revelation of truth

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Tuesday, 23 June 2026 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to entrust ourselves to the Lord and not to be easily swayed by sin, which would lead us down the path towards annihilation and destruction, and we must not let pride and hubris from affecting and influencing us or our actions in life. Instead, we should try our best to humble ourselves before God and heed His calls, listening to His words and reminders for us to turn away from our sins. We are all called to be holy and righteous in all of our words, actions and deeds, and everything ought to begin from our daily living. Through us and our good examples, many more will come to believe in the Lord and in His truth, and it is our responsibility to make good of this mission we have in this life.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Kings of Israel and Judah the account of the attack on Judah and the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrians, which happened during the reign of the righteous king Hezekiah of Judah. King Sennacherib of Assyria brought his whole vast army to conquer Judah and Jerusalem, and the people of God and their king were thoroughly outnumbered and no one would have expected them to survive the attack by the Assyrians, least of all from Sennacherib himself, who proudly believed and announced that no god or deity had ever protected any other nations he had destroyed and conquered, and that the same fate would happen to Judah as well. He was so full of himself that he forgot that ultimately he was not in control of everything.

Unlike those others, Judah and Jerusalem had the Lord, the one and only True God, Who was by the side of His people, Who listened to every single blasphemous words uttered by king Sennacherib in his vain pride and arrogance. The Lord listened to Sennacherib’s prideful words as well as Hezekiah and the people of Judah’s prayers for deliverance, made through the prophet Isaiah, all of whom trusted in the Lord and His providence and help. The Lord therefore delivered His beloved people from harm, and as we heard in our first reading today, sent His Angels to crush the forces of the Assyrians, and caused massive deaths among them, which led to Sennacherib having to retreat back to his land in shame.

The Lord showed that all those who pride in themselves and refused to believe in Him, or persecute those who have faith in Him, will face defeat and destruction in the end. He has always been with those who entrusted themselves to Him, just as He proved to the people of Judah and their king, Hezekiah. Pride is indeed a very grievous and terrible sin, and is something that can easily distract and pull us away from the path towards salvation. We must not be prideful and haughty, arrogant and thinking that we are great and powerful, for as we have heard, the Lord brought low those who were proud and mighty, when they boasted of their power and glory before others. On the other hand, He exalts the humble and those who remain true to their faith in Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples and followers, calling on all of them to holiness, stating to them how the path to salvation and eternal life is truly one that is narrow and difficult, and unless one makes the effort to enter the narrow gate, then many may end up not being able to enter into that desired path. And why is that so, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is exactly because of pride, hubris and arrogance I mentioned earlier, the downfall of many of our predecessors, as well as many other things such as greed, jealousy, hatred, lust among other things. If we allow ourselves to indulge on those things, then sooner or later we will realise that they usually end up leading us ever further astray from the Lord and His path.

That is why as Christians each and every one of us are called and challenged to remove from ourselves, our hearts and minds, all these obstacles of pride, greed, jealousy, hatred, gluttony, wrath, envy, sloth and all other things that often prevented us from finding our way towards God. We cannot allow those things to distract or tempt us to fall into the path of sin, again and again, as many of us had experienced throughout life. We are all called to be better Christians in actions, words and deeds, and we cannot be hypocrites who act in the way contrary to what our faith had shown and revealed to us. We are reminded that we should always be genuine in the manner on how we live our faith, in genuinely showing love for the Lord and for others around us.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us should heed these reminders from the Lord and keep in mind that all of us should remain firmly united with Him and aligned with Him in all of our ways of life, in our every moments in life. All of us must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the worldly glories and all the things which can lead us down the slippery slope towards our downfall as King Sennacherib of Assyria and other proud people in the past had suffered from. We will realise it sooner or later that none of these hubris, pride and ego will benefit us, and in fact, we will only come to regret our folly in pursuing such wicked attitudes in life. Instead, the greater we are and the mightier we have become, the humbler we should be, and the more we must realise that all the glory we have, ultimately should be attributed to God.

May the Lord our God continue to guide us all so that we may continue to persevere through the most challenging moments in life, with true faith and dedication to Him, doing our very best at every circumstances so that we will be the great inspiration and role models for everyone around us in faith, in our virtuous path and in obedience to God. Let us all bear witness faithfully to what God has sent us all to do, to do what He has entrusted to each one of us, with ever greater zeal and commitment in each passing day, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 22 June 2026 : 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, and St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today through the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy people, all of us are called to follow the Lord in everything that He had told us to do, in everything that He has taught and shown us to do in our lives, in following His Law and commandments among other things that He has revealed to us. All of us should be truly genuine in our faith and trust in the Lord, and not be merely outwardly faithful and yet inside us, we are filled with all sorts of wickedness and evils in us, in our actions, words and deeds, all of which are contrary to what we believe in. Such a faith and way of living our lives are no better than that of hypocrites that the Lord Himself often condemned.

In our first reading, taken from the second Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, we heard of the story of the occasion when the King of Assyria gathered his armies and invaded the land of Israel, the northern kingdom of the once united kingdom ruling over the people of God. For the context, by that time, those living in the northern realm known as Israel had been committing a lot of heinous and wicked acts, in disobeying the Lord and His Law, His prophets and commandments, refusing to believe in them despite the signs, warnings and wonders that they themselves had repeatedly seen through those prophets and messengers of God. The Lord had always been so patient in guiding His people, His beloved ones and flock on their way back to Him, and even though they had been so stubborn, He still sent them help, guidance and prophets to guide them.

But God’s love and compassion, His mercy and kindness also ought to be embraced by those same people, and at the same time, they also still had to account for the actions that they had done, in their disobedience and sins which have caused them to wander ever further away from the path that God had called them to walk through. They indulged in themselves and in the worldly temptations, glory and ambitions, which was why they had to account for all these with the destruction and downfall of their kingdom. The Assyrians defeated and crushed them, conquered their capital Samaria and razed it to the ground, bringing quite a number of the people into distant exile in the lands of Assyria and beyond. All these were presented as the just consequences of the stubborn attitudes of those who have rejected God’s patient love and kindness.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and those who were there listening to Him on what being a hypocrite was all about, referring no less to those people who had frequently and consistently been criticising and blocking His works, such as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the chief priests and the Sanhedrin among others, who often liked to criticise everyone but themselves, thinking that they were better and superior than everyone else, especially those whom they were prejudiced against. This was why the Lord used the parable of the splinter to highlight this foolish attitude, all of which had hardened their hearts and prevented them from truly believing in all that God had brought unto them through His Son.

Essentially, by pointing out figuratively that those religious and societal elites of the community had focused so much on the splinter in the eyes of others, that they failed to notice the planks in their own eyes, an attitude which led to them acting in ways that were full of pride and hubris, forgetting the very essence of their role within the community of God’s people. They were supposed to be the ones guiding the people of God towards Him, by showing good examples and being good role models, and yet, they closed the doors of salvation and made it difficult for many others to come towards God by their judgmental and biased attitudes, their preference to criticise others first while not realising their own faults and mistakes. This is something that we ourselves need to be wary and vigilant of, brothers and sisters in Christ. those people 

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of not just one but three great saints, holy men of God who had dedicated their lives and actions to the Lord, giving themselves thoroughly to Him and committing themselves to His cause. All the three of them are truly exemplary in their actions and works, leading a life truly worthy of the Lord, and when they were faced with hardships and tribulations, persecutions and trials, all those things did not dissuade them or prevent them from continuing to live their lives with the same kind of faith and commitment. On the contrary, they kept on going and dedicated themselves even more to the Lord and His cause, and did not mind the sufferings and persecutions that they had to face, with two of these three saints suffering martyrdom for the sake of the Lord and His Church, standing firm in their faith to the end.

This day we celebrate the feast of St. Paulinus of Nola, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, with the first one being a Roman era saint and bishop, renowned for his faith in God and generosity, commitment and dedication to his flock and to all those who have encountered him, while the other two, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher were the most prominent among the many martyrs of the so-called English reformation, in their staunch opposition of the English King’s efforts to break free from the authority of the Pope and the Universal Church, defying even their own liege and king in doing so, in order to stand by their faith and to uphold what they truly and sincerely believed, against the wrong ideas and ways that the king wanted to impose on the faithful people of God, in breaking the unity of the Church.

First of all, St. Paulinus of Nola was born into a prominent Roman family in what is today part of southern France, and became a Roman aristocrat and statesman, becoming ultimately the governor of Campania, prior to his conversion to the Christian faith. Eventually, he embraced the Lord and the Christian faith, and abandoning his worldly posts, he became the Bishop of Nola, for which he was greatly remembered, in his renunciation of the world and all of its excesses, and in his embracing a holy and ascetic way of life, dedicating himself wholly to God. St. Paulinus of Nola was also remembered for his many correspondences with the other early Church fathers, as well as in his many efforts to build and strengthen the Church in his diocese of Nola and beyond. Through his piety, humility and dedication to God, St. Paulinus of Nola is truly a great example for all of us.

Meanwhile, St. Thomas More was a prominent statesman and also the Lord High Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII. St. John Fisher was the Bishop of Rochester and one influential Church leaders during the reign of the same king. King Henry VIII was infamous in his efforts to beget a male heir to the throne, in his six marriages to six women, and eventually in his futile attempts in doing so, with the male heir that he begotten, passed away in early youth not long after that boy ascended the throne. However, very unfortunately, in his desperate measures, King Henry VIII chose to disobey the Lord and His Church, by divorcing his own wife, who had begotten for him a daughter, and chose to marry another woman, in contravention of the divine and the Church law, hence, triggering the breakaway of the Church in England, resulting in the English reformation.

Amidst such a state, as King Henry VIII demanded that all the people converted to his new establishment and church leadership, while many did so out of opportunism and fear of the king, St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher were notable as the highly ranked members of the king’s influential advisors who refused to obey the king’s commands, and in the case of St. Thomas More, he chose to oppose the king’s decision in breaking away from the Universal Church and the decision to divorce his wife, and preferred to remain faithful to the Lord despite the persuasions and coercions for him to follow the king’s orders. St. Thomas More faced suffering and persecution, and eventually together with St. John Fisher, who was a courageous Church leader made a Cardinal for his dedication by the Pope, were martyred for their great and committed faith in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the examples of these holy and faithful predecessors of ours, be inspired by their examples and great works, and walk in the path of the Lord ever more faithfully from now on. We are all called to be true disciples of the Lord, in being truly loving towards God and one another, and not be prejudiced or judgmental, and in not disobeying His Law and commandments, as we have heard from our Scripture passages earlier on. Let us all be good examples and role models of our faith, in our every works and endeavours, in our every words, actions and deeds. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to guide and strengthen us all to be His faithful disciples, ever focused on Him and His teachings and truth, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 21 June 2026 : Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we gathered together and listened to the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded that we have to remain firmly rooted in our faith in God, so that each one of us will not easily fall to the temptations present all around us, which can lead us astray in our path, and bring us down the path of ruin and sin. All of us as Christians are God’s beloved sons and daughters, His own beloved ones, whom He truly cares about, and we should have no need to be afraid or to fear that we will have nothing as the Lord will always guide us and He will always be by our side, helping us and empowering us. The Lord wants us all to always be faithful to Him, and be vigilant lest we may be tempted and swayed to the path of sin and evil.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, in which the prophet Jeremiah spoke of the predicaments and struggles that he was facing in the midst of his ministry, in all the opposition and the hardships that he had to endure. Jeremiah had been sent to the people of God, the people of the southern kingdom of Judah, at a time of great turmoil and misfortune, during the last days of Judah, when they were facing a lot of struggles and attacks from their enemies. All these came about ultimately because of their own sins and wickedness, in how they had refused to obey the Lord and His Law, in their waywardness and unfaithful way of life. They had spurnt the Lord and His commandments, persecuted and even killed His prophets and messengers.

The prophet Jeremiah endured many of the same hardships, persecuted and oppressed for speaking the truth, as he revealed the Lord’s intentions to His people, telling them all of the upcoming disasters and destruction that would happen because of their continued and stubborn refusal to believe in God and in obeying His ways. He was persecuted by the powerful members of the aristocracy and the influential ones, who colluded with the false prophets that spoke lies and falsehoods, in saying that God would bless and reward the king and the people of Judah, not speaking what the Lord truly has delivered to them through Jeremiah. Jeremiah dared to go against the majority and all those false prophets and all the powerful nobles, and almost lost his life in the process. Yet, he remained firm in his faith and commitment, and did not let all those things to dissuade him from his mission.

Jeremiah said that it was because God was with him, a mighty Warrior, standing by his side. It means that no matter what hardships that he would have to go through and endure, the Lord would always support him and be with him, even in the darkest and most difficult moments. Jeremiah reminded us all therefore that we are never alone in our sufferings, and we will always have God by our side, journeying with us and fighting with us, and He will lead us all to the ultimate triumph with Him while those who rejected Him and refused to obey Him, will eventually meet their defeat and downfall. Those who hold strongly to their faith in God will be raised and glorified, like Jeremiah and many other prophets who had suffered and been persecuted for their faith, and now glorified as great servants of God.

In our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, we heard St. Paul the Apostle speaking to the Church and the faithful in Rome regarding the matter how the Lord has brought mankind, all of His beloved people out of the darkness of sin and death, by the sending of His own most beloved Son, by His grace, made through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, through Whom, the salvation of God has entered into this world. Through Christ, all of us have been shown the path out of the darkness and into the light of God. All of us have been led out of the darkness due to our own disobedience and wickedness, in our refusal to obey God’s will, His Law and commandments, by the perfect obedience shown by Jesus Christ Himself, which just like Jeremiah and the other prophets and servants of God of old, dedicated Himself thoroughly to the mission that God, His heavenly Father had entrusted to Him.

And this mission is for Him to bear all the burdens and sufferings, all the punishments and the hardships due to us because of our sins and wickedness. He bore His Cross, full of the punishments and consequences due for our sins because He truly loves each and every one of us, and He made Himself into the most worthy offering, because He truly cared for us, and wanted us all to be reconciled with Him, forgiven and cleansed from our many sins, so that through Him, all of us will not perish and be damned into the eternity in hell, but instead, be affirmed and assured of the path of salvation and eternal life. Christ has done all of these because He did not want to be separated from us, and each one of us are truly precious and important to Him.

In our Gospel passage today, that is what the Lord Jesus Himself reiterated to His disciples and therefore to all of us, stating clearly that each one of us are truly precious and beloved by God, and God knows everything in our hearts, our minds and our whole lives. If we worry about following God and do things that are against His path simply because we want to preserve ourselves and avoid hardships and difficulties in life, then we have to know that the consequences for us will not be a nice one. Many of our predecessors themselves were faced with these difficult choices, on whether they ought to remain faithful to God, or to continue to practice their faith with sincerity and commitment, or whether they ought to give in to the many pressures, temptations, coercions and other things that forced, encouraged and coerced them to abandon their faith in God in exchange for worldly satisfaction and acceptance.

What about us then, brothers and sisters in Christ? Are we going to surrender our faith in God simply because we do not want to be inconvenienced and to suffer hardships because of our faith in Him? Are we going to abandon the Lord simply because what we believe in supposedly are no longer in tandem with what the world today prefers to believe, or because our faith in the Lord is no longer fashionable and cool for us to keep faithfully in our lives? Are we also going to continue to be lukewarm in our faith and to be ignorant of our calling in life to be faithful and committed Christians, to be filled with true and genuine faith at all times, and not merely just paying lip service or fulfil external obligations of our faith, but inside we do not have true love for the Lord and faith in Him?

Let us ask ourselves these questions and discern carefully if we have truly devoted ourselves to the Lord in the manner that we should do as Christians, or whether we have chosen to conform to the ways of the world. Let us discern our path forward in life and ask ourselves if we have placed the Lord at the centre and as the focus of our lives and existences. If we have lacked faith and trust in the Lord, then this is the time for us to remember the guidance, help and strength that God had lent and given to all of His servants and faithful ones, and in everything He had done for us, in not sparing for us even His own most beloved Son, not just to dwell among us, but even to suffer for us on our behalf, bearing the burdens and punishments due for our sins and wickedness, and offering Himself as the perfect and most worthy sacrifice, so that through Him all of us may be saved and have eternal life.

Let us then turn over a new leaf in our lives, and abandon our past lives of sin and evil, and return to the Lord with contrite and broken hearts, asking Him to heal us from our many sins, from our brokenness, our disobedience and rebellions. Let us all be exemplary in our lives from now on, no longer being bound by sin and evil in our path, and walking once again in the path that God has shown and taught us to go through, so that we will get ever closer to Him and find our way to His salvation and eternal life. May the Lord continue to guide each one of us and empower us in our lives so that we may be ever more worthy of Him, in all the things we say and do, in our every interactions and actions throughout our lives, becoming great role models and inspirations for one another, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 20 June 2026 : 11th 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 listened to the words of the Scripture, we are all reminded of the words of the Lord telling us and reassuring us that there is nothing that we really need to worry about in life as the Lord Who is always by our side will always provide for us and strengthen us. He will not abandon us or ignore our plight, and in the end, those who keep their faith in God will be justified and will be blessed. Our first reading today from the Old Testament provided just one of the many proofs of these, just as I am sure that many of us have experienced God’s providence and help ourselves in our own lives, that He is always around us even through the most difficult times, as He is also always there in good times.

In that first reading passage, taken from the Second Book of Kings, we heard of the account of what happened in the southern kingdom of Judah as the High Priest Jehoiada passed away, and the young king whose rise to power he had supported, namely king Joash of Judah, began falling away from the path of the Lord, and he began to reverse some of the reforms initiated and put in place by Jehoiada in leading the people back towards the Lord. This resulted in the people of God sliding back into the path to sin and damnation, and God raised the spirit of the son of Jehoiada, one named Zechariah as mentioned in our first reading, to speak up against the king and his wicked actions, to criticise him for his lack of virtue and disobedience against God.

That led to him being persecuted and attacked, and eventually was martyred, as a faithful servant of God. We then heard of the retribution and justice from the Lord, as a short while later the forces of the Arameans defeated the kingdom of Judah and ended up with the death of Joash, who had caused the death of the righteous Zechariah. Joash got his just consequence of having persecuted and killed a righteous man, and for his refusal to listen to Zechariah and his criticism, served to remind him to return to God. Joash suffered and perished because of his mistakes and sins, in allowing the people of God to slide back into the path of sin and darkness, and therefore, all those things were what the king eventually had to account for.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to His disciples with the main intention of telling them that they must not be worried, concerned and afraid of what they would have to face and endure in the world, for the Lord will provide for each one of us in our hour of need. We have no need to be afraid or worried because no matter what we have to go through in life, the Lord will triumph with us in the end. Of course the path and journey towards there will not be easy, and there will be plenty of challenges going forward, but we should not let those from preventing us to walk in the path that the Lord has shown us, or distract us into the wrong paths. We must always trust in the Lord and in His providence on this.

Many of us have spent too much time focusing on our desires and concerns, our fears and worries that we have neglected our calling in life to be good and devout Christians. And we ended up doing things that bring harm to others and caused plenty of sufferings and pain, as what king Joash, his officials and many of our other predecessors had done. They sought worldly power and glory, and in trying to gain the approval of the world and the society, they had caused the people of God to lapse into the path of sin, and hence, they had fallen into the path from which it was difficult to get out from, the slippery path of sin. But with God’s help and strength, it is possible for us to remain strong and steadfast in our faith despite all these challenges.

And God did not forget about Zechariah and those who were righteous, as we heard how He justly punished Joash and his supporters for having persecuted and killed Zechariah. While Zechariah did have to suffer, but in the end, he was justified and triumphed in the end with God, while those who persecuted him faced their just consequences, as how Joash was humbled and brought low, and as mentioned in the Scriptures, that his deeds in murdering a dedicated servant of God and son of the High Priest, who was his own protector, had earned Joash a scorn and being despised by his own people, that he was not even entombed within the tombs of the kings of Judah. This is a reminder therefore that we must always remain upright in all things, as best as we can.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard in the Scriptures today, all of us are reminded that we must not allow the temptations of worldly power and glory from distracting us in our journey towards God and His salvation. We must not let the temptations and pressures of worldly desires and the allures of sin from dragging us down the slippery path towards damnation. That is why, we have to learn to trust more in the Lord, and to put ourselves in His hands, and entrust our lives, our efforts and works, and everything we say and do, to Him. And we are also called to help one another and be sources of inspiration to each other so that we may remain ever faithful to God, at all times.

May the Lord continue to be with us, guiding us and strengthening us along the way, so that each and every one of us may grow ever more committed to walk in the path that He has set before us. May He help us all to endure the persecutions, oppositions, sufferings and trials that we may have to face, in each and every moments of our lives. May He empower us all that we may be better and more resolute Christians that can help one another to stay committed to our path in life, in serving God and in inspiring more and more people to come ever closer to God and His salvation. May God bless our every good works and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to seek the true treasures of our lives, that we cannot find in the world, but in the Lord alone. Through our Scripture passages today, we are reminded that each one of us are called to be righteous and just, and to be good disciples and followers of our Lord, in all the things we say and do in life. We should learn from the past examples highlighted in the Scriptures that we may learn more about how not to live our lives in a sinful manner. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations and pressured present all around us, then it is likely that we will falter and fall into the path of wickedness like how Queen Athaliah had done as described by our Scriptures today.

In our first reading today, taken from the Second Book of Kings, we heard of the story of the usurpation of queen Athaliah of Judah, the daughter of king Ahab of Israel and queen Jezebel, who seized power unlawfully from the House of David, after her son, king Ahaziah of Judah was killed by the actions of Jehu, the one that God had appointed to be king over Israel. The death of Ahaziah prompted Athaliah to attempt seizing power for herself, and she initiated a great purge and elimination of all the heirs of Ahaziah and his relatives, so that she could secure herself in her position of power as the reigning queen of Judah. She thought that by her machinations and efforts, she had managed to gain the dominion over her kingdom, but she was mistaken.

This is because God had intervened and helped the House of David from extermination as He Himself had promised to David that his house would endure and would sit on the throne of Israel forever. He rescued the son of Ahaziah, Joash, who was then hidden with the help of Ahaziah’s sister, from the sight and knowledge of queen Athaliah. Athaliah was likely driven by greed and desire for power, which became her undoing as she committed great sins of murder and others in order to secure for herself the rulership and dominion over the kingdom of Judah. She would do everything in order to secure the rulership and glory for herself, and was not hesitant to destroy everyone and everything that were in her path.

That was what eventually led to her downfall, as Athaliah ruled Judah illegally and unlawfully, and continuing to promote the pagan worship of Baal and other idols. The time of reckoning and retribution finally came upon Athaliah when the forces loyal to the House of David, including the High Priest, Jehoiada, launched a counter-coup to restore Joash, the descendant and heir of David to his rightful throne. Athaliah was deposed and later on was executed, a justified end to her unlawful rule and the consequence of her crimes. This reminds us that there is nothing that can escape God’s attention and that God will always be just and caring towards His people, especially to those who have always kept their faith and trust in Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples with regards to finding the treasures that are not of this world. He told them all not to seek the treasures of this world, but to seek rather the true treasures that can be found in the Lord alone. The Lord told His disciples not to seek and store up treasures of this world that can be destroyed by earthly means, and do not last. Instead, the true heavenly treasures that He wanted them all to seek, last for an eternity, and one that will not be lost from them, for those treasures will always be theirs, by God’s assurance. We are reminded that it is much better indeed to put our efforts and trust to seek for the true joy and glory that can be found in the Lord alone, things that will not be found elsewhere or in this world.

This is related to what we heard in our first reading today. The example of what happened to Athaliah, her usurpation, reign and ultimate end are reminders for us not to be swayed and blinded by the pursuits for worldly glory and power. It was her greed and desire for power and glory that led her to her ultimate undoing, and those had also led her to committing sins and wicked deeds, in murdering the innocent children of the House of David. Her desire for power blinded her to reason and made her to be paranoid and afraid of losing her influence and hold onto the matters of the world, which led her to the heinous acts. This is something that we ourselves may end of committing if we continue to walk down this path of wickedness and worldly ambitions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is also a reminder for each one of us that we have to be vigilant against the temptations of our desires, of the many vices and other things that can lead us away from the Lord and His path. These temptations are plenty all around us, and if we are not careful, we may end up being dragged in ever deeper and deeper into the path of darkness and sin, like what Athaliah and many others of our predecessors had experienced. The Lord had reminded us of all these, so that by these reminders we may be more vigilant and have the opportunity to turn away from the often steep and slippery path of sin and darkness. The Lord wants us all to live according to what He had taught us to do, and not in following the whims of our desires and wants.

Today, as we reflect on these words and reminders from the Sacred Scriptures, the Church also marks the commemoration of the memories and the lives of those holy predecessors of ours, who have suffered greatly and perished during an episode of intense persecution of Christians in what is today Vietnam. Today is the Feast of St. Philip Minh and his companions, who have endured intense oppression for being Christians, in their dedication and commitment to God as Christians. The state and the governmental apparatus back then viewed all Christians and their faith, as well as the missionaries who came to Vietnam to preach the Good News of God with great suspicion and fear, considering them as agents of foreign powers and as threat to their existence and sovereignty. Therefore, in consideration of all these, that was why St. Philip Minh and others faced those bitter experiences and hardships. Yet, they all faced those sufferings and hardships with faith and courage, not giving in to those who seek to destroy them or force them to abandon their faith in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the examples of St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, that we may also aspire and strive to do what we can so that our lives and actions are true reflection of our Christian faith, so that we ourselves may inspire many others around us by our good examples and way of life. May the Lord, our most loving God and Master continue to help and guide us all in our journey throughout our lives, and may He empower all of us to continue living our lives with dedication and commitment, and doing our very best to be the true and shining beacons of His light and truth, His Good News and love, now and always, forevermore. May God bless us in our every good works and endeavours, in all things. Amen.

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Thursday, 18 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the passages of the Scriptures both the works and deeds of the prophet Elijah, who was taken up from Heaven in a flaming chariot, and also the prayer that the Lord Jesus offered to His heavenly Father, the prayer that we now know and call as the Lord’s Prayer, the Pater Noster. Through these readings from the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that as Christians we have to follow the examples shown to us, in remaining connected to God, in being righteous in all of our actions, words and deeds, and to be faithful to God at all times. We have to be faithful and committed to the Lord despite the challenges and hardships facing us because in the end, God will always be with us and He will provide for us, leading us all to the eternal glory and triumph with Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the praise that the prophet Sirach spoke with regards to Elijah, one of the most renowned prophets of Israel, who had laboured and worked hard for many years, in serving the Lord and calling on the people of God to turn away from their wicked deeds and ways. Elijah had to go up against the king and those who opposed him and stubbornly refused to listen to him. Yet, he persevered and continued to work hard for the glory of God, facing all the hardships and challenges with faith, enduring the ridicule, rejection and persecution with faith, knowing that God was with him and that He would not abandon His faithful servants in their time of need.

The prophet Elijah continued to labour for the people of God, and eventually, the Lord called him to Heaven, after He had appointed Elisha to be the successor of Elijah for the ministry to the people of Israel. Elijah was taken up in a flaming chariot into Heaven, and while he has been taken up into Heaven, his story, his courage and hardworking efforts remained and had become great sources of inspiration for many people throughout history. There were many other prophets whose lives and dedication to God can also be our inspirations as well, just like that of Elijah’s successor in Israel, the prophet Elisha, and others like the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel among others. All these servants of God showed us what it truly means to be following God.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the story of the Lord Jesus showing His disciples how they ought to pray to God, His heavenly Father. He told them all that they should not pray in the manner that the pagans liked to pray, who often used many words and invocations, and instead, they should pray in the manner that He Himself showed them, praying to the Lord in a truly Christian manner, as we all have been shown and taught how to do through the Church. In prayer, many of us often made a mistake of not meaning and appreciating what we were saying. Many of us prayed with the prayers common to the Church and yet, not meaning what we said, because we were merely reciting the prayers instead of actually meaning every single words that we utter from our mouths. We were praying more with our mouths and not internalising those words we said, and not linking our mouths with our hearts and minds. This is one of the mistakes that we often made with prayers.

And then, we also often think of prayers as a way for us to get what we wanted and desired. We often think of prayers as means for us to miraculously gain what we hope the Lord would give us, and as such, many of us made such demands with the expectation that God will do something for us. Then, when we do not get what we wanted or if things do not go according to what we wanted it, we ended up getting angry at God, becoming unhappy at Him and even leaving Him behind. If we do get what we wanted, we often forgot about Him afterwards. God is not One Who we can treat at our convenience and seek only if we have need for Him.

No, brothers and sisters in Christ, these are not how we should be praying to God. The true essence of prayer is communication, and it is the way through which we should communicate with the Lord, our God and Father, and how do we do it? A proper communication should involve listening and understanding, and it is very important that we open our hearts and minds to engage in a proper and meaningful conversation with God. We should dedicate time and effort to prayer, whenever we can, and in not demanding God, but rather, to communicate with God and to know His will for us all. That is why prayer must always be at the centre and heart of our Christian faith and living, instead of merely just being an afterthought or even chore.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to these words from the Scriptures, and based on what we had just discussed earlier on, we are all called and reminded to turn back towards the Lord and to be reconciled with Him. We are all called to follow the good examples of the prophet Elijah, the many other prophets and servants of God, the innumerable saints and martyrs who had spent their lives to glorify God by their actions and deeds. And we also have to deepen our spiritual and prayer life, so that we may come to know the Lord and that we may become ever closer to Him. By all of these efforts and by our perseverance in faith, our faith in God will truly show forth and many will come to believe in Him also through us and our examples.

Let us all hence seek the Lord with renewed hearts and desires, to love Him and to serve Him at all times. May the Lord continue to guide us in our journey, and may He empower us and encourage us to walk ever more faithfully like that of the prophets and the saints. Each and every one of us are called to be the shining beacons and bearers of God’s light and truth in our world today, by our own exemplary actions and way of life, filled with genuine faith and love for God and everyone around us. May God bless us always in our every good efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 17 June 2026 : 11th 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 Scripture, we are reminded of our actions as Christians in responding to God’s call for us to follow Him and dedicating ourselves to Him. Each and every one of us as Christians must be truly faithful and genuine in our way of life so that we are truly deserving of being called as God’s followers and His people. God has always been kind in reaching out to us, and He has shown us the path forward in life. It is then up to us whether we want to follow Him or instead following our own path in life. All of us should put our faith and trust in our loving Father, the One Who will always be with us and Who will show us the way to eternal life and true joy with Him.

In our first reading today, we heard of the transition between the prophets Elijah and Elisha, as Elisha had been appointed to be the successor of the prophet Elisha in the ministry to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. Elijah had come to the end of his ministry while the Lord had called and appointed Elisha to be the successor to Elijah. Hence, today as we heard in our first reading, Elisha followed Elijah to the place where Elijah was suddenly taken up to Heaven in a flaming chariot in the presence of Elisha himself, and Elisha was left to continue the good works that Elijah had begun. Thus the story of Elijah came to an end and Elisha became the one through whom God would correspond with His people, the Israelites.

Elisha was called by God and he responded to this calling with faith. Elisha dedicated himself henceforth to the works that he had been entrusted with, in labouring among the people of Israel. He continued to work for the greater glory of God, despite the stubbornness of the people and their kings all of whom refused to listen to the Lord and continued to rebel against Him, in their worship of pagan idols and gods, and in their continued disobedience and in all the wicked deeds that they had committed. Elisha had to work hard and labour against the challenges he had to face, but he followed the Lord faithfully and gave his all to his ministry. Through his many contributions and efforts, Elisha had shown how God was still with His beloved people despite the many errors and wicked deeds they had committed, calling them all to repentance.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord telling His disciples on how each of them ought to behave and act as His followers. The Lord Jesus called on them to be generous in giving and charity, and to do so not because they want to be lauded by others. The Lord told them that as Christians, they ought to do so because they genuinely want to give, and have care and concern to the other person they are giving to. They also ought to do other things and practices like their fasting and observance of other rules, with the right reasons and intentions. Otherwise if they did things with the wrong intentions, then they are no better than hypocrites like many of the Pharisees and the chief priests at that time.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all called through the words of the Scriptures to embrace the call which the Lord had made to us, in calling us to be genuine in our Christian living. We should not be like hypocrites who profess to believe in the Lord and yet did not do things or act in the manner of how they believed in. We have to spend the time and effort to follow the Lord and to commit ourselves to His cause, and we must not allow ourselves to be distracted and swayed by the lies and the falsehoods of the devil, or any other worldly temptations to make us fall deeper and deeper into the wrong path in life. This is why it is important that we truly embody our faith in every moments of our lives, in our every words, actions and deeds, and not merely putting a show of faith.

We are all sharers in the works and efforts of the Church, called to minister to our fellow men and women, to those around us who are perhaps not yet attuned and still ignorant of the way and the truth of Christ. It is through us and our actions that we can bring forth the Lord’s truth and His love to our brethren. Otherwise, if we ourselves did not act and do things in the manner that we have believed, who will then believe in the Lord? In fact, if our actions are contrary to what we believe in, then that will push other people further and further away from the Lord, and we will be fully responsible for having led and pushed them away from the path to salvation. Yes, indeed, we are capable both of good and wonderful deeds, as well as deeds that bring about scandal and hurt to the whole community of the faithful people of God, the Church.

That is why, we are all reminded of this obligation that we have, that as Christians we cannot be idle anymore in living our faith. We have to be active in living our lives and practicing all that God had revealed and told us to do through His Church. And we should not wait for others to begin doing so, as that may end up causing none of us doing anything in the end. Instead, we have to initiate it from ourselves and from every little things that we do in life. That is how we live our lives as faithful Christians and how we can be good inspiration for each other and help one another in our path and journey towards the Lord and His salvation. We should continue to be good inspiration and strength, good role models for one another, in bringing God’s light, truth, hope and love to others whom we encounter daily in life.

May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in our respective journeys, that we may faithfully commit ourselves to glorify the Lord by every actions, words and deeds we make. May He empower us and give us the courage to stand up for our faith, and to be His exemplary disciples and followers at all times. May God bless us and all of our good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 16 June 2026 : 11th 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 Scripture, we are presented with the continuation of the story of king Ahab and Naboth, the vineyard owner, who was put to death by the order of the king upon the plotting of his wicked wife, queen Jezebel. Upon committing such a terrible and sinful act, king Ahab, who had seized Naboth’s property as his own, faced the wrath of God that was delivered to him through the prophet Elijah. The Lord knew all that Ahab had done in committing the vile murder of Naboth in order to gain his property and land unlawfully, and God was angry at the great wickedness he had shown. As king, Ahab had been expected to be good role model and leader in leading the people of Israel, God’s beloved people, towards Him, and yet, he did exactly the opposite of what was expected of him, abusing his power for his own selfish desires.

That was why Elijah proclaimed God’s upcoming retribution and punishment for Ahab and his family. The wickedness that they had committed would result in the extermination of his entire family, by whose actions the entire land of Israel and its people had been led down the path of ruin. Ahab and Jezebel would face terrible deaths, and then his entire family itself would be wiped out and destroyed from the face of the earth. This was the rightful consequences of what wickedness that Ahab and his family had caused, in persecuting all the faithful people of God, and in the efforts they made to impose pagan and idolatrous worship among the Israelites. They had led so many people away from God and caused many to lose their faith in Him and their way in life, and thus, they had to be responsible for their misdeeds.

Yet, despite all the anger that God had at Ahab and his family, when Ahab himself remonstrated and showed great regret and humility before God, abashing himself and seeking for His mercy, God did not ignore him. In fact, as we ourselves had heard, that God had pity on Ahab, and while everything would still happen as He had said it, but He would postpone the destruction of Ahab’s family until after Ahab himself had passed on, and not immediately. This showed us all that first, sin is something truly serious, and there are grim consequences for our sins, especially the greater they are. But secondly, at the same time, we must not forget God’s love and mercy, which He freely showed all who seek Him with genuine and contrite hearts. And ultimately, God’s love for us is so great and generous, His mercy and compassion so wonderful that they triumph even over all of our sins.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord telling His disciples again how they should behave and act as His followers. They are all called to love and to genuinely show that affection, care and compassion for each other. They should not just only love those who love them back or those who are good to us, as the Lord said that anyone else also could have done that, even those who were wicked. After all, was that not what Jezebel did for Ahab, when she helped him to obtain Naboth’s land unlawfully, at the expense of Naboth? No, that is not what the followers of Christ, that all of us as Christians, should be doing in our lives. If we only love those who love us, or worse still loving only those who can benefit us because we expect something out of that relationship, then we are not living our Christian lives and faith genuinely.

Instead, as Christians, each and every one of us should heed the Lord’s words and follow His examples in how He has reached out to us with perfect and genuine love, love that is unconditional and patient, love that is never-ending and enduring. All of us are encouraged to love one another unconditionally and we are all called to be role models and examples of that unconditional love just as the Lord Himself has shown us His love despite us all having treated Him badly, rejecting Him and betraying Him for various idols and other distractions in life. Each and every one of us are sinners, and yet, God willingly reached out to us in order to heal us and to treat us from our maladies that is our sins. And He has given us all His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, to deliver us all from all these troubles.

The Lord Himself showed from His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross how He loved each one of us regardless of our sins. Each one of us are precious and important to Him, and we have all been very fortunate to have been beloved by God in this way. He forgave even those who have persecuted Him, betrayed Him and handed Him over to be scourged and eventually killed because of His alleged crimes. He loved them patiently and prayed for all of them, that they might also turn away from their sinful ways and embrace once again, God’s righteous ways, His compassionate love and forgiveness. He has loved us all the way, all these while, from the beginning until now and beyond, and each and every one of us are truly precious in God’s eyes.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us are challenged to love as how Christians are expected to love. We are all called to be the bearers of this genuine love of God, love that is selfless and pure, coming from the Lord Himself. We should not allow ourselves to be distracted any further by our desires and the many temptations in this world, the temptations of sin and desire, as what Ahab had done, in failing to resist his greed and desires and leading him to fall deeper and deeper into sin. Instead, we should strive to free ourselves from sin, and to embrace the righteous path of God, doing whatever we can to help one another in this same journey of faith.

Let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed conviction, dedicating our efforts and works for the greater glory of His Name, and for the greater good of His Church, all the faithful, our fellow brothers and sisters. Let us all be filled with the Christ-like love that each one of us have been expected to have, to love tenderly and to love even those who have made our lives difficult and hated us. Through this love, all will know that we are truly God’s people, and through our love, more will come to believe in God and be saved as well. May God be glorified through our works, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 15 June 2026 : 11th 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 Scripture, we are all reminded that we cannot let the desires in us and greed to bring ruin to ourselves, as the lessons of the past contained in the Scriptures should remind us. Instead, as Christians we have to heed the words that the Lord Himself had told us, that we must not be a people of greed and hatred, of anger and jealousy. Instead, we have to be filled with the same genuine love that God has for each and every one of us, and because of this, we are all called to be righteous, loving and exemplary in all of our actions, words and deeds. As Christians we should always be loving in all things, and not be selfish or self-serving in our attitudes, and be vigilant to guard ourselves against all things that can lead us astray, as highlighted in the Scriptures.

In our first reading today, we heard from the First Book of Kings the account of the encounter between king Ahab of Israel and Naboth, the vineyard owner from whom Ahab wanted to purchase the vineyard from. King Ahab has strongly desired that vineyard, but Naboth refused as that vineyard was on the land that he had inherited from his forefathers. By Law, Naboth was entitled to keep the land of his inheritance, and not even Ahab as king could lawfully force Naboth to sell his land to him. This made Ahab very upset and his wicked wife, Jezebel, plotted and arranged that Naboth was to be falsely accused of blasphemy and of faults that he had not committed. It was a truly wicked action on the side of Jezebel and Ahab, one that is truly abhorred by God.

That was how Ahab managed to unlawfully and illicitly gain ownership of Naboth’s vineyard, and that was a great sin that he committed before God and men alike. That was not what the Lord had told His people to do, and as king, Ahab was expected of an even greater standard and obedience to the ways of the Lord, to His Law and commandments. But Ahab failed it all, and he allowed his wife to mislead and misguide him, and to enforce policies and practices that promoted pagan worship, idolatry, and also the act of tyranny and wickedness as what Jezebel had done in the name of Ahab in persecuting and then seizing the lands of Naboth. They served their own ambitions and desires first, and sought for their own personal satisfaction and pleasures rather than being truly responsible and obedient to God as they should have done.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord telling His disciples that while Jewish traditions and customs demanded that ‘an eye is ought to be repaid with an eye, and a tooth repaid with a tooth’, they should not be following that path any longer, as He has shown them the better path, the path that He expected all Christians to follow, the path of His love. The old customs and practices were done in accordance to the principles of divine justice and retribution according to their understanding of the old laws of Moses, which had been misinterpreted and misunderstood by the people of God. Those laws and rules were meant to help the people to lead a way of life that is free from wickedness and in obedience to God, in loving God and one another instead of being selfish and greedy.

Hence, the Lord came to reveal the true intention of His Law, and to call on everyone to turn once again back to Him, abandoning their sinful ways, their selfish desires and greed, and instead embracing His path and following what He has been revealing and showing to us by His own actions. Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Our Lord and Saviour, we have seen the love of God manifested in the flesh, coming into our midst and dwelling among us. He did not just tell His disciples to love one another and to show genuine care and concern, doing more than what had been expected of them, and not to retaliate upon being treated badly, but He Himself did as He told His disciples, in His own actions, in what He had done in loving and forgiving even those who had persecuted Him.

For if we recall what took place during the Lord’s Passion, suffering and death, the Lord Jesus endured bitter rejection and harsh treatment from His enemies, abandoned and betrayed, and was condemned to death and accused of a crime that He was innocent of, and even after all that, He still looked lovingly upon His people, even to all those who had rejected and condemned Him, praying for them and asking His heavenly Father not to hold their actions against them. He showed how a true and genuine Christian love is like, a truly selfless and unconditional love, that does not seek one’s own comfort and benefits, but rather, truly caring for the well-being and the good of the other person. This is what all of us as Christians are expected to do in our own lives, to be the bearers of God’s generous love in our own actions, words and deeds.

Compare that love and path of life as compared to what king Ahab and his wife, the wicked Jezebel had plotted and done against Naboth. Then we can obviously see what we are expected to do as Christians, in obeying the will of God, and in following His love, His truth and compassionate ways. Each and every one of us have been called to follow the Lord and to walk in His path in the same manner, to be the role models to everyone around us, in not loving ourselves above our love for God and for others around us. We should not allow ourselves to seek personal satisfaction and ambition, but instead strive to bring about good and betterment for everyone around us, as members of one Church and the community of this larger world.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all walk faithfully in the path that God has shown and taught us, and remembering what the Lord Himself had done for our sake, in His selfless love and in His desire to be reconciled and reunited with us. Let us all ourselves be the beacons of God’s light, and the bearers of His truth, showing the genuine love of God, His compassion and kindness to all of mankind, to those whom we encounter in life daily, and doing our best to follow the Lord in all of our lives. May the Lord continue to guide us, that we may not walk down the same path that king Ahab had walked, and instead of succumbing to the temptations of our desires, let us all seek to live a better and more Christ-like lives from now on. May God be with us and bless our every endeavours and good works, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 14 June 2026 : Eleventh 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 Sacred Scriptures, all of us are called and reminded to be ever faithful to the Lord and to remember everything that He had done for us, in all the blessings and wonders that we have received. Each and every one of us have become partakers of the Covenant that God has established with us. God has loved and cared for us all most wonderfully and He has called on all of us to follow Him and to do His will. All of us are reminded to live our lives and to do our best to reflect the great love and the examples which our Lord Himself has shown us through His most beloved Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. That is what we are being reminded of this Sunday as we all gather together as one community and one Church of God.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard of the account of the time when the people of Israel, which God had just brought out from the land of Egypt, were led to the Mountain of God, Mount Sinai, where God would establish and renew the Covenant that He has made with their forefathers. The Lord told them and reminded them of everything He had done for their sake. He then told them of what they would all be expected to do as part of the Covenant which He would make with them, to be His holy people who live in accordance to His Law and commandments. The Lord would bless them and protect them, and would grant them His grace and love. God gave them all His Law and commandments so that all of then would know how they ought to live their lives, walking in His path and becoming good role models and sources of inspiration for all others around them.

In our second reading today, we then heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans in which we listened to the Apostle’s reminder to all the faithful in the Church of Rome, and also to all of us, just how fortunate each and every one of us are because God has loved us and provided for us, and even gave us all His most beloved Son, to be our Saviour. St. Paul reminded the faithful people of God that God has sent us His Son, to suffer and die for us, even though we were still rebellious and were great sinners, calling upon us to turn away from those sins and wickedness, having been reconciled through the love of God shown to us in Jesus Christ, the Son of God made Man. All of us are truly fortunate that God has come into our midst, ever always caring about us and kind towards us, and patient with us despite our frequent disobedience and stubbornness.

Lastly, then in our Gospel passage today we heard of the Lord telling His disciples that while the harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few in number, and He mentioned of asking the Master of the harvest to send labourers to gather the harvest. This, which is followed then by the mention of the Twelve Apostles, the closest confidants of the Lord, who were identified by name, and how it was mentioned that they were sent by the Lord with the power and authority to perform miracles and signs in His Name, all these clearly identified to us, that as those whom God had called and chosen, all of us as Christians ought to go forth and proclaim the truth of the Lord, His Good News and His path to all those around us, so that by our actions and good examples, we may inspire more and more people to come to the path towards the Lord and His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having listened to those words of the Scriptures and reflected on them, this is where we should realise that as Christians, each and every one of us have important obligations in life to do what God has commanded and taught us to do. The Lord has taught and revealed to us His Law and commandments, and each one of us ought to know them well, doing what we can as God’s people, as His followers, to inspire others around us and to show the teachings and truths of the Lord to those who have not known Him yet. Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, the works that the Lord has entrusted to His Church, to all of us are still far from complete, as there are still many out there who are still ignorant and lacking in proper understanding and knowledge of what the Lord has revealed and brought into this world.

Not only that, but even within the Church, there are many of those who are lukewarm in their faith, all those who have not lived their lives in accordance to God’s Law and commandments. The Lord wants us all to be the good role models, examples and inspirations for all these around us, even those within the Church so that more and more people may come to be truly faithful to the Lord. And we must realise that the best way for us to evangelise and to proclaim the Lord’s truth, is not by mere words alone. Instead, we have to live our lives genuinely as Christians, so that in everything we say and do, and in how we interact with one another, we truly proclaim the Lord to all those who see us, hear us, interact with us and encounter us. All of us should be great witnesses and missionaries of Christ, in living up to our Christian faith and expectations.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, lest we forget, let us remember everything that the Lord had done for us, in all the things He had done to His beloved people, in patiently caring for them and guiding them, rescuing them from trouble and hardships even when those same people had constantly betrayed and abandoned Him, stubbornly refusing to follow His ways and the path that He has shown them. The Lord has always loved us regardless of all those things, and He kept on reaching out to us, chastising us and punishing us whenever we erred and disobeyed Him, with the intention that we may change our way of life and turn away from all the wicked things which had led us away from the Lord and His salvation, His holiness and love. That is why, each and every one of us, ever reminded of God’s most generous love, should also love Him in the same way, and commit ourselves to Him and the missions which He has entrusted to us.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Master, our King, continue to love us and provide for us, in all the moments of our lives. And may all of us continue to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to Him, that in our every moments, our every actions and interactions, we will be ever worthy and be the faithful bearers of God’s Good News and truth, showing the path to the Lord to others around us by our own exemplary living in faith. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours, in all things, now and always, forevermore. Amen.