Saturday

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Saturday, 25 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

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

Psalm 9 : 2-3, 4 and 6, 16b and 19

Let my heart give thanks to YHVH, I yearn to proclaim Your marvellous deeds, and rejoice and exult in You; and sing praise to Your Name, o Most High.

For my enemies fell back in retreat, they stumbled and perished before You. You have turned back the nations; You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their names forever.

The feet of the pagans were ensnared by the trap they laid. For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

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Saturday, 25 November 2023 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

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

1 Maccabees 6 : 1-13

When king Antiochus was making his way through the upper regions of Persia, he received news about Elymais, a city renowned for its wealth in silver and gold. They kept in the wealthy temple of their city golden armour, breastplates and weapons, left there by the Macedonian king, Alexander, the son of Philip, the first sovereign of the Greeks.

So Antiochus went there. But the inhabitants came out armed against him when they learnt of his intention, so his attempt to take the city failed. He had to turn back; and he returned much embittered to Babylon. While he was still in Persia, it was reported to him that the armies sent to Judea had been defeated. They told him that although Lysias had gone with a strong army, he had to flee before the Jews, who had been strengthened with the weapons and the abundant booty taken from the neighbouring armies.

He heard, too, that the Jews had destroyed the abominable idol he had erected on the altar in Jerusalem; and had rebuilt the Temple walls to the same height as before; and had also fortified the city of Beth-zur. When he received this news, he was terrified and deeply upset. He fell sick and became greatly depressed because things had not turned out the way he had planned.

So he remained overcome by this terrible anguish for many days. He felt he was dying, so he called his friends and said to them, “Sleep has fled from my eyes and I am greatly crushed by my anxieties. And I keep on asking why such grief has come upon me – I who was generous and well-loved when in power – and now I am so discouraged.”

“Now I remember the evils I did in Jerusalem, the vessels of gold and silver that I stole, the inhabitants of Judea I ordered to be killed for no reason at all. I now know, that because of this, these misfortunes have come upon me; and I am dying of grief in a strange land.”

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the great Feast of the Dedication of not just one but two of the great Papal Major Basilicas in Rome, namely that of the Basilica of St. Peter and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Both of these Basilicas are two of the four Papal Major Basilicas, ranking just below the most important and Mother of all the Churches, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, or the Lateran Basilica, which Dedication we had just celebrated earlier last week. While the Lateran Basilica was dedicated firstly to the Lord Himself, the Most Holy Saviour, both of these great Basilicas were dedicated after the two great patrons of the Church especially in Rome, namely that of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope and Vicar of Christ as the Bishop of Rome, and St. Paul the Apostle, the Apostle to the Gentiles.

The Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican is the second most important church in all of Christendom, and because it is located at the Vatican City, over which the Pope is the Head of State and Sovereign, it is the place where most of the Pope’s liturgical celebrations and other major Church celebrations are celebrated, and is arguably the most well known of all the churches of all Christendom. Meanwhile, the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, or San Paulo Fuori le Mura is named as such because it is located just outside the ancient walls of Rome, and was the place where St. Paul the Apostle himself stayed during his time in Rome before he was martyred, in his final missionary journey. Both of these churches were ancient, and while the current Basilica of St. Peter was rebuilt about five centuries ago, but the original building and site dated back from the early days of the Church, together with the other Papal Major Basilica, the Basilica of St. Mary Major, Santa Maria Maggiore.

Both St. Peter and St. Paul are the Patron saints of Rome because they were first of all both martyred in Rome during their respective ministries and works. St. Peter as the leader and chief of all the Apostles had been active in going around many places, proclaiming the Good News of God, and also establishing the foundations of the Church in those places. St. Peter himself was the first Bishop of Antioch, establishing the first Church community and leadership in the place where the faithful themselves were known as Christians for the first time, and then, later on, St. Peter would go on to Rome in his later years, establishing the Church community there, together with St. Paul and other missionaries who had gone there to proclaim the word of God and His truth. Rome back then was the heart and capital of the Roman Empire, and hence, was pretty much the centre of the world then.

Meanwhile, St. Paul was a great missionary who dedicated himself to proclaim God’s words and salvation to many people all throughout the Mediterranean region, and for his commitment and service in proclaiming the Lord to the many non-Jewish people, also known as the Gentiles, he was thus known as the Apostle to the Gentiles. Most of the Epistles or letters that are contained within the New Testament were also written by him, and through all these efforts and works, he has brought the knowledge of God and His salvation to countless people, who have thus embraced the Lord and became Christians, committing themselves to the Lord as their Master and Saviour. Through his persistence and efforts, his endurance of many sufferings and trials, St. Paul had done so many good works for the salvation of many souls, and he is truly an inspiration to all of us.

Then, how did each one of them met their end in their martyrdom? According to Apostolic traditions and Church history, St. Peter the Apostle was persecuted in the terrible persecution of Christians during the end of the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. St. Paul the Apostle was similarly persecuted under Emperor Nero as well, but was likely martyred earlier than St. Peter, in the Year of Our Lord 64, in that year when the Great Fire of Rome happened. Now historical evidences showed that the fire was likely initiated by the Emperor himself, or attributed to other natural sources, but back then, the fire was blamed on the local Christian community, which became a scapegoat for the Emperor and the Romans, for them to carry out the first of the many intense persecutions against Christians. St. Paul was beheaded by an axe during that persecution, while St. Peter was arrested later on, and then was crucified at the site where the Basilica of St. Peter stands now. He chose to be crucified upside down, in a humble gesture of acknowledging that he was unworthy to die in the same manner as his Lord and Saviour.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, having gone through the lives and actions of both St. Peter and St. Paul, Holy Apostles, in whom the two great Basilicas were dedicated to, let us all hence now reflect on ourselves and our own way of life. How have we lived our lives as Christians in these lives and opportunities that God had given us? Have we been obedient and faithful to Him in the manner that the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, as well as the innumerable saints and martyrs, holy men and women of God had done? Have we followed the Lord wholeheartedly in all things and have we committed ourselves truly to His Law and commandments? Or have we instead allowed the temptations, evils and vices of this world to mislead us down the wrong path, in bringing us to disobedience and rebellion against God?

Let us all also reflect and ponder on the fact that each and every one of us are also truly the Temples of the Lord’s Holy Presence, where He dwells, just as the Basilicas are truly great Houses of God, the House of the Lord’s Holy and Real Presence. We ourselves have received the Lord Himself, in the flesh, through the Eucharist, of His Real Presence in His Most Precious Body and Blood, as well as through the Holy Spirit that the Lord has imparted upon us, and dwelled in us. Hence, just as in the dedication of churches, and the Dedication of the great Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul, the edifices and places have been set aside, sanctified and made worthy of God’s Holy Presence, thus, we should also do the same with our own lives, our own bodies, hearts, minds and souls. Essentially, our whole being, in which God dwells in, should be truly holy and worthy of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect and remember upon the lives and works of the great Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and as we rejoice in the memory of the Dedication of the great Basilicas dedicated to their name and memories in Rome, let us all also commit ourselves anew to the Lord in faith. Let us all strive to be good, holy and worthy in everything that we say and do, so that we may indeed be truly worthy of God, Who dwells in us and in our midst. May the Lord continue to help and encourage us, and strengthen us with the power and the will to live our live worthily as Christians, at all times. May He bless us all and encourage our every good efforts and deeds, for His greater glory. Amen.

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 18 : 1-8

At that time, Jesus told them a parable, to show them that they should pray continually, and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain town there was a judge, who neither feared God nor people. In the same town there was a widow, who kept coming to him, saying, ‘Defend my rights against my adversary!'”

“For a time he refused, but finally he thought, ‘Even though I neither fear God nor care about people, this widow bothers me so much, I will see that she gets justice; then she will stop coming and wearing me out.'”

And Jesus said, “Listen to what the evil judge says. Will God not do justice for His chosen ones, who cry to Him day and night, even if He delays in answering them? I tell you, He will speedily do them justice. But, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Alternative reading (Mass for the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Matthew 14 : 22-33

At that time, immediately, Jesus obliged His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by Himself, to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves, for the wind was against it.

At daybreak, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once, Jesus said to them, “Courage! Do not be afraid. It is Me!” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Jesus said to him, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water to go to Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and began to sink; and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”

As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God!”

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 104 : 2-3, 36-37, 42-43

Sing to YHVH, sing His praise, proclaim all His wondrous deeds. Glory in His holy Name; let those who seek YHVH rejoice.

Then He smote all the firstborn, the first fruits of their manhood. He led Israel out of the alien land, laden with silver and gold, and none were left behind.

For He remembered His promise to Abraham, His servant. So He led forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with singing.

Alternative reading (Mass for the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

YHVH has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love, nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YHVH, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, YHVH!

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Saturday, 18 November 2023 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Wisdom 18 : 14-16 and Wisdom 19 : 6-9

While all was in quiet silence and the night was in the middle of its course, Your Almighty Word leapt down from the royal throne – a stern Warrior to a doomed world. Carrying Your fearful command like a sharpened sword and stretching from heaven to earth, He filled the universe with death.

All creation in its different forms was fashioned anew at Your command, in order to protect Your people. The cloud covered the camp with its shadow, dry land emerged where water had been. A safe passage was opened through the Red Sea, the tempestuous flood became a green plain where the whole nation of those protected by Your hand passed across, witnessing Your astounding deeds.

They were like horses led to pasture, or like frolicking lambs, praising You, their Lord, Who had delivered them.

Alternative reading (Mass for the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Acts 28 : 11-16, 30-31

After three months, we boarded a ship that had spent the winter at the island. It belonged to an Alexandrian company, and carried the figurehead of Castor and Pollux as insignia. We sailed for Syracuse, staying there for three days; and, after circling the coast, we arrived at Rhegium.

On the following day, a south wind began to blow, and, at the end of two days, we arrived at Puteoli, where we found some of our brothers, who invited us to stay with them for a week. And that was how we came to Rome. There, the brothers and sisters had been informed of our arrival, and came out to meet us as far as the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns.

When Paul saw them, he gave thanks to God and took courage. Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor, but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house, with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul stayed for two whole years, in a house he, himself, rented, where he received, without any hindrance, all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God, and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us as Christians must always be filled with commitment and true devotion and love for the Lord, our God. We must not be easily swayed, tempted and led astray by the falsehoods and the temptations of the evil ones, all those who have desired and wanted for our destruction and doom. There are always challenges, trials and temptations facing us on our way, and we must always remain strong, remembering and reminding ourselves that there are many of our fellow brothers and sisters around us, all of us, believers in Christ, who have also been facing challenges, trials and difficulties at all times for God’s sake.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, of the Apostle highlighting and introducing everyone who had been working and ministering to the people of God with him, and this shows us how following the Lord is truly one of a collective effort, and our faith is not merely just a personal one between each one of us and God, but rather, we are all part of a community of believers, living and vibrantly growing in faith together in God. All of us as Christians are part of the same Church, the same united Body of Christ, and we are all called to holiness together in God, sharing in the same truth and Good News of God, receiving the fullness of His love and grace together as a community of believers.

Then, in our Gospel passage, we heard of the continuation of the story yesterday in which the Lord spoke using the parable of the dishonest steward to His disciples and followers. In that parable, the Lord mentioned about a steward who had been dishonest and wicked in his actions, in amassing wealth and money for himself, and hence, this steward was dismissed from his work, only for him to carry out more dishonesty and fraud in order to safeguard himself, and to ensure that he had a means of living, by tricking his master of the debts that his debtors were owing him. The master in that parable praised the dishonest steward, not for his wicked deeds and dishonesty, but rather for his astuteness and for the efforts he made in securing a future for himself.

Thus, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the continuation of this discourse, in which the Lord explained to all of the people listening to Him the meaning of the parable and its significance. He told them all that ultimately, we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations of money, wealth and worldly possessions. All those things will likely pull us away from the path of God and His salvation. The Lord Jesus also said it plainly that one cannot be servant of both God and money, as in the end, one will grow more in love with one of them, and despise the other. This is why, the actions of the dishonest steward was highlighted in reminding everyone that the love for money and worldly possessions is bound to lead one to do what is evil and wicked in the sight of God.

And at the same time, the Lord wants everyone to take note that we all should always be ready and be prepared for what is to come for us, and therefore, we have to be astute and mindful, of everything that we do in life, so that we do not end up doing what is wicked, unworthy and sinful before God. Instead, we are all called to live our lives ever more worthily, dedicating ourselves in each and every moments, in the path that God has shown and taught us all, in doing His will, obeying His Law and commandments. All of us have been given the opportunities, the gifts and blessings, the graces in this life to do what we can, in walking down the path of righteousness, or we can choose to disobey Him and walk down the path of evil instead. The choice is truly ours to make.

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

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

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

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our faith and give us the courage and the power to endure the many challenges and trials present all around us, that hopefully we will continue to live righteously and worthily in the path that God has shown and taught us, and following in the examples of the holy saints and martyrs, particularly that of St. Martin of Tours, whose feast we celebrate and whose memory we venerate and remember today. May the Lord bless us all in our every good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 16 : 9-15

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “And so I tell you : use filthy money to make friends for yourselves, so that, when it fails, these people may welcome you into the eternal homes.”

“Whoever can be trusted in little things can also be trusted in great ones; whoever is dishonest in slight matters will also be dishonest in greater ones. So if you have been dishonest in handling filthy money, who would entrust you with true wealth? And if you have been dishonest with things that are not really yours, who will give you that wealth which is truly your own?”

“No servant can serve two masters. Either he does not like the one and is fond of the other, or he regards one highly and the other with contempt. You cannot give yourself both to God and to Money.”

The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and sneered at Jesus. He said to them, “You do your best to be considered righteous by people. But God knows the heart, and what is highly esteemed by human beings is loathed by God.”

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 144 : 2-3, 4-5, 10-11

I will praise You, day after day; and exalt Your Name forever. Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise; and His deeds are beyond measure.

Parents commend Your works to their children and tell them Your feats. They proclaim the splendour of Your majesty and recall Your wondrous works.

All Your works will give You thanks; all Your saints, o YHVH, will praise You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom; and speak of Your power.

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Saturday, 11 November 2023 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Romans 16 : 3-9, 16, 22-27

Greetings to Prisca and Aquilas, my helpers in Christ Jesus. To save my life, they risked theirs; I am very grateful to them, as are all the churches of the pagan nations. Greetings also to the church that meets in their house. Greetings to my dear Epaenetus, the first in the province of Asia to believe in Christ. Greet Mary, who worked so much for you.

Greetings to Andronicus and Junias, my relatives and comparisons in prison; they are well known Apostles and served Christ before I did. Give greetings to Ampliatus, whom I love so much in the Lord. Greetings to Urbanus, our fellow worker, and to my dear Stachys. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send their greetings.

I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, send you greetings in the Lord. Greetings from Gaius, who has given me lodging and in whose house the church meets. Greetings from Erastus, treasurer of the city, and from our brother Quartus. Glory be to God! He is able to give you strength, according to the Good News I proclaim, announcing Christ Jesus.

Now is revealed the mysterious plan, kept hidden for long ages in the past. By the will of the eternal God it is brought to light, through the prophetic books, and all nations shall believe the faith proclaimed to them. Glory to God, Who alone is wise, through Christ Jesus, forever! Amen.