Reflection of the Bible

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Saturday, 12 July 2025 : 14th 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 Scriptures we are all reminded of the trust that each and every one of us ought to have in the Lord, believing in Him and His Providence, and not to worry about what we are to have in this life. God knows what we need, and He will give us what is necessary through various means, including through those whom we encounter in our daily lives so that we may gain what we need. God often blesses us in manners and ways that we may not fully understand and realise, but He did all these nonetheless, to care for us and to provide for us. We are never alone even in our darkest and most difficult moments, and this is something that we have to remember especially when we want to give up or are overwhelmed in life.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the conclusion of the story of the family of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob with the passing of both Jacob and Joseph in the land of Egypt. Jacob had been reunited with his long lost son Joseph in Egypt after earlier on Joseph’s brothers were reconciled and reunited with their brother. And if we recalled what we have covered in the earlier days, that the brothers of Joseph were jealous of him and were trying to kill him, and ended up selling him to slavers who brought Joseph to Egypt. God was with Joseph and made him to be appointed by the Pharaoh of Egypt as the Regent of his kingdom. And that was eventually how he was reunited with his brothers and then with his family including his father.

Jacob, after having arrived in Egypt with his whole extended family, eventually passed away in peace, after blessing all of his sons and their families as we heard in today’s reading. After he was buried back in his homeland in Canaan together with his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham, as we heard, the brothers of Joseph were worried that Joseph would treat them badly as how they had once treated him, and yet Joseph reassured his brothers that everything that happened truly occurred because it was all part of God’s plan, and all of their evil and wicked designs were turned into good things by the Lord. That was why Joseph did not hold any grudge against his brothers and was in fact happy to be reunited with them and his family.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, the Lord spoke to His disciples, telling them about several matters, all of which reminding us that we are truly fortunate that we have God our Father Who has always loved us all at all times and in all circumstances, and we really should not take this love and grace for granted. The Lord was reassuring them all that God and His love are truly above all things, greater than anything that can harm any one of them, any earthly forces and the forces of the evil ones arrayed against them. God will take good care of all those whom He loves, that is all of us, and we have to trust in Him, in His constant love and providence.

Each and every one of us are truly precious and dear to the Lord, as the ones whom He had created out of His great and ever enduring love for us, and we truly have no need to fear or be afraid because God Himself will be by our side, journeying with us, holding us all up amidst our struggles and hardships in life. We are never alone in our endeavours, paths and efforts, and God is aware of everything that we are going through, all the good and bad ones, all of our fortunes and misfortunes. And He wants us all to trust in Him regardless whether we are experiencing good times or bad times. We must never lose faith in Him, and we must always stay by His side, following Him and remaining committed to Him at all times, remembering His love and providence always.enduring all things with God 

From what we have heard in our Scripture readings, we are reminded that God has always been around in our lives, providing for us and helping us even in the most mysterious and unexpected ways and moments, and that is why we should really appreciate all the love which He has constantly shown us all these while. We should continue to love the Lord to the best of our abilities and at the same time, love our fellow brothers and sisters in the same way as well. This is what we have been called to do as Christians, as those whom the Lord had called and chosen, and whom He had blessed and guided in each and every moments of our lives, and we should love Him as best as possible, and love one another as love is the hallmark of our Christian faith and life.

Let us all as Christians be the ones to show God’s love and kindness, His ever enduring compassion for each and every one of us, through our lives lived with true and genuine faith, with fullness of love for each other and for all those whom we encounter in life. For this is what the Lord had called us all to do, and what He has entrusted to us, in being genuine examples of Christian love and generosity, compassion and care for one another, in a world where it is more common to encounter selfish actions, prideful attitudes, ego and ambition, all the things that we have commonly been exposed to. As Christians, we are called and reminded to be good and loving in all of our actions, words and deeds to one another, even to those who have hurt and made our lives difficult, and to be forgiving, just as how Joseph had forgiven his brothers for what they had done.

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and wonderful God continue to bless each and every one of us, and strengthen us all with His courage and power, with His love and compassion, so that we may continue to show love and compassion in our own lives, in our interactions with one another and in all the things that we say and do. Let us all continue to be the beacons of light and hope to our brethren, particularly those who are suffering and are in darkness. May God bless our every loving endeavours and efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 11 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the Word of God contained within the Sacred Scriptures of the importance of trust and faith in the Lord even in the midst of hardships, trials and difficulties in life, and we must not lose faith in God or abandon Him just because things are difficult or not ideal for us. We have to hold fast to the promises and reassurances that God had provided to us at every steps of our journey in life, and from what we have heard from today’s Scripture readings that we may be courageous and strong even when our lives may be difficult and hope may be far away and lacking in us, when the outlook in life may be quite bleak and unlikely. The Lord Who is always with us, providing for us will not abandon us alone and He will always guide us in our journey in life at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the Lord appeared to Jacob who was on his way from the land of Canaan at Beersheba that is on the boundary of the land of Canaan with Egypt, as he was making his way towards his long lost son, Joseph, whom he long thought to be dead. He was skeptical at first because his other sons had told him earlier on that Joseph had been beset and attacked by wild animals and killed, only to be told that Joseph was in fact alive and well, and was the Regent of Egypt. In this continuation of the story from earlier this week, the brothers of Joseph after their reunion and reconciliation with Joseph went back to Canaan to bring their father Jacob to Egypt, together with all of their whole extended family because the severe famine was still raging then throughout the world.

God appeared to Jacob and spoke to him, reassuring him that everything happened in accordance to His will and plan, and that his family would prosper and be guided by God in that new land, the land of Egypt, where they would become a great nation just as the Lord had promised to Jacob and his forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. And He also promised that Jacob would enjoy his old age with Joseph, his long lost son, and would be well taken care of. And in all these, we can see that God always provided for His faithful and beloved ones, not allowing them to continue to suffer, but giving them hope and consolation in times of trouble and difficulties, and also assurances and strength, encouragement and hope when things seem to be bleak and dark.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples the reality of following Him and His path, and how they all would likely face difficulties, oppositions, rejections and hardships in their path in life and in their ministry. He did not mince His words when He told the disciples that He was sending them like sheep to go among the wolves, highlighting the challenges that they would likely face in their journey. Yet, He also told them and reassured them that all of their struggles and trials, their difficulties and challenges came about because of their faith in Him, and they would never be alone in their perseverance and struggles.

That is because the Lord Himself would be with them, guiding them all in what they would be saying through the Holy Spirit that God would give to them, and they would be strengthened and encouraged amidst all those sufferings. God would give them all the power and the wisdom to pull through the various challenges and trials that they would face, and by their trust in Him and support for one another, they would be strengthened in all of their struggles and fights, in their faithful witness of their Christian faith and their belief in God before everyone who accused, persecuted and hated them. And many among the Lord’s disciples did indeed suffer, but they joyfully went through those sufferings with the sure hope in God’s grace and deliverance, in His Providence and help.

Therefore, together with what we have heard earlier on from the conversation between God and Jacob, these are important reminders for all of us as Christians that we should always trust in God and allow Him to lead us all in our respective journeys in life, doing our best to stay firm in our commitment to walk down this path ever more courageously and faithfully, trusting in the Lord and doing our best in being great role models and examples for one another so that we may ourselves inspire many more of those whose lives we have touched and whom we interact with daily. Let us all be the beacons of God’s hope, His light, truth and Good News at all times, and be worthy bearers of His love and compassion to all.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Benedict, also known as St. Benedict of Nursia, a holy abbot and the renowned founder of the Benedictine Order, which remains until today as one of the oldest and most popular religious order in the Church. St. Benedict was born in Nursia or Norcia in central part of Italy today, into a noble Roman family just after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He went to Rome to seek to advance his academic studies but was disappointed at what he discovered there, and it was afterwards that he encountered in the region of Subiaco a valley where he decided to become a hermit for a few years, where he grew in faith and wisdom, before deciding to start a community of those who committed themselves to the Lord in prayerful life.

And this was the beginning of the Benedictine Order, a system which St. Benedict initiated, inspired by the hermits of the past like St. Anthony the Great and other holy saints, as well as his own experiences in living as a hermit. St. Benedict founded many monasteries as his community kept on growing, and this began the flourishing of Christian monasticism in the western part of Christendom, with many people seeking to have a better relationship with God and being called to that life of prayer and solitude following the examples and the call of St. Benedict in becoming members of the monastic orders. To the very end of his life, St. Benedict kept on working hard for the sake of the Lord and His Church, inspiring many others to live a truly holy and devoted life to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the great faith and commitment which St. Benedict of Nursia has shown to us, follow in his examples and do our very best to live our lives faithfully in the Lord, trusting in Him and committing ourselves to walk in the path which He has shown to us. Let us all help one another to remain firm and true in our faith as well, and be the worthy beacons of God’s hope, light and truth at all times. Amen.

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Thursday, 10 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Scripture which we have received today, we are all reminded of the great grace and blessings which God has given to us all, for all that He has done for us in each and every moments of our lives and in ensuring that we can attain true happiness and satisfaction through Him just as we have heard with the amazing story of reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers. God has also called upon each and every one of us to be His faithful and holy disciples, sending us out on missions to reach out to many more people out there, in order to bring to them the Good News of God, Good News and truth that bring about transformation in the lives of those to whom we have brought them to, just as the Lord’s disciples had carried them out to the people to whom He was sending them at that time.

In our first reading today, as we have heard earlier on yesterday, it is the continuation of what we heard about the encounter between Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was then the powerful Regent of Egypt, the second most powerful person in all of Egypt after the Pharaoh himself, with his brothers who came from the land of Canaan. And at that time, the brothers of Joseph had not realised yet that the Regent of Egypt they were speaking to was in fact their own younger brother whom they had plotted against many years previously and sold off to slavery to a Midianite slaver who brought Joseph to Egypt. As I had elaborated and explained in yesterday’s homily and reflections, this was in fact part of God’s grand plan, putting into motion what seemed to be a tragedy, and turning it all into great things for everyone.

For as I mentioned yesterday, Joseph being sent to Egypt in fact became the catalyst for the events that would unfold for his whole family. Joseph would be the one to prepare for all of them to move over to the land of Egypt where they would prosper for some time before the eventual slavery their descendants would experience there, and all these were parts of God’s plan. God turned the humiliation and harm that was supposed to strike at Joseph into greatness, as he was rescued from his troubles and trials after many years, to be the one entrusted by the Pharaoh himself, the ruler of Egypt as his right hand man. That was how Joseph came to be the powerful Regent of Egypt, the one entrusted by the Pharaoh with the governance of the whole kingdom and the administration of its many rich resources.

And not only that, as I mentioned yesterday, through the shrewd administration that Joseph carried out, the wisdom that he had been given by God, he managed to save lots of grains and food in stockpile during the years of plentiful harvest that happened, in preparation for the seven years of famine that followed, which affected the whole entire world. Had Joseph not taken the precautionary steps and preparations earlier on, it would have led to countless people suffering from the famine and perishing, not just in Egypt but also in many other parts of the known world then. As it happened, Egypt had lots of food and resources, more than enough for themselves, and they could even sell to the other neighbouring countries and people, which set the stage for the reunion between Joseph and his brothers.

In what we heard in our first reading today was the moment, after Joseph first tested his brothers and discreetly showed that he knew them well even after all the years that passed, even when they all did not recognise him, eventually, after having asked them to bring Benjamin, his beloved younger brother to Egypt with them, and with Judah pleading on behalf of all his brothers to let Benjamin go as if he was to be kept in Egypt that would have doomed their father, Joseph eventually broke down and revealed to all of his brothers who he truly was. In a truly heartfelt moment of reconciliation and reunion, we saw the long awaited fulfilment of God’s grand plan, in turning evil and wickedness, darkness and jealousy into hope and light, love and reconciliation.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the instructions which the Lord Jesus gave to His disciples that He sent out ahead of Him, two by two to the different places and communities that He Himself would visit later on. This was so that they could do so many more works and impact the lives of so many more people, and the Lord told them all to carry no excessive items and goods with them, but just with their sandals and staffs. This was meant to let them to depend on the Lord for His Providence, through those people and communities that they were to encounter, rather than to depend on their own power and designs.

The Lord also reminded them that their paths and works might not be always smooth and good, as they would likely encounter rejection and opposition just as they would encounter successes and good results. But they must not let those to deter them from doing their works and missions, and instead, they should keep on going, doing whatever they could to glorify the Lord by their every works, efforts and endeavours. And this is therefore a reminder for all of us that we should also trust in the Lord in every missions, works and challenges that He has presented to us in our respective vocations and areas of responsibility in life. We should strive to do our best and be good role models and inspirations of faith for one another, at all times.

May the Lord continue to strengthen and reassure us all in our faith and in our journey through life, so that as He has shown and reminded us all through the story of the reconciliation and reunion of Joseph and his brothers, and what He Himself had told His disciples, all of us will be further strengthened and reassured, knowing that God has always been with us, and will always provide us all with everything that we need to move forward in life. May God bless us always in our every good endeavours, and help us in our every efforts and works, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 9 July 2025 : 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 as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the missions which the Lord had put into our paths and entrusted to each and every one of us, His disciples and followers. Each and every one of us have been put in certain places and given certain opportunities, talents or gifts in order to make good use of them in making it all a blessing for everyone, a grace for all those whom we encounter in life. All of us have been blessed with such great love by the Lord and hence, we should remember to love Him in the same way as well, and love all those who are around us, those who have been entrusted to us, and all those whom we encounter daily.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob or Israel, and his brothers were told to us. For the context of the story, in case we forget what happened earlier on before the events depicted in today’s passage, Joseph, one of the youngest sons of Jacob, born from his beloved wife Rachel, was one of his favourite, and was showered with lots of favour from Jacob, to the point that the elder brothers of Joseph became envious of him. There were also occasions when Joseph received dreams from the Lord where in that dream he was given respect and obeisance from his brothers and even his parents. No one knew it then, even Joseph himself, that this was in fact a premonition of things to come, many years and decades later, when everything actually came to happen just as Joseph dreamt of it.

Joseph’s brothers actually plotted to kill him out of jealousy, and they were only prevented from doing so by the eldest brother, Reuben, who wanted to protect Joseph. In the end, they all trapped Joseph and then sold him to a Midianite slaver who brought Joseph to the land of Egypt, where he first ended up as a slave and was even imprisoned, but by God’s grace and help, as He had planned it all from the very beginning, Joseph was rescued from the prison after he helped to interpret the dream of the Pharaoh of Egypt, and made to be the powerful Regent of Egypt, no less than the second most powerful person in the whole kingdom after the Pharaoh himself. And it was this powerful Regent that the brothers of Joseph met him, at that time, when the world was gripped in great famine and sufferings.

It was in fact part of God’s plan for His beloved ones, as through this action and turn of events, which was surely most unexpected for everyone, not only that God turned sufferings into greatness, but in His perfect timing and divine plan, He made everything to be wonderful, reuniting Joseph with his brothers and family in the end, and at the same time, his careful stewardship of Egypt’s resources and food allowed him to help countless people in Egypt and many other places to survive through the great seven years of famine. We can see how God made even wicked things that the brothers of Joseph had done to Joseph into great and wonderful things for so many, all the works of His hands, His wonderful and most loving deeds for us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus calling and dedicating His most important and closest collaborators, the disciples known as the Twelve, the members of His innermost circle of disciples. And we heard the Twelve being named for us, including the one that would betray Him in the end, Judas Iscariot. These people had been chosen and called by the Lord, from among those whom He had encountered and called, from different and diverse origins, and to them all He entrusted the power and authority to perform miracles and wonders, and to reach out to more and more of the people that He Himself would minister to, so that many more would come to know the Lord and His salvation, His Good News and love.

This is a reminder for all of us that as Christians, all of us have also been called like the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, and we have been given the unique and diverse gifts and opportunities which God had provided to each one of us so that we may make good use of them in whatever it is that He wants us to do in our respective lives, in our respective capacities in whatever we have encountered daily in life, in all those whom we have met, interacted with and spent time with. All of us ought to bear with us all the courageous and genuine witnessing of our Christian faith in all that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another, in our love that we show to those who are dear to us, and in our care for our fellow brothers and sisters, our neighbours around us.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of China, commemorating all those faithful holy men and women who had courageously stood up for their faith and defended their commitment to God without fear and willing to suffer and die as faithful disciples and followers of Christ, particularly against terrible and harsh repressions and persecutions against them and the Church. St. Augustine Zhao Rong himself was born during the middle of the eighteenth century in China, and was one of the Christian converts during a time when the Imperial Chinese government and state was highly suspicious of Christians and the missionaries, and which carried out sporadic persecutions against them and the faithful.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong wanted to become a priest and he received training to be such, and in such extraordinary circumstances, only five years after his baptism, he was ordained as a priest, becoming one of the first local Chinese to be ordained a priest, and he spent many years in service to the people of God and to the works of mission of the Church in various places. Then, according to the historic tradition, under the Emperor Jiaqing in the early nineteenth century, more persecutions were carried out against Christians, and St. Augustine Zhao Rong was one of those who were arrested, and then tortured and eventually martyred for their faith. There were many other Christian faithful, both the missionaries and the converts who gave up their lives in their faithful commitment and obedience to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be renewed and strengthened in faith, and let us all continue to do our best to live our lives each day with the strong desire to glorify God by our lives, knowing that God is always with us, providing for us at every steps of our journey in life. And through the inspiration provided to us by the courage and faith of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his fellow companions in martyrdom, let us all continue to be faithful in all things and at all times. Amen.

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Tuesday, 8 July 2025 : 14th 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 os the Scriptures, we are reminded that God will always be with us, providing for us for what we need and in all of our circumstances. God will never abandon us or leave us alone in suffering, but He is always present with us and guiding us throughout our journey, and we have to trust in Him and His guidance so that we will not be tempted by worldly desires and ambitions which may lead us astray in our journey towards the Lord. And unless we adhere firmly and faithfully to God’s path, it is easy for us to falter and fail in this journey that He has been calling us all into.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis relating to us the moment from the time when Jacob together with his whole family, with his two wives, Rachel and Leah, came back to the land of Canaan after spending at least fourteen years or so in the land of Haran, at his uncle’s place, after fleeing there in the aftermath of him taking away Esau’s inheritance and blessings from his father by trickery. Esau, Jacob’s elder brother was furious, and understandably Jacob fled to protect himself, and as he was returning to the home of his father, he was still worried of how Esau would react to him and whether he was still angry and furious at him.

And it was at that very occasion that God appeared to Jacob, who was at that time was filled with fear and uncertainty, probably thinking of how he could persuade his brother by his own designs and plans. God, disguised as a Man, wrestled with Jacob all night long, and hit the latter on his hip, and it was there, at that very time and place that God gave Jacob a new name, Israel, which means ‘one who had struggled with God’, as first a reminder of his renewed calling and Covenant as God’s servant and follower, in doing His will and in trusting in Him rather than in depending on his own mechanisms and designs, plans and other methods.

This change of name was also significant, as his own grandfather, Abraham, was also known by the name Abram prior to the Covenant that God made with him. And in other occasions in the Scriptures, there were also several others who had changed their names and identities, marking a dramatic change and moment of conversion in their lives, and for Jacob, this change symbolises him putting his trust in God completely and the restoration of his family ties, which had once been broken and frayed because of the rivalries and competitions, as one that he had with Esau, his elder brother, as well as a clear sign of God’s favour and Providence.

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 healed two blind men who were brought to Him, and then another man who had been struck dumb because of possession by evil spirits, and the Lord Jesus continued to show His power and authority, commanding that evil spirit to leave behind the man, and he was therefore cured from his afflictions. But as we also heard, the Pharisees who were there, likely jealous from the Lord’s great popularity and from their hardened hearts due to their conflicting ideals, criticised the Lord harshly. They accused Him of performing His miracles, casting out demons with the help of the prince of demons.

Such was the conflict and disagreements between the Pharisees and the Lord that they made such a heinous accusation against the Lord, but the Lord continued to carry out His good works and ministry nonetheless among the people of God, sending out His disciples to carry out many more good works in those places that He was to visit Himself, and He was telling the disciples that the works of the Lord and the harvest was indeed plentiful, but there were few workers to work in the field of the Lord that is this world. Thus, the Lord asked them all to pray so that God would send more labourers, for more to be called to work in His field that is the world.

We are all reminded therefore that each and every one of us as Christians must not harden our hearts and minds like how those Pharisees had hardened theirs and refused to listen to the Lord. They also depended on their own power, intellect and wisdom rather than trusting in the Lord and allowing Him to speak to them, as the Lord Jesus Himself had done, and hence, that was why they continued to walk down the path of disobedience and rebellion against the Lord. But as Christians, we should be humble and committed to the Lord, ever aligned and attuned to His will through constant prayerful life and listening to Him in whatever He has called and told us all to do.

May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, giving us the strength and courage, the perseverance and power to go on serving Him faithfully in life, to the best of our abilities, following God and doing His will, entrusting ourselves to Him and following Him in His path. Let us all also trust in His wisdom and providence rather than depending solely on our own power, intellect, plans and designs, and instead, walk together with Him in our paths of life going forward. May God bless us all in our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 7 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, through the Scripture readings that we have received and listened to today, all of us are reminded and reassured by the Lord of the hope and salvation which all of us will enjoy, the true joy and happiness, and the consolation, all the help that we can find through Him, and Him alone. We must always have strong hope in the Lord and we should not give up hope in Him because He can do all things for us and there is nothing that is impossible for Him to do. Whatever it is that is He has willed for us and desired for us, all will happen without fail in due time, and this is why we ought to trust in God at all times, even when we may be facing a lot of hardships and challenges in life.

In our first reading today, we heard of the story from the Book of Genesis, where God appeared and spoke to Jacob who at that time had just fled from his home after he had obtained the blessings of his father Isaac, to the fury and anger of his elder brother Esau, who must have been very angry after he had his blessings and birthright taken from him by his manipulative and trickster younger brother. But the Lord was with Jacob, and I mentioned this in the last week reflections, as although Esau was the elder son, and the customs and practices at that time dictating that the elder son should receive the inheritance, but Jacob was the one who had God’s favour, and Esau was according to Scriptural details and traditions of the Israelites, was not virtuous in his way of life. Nonetheless, Jacob had to bear the brunt of his brother’s anger, and had to flee therefore to his mother’s household in Haran in Mesopotamia.

It was in that occasion that the Lord appeared to Jacob to strengthen and to reassure him, renewing the same promises which He had spoken to Abraham and Isaac both, that He would make all of them to be the father of many nations, and He reassured Jacob that He would be with him in every step of his path, even when it seems to be unsure and full of challenges ahead. At that place, Jacob had a dream in which he saw the greatness of God, a stairs or ladder that extended all the way to Heaven, with the Angels of God ascending nad descending through that ladder to the earth. It was the reason why the place was named by Jacob as Bethel, because it was there that he saw the very House of God, the Gate to Heaven itself.

And Jacob was strengthened through that experience, so much so that he was able to persevere for many years during his time in exile from his home, at the household of Laban, his uncle, and was patient and strong in his labours and works, while fulfilling everything that God had promised him earlier on. Through his wives, especially Rachel, the one whom he loved very much, he became the father of twelve sons and at least one daughter, and from them indeed would come forth the great nation of Israel, all their twelve tribes having come from the sons of Jacob, who later on would be known as Israel, the one whom God had called and chosen, to be His own first called and chosen people, and God would be with them, guiding, loving and providing for them just as He has promised.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the two great miracles that the Lord Jesus performed before the people, one that happened with a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding or haemorrhage problem, while the other was the sick and eventually dead daughter of a synagogue official. In the first case, the woman was trying to hide her condition and was discreetly seeking the Lord because her condition was deemed to be unclean, and she certainly did not want anyone to know of her conditions, and her faith in the Lord and in His ability to heal her eventually cured her of her condition. And as we heard, the Lord was aware of her faith and what she had done, and He presented her faith before all, telling everyone what kind of faith she had in Him and how she was therefore cured.

This was followed by the healing and the miraculous resurrection of the official’s daughter which happened because of the faith of those who have believed in Him, and despite the others who were there laughing when the Lord told them all that the girl was just sleeping. Through that great miracle of the resurrection and the healing of the woman suffering from the haemorrhage problem, the Lord showed everyone that He was indeed the true and perfect fulfilment of everything that the Lord God has promised to His people, the salvation and liberation which He has promised to them and their ancestors, of the One Whom He would send into their midst to save them, in that Person of none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now as we reflected upon these readings from the Sacred Scriptures, let us all therefore continue to trust in the Lord and be faithful to Him in all things, knowing that it is with Him alone that we shall truly have joy and peace, true happiness and satisfaction in life. Let us all not worry about what tomorrow may bring, as truly there is no certainty of what may happen to us, be it whether we are now in good or bad times. Instead, we should continue to be faithful and trusting in God, knowing that with Him we will not falter and fail in this life. He will always provide us all that we need, and we need to just trust in Him in all things, and not be worried because with the Lord we will truly be triumphant in the end, over all kinds of trials and sufferings we may be suffering from.

May the Lord continue to bless us all in each and every moments of our lives, and may He continue to encourage us in everything that we do, in our missions and callings in life, in all of our actions, works and good efforts for the sake of God and His Church, for the good of everyone around us. May He bless our very good works and endeavours, and help us to continue to be faithful and committed to Him in whatever areas of life and responsibilities that we are in, becoming good examples and inspiration, worthy beacons of God’s hope and light to all. Amen.

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Sunday, 6 July 2025 : Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us heard the words of the Lord speaking to us through the Scripture passages that we have received, reminding us of the message of hope which He has brought unto us and touched our hearts and minds with. All of us have received the wonderful love of God through the manifestation of this love through His Son, the only Begotten Son that He has sent into this world to be in our midst, that is Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ Himself. God has shown us His most beautiful love which He wants to share with all of us, ever reassuring us that we are truly precious to Him, beloved and dear to Him, and we will never be separated from Him, no matter what.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord’s reassurances for His people, as He told them all to be faithful to Him and to trust in His Providence, love and care as He told them all to rejoice for Jerusalem, for the good things that He would bring upon each and every one of them. And we need to understand that these words from the Lord came to the people of God in the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem where Isaiah ministered in during the time right after the downfall and destruction of the northern neighbour of Judah, the kingdom of Israel, where many of the ten tribes of the twelve tribes of Israel dwelled in. Destruction came upon Israel and their capital Samaria because of the great sins and disobedience which they had shown, and hence, they were uprooted from their lands and forced into exile in distant lands.

Therefore, amidst all these, and also the uncertainties and fears that the people in Jerusalem and Judah also faced, as the same Assyrians that destroyed the kingdom of Israel also came up against Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord reassured His people with His constant love and providence, His generosity and presence. He would never abandon those who are dear and beloved to Him, and He would take good care of them, even when things were truly dark and uncertain, where He would always lead them out of the darkness and into the light. The Lord reassured this to His people who were then suffering and in time of tribulation, strengthening their resolve to walk in the times of difficulties and calling upon them to come back towards Him once again.

Then from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the region of Galatia in Asia Minor, we heard of the reassurances from St. Paul to them regarding the new life that they had all received from God, the reconciliation which the Lord had offered to them most generously and lovingly, and which would restore them all to grace in Christ, in the ultimate offering of most selfless love which He has shown us all from the Cross. By His sacrifice on the Cross, Christ our Lord and Saviour has shown us the perfect example of hope and love, a Hope that transcends the darkness of our lives and a most genuine and wonderful Love that touches our hearts and minds, inspiring us all to love Him and love one another more ourselves.

And St. Paul also spoke of how everyone have been made into new creations in Christ, and old classifications and boundaries like being Jews and Gentiles, or non-Jews, and being rich or poor, or being free or slave, slavery being then quite common in the region, all these divisions and classifications no longer take hold within the Church and among Christian believers. This is because before the Lord there is no distinction or difference between any one of us, and we are all equally beloved by Him, truly precious and dear to Him, and by His love and kindness, His compassion and generosity, all of us are truly blessed and we should really be thankful for everything that He has given and provided to each and every one of us so generously all these while. 

Finally, from our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus sending out His disciples, a total of seventy-two of them, who were likely counted among His close disciples beyond those of the Twelve, which He sent out two by two to the various places that He Himself was to visit and minister in. And through this, the Lord wants to show all of us of just how dear and beloved all of us are, because the Lord has always tirelessly reached out to us, wanting all of us to find our way back to Him, to be reconciled to Him and to be reunited with Him perfectly through love and redemption. And at the same time, we are also reminded that each and every one of us share in the missions which the Lord has entrusted to His disciples.

That is because the works of the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord, in reaching out to more and more people, to those who have not yet known or recognised the Lord, His truth and Good News, are still far from being done. There are still many people out there who have not known the Lord and His truth, His teachings and salvation. And even among many of those who have heard about the Lord, many still did not truly know Him, and there are still even those who have the wrong ideas and impressions about our Christian faith and about God. Within the Church itself, amongst our own fellow brothers and sisters, there are many who still have not truly believed in the Lord or have a strong and genuine faith in Him. That is why it is up to us to reach out to them all and to show our true faith to them not just with mere words, but also through genuine actions and interactions.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord, to be active participant in our faith in the Lord and in our participation as members of the Church of God, in our various respective communities and within our own families and circles of friends. Let us all show love and care for one another, and live our lives with the full realisation and understanding of how beloved and blessed we have been by God, and therefore endeavour to be the source of love and blessings for others around us all as well. May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our resolve and journey, and help us all to persevere in faith, in being great beacons of light and hope for others around us, and be the genuine bearers of God’s love for all, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 5 July 2025 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony Zaccaria, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the Lord’s providence for His people, His love and care for all those whom He loves, and all those whom He has called and chosen to be His own. And we also have to put our trust in what He has provided for us, and taught us all to do, even if things may not go the way that we commonly think or expect, as we must also remember that God’s ways are truly above and beyond our ways, and often times we may not be aware of this fact especially if we assume that what we know of is what the Lord wants from us. Rather, the Lord inspires us and tells us through His revelations, through what He has brought us via His Son, and the Holy Spirit, of what He truly wants from us, the path that He wants us to follow Him through.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the moment when Isaac, the son of Abraham was already ageing, and his two sons, the elder Esau and the younger Jacob, were vying for their father’s attention and blessing, the blessing which they coveted as whoever that Isaac blessed would become the one to inherit the blessing of God, which had been given to Abraham, and then to Isaac, and then to whoever it is that Isaac blessed, as the one whom God would choose and make to be a great nation. Isaac was favouring Esau the elder son, while Rebekah, Isaac’s wife was favouring their younger son, Jacob. There was also another context of what was not explicitly mentioned in the Scriptures, that Esau was also involved in relationship with Canaanite woman, while the preference of Abraham and his family was that they ought to take a wife from their own people, which Jacob eventually did.

Therefore, through the events that we heard today, while it might seem to be strange why God was party to this trickery which Jacob employed with the support of his mother, Rebekah, in tricking Isaac into thinking that he was his elder brother and therefore received the blessings which his father had intended to give to Esau, we must understand the bigger picture, knowing that what God desires and seeks may not be what is customary and usual, and also unlike what we may expect and desire ourselves. And that was how God in His mysterious will and design chose Jacob, the younger son over Esau, the older son, as it is also in accordance to His greater schemes and designs. This is also understood in the manner how Jacob was more interested in the spiritual blessings from Jacob, while Esau was looking for a more earthly and physical blessings, in the manner of possessions rather than true blessing that matters.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling the disciples of St. John the Baptist who came to Him asking Him about why He and His disciples did not fast in the manner that they themselves and the Pharisees had been fasting, which was following the customs and practices of the Jews at the time in their interpretation of the Law of God as revealed through Moses. Contextually we must also understand and appreciate the fact that the way how the Law of God had been interpreted by those same Pharisees and the people of God had been gradually veering away from what the Lord had intended for His Law and ways to be used by them.

For example, the Pharisees in particular were so engrossed in the manner how the Law ought to be practiced that they often ended up forgetting and overlooking why the Law was given and entrusted to us in the first place, which is to help us to orientate ourselves in this world and to show us all how we can love God and love one another, and that is why He gave the Law and taught His people through Moses that they all might know how they could live in a manner that was more pleasing and worthy of God. But over the centuries since the Law was revealed to them, the people passing down the Law, the rules and regulations began to change and alter them to suit their desires and wants, and began to make amendments and having different interpretations on those laws and rules.

As a result, many among those Pharisees were practicing their faith in the wrong manner and with the wrong intentions. Many among them, as the Lord Jesus Himself criticised them for, paraded their faith and pious actions before everyone, and such as the matter of fasting, they made sure that everyone knew that they fasted, in their practices and in wearing of sackcloths. Such a public show of faith and piety, while not necessarily wrong, but with the improper focus and attention led to them being engrossed with their own self-importance and self-righteousness, and with their ego, pride and desire, in fact distanced them further from the Lord instead of making them truly righteous and worthy of Him.

That is why the Lord told those disciples of St. John the Baptist that His ways are greater and better than the ways which the Pharisees and those disciples of St. John the Baptist themselves had followed. He used the parable of the new and old cloth, and also the old and new wine and wineskins to highlight this, showing how the incompatibility between the new and old cloth, and also the new wineskin with old wine, and vice versa, are just like the incompatibility of what the Lord truly wanted from His people with what those same people, like the Pharisees and the disciples of St. John the Baptist had done. Therefore, in order to be truly faithful to the Lord, one ought to listen to the Lord and follow Him in everything which He had told them all to do in their lives, instead of opposing Him and refusing to follow Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Anthony Zaccaria, a holy man of God and priest whose faith and dedication to the Lord should be an inspiration for all of us to follow in our own lives as well. St. Anthony Zaccaria was born in Italy during the Renaissance era, and he was inspired and called to the priesthood after studying to be a physician, eventually continuing to explore his calling in tending to the poor and the sick in his community. He eventually founded the congregation known as the Barnabites, and was also known for his popularisation of the forty-hours devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, through which he helped to deepen the faith and spirituality among many of the people of his time. Through his tireless efforts and works, St. Anthony Zaccaria had indeed done many wonderful deeds for the good of the Lord, and showed us what it truly means for us to be a follower of Christ, in doing His will and not in following the ways of the world.

May the Lord continue to inspire and strengthen us all in our resolve to live our lives faithfully as Christians from now, especially inspired by the examples of the great saints, particularly that of St. Anthony Zaccaria whose memory we venerate today, and may He nudge us all to commit to a good and worthy life in Him if we have not done so yet. May He give us the strength and courage to carry out our Christian faith most faithfully and genuinely in our every actions, in our every interactions with one another, in our every single contributions, even in the smallest and seemingly least important actions and works. May He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 4 July 2025 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Portugal (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures today, we are reminded that God has always kept us in His mind, caring for us and showing us all His most generous love at all times, reaching out to us and providing for us everything that we need in our lives, and we need to trust in Him and follow Him when He calls upon us to follow Him, in whatever paths that He has led us into. We should always put our trust and faith in the Lord, not worrying about what we will receive in life, but trusting instead that He will always provide for us. Like what He has done to those whom He had called, and those who willingly embraced Him and followed Him, we should allow the Lord to transform us and our lives so that we may truly be worthy of Him at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Genesis, we heard of the time when Sarah, the wife of Abraham died in the Promised Land. She had followed Abraham in his journey to the land that God had called him to, and miraculously gave birth to Isaac, the son that was promised by God and which yet seemed to be impossible at that time, as Sarah was already way past childbearing age, and she was already waiting for ages to try to have a child with Abraham without avail. And yet, God fulfilled her dreams beyond her imaginations, and gave her the son that she had wanted for so long. Isaac, that promised son, grew great in stature and wisdom, and God was with him, and when Sarah passed away, both Abraham and Isaac grieved greatly for their loss.

But the Lord also continued to provide, giving Isaac a bride from among his own people, by Abraham sending Isaac back to his homeland, in asking for the hand of Rebekah, from among his own relatives, to be the one to accompany Isaac. And we heard how Isaac made the journey and eventually encountered Rebekah, and they came together, were married and became the continuation of the fulfilment of God’s promises to His people, His promise that Abraham would become the father of many nations. Through Isaac would be born Esau and Jacob, the forefather of the Edomites and the Israelites respectively. And it was through the younger son Jacob, whose descendants were chosen as God’s holy and beloved people, the first ones He called, that God accomplished everything that He had promised.

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 called one of His Twelve principal disciples, namely that of St. Matthew himself, the author of today’s Gospel reading. Back then, St. Matthew was known as Levi, a tax collector, and tax collector at that time had a rather bad image among the people of God. They were seen as being greedy and wicked, overcharging the people for their own benefits, and some also saw and considered them as traitors to the people due to the nature of their work in collecting taxes on behalf of the Romans or the Herodians, or both, which often brought great hardships on the people who were struggling to make ends meet.

As such, they were often considered, especially by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law as sinners, defiled and corrupted, and unworthy therefore of God’s love and grace. To interact with a tax collector is considered to be taboo because by the standards of the time, that would have caused those who interacted with them to be defiled as well, something which was shared by the others deemed to be sinners and unclean, like the prostitutes, those who were afflicted with diseases and possessed by evil spirits. And yet, the Lord Jesus reached out to the tax collectors and was kind and compassionate towards them, and He called Levi to follow Him, to be His disciple and follower, because He knew that in his heart, he had the desire and the potential to be a great servant of God.

And Levi did respond to the Lord’s call, and he answered in the most wholehearted manner, welcoming the Lord into his own household and gathering his fellow tax collectors to come and listen to the Lord. He also left behind everything, all of his work and possessions, and committed himself thoroughly to the Lord henceforth, becoming one of His closest and most faithful disciples. He changed his name to Matthew, just as Abraham was once known as Abram and Sarah was known as Sarai, symbolising that great change and conversion in life which all of them had experienced. And thanks to this, many great things happened because of what St. Matthew had dedicated himself towards the works of evangelisation, as well as in his authorship of the Gospel that we heard from today.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Portugal, who was the Queen of Portugal for more than four decades as the wife of the King of Portugal then, King Denis. She was born as a princess of the Kingdom of Aragon in Spain, and she had been brought up in a very pious manner from her early youth. She was married to the King of Portugal at the age of eleven, and had a great married life with the King. She continued to be pious and devoted in all of her actions and works, committing herself as Queen to the care of the poor and the sick throughout the kingdom. She was also known for her role as a peacemaker, making peace between the warring kingdoms of Castile and Aragon in what is today part of Spain. And after her husband, the King of Portugal passed away, she retired to a monastery, while continuing with her charitable efforts and even in her peacemaking works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired and strengthened by the words of assurances that we have heard from our Scripture readings today and from the life of St. Elizabeth of Portugal. Let us all be reminded that we are always beloved by God, and we will always be blessed and guided by Him, given the providence and protection that we need in our paths and journeys in life. We just have to trust fully and wholeheartedly in God’s guidance, doing our very best to glorify Him by every actions and good works that we do in our daily lives. May our lives be truly fruitful in the Lord, be blessed and empowered by God’s Presence in our lives. May He bless our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 3 July 2025 : 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 St. Thomas the Apostle, one of the members of the Twelve Apostles, the innermost circle of the Lord’s disciples and followers. St. Thomas was particularly known as one who often doubted the Lord, and was known as St. Thomas Didymus or the Twin, probably because he might have had a twin brother, and he was always the skeptical one amongst the disciples of the Lord, as if we read through the other parts of the Gospels, we can see how he was always first to question the Lord and His decisions, and this continued on even after the Lord had risen from the dead, just as we have heard from our Gospel passage today.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Ephesus, the Apostle speaking about how each and every one of us as God’s holy and beloved people have been made to be the Holy Temple of God, the Temple and House of His Holy Presence, and we have become parts of the Church, the stones and foundations of the Church of God together with the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, the saints, the martyrs and all the other holy people of God, past and present. Through this reading we are all reminded that each and every one of us share in the same mission which the Lord has entrusted to His Apostles, in proclaiming the Word of God, the Good News of salvation and in calling all the people of all the nations to God.

We are reminded that just as we celebrate the memory of the great Apostle St. Thomas, celebrating the great faith and dedication by which he had committed himself to the missions entrusted to him, we should be inspired by those same examples and actions, all the love and commitment which St. Thomas and the other Apostles, and the many other holy saints, holy men and women of God have shown us. We must realise that they all did not do their great works alone on their own, but working together with one another in achieving their goals, in supporting one another in the good efforts and endeavours that we are carrying out for the greater glory of God. We have to be active in carrying out our own ministry and works in our respective communities of the faithful, at all times.

Then from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when St. Thomas himself, who at first doubted the Resurrection of the Lord, encountered the Risen Lord in person. He was not there in the room together with the other Apostles and disciples when the Lord first appeared to them in His Risen glory, and he refused to believe when the other Apostles and disciples tried to convince him that the Lord had indeed risen from the dead. St. Thomas, ever the doubter, refused to believe even when everyone else had believed, and challenged the Lord to appear before him and showing him the signs of His Resurrection and how He was indeed truly the One Who had been crucified and then rose from the dead as the others had claimed.

But the Risen Lord appeared before him and the others, and asked St. Thomas to do everything as he has asked and demanded of Him, and that was when St. Thomas, humbled and amazed by the truth, finally broke free from his unbelief and doubt, from his stubbornness and disobedience, and in a powerful public expression of faith, he declared before everyone, ‘My Lord and my God’, and these words if we remember and realise, each one of us also speak of at every moment when the bread and wine, which have been offered at the Holy Mass, have been consecrated and turned into the very Essence and reality of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord Himself, and which we therefore believe without a doubt, as a core and most central tenet of our faith even when we cannot see Him truly as how the Apostles had seen Him.

According to Apostolic tradition, after the Lord’s Ascension into Heaven and the coming of the Holy Spirit, St. Thomas was actively involved in the works of evangelisation and the spreading of the Christian faith and the Good News of God. St. Thomas was commonly associated with the evangelisation efforts in India, where the community of Christians that originated all the way from the time of St. Thomas’ ministry remains till this very day, also known as ‘St. Thomas Christians’, in the maritime regions of southern India where St. Thomas had apparently visited and ministered in. St. Thomas spent many years proclaiming the Good News of God to those people who have not yet known Him, patiently reaching out to those who have not been willing to listen to the words of the truth.

And thanks to his great works, many were turned towards the Lord and became believers, no longer walking in the darkness and ignorance of God’s truth, but receiving through the words, actions and works of St. Thomas, the grace of everlasting life and true happiness with God. He endured many trials and struggles just as he encountered many successes, difficulties and challenges just as he has earned many great conversions to the one true faith in God. Eventually, like most of the other Apostles and many of the Lord’s other disciples, St. Thomas also faced persecution and martyrdom, giving up his life in great suffering after he has proven his faith to the very end, from someone who have always doubted the Lord to someone who was willing to die for his faith in Him. His examples and dedication, his change of heart should indeed inspire all of us in our own faith and lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the great examples which St. Thomas the Apostle has shown us, all the dedication, commitment and love which he has done throughout his life, in devoting his time and effort to spread the Good News, the Gospel of Christ, His salvation and assurance to more and more people. May all of us be strengthened in our own faith and devotion, doing our best to follow the examples of the Apostles and the saints, particularly that of St. Thomas the Apostle, in serving the Lord at all times, as best as we can. May God be with us always and bless our every good endeavours. Amen.