Saturday

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Saturday, 28 March 2026 : 5th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we approach the beginning of Holy Week which will begin tomorrow with the Palm Sunday, we are reminded what it is again that we are truly commemorating and marking during this upcoming Holy Week, which is focusing our attention on everything that the Lord had done for our salvation, His faithfulness to the Covenant which He had made with us, His beloved people, the promises that He has constantly repeated and reassured to us and our predecessors. And He bas fulfilled everything perfectly, even to the point of sending His own Beloved Son to us, to fully accomplish all that He had planned for the beginning of time.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard of the words of the Lord Himself to His people in exile in Babylon through the prophet Ezekiel who was called to minister to them there. And the Lord reassured and promised to His people that He would not leave them to suffer alone in those places of exile, and that He would gather them all back to their ancestral lands, restoring them to grace and favour once again. While those people ended up there in those places of exile because of their disobedience and therefore sins against God, but the Lord did not seek or plan to have them eradicated and destroyed on purpose, as He still loved them all, and their exile was in fact a way that the Lord had done in showing His love by chastising them from their mistakes.

Through what the Lord presented to the people by the words of the prophecy of the prophet Ezekiel, God was essentially going to restore them once again to grace and greatness, which had once been lost from them due to sin. They had been divided into two kingdoms and groups opposed to each other by their and their king’s refusal to obey the Law and commandments of God, preferring and choosing to follow their own ways and worshipping the pagan idols and false gods of their neighbours instead of trusting in their Lord and God, the One Who had constantly and repeatedly shown His love and kindness, ever greater patience and compassion towards each and every one of them. He would also gather them all back from their lands of exile

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, in which we heard of the discussion and debate among the leaders of the influential Pharisees and other elders of the community, the chief priests and others who made up the members of the Sanhedrin, also known as the Jewish High Council. Those people debated about what they ought to do because the Lord Jesus kept on making miraculous signs and works among the people, and increasingly more and more people came to believe in Him, and as this happened, the members of the Jewish High Council were gradually losing their influence and prestige within the community of the people of God as the Lord often clashed with them and they themselves also stubbornly refused to listen to Him.

They thought that being those who had been charged and entrusted with the guardianship and leadership over the people of God, then they were better, superior and more worthy of God than the others, and that they could not have been wrong in how they practiced their faith and believed, in their understanding and application of the Law of God that has been revealed through Moses and passed down through the generations. This prideful attitude, haughtiness and sense of self-importance were what ultimately became the great stumbling blocks in their path to accept what the Lord had taught and shown them all through His many actions, miracles and wonders, which many of them had witnessed with their own eyes.

That was why the Lord revealed to them their insecurities and their lack of true and genuine faith, as a warning to all of us that we should also not end up walking down this same path. And yet, the Lord was still very patient in dealing with them, and He still reached out to them and forgave them their sins nonetheless, just as He had been patient with their ancestors, the people of Israel and Judah in the past. Nonetheless, as we heard, the great opposition, plots and all the things which the Lord had to endure as His ministry was coming to its climax at that time as He approached the moment of His Passion, His suffering and death, preparing all of us with these things we heard, for the coming commemorations of next week’s Holy Week.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to these words from the Sacred Scriptures and as we reflect upon their meaning and importance to us, let us all therefore ponder on our own attitudes in life, in how we have lived our lives daily, on whether we have indeed been faithful to the Lord our God, on whether we are merely paying lip service to Him, outwardly faithful but on the inside, we are truly no better than those Pharisees and the chief priests, who served primarily themselves and their agenda, their ambitions and worldly desires, instead of listening to the Lord and obeying Him and His commandments. We are reminded not to harden our hearts and be humble and open-minded instead, and put our trust and faith in the Lord more.

May the Lord, our most loving God continue to help and strengthen us all through this journey of faith and life especially during this time of Lent and as we are about to enter into the solemn time of the Holy Week starting from tomorrow. May He continue to provide us all with the courage and strength to keep on going in living our lives with faith, doing our very best so that by our examples, actions and everything that we do, we will always inspire everyone around us, in continuing to move forward in life with great faith and courage, in doing our best to glorify God by our lives, in trusting in Him and believing in His promises, providence and love at all times. Let us all enter into the time and season of Holy Week with great enthusiasm and faith, and make best use of this time provided to us. Amen.

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Saturday, 28 March 2026 : 5th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 11 : 45-56

At that time, many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what He did; but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Council.

They said, “What are we to do? For this Man keeps on giving miraculous signs. If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him and, as a result of this, the Romans will come and destroy our Holy Place and our nation.”

Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all, nor do you see clearly what you need. It is better to have one Man die for the people than to let the whole nation be destroyed.” In saying this Caiaphas did not speak for himself, but being High Priest that year, he foretold like a prophet that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also would die to gather into one the scattered children of God. So, from that day on, they were determined to kill Him.

Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the country near the wilderness, and stayed with His disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and people from everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and, as they stood in the Temple, they talked with one another, “What do you think? Will He come to the festival?”

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Saturday, 28 March 2026 : 5th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13

Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He Who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.

For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.

Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.

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Saturday, 28 March 2026 : 5th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Ezekiel 37 : 21-28

You will then say to them : Thus says YHVH : I am about to withdraw the Israelites from where they were among the nations. I shall gather them from all around and bring them back to their land. I shall make them into one people on the mountains of Israel and one king is to be the king of them all.

They will no longer form two nations or be two separate kingdoms, nor will they defile themselves again with their idols, their detestable practices and their sins. I shall free them from the guilt of their treachery; I shall cleanse them and they will be for Me a people and I shall be God for them.

My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all. They will live according to My laws and follow and practice My decrees. They will settle in the land I gave to My servant Jacob where their ancestors lived. There they will live forever, their children and their children’s children. David My servant will be their prince forever.

I shall establish a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I shall settle them and they will increase and I shall put My sanctuary in their midst forever. I shall make My home at their side; I shall be their God and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I am YHVH Who makes Israel holy, having My sanctuary among them forever.

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Saturday, 21 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through the season and time of Lent, and as we are approaching the last two weeks of this Lenten season, we are reminded ever more through our Scripture readings of the things that happened around the Passion of Our Lord, building up towards the climax at the events we commemorate at the Easter or Paschal Triduum. We are reminded of all the plotting, hardships, trials and oppositions that the Lord encountered throughout His ministry and works, all of which came about because of the pride, ego and ambition of many among the people of God at that time, especially the leaders and elders of the people, all of whom sought to silence and destroy the Lord, seeing Him as a great threat to them and their status in the community.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which we heard the conversation between Jeremiah and God, where the prophet confided to God everything that the people had carried out against him, in their plots and designs to destroy him and to silence him despite everything that he had done for the good of the people of God, in bringing to them the warning from the Lord and also telling them at the same time of God’s continued patience and love for each and every one of them. And instead of appreciating what God had done for them through the labours of His prophet Jeremiah, they all tried to crush him and strike at him with all sorts of oppositions.

But God is a Just and Mighty God, Who is always kind, compassionate and caring towards those who are faithful to Him. He does not abandon His faithful ones to destruction and ruin, and He was certainly not silent when those who have held on to hope in Him faced challenges, trials and difficulties. He was always with each and every one of them, guiding and strengthening them all throughout their journey and struggles, carrying them and supporting them, providing them with the necessary courage and inspiration throughout those difficult moments. There were indeed times when the prophet Jeremiah almost lost it amidst all the plots and challenges facing him, and yet, in the end, he still trusted fully in the Lord and His Providence.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in which the continuation of the debates and the disagreements among the leaders and elders of the people, the elders and important persona of the Jewish community, were heard by us, as they gathered and debated about what the Lord Jesus had told them in their confrontation if we recall what it was as highlighted in our readings yesterday. The Lord rebuked those people for lacking faith and for not believing in Him despite everything that He has shown them and done before them all, all the miracles and wonders He had done, all the Wisdom that He had delivered to them, which they refused to believe out of pride and ego.

And they all debated as we heard in today’s Gospel passage, doubting and refuting Christ’s claim simply because they thought that it was impossible for someone like Him to have been the Messiah, thinking that they knew His background and identity, as a mere Son of a carpenter from Nazareth in Galilee, a region from which no prophet or Messiah was prophesied to come or originate from, but little did they know that the Lord was truly born in Bethlehem in Judea, and His foster-father was none other than the Heir of David himself, the King of Israel, and therefore, fulfilling perfectly all that God Himself had proclaimed and repeatedly reassured to all of His people through His many prophets and messengers.

The Lord has not withhold anything from us, and He gave us only the best of the best, none other than His own Beloved and Begotten Son, Whom He has sent into our midst to bring unto us the healing and reconciliation that is necessary so that we may find our way back to Him and His loving embrace. Having been separated from Him due to our disobedience and sins, we should have deserved death and destruction. And yet, God Who is always loving, kind and compassionate towards us always show us all His love, His ever present grace and His patient care, ever always reaching out to us all despite our stubborn attitudes and refusals to follow Him or listen to His words and reminders, as our ancestors had done to the prophets and to the Lord Himself.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to journey through this time and season of Lent, with the spirit and fervour in our hearts, doing our best in every time and moment, seeking to strengthen our connection and relationship with God once again, if we have not been doing so regularly so far. Let us all continue to strive to spend more good and quality time with the Lord and to reorientate our lives so that we may truly walk faithfully and courageously with the Lord, be it in good times or bad times, in times of plenty and in times of suffering. Let us all continue to be good role models and examples in our every actions, words and deeds, in our every efforts and endeavours in life.

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to show us all His most generous mercy, love and kindness at all times, strengthening each one of us with the necessary courage and inspiration, the patience and perseverance necessary to continue pushing on regardless of the challenges and trials that we may be facing in life. Let us not lose hope and be overcome by fear whenever we encounter difficult moments and struggles, remembering that the Lord Himself has suffered the worst of sufferings and punishments for our sake. Even as we journey patiently through all these challenges, let us remember that God is always with us, and there are those whom He has placed to help and journey with us too. Therefore, let us all continue to trust in the Lord and follow Him wholeheartedly, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 21 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 7 : 40-53

At that time, many who had been listening to these words began to say, “This is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some wondered, “Would the Christ come from Galilee? Does Scripture not say that the Christ is a descendant of David and from Bethlehem, the city of David? The crowd was divided over Him. Some wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

The officers of the Temple went back to the chief priests, who asked them, “Why did you not bring Him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this Man.” The Pharisees then said, “So you, too, have been led astray! Have any of the rulers or any of the Pharisees believed in Him? Only those cursed people, who have no knowledge of the Law!”

Yet one of them, Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier, spoke out, “Does our law condemn people without first hearing them and knowing the facts?” They replied, “Do you, too, come from Galilee? Look it up and see for yourself that no prophet is to come from Galilee.” And they all went home.

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Saturday, 21 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 7 : 2-3, 9bc-10, 11-12

O Lord, my God, in You I take shelter; deliver me and save me from all my pursuers, lest lions tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

O Lord, my righteousness; You see that I am blameless. Bring to an end the power of the wicked, but affirm the just, o righteous God, searcher of mind and heart.

You cover me as a shield. Oh God, for You protect the upright. A righteous judge is God, His anger ever awaiting those who refuse to repent.

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Saturday, 21 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 11 : 18-20

YHVH made it known to me and so I know! And You let me see their scheming. But I was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me that they were plotting, “Let us feed him with trials and remove him from the land of the living and let his name never be mentioned again.”

YHVH, God of hosts, You Who judge with justice and know everyone’s heart and intentions, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause.

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Saturday, 14 March 2026 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, each and every one of us are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures to continue serving the Lord our God faithfully and trusting in Him wholeheartedly because He loves each and every one of us and He can see all that we need, all the things that are blocking us and preventing us from coming towards Him. He knows us all very well in and out, everything that we are, and even things that we may not be fully aware of. That is why we are reminded this Lent to be more attuned to the Lord and to follow Him ever more faithfully in each and every moments in our lives, this Lent and beyond.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Hosea, we heard about the words of the Lord delivered to His people through His prophet, whom He sent to minister to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel. The Lord has foretold the destruction and downfall of Israel because of their repeated disobedience and wrongdoings, their lack of faith and trust in Him. However, as we also heard in our reading yesterday and today both, God also reassured them all with His love and commitment, as per the Covenant He had made with their ancestors. God still loved them regardless of their sins and mistakes, and He would not abandon them in the manner that they had abandoned Him first.

That was why He told them all just as He was calling on each one of them to return to Him, that He would restore them all once again in honour and grace, allowing them to rebuild their lives and their cities once again after they had suffered the period of misfortune and difficulties in the future. He would gather them all once again after they had been scattered all over the world, and they would once again be His beloved people. All these would indeed came to fruition and fulfilment over the next few decades and centuries, as the people of God gradually and eventually repented from their sinful ways, and eventually found their way back to God’s grace. It is also therefore a reminder for all of us to do the same for ourselves as well.

Then from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples using the well-known parable of a tax collector who prayed together with a Pharisee in the Temple of God. In that parable we heard how the Pharisee praised himself for all of his deeds and works, all of his pious efforts and then the same Pharisee also sneered and looked down on the tax collector, full of self-praise and pride, thinking that he was better over that tax collector. Meanwhile, the tax collector as we heard, humbled himself and was so apologetic and repentant before God, and the Lord praised the faith of the tax collector, his humility and desire to seek God as opposed to the self-aggrandising and proud attitude of the Pharisee.

In this Gospel passage and parable we are reminded that each and every one of us should not think that we are better in any way than others, especially with regards to our spiritual nature and relationship with God. We should not think that we are in any way better or superior than others, or be prejudiced or biased against anyone because we disagree with them or disapprove of them. We must remember first and foremost that God loves each and every one of us equally and unconditionally, and He does not play preferences or have any bias or prejudice against any of us. Even the greatest of sinners are deserving of God’s great and ever enduring love, and we cannot assume that we are better or less a sinner than another person.

Instead of the pride which blinded us all to God’s love and truth, to His mercy and forgiveness, let us all be more humble like the tax collector, who recognised his faults, mistakes and sins before the Lord. God knows all of our good actions and deeds, and also all of our wicked deeds and failures, and hence there is really no need for us to boast about our good deeds before Him. This is even worse still if we choose to boast over our prejudiced and judgmental attitudes over others just as the Pharisee had done. Rather, let us all trust in God’s mercy and compassion ever more from now on, knowing that no matter how great our sins may be, but if we put ourselves in His mercy, God will heal us and bring us back to His loving Presence.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings are important reminders for each and every one of us that we should not allow ourselves to be taken by our pride and ego within us that we fail to see that we ourselves are in need of God’s mercy and healing, and that each and every one of us are equally beloved by God, and His love is not something that we can consider in transactional way or in any way to boast over one another. Let us all remember instead just how lovingly God has treated us with, and how generous He has always been with His kindness, love and all that He has shown us all these while despite our many trespasses against Him and our stubborn attitudes and behaviours.

May the Lord our most loving and compassionate God Who always sees our hearts and minds, and Who has always cared for each and every one of us patiently all these while, continue to provide for us, show us His most generous mercy and love as we come towards Him with contrite and sorrowful hearts, seeking Him earnestly so that we may be healed from the afflictions affecting us, particularly those of our sins and wickedness. May God be with us always throughout this time of Lent and beyond, helping us to persevere and to continue moving forward in life with faith. May He continue to bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 March 2026 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 18 : 9-14

At that time, Jesus told another parable to some people, fully convinced of their own righteousness, who looked down on others : “Two men went up to the Temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other a tax collector.”

“The Pharisee stood by himself, and said, ‘I thank You, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of all my income to the Temple.’ In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’”

“I tell you, when this man went back to his house, he had been reconciled with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised up.”