Solomon had been destroyed and ruined, with the Ark of the Covenant missing and nowhere to be found.

The prophet Zechariah in today’s passage made that famous prophecy that the Saviour, the King of Israel, the Messiah, would come to the city of Jerusalem and to God’s people on a donkey, a prophecy which would later on be fulfilled by the coming of the Lord Jesus Who rode into the city of Jerusalem on a humble donkey, welcomed by the people of the city who waved palm branches and spread their cloaks and clothes in His path, joyfully singing and praising, ‘Hosanna! Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord!’ As we are all surely familiar with, the Lord’s glorious and triumphal entry into Jerusalem marked the fulfilment of the prophecy that God has revealed through the prophet Zechariah, a prophecy that was meant to strengthen the faith of a people who had been downtrodden and beaten because of their sins.

Then, our second and Gospel reading passages reminded us that God, in His most amazing and enduring love for us, has sent us all the most wonderful gift and the grace of His salvation, in the Person of Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, Our Saviour. The Lord Himself has robed Himself in the flesh, in our nature and appearance as Man, as the Son of Man, so that by coming into our midst, and by dwelling among us, as St. Paul mentioned in our second reading today, in his Epistle to the Romans, that the Lord may bring us all from death into life, and from the downfall due to our many sins and faults, into the everlasting life and true joy in Heaven with God, His Angels and His saints. Through His Son, God has made it possible for us to find our way to salvation and liberation, opening the very gates of Heaven, bridging the chasm that existed between us and God.

And Christ did so by His Cross, which He bore willingly for each one of us, so that all of us, a people who have been bereft of joy and true grace and love of God, just like that of the Israelites in their Babylonian exile, may now see the true Light of God’s salvation, and have hope once again through Him. By His Cross, the Lord has offered the most perfect offering of love, of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, that He, as the Lamb of God, might free us from the bondage of sin and death. His Body and Blood alone, Most Holy and worthy, are good enough to reconcile us completely to our Heavenly Father, our Creator and Master. Through Him all of us have received the assurances of God’s ever-present and ever-enduring love, which He has manifested perfectly in His Son, and through what He has done for us.

Now, are we then going to heed the Lord’s call that He had made to us, calling us all to follow Him as we heard Him saying, ‘Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’? Through these words, all of us are reminded that first of all, it is in God alone that we have true hope of redemption and liberation of all of our troubles and trials, all the bondage we have to sin. Through Christ alone there is hope for salvation and eternal life, as we all should realise. That is why we all should follow Him and commit ourselves to Him, so that in everything that we say and do, we will always obey the Lord and do what we have been called and tasked to do, as Christians, as those who believe in the Lord, in His salvation and in His Passion, death and Resurrection, by which He has redeemed the world.

We are all Christ’s witnesses in this world, the ones who should be proclaiming His truth and Good News. However, just as the Lord Himself also mentioned, that His yoke is light, which means that following Him will likely require sacrifice and efforts, that we should not think being Christians means that we will have an easy and good life ahead of us. There will definitely be challenges and obstacles facing us, but what matters is that, we have to realise just how God is journeying with us and being with us in these struggles of life. Thus, we should always keep our faith in Him and trust in Him, remembering the salvation and help that He has provided to us, His faithfulness to the Covenant and the promises that He has made for us, that He gave us all His only begotten Son, to suffer and die for our sake, that by His death, all of us may be saved and have life in us.

Let us all therefore be genuine and faithful Christians, ever committed and courageous in our calling and mission to proclaim the Lord, Our Saviour and King, to all the whole world. Let us all embrace the Lord and His love for us, and then bear His love, and His light of truth so that many more may come to believe in Him as well and be saved. Let us all put our trust and faith in the ever generous love and providence which God has constantly shown us without fail, all these while. May the Lord continue to bless and guide us in our missions and journey of faith, and in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 4 July 2026 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as all of us listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, and as all of us gather together to commemorate God and His ever amazing and wonderful love, we are called to remember everything that God had done for our sake, for all of us, His beloved people and flock who are truly precious to Him, and how He has sent us all the best and the most perfect gift in the Person of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, God’s own only begotten Son, manifesting perfectly and wonderfully the Love of God in the flesh, becoming tangible and approachable to us, as the fulfilment of all the promises which He had made to us mankind from the very beginning.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Amos, we heard of the moment when the Lord gave messages of consolation, reassurance and affirmation after having foretold the destruction and ruin of the kingdoms of His people, both the northern kingdom of Israel that Amos had been sent to minister to, and the southern kingdom of Judah. For these past few weekdays we have heard from the same prophecy of the prophet Amos on how God would bring about ruin and destruction to those kingdoms and dominions that had not obeyed the Lord and His Law, and how everything would indeed come true as he had prophesied and predicted.

However, through what we have heard from our first reading today, we are reminded that God never hated or despised His people, and in truth, He still loved them all genuinely and patiently despite all of the stubborn attitudes that they had shown Him. God has always thought about His people and placed them above everything else. The very fact that the Lord sent His messengers, prophets and servants constantly, one after another is proof enough of just how dearly beloved and precious the people of God, the Israelites were, and by extension therefore, all of us as God’s beloved people, all of us mankind have also always been in God’s attention and will always be provided for by Him through our various journeys in life.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus and His disciples were confronted and asked by the disciples of St. John the Baptist, who asked them why they did not fast in the manner that the disciples of St. John the Baptist themselves and the Pharisees had done. For the context, the Pharisees and the disciples of St. John the Baptist likely adopted a rather strict, literal and very rigid interpretation and understanding of the Law of God, but in truth they failed to truly understand and appreciate the meaning of such Law and commandments, including those regarding the matter of fasting.

Essentially, what the Lord Jesus told those disciples of St. John the Baptist were reminders that God had indeed moved to answer all the promises that He had once told to all of them through the prophets, and all the reassurances that He had given to all of us mankind, all that He has provided to us through His sending of His own Beloved and only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour Himself. And because He has indeed come into this world and the Love of God having been manifested in the real flesh, that was why the disciples of the Lord and indeed everyone ought to have rejoiced because of all of that. Yet, the Lord also predicted the coming of His Passion, the time of His suffering and death. In the end, the Lord wanted them all to understand what it truly means to be faithful to God.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, whose life and devotion to God, whose trust in the Lord and commitment to Him should serve as great examples and sources of inspiration for all of us to follow. All of us should look upon St. Elizabeth of Portugal, who was the Queen Consort of Portugal, remembered for her great faith in God, her care for her people and her many charitable actions and works, leading a life that was truly worthy of God, devoting much of her time and efforts to look after the poor and the sick throughout the kingdom and even beyond. She was also instrumental in the efforts she had done to convert her husband from a life of debauchery and sin, and succeeded in bringing him back to the true and genuine faith in God.

St. Elizabeth of Portugal was also an active part in the Portuguese politics and statesmanship, involved in brokering peace between the kingdoms at that time, which were often involved in wars and conflicts. She spent a lot of time in caring for the physical and spiritual needs of the many people all around her, and her great examples of faith and dedication to God, her charity and love for the less fortunate truly inspired many, like her own husband amongst many others, to turn back towards the Lord and to follow Him more wholeheartedly. And after her husband passed away, St. Elizabeth retired to the monastery of Poor Clare nuns, continuing to show love and care for the poor and the sick, donating generously for those who were suffering during famines and troubles. She supported many hospitals and religious institutions, and her examples were truly inspirational right even up to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can see how St. Elizabeth of Portugal, our holy predecessor, dedicated herself so wholly and completely to God, that despite of her position and prestige as Queen Consort, she did not let all the worldly glory and ambition, temptations and corruptions to get to her. Instead, she remained humble and committed to God, and made great use of whatever that she had been blessed with, all her blessings and excesses, to care for those who were less fortunate and suffering. All of us as Christians should be encouraged to do the same as well with our lives, entrusting ourselves to the Lord and following Him with all of our hearts and with all of our might. Let us all therefore do what we can so that we may continue to walk ever more faithfully in God’s path from now on.

May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us, and inspire us all with the wisdom and strength to continue walking down the path of His grace and salvation, inspired by the holy saints, holy men and women of God, particularly that of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, so that our own lives and examples may become good inspiration and role models for all others around us. Let us all put our faith and trust ever always in the Lord and believe ever in His Providence and love, that God will fulfil all that He has promised and reassured us with. May God be with us always and may He remain with us, as we continue journeying together in faith, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 3 July 2026 : Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of one of the great Apostles of the Lord, one of the Twelve Apostles, St. Thomas the Apostle, known as the one who doubted the Lord, His Resurrections, words and teachings. St. Thomas was not an easy man to convince, as the Scriptures has shown us. Yet, in the end, the Lord showed St. Thomas that everything that He has revealed and taught to him were truly the truth, and everything indeed happened as He had predicted and spoken about them. Thus, St. Thomas became one of the most ardent disciples of the Lord, and went on to do great things for the greater glory of God, spreading the Good News of God to more and more people who have not yet heard of Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, of the nature that all the faithful people of God are parts of the Church, the Body of Christ. The Apostles meanwhile are the foundations and the pillars, as were the prophets and other great saints and messengers of God. Each one of them are important parts of the Church, which allowed the Church to grow ever larger and prosper among the people of God. St. Thomas the Apostle was one of these many pillars, and the contributions and works he had done, all were meant to strengthen the structure and the support of the Church. St. Paul also mentioned how all the whole structure is joined together, and rises to be a holy Temple in the Lord, representing how each and every one of us as those who believe in the Lord are Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence.

The significance of those words, is that the Apostles and the many other saints are the good role models and inspirations for all the other faithful people of God, and through the holiness and sanctity that they had shown, in their lives and works, St. Thomas the Apostle, the other Apostles and the innumerable other holy men and women of God, those who have been declared saints and blesseds, all these helped us all in our own lives, by inspiring and showing us all what it truly means for us to be Christians, to be God’s people and members of His one Body, the Body of Christ the Church. Each and every one of us should be strengthened and empowered by the Apostles and all that they had done for the good of the Church and all the whole people of God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard from the account of how the Lord appeared to St. Thomas the Apostle and the other disciples and proved to the former that He was truly risen from the dead. Initially, the Lord appeared to all the Apostles and disciples of the Lord except for St. Thomas himself who was away and not present. St. Thomas doubled down on his stubborn refusal to believe in the Lord’s resurrection, and even challenged that he would not believe unless he could put his fingers into the wounds of the Lord, and prove that He was truly risen in the flesh, or else he would not believe in Him. That was when the Lord proved him wrong and revealed to St. Thomas himself that He was indeed Risen from the dead.

Through all of these, we can see that God had called for Himself people who were imperfect, flawed and some might even consider unworthy to be the disciples and followers of the Lord, and less still as an Apostle and a role model for all the faithful. But lest we are quick to judge and think that St. Thomas was less than worthy to follow the Lord, we have to look at ourselves first. Are we not also flawed and faulty, imperfect and sometimes wicked in our ways? When God called us, it was not His intention to make those who are already great and perfect, unblemished and unflawed to be His followers. In fact, none of us would have ever been worthy of the Lord in that manner, and no one would have been worthy enough to be a follower of the Lord, being sinners that we are.

However, the truth is that God called His disciples and followers from the world, sinners and imperfect, and turned them all into those whose lives have been transformed and changed by their knowledge of God and His truth. For example, St. Thomas himself, once filled with doubt and stubbornness in refusing to believe in the Lord, became one of the Lord’s greatest servants in doing His will through many years of faithful service, proclaiming the Good News in many distant places and lands, and converting many to the true faith, revealing the Risen Lord to those who have not yet heard of Him. Once an unbeliever himself, St. Thomas spent many years in his works, in proclaiming the Risen Lord, and eventually even suffering and dying a martyr’s death for that same truth.

St. Thomas went to proclaim the Good News of God in many places, and most importantly, in what is now India, where he proclaimed the Messiah and the Son of God, the Risen Lord, in various parts of southern India. Apostolic and Church traditions, as well as historical evidences showed that St. Thomas helped to establish Christian communities in various places across coastal areas of India, evidently due to his works and contributions. Those Christian communities would endure and remain strong for centuries, and later on, those Christians kept their faith and continued to show the faith in the Lord despite the hardships and the challenges that they constantly faced. St. Thomas himself faced the same persecution and hardships, and was martyred in the midst of his ministry.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can clearly see that the Lord had called St. Thomas to be His faithful and worthy servant, although he was an unbeliever and was wavering in faith initially. He called the imperfect and the weak so that by His grace and strength, He might empower them all and strengthen them that they become the worthy followers and disciples of His. That is what He has done for us as well, and what He will do for us. Each one of us should realise that as Christians, as God’s followers and disciples, we should do our best to do God’s will, in all that He has entrusted to each one of us, the mission and works that we should be doing in the path that He has shown us. The question is then, are we able to commit ourselves like St. Thomas and the other holy men and women of God had done?

Let us all therefore seek to do our best to do God’s will in each and every moments and opportunities provided to us, so that we may continue to glorify Him by our lives, by our every actions, works and deeds, as well as in our every words and interactions with one another. May the Lord continue to bless us and guide us in our every efforts and good endeavours, so that we may continue to inspire each other and more people, just as how St. Thomas had inspired countless people throughout the history of the Church and the world. St. Thomas, Holy Apostle of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, pray for us all who are sinners and are weak in our faith, that God may also strengthen our faith in Him and our love and dedication to Him, as He has done with you. Amen.

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Thursday, 2 July 2026 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we listened to the words of the Scriptures reminding us of the works of God among us, which we often refused to heed or believe in, resulting in many of us choosing down the path of rebellion and disobedience against God, not trusting in God but instead in our own ways and choices, which we often made in contrary to His will, and not following God and His path. As a result, this led to some of us falling deeper and deeper into the path of sin, and we have to avoid that. This is why we are constantly reminded through these passages of the Sacred Scriptures that we should always strive to resist the temptations of sin and worldliness.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Book of the prophet Amos detailing to us the works that the prophet Amos from Judah had done for the Lord, in fulfilling what he had been called to do in ministering to the wayward and sinful people of the northern kingdom of Israel. We heard first of all of the exchanges between the priest named Amaziah, who was a priest of Bethel that argued with Amos on what the latter had been doing at the time. For the context, we must first understand that Bethel was a holy site and the place of one of two of the temples that the first king of the northern kingdom, Jeroboam, decided to establish against the will of God.

At that time, by the time of the ministry of the prophet Amos, the northern kingdom of Israel had long rebelled against God and the House of David, following their own path and way of worship, ever since the first king of that northern kingdom, Jeroboam, but not the Jeroboam mentioned in today’s passage, led the people into sin by deciding to establish a parallel centre of worship in Bethel, in opposition to the one and true God Who ought to be worshipped at that time in Jerusalem. This happened because Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, was afraid that the people in his kingdom would return to the obedience of the House of David if they continued to visit the Temple of Jerusalem as prescribed by the Law of God.

Amaziah complained to this other king Jeroboam, the second Jeroboam to rule over the northern kingdom just a few decades before its ultimate destruction by the Assyrians. Amaziah as the priest of Bethel, likely representing the same pagan worship as instituted by the first king Jeroboam, found Amos, his works and prophecies to be a great annoyance and interference in his domain, and Amaziah complained to the king himself for what the prophet Amos had prophesied against the king and the northern kingdom itself. Amaziah himself tried to push Amos away and told him off by telling him to go back to his native land of Judah. Yet, to this Amos immediately countered by saying that his mission and calling, and everything he had done come from the Lord and how God called him to do His will.

Amos was to be the one to proclaim a warning and judgment of the Lord on the Israelites in the northern kingdom for all of their continued rebellion against God and refusal to obey His Law and their unwillingness to listen to the words of the many prophets that had been sent to their midst. It was indeed what God had wanted to do and what He had warned His people against, as opposed to the falsehoods propagated by the false prophets and leaders which had not originated from the Lord but from human ambitions and desires running rampant and unbridled that led to many people being led astray into the path of sin and darkness. And Amos was among those whom God had sent to His people to help them find their way out of this darkness.

In our Gospel passage today, similarly we heard the case of when the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, some of whom criticised the Lord harshly for His words in proclaiming forgiveness of sins in the midst of Him healing a man who had been paralysed. The Lord had pity on the man and helped him, healing him from his troubles, and through that occasion, He also highlighted that as the Holy One of God, the Son, the Divine Word Incarnate, He has the authority to forgive sins and to deliver us from those sins, and to heal us from our afflictions, be it physical or spiritual in nature.

We heard how the Lord encountered tough opposition not only in what we encountered in the Gospel passage today but also in other occasions, where He and His disciples had to go up against the forces of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law arrayed against them. It was just like how at the time of the prophet Amos who had to go against the wickedness and stubbornness of the people of Israel, whose pride and arrogance in refusing to listen to God became their undoing. Their downfall was because they were not humble enough to admit that they were wrong and mistaken in their path, and unfortunately many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law fell into that same path.

Hence, brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings ought to highlight to us how as Christians each and every one of us are challenged to embrace God’s calling for us all to be great missionaries and witnesses of our faith in the midst of our various communities, within our families and circles of friends and acquaintances among others. Each one of us are called to be like the prophet Amos, and to be like the Lord Himself in standing up courageously for our faith in the midst of opposition and challenges that we may face in our journey of faith. However, it is not just that, as we are also called to be ever vigilant and on guard against the threat from our pride, ego, greed and desire, all of which could lead us down the wrong path to ruin.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore heed the messages brought forth by the Lord to us in His Church through the Sacred Scriptures, that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of worldly glory, pride and ambitions. Let us instead be humble and put our faith and trust in the Lord at all times, trusting that He will help us to walk down the right path, resisting those temptations and pressures of the world around us to conform. Let us all be the examples and good role models for everyone and inspire all to walk courageously and faithfully at all times in God’s Presence, coming ever closer to Him with each and every moments. Amen.

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Wednesday, 1 July 2026 : 13th 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 the Lord our God Who truly loves us all wants each and every one of us to be saved through Him and His providence, has set before us all His Law and commandments, His guidance and help, and everything which He had provided to us so that we may persevere in our journey towards Him and all that He has promised to us. God has always been with us and He will never abandon us in our time and hour of need, and what He had done throughout history, some of which had been highlighted in today’s readings should serve as important reminders and reassurances of God’s ever present and enduring love.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Amos, we heard of the moment when God continued to call upon His wayward people living in the northern kingdom of Israel where the prophet Amos laboured at, so that they might turn away from their wickedness and stubborn attitudes, in all of their disobedience against God and all of their unworthy behaviours. For the context, the prophet Amos who came from the land of Judah, the southern kingdom, was called and sent by God to minister to the people of the northern kingdom, known as Israel, as many among them, from their kings, to their nobles and the bulk of the people had no longer followed the Lord, His Law and His commandments.

The prophet Amos had a truly difficult and uphill task entrusted to him, as he had to deal with the hostile attitudes and reception by those living in the northern kingdom, from their king, the priests of the northern kingdom who viewed his works with suspicion and even hostility, from the pagan worshippers who worshipped the pagan and false idols of the Israelites’ own neighbours, and from many among the people themselves who were unwilling to listen to the words of this prophet of God, preferring to continue living in ignorance of God’s Law, commandments and ways. And yet, as He had done many times previously, God still continued to send His prophets and messengers nonetheless, to the very end.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus and His disciples went to the region known as Gadara, an area beyond the River Jordan from the land of Judah. It was also an area of wilderness that were far beyond the settlements, and where outcasts like lepers and those possessed by evil spirits were forced to wander at, away and ostracised from the rest of the community of God’s people. It was there therefore at Gadara that the Lord and His disciples encountered during their journey two men who were so possessed by the evil spirits, that everyone else feared them and stayed away from them.

But the Lord showed His power and authority over those many evil spirits, such that those who had brought terror and fear to the hearts of many, were themselves trembling and scared of the power of God, Who truly held dominion and authority over them all. Those evil spirits knew well that the Lord could have ordered their destruction and annihilation should He desire it to be, and hence, they begged that the Lord should send them away from those two men into the herd of pigs that were nearby there at that place. And that was what happened, that the Lord ordered those evil spirits to leave, healing them from their afflictions and allowing them to return once again to their community and families.

Essentially, through what we have heard in these readings from the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that God is always with us, and He has manifested that enduring and ever present love that He has shown us, through none other than His own most beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. And through Christ, the Love of God had been made manifest, real and tangible, and not even those considered by many as being beyond hope and saving are truly lost from God, as highlighted through what the Lord Himself had done in reaching out to those two men at Gadara possessed by numerous evil spirits. We heard how God rescued and liberated them both, and restored them once again to His grace.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all come to realise that each and every one of us are truly beloved and precious to the Lord, that He gave us all the ultimate gift of Love in His Son, Our Lord and Saviour. Let us all realise that despite our disobedience and sinfulness, God is His ever enduring Love and infinite mercy continues to love each and every one of us regardless, and He continues to reach out to us, just as He has reached out to those who were sick, marginalised and ostracised by the society for various reasons, and showed us all that God’s Love is truly greater than all of that, and He wants each one of us to know this truth and remember it well in every moments of our lives.

May the Lord, our most loving and gracious God, continue to guide us all through our journey in life so that we may always be faithful and committed to Him at all times and in each and every occasions. May He continue to empower all of us with the courage to follow Him wholeheartedly, obeying Him and His commandments at all times, while also showing our true appreciation and understanding of God’s ways, His love, kindness and compassion through our own actions, words and deeds in our own respective lives. May God be with us always and bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Tuesday, 30 June 2026 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all heard the words from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to put our trust and faith in the Lord our God, in Him Who is our anchor and the foundation of our lives. We should always have faith in God even during the hardest and most difficult moments, just as our predecessors whose stories we are going to discuss and elaborate in depth in a while, can show us. During difficult and challenging moments, instead of turning away from the Lord and chasing after worldly means, validation and sources of comfort, we truly should realise that none of the latter can truly bring us satisfaction, and it is in God alone is our eternal help and true joy.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Amos, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people in the northern kingdom of Israel through the prophet Amos, who came from the land of Judah and yet was sent by God to minister to His wayward ones in the northern kingdom. And as we heard from that passage today, we heard how moments of reckoning and judgment would come upon those people who had consistently hardened their hearts and minds against their Lord and God, and persecuted His many prophets, preferring to follow the wicked ways of their pagan neighbours, worshipping the false idols and gods instead of obeying and following their Lord and God.

Naturally, as we heard how punishments and harsh consequences were coming for the people of the northern kingdom, Amos himself did not have it easy and he himself faced ridicule and persecutions for his efforts and works. In one occasion, Amos was told by the King of Israel himself to go back to his own land, because he was a troublemaker and doom-bringer. Yet, Amos responded firmly with faith and testified that everything that he had been sent to do were upon the Divine commandment and will of God, Who had sent him to reveal His intentions to those wayward people, hoping that at least some of them would repent and change their way of life.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which we heard of the story of the time when the Lord and His disciples were travelling in the boat on the Lake of Galilee, and a great storm, strong waves and wind were battering on the boat, threatening to sink the boat, which terrified the disciples a lot. And the fact that at least four among those disciples were themselves fishermen used to the conditions of the storm and waves at the place where they used to work and fish gave evidence to just how powerful and fearsome that great storm must have been. And in that moment, the disciples sought the Lord and in panic pleaded with Him to help them all.

The Lord chided His disciples for their lack of faith and trust in Him, and told them that they ought to believe in Him and trust that He can provide them deliverance and help, and that they absolutely have no need to be afraid at all no matter what might happen, as the Lord was with them and never abandoned them in their time and hour of greatest need. And this is in fact also a representation of what the Church faces on daily basis and how God is always with His faithful and beloved ones, when they are all facing hardships and challenges. The Church is often represented as a boat, just our church buildings usually have the same shape and structure, a reminder to both God’s salvation in the Noah’s Ark and in this story of Jesus calming the storm.

Therefore, all of us, represented by the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, the Church of God, is always led and guided by the Lord Himself, Who is the Head of the Church, leading us all through the storms and hardships of this life, all the challenges, trials and tribulations with the call for all of us as Christians to continue to trust in God’s guidance, providence and reassurance. We should never abandon the Lord and His Church, and instead choosing to persevere on together with Him. In the end, we will be triumphant together with the Lord, and all of our sufferings, trials and journeys will be all worth it, because God is always with us, by our side throughout the whole journey.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, commemorating all those who have perished in the great persecutions of the Christians in Rome, at the heart of the Roman Empire, also the heart of Christendom, during the time of the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. At that time the early Christians began to grow in number across the Roman Empire, even at the very heart of the Empire in Rome. During the reign of the Emperor Nero, it happened that a great fire broke out throughout the city of Rome, what would be known as the Great Fire of Rome, in which the Emperor laid the blame on the Christians in the city, which were therefore persecuted and arrested, and many were martyred during this intense persecution.

Yet, despite the challenges and trials, the sufferings and hardships which they had to face, those faithful Christians in Rome endured and remained firm in their faith, and most did not give up their faith, although many were thrown to the lions and to be tortured. They were blamed for crimes and faults that they themselves did not commit, and most people in fact assigned the blame to the Emperor Nero himself, who obviously sought a scapegoat for his actions. Those faithful Holy Martyrs in Rome remained firm in their conviction and dedication to God, and they became the inspiration and strength for many others who were also facing hardships and trials in life throughout the succeeding years and generations. All of us should also therefore be inspired and strengthened in the same way as well.

Let us all hence commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the service of God from now on, and let us all be reminded of God’s ever gracious love and compassion, and do our part to love the Lord as well, as part of the Covenant which He has established with us. Let us all therefore renew our commitment and faith in God, doing our very best to glorify Him by our every efforts and endeavours, our good and exemplary lives, now and always. Amen.