St. Augustine of Hippo

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Friday, 28 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, all of us are presented with the need for each and every one of us as Christians to be dedicated to God in all things, and all of us should always trust in the wisdom of God and in His truth, His path and guidance rather than to follow the path of the world or any sorts of worldly means or solutions. All of us are called to be ever prepared and vigilant lest we allow ourselves to be deluded and misled by worldly temptations and false guides. We have to heed the words of today’s Scriptures that we may choose the right path forward in life and not to end up falling into the wrong paths.

In our first reading today, we listened from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Corinth, speaking to us regarding the matter of human wisdom versus God’s wisdom and truth. St. Paul elaborated how the wisdom of God far surpassed the wisdom of mankind, and how the truth and wisdom of God might be seen by man as a form of foolishness, and man by their own conventional way of thinking and wisdom may find the teachings of the Lord, His way and truth as foolishness. And yet, it is by seeking that truth alone and by putting our faith in God alone that we may find the path to eternal life and true joy.

Why is the wisdom and ways of the Lord be considered as folly by mankind? That is because the Lord’s actions, in Him reaching out to us all, flawed as we were, and showing His love, compassion and mercy might be seen as weakness by some who valued legalistic viewpoints such as that those who have erred ought to suffer punishments for their errors without forgiveness or chance of repentance. Then, when He chose to come into our world, being born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, His mother, assuming our humble existence, then that became a source of even greater confusion and consternation by those who kept the wisdom of man.

For the Jews, as we heard St. Paul saying, it was a great scandal, because Christ did not just mention that He is the Son of God Most High, the Saviour of the world, but more importantly, through His crucifixion and death on that Cross, He had suffered the most humiliating and painful death, at the hands of His enemies. By any conventional Jewish understanding and wisdom, such an event would have been utterly unbelievable and disheartening, as they had considered and thought the Messiah as the Mighty One that God would send their way to lead them in a great victory against their enemies and restore the kingdom of Israel.

On the other hand, for the Greeks, the notion of God being incarnate as Man would not have been very strange, as in their own pantheon and mythology, the gods often came down to the world disguising themselves and posing as man. However, what would have also befuddled and confused them is the same fact that this God came willingly to offer His own life, to suffer and die for the sake of mere mankind. That is something that the Greek gods and pantheon would not have done at all. Yet, that was exactly what the Lord had done, by His suffering and death on the Cross, for the sake of our redemption and salvation. That is something truly unusual and unprecedented, but that highlights just how much the Lord truly loves each one of us.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the story or parable of the five wise and five foolish maidens, which we may be quite familiar with. Those five wise maidens had backup oil with them together with their oil lamps while they were waiting for the coming of the bridegroom for a late night wedding celebration while the five foolish maidens were bringing with them just enough oil for their lamps, without any backup. Through what we heard regarding this story of the five wise and five foolish maidens, we can clearly see the Lord’s intentions in reminding all of us, His faithful disciples, that we cannot be idle and we have to be ever vigilant in living our lives with faith.

And we have to entrust ourselves in God’s wisdom and providence, and do our best to live our lives in the most worthy, Christian manner. That is because if we follow the ways of the world, and put our trust in our own human wisdom and strength, then we are likely to fall into the wrong path, of self-delusion and self-aggrandisement, which will prevent us from realising that we may be wrong in what we do. Unfortunately, it is quite often that we mankind prefer to follow our own ways and satisfy our own desires and wants, and as a result, we end up doing things that are contrary to the way of the Lord, and we end up choosing the wrong actions that causing us to be more and more distant from God. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, a great saint and servant of God who is one of the original Doctor of the Church, a great Church father and role model for all of us, God’s faithful people. St. Augustine of Hippo was indeed very well-known and looked up to as a great man of God, however, he was not always a faithful person from the very beginning. At the start, St. Augustine was born into a Roman pagan noble family, to a patrician named Patricius and his mother, St. Monica, a Christian believer. St. Augustine was raised up as a pagan and brought up well in the ways of the world, and had a great interest in intellectual pursuits, being highly intelligent and curious by nature.

However, St. Augustine lived his early youth life in hedonistic pursuits and lifestyle, being swayed by the various temptations of worldly glory and the pleasures of the flesh, even leading to him fathering a child with a woman out of wedlock. All those things brought about a great misery and heart pain for his loving mother, St. Monica, who devoted herself to her son very much, and who prayed daily for the conversion of both her husband and her son. Eventually, St. Monica’s efforts, prayers and actions led to the conversion, first of her husband before his passing, and finally, that of St. Augustine himself, who was called by God, abandoning his earlier wicked lifestyle and worldly pursuits, embracing God wholeheartedly ever since afterwards.

St. Augustine thereafter led a truly faithful and exemplary way of life, as one of the most influential Church rfathers of all time, whose faith and devotion became truly shining beacons of God’s light and truth. He wrote extensively on many aspects of the faith, and his many works influenced many other saints, theologians and others in the Church long after his passing into the glory of Heaven. His works, including that of De Trinitate, a treatise on the Trinitarian nature of God, and others like the famous City of God remained as great literary and theological works, which made him honoured as one of the original Doctors of the Church, having brought so many people to the path of God and his salvation, be it directly or indirectly.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of all these things, from the Scriptures and from the examples shown by St. Augustine of Hippo, our great and holy predecessor, our brilliant role model, can we all be inspired to live our lives with true faith and dedication to the Lord as well? Can we be truly devout and faithful in our way of life as well, so that by our every words, actions and deeds, our every moments in life, we may help to lead others to God and to inspire them all in their path, that more and more people may come to know the Lord, his love and truth. Let us all therefore do our part so that we may indeed be worthy of the Lord, and be worthy of the eternal glory and true joy that He has promised to all those who are faithful to Him. May God bless all of us in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Friday, 28 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 25 : 1-13

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “This story throws light on what will happen in the kingdom of heaven : Ten bridesmaids went out with their lamps to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were sensible. The careless bridesmaids took their lamps as they were, and did not take extra oil. But those who were sensible, took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.”

“But at midnight, a cry rang out, ‘The bridegroom is here, come on and meet him!’ All the maidens woke up at once, and trimmed their lamps. Then the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some oil, for our lamps are going out.’ The sensible ones answered, ‘There may not be enough for us and for you. You had better go to those who sell, and buy some for yourselves.'”

“When the bridegroom came, the foolish maidens were out buying oil, but those who were ready went with him into the wedding feast, and the doors were shut. Later the other bridesmaids arrived and called out, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered, ‘Truly I do not know you.'”

“So stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.”

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Friday, 28 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 32 : 1-2, 4-5, 10-11

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are just, praise is fitting for the upright. Give thanks to Him on the harp and lyre, making melody and chanting praises.

For upright is the Lord’s word and worthy of trust is His work. The Lord loves justice and righteousness; the earth is full of His kindness.

The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and brings to nothing the peoples’ designs. But His plan stands forever, and His heart’s design through all generations.

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Friday, 28 August 2026 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Corinthians 1 : 17-25

For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to proclaim His Gospel. And not with beautiful words! That would be like getting rid of the cross of Christ. The language of the cross remains nonsense for those who are lost. Yet for us who are saved, it is the power of God, as Scripture says : I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and make fail the foresight of the foresighted. Masters of human wisdom, educated people, philosophers, you have no reply! And the wisdom of this world? God let it fail.

At first, God spoke the language of wisdom, and the world did not know God through wisdom. Then God thought of saving the believers, through the foolishness that we preach. The Jews ask for miracles and the Greeks for a higher knowledge, while we proclaim a crucified Messiah. For the Jews, what a great scandal! And for the Greeks, what nonsense! But He is Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God, for those called by God among both Jews and Greeks.

In reality, the “foolishness” of God is wiser than humans, and the “weakness” of God is stronger than humans.

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Thursday, 28 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that we have to be always prepared and ready for the Lord at all times, because if we are asked to account for our lives and actions before Him, are we then ready to show that we have been truly faithful in all things and at all times? We should always strive to be good and faithful Christians, as good and worthy followers and disciples of the Lord at all circumstances, doing our very best to glorify God by all that we say and do, by our every interactions with one another so that everyone may come to know the Lord, His truth and love through us, through our love for Him and our love for one another, and by our righteousness and virtues in our daily lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Thessalonica, we heard of the continuation of the Apostle’s exhortation to the faithful people of God there, who had been faithful and true to the teachings of the Apostle and the other Christian missionaries. That is why St. Paul again expressed his gratitude for the great faith which the people of God in Thessalonica had shown, as contrasted to the many others whom at that time refused to believe in the Lord, in His Apostles and missionaries. The people and the faithful in Thessalonica did not just welcome the Christian missionaries but those who believed came to be good and faithful believers, remaining strong in their faith in God.

And St. Paul encouraged them all, strengthening their faith and commitment in God further, praying to God for them on their behalf, asking the Father to grant them strength and perseverance in their faith so that they may continue to remain firm and strong in their conviction and efforts to live their lives faithfully as God’s followers and disciples, as good and faithful Christians at all times. We must not easily give up the fight and struggle for the Lord just because we are facing lots of challenges and trials in life. Some among our predecessors had given up their faith because they thought that they were alone and that they were suffering in vain, but the reality is such that God is always with us, journeying with us and supporting us all throughout the way.

It is also important that as Christians, we should always support one another in faith, and we should never abandon or neglect our brothers and sisters around us in need, and especially more so those whom God had entrusted to us, those who are dear and precious, beloved and important to us. Each and every one of us are called to be good and loving brothers and sisters to one another, and to be truly full of love, the love that God Himself has shown us to all those who are dear and beloved to us, as well as to all the ones whom we have met in our journey and daily activities. That is how we can live our lives authentically and genuinely as Christians, to be full of God’s love in all the things that we say and do, in our every interactions with each other.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord’s words to His disciples and all those who have followed Him, in which He highlighted the need for all of His disciples and followers to remain ready and vigilant for the coming of the Lord, their Master and their God. This was presented in the form of a parable, in which the Lord highlighted the contrast between the attitudes of the lazy and unworthy servants who delayed and refused to act upon their master’s orders, and those servants who were diligent and hardworking, doing their best to fulfil the works and missions which their master and lord had entrusted to them. The former would be found wanting and lacking, and hence punished upon the master’s sudden return, while the latter would be greatly honoured and praised.

Hence, in the same manner, that is how all of us as Christians, as those who have committed ourself to the Lord our God as our Master and King, would have to be vigilant and careful of, remembering that we have been called to heed God’s call and what He has wished us all to do in our respective lives and obligations. Each and every one of us should always be ready to commit ourselves to a life of virtue and righteousness, done in the service of God, in everything we say and do in this life, in our way of living so that we may always be truly genuine as Christian disciples and followers, and truly be the good role models and examples for one another in faith. This is what we have been called to do in our lives, brothers and sisters, and what we should commit each and every moments in our lives.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine, also known as St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the most famous early Church fathers whose great story of faith, dedication and commitment to God are truly exemplary and inspirational for us all. St. Augustine of Hippo was born to a pagan Roman nobleman named Patricius in what is now part of Northern Africa, and to a devout Christian mother, St. Monica, whose feast we have just celebrated yesterday. St. Augustine led a rather dissolute and immoral early life, as he pursued a philosophical and rhetorical education, becoming a Manichaean and embracing all sorts of hedonistic and worldly lifestyle, even to the point of having a child out of wedlock, to the great distress of his mother.

But St. Monica continued to have faith in the Lord and in her son, as well as her husband. She kept on persistently praying and enduring lots of trials and challenges out of love for her beloved family members, and prayed for their conversion. Her persistence eventually paid off when first her husband repented and eventually agreed to be baptised as he was near the end of his life, and then her prodigal son, St. Augustine of Hippo followed suit, encountering God in his pursuit of knowledge and purpose in life, and eventually, through the guidance and mentorship from St. Ambrose of Milan, another great Church father of the time, St. Augustine went through a total change in his life and direction, committing himself henceforth to the service of God.

And as a great servant and disciple of the Lord, St. Augustine carried out his missions and works with great dedication and commitment to service, becoming a great teacher of the faith and a great bishop, caring for the need of his flock in the region of Hippo Regius in northern Africa, after which he was known with his epithet ‘of Hippo’. St. Augustine wrote extensively on many matters and treatises, his famous work, ‘The City of God’, ‘The Confessions of St. Augustine’ in which he wrote about the Church of God and his own experiences in conversion and following the will of God, and also other theological matters such as ‘De Trinitate’ on the Most Holy Trinity, for which he has been honoured as one of the original Doctors of the Church. He remained faithful to the very end, dying at the time when the Vandals attacked and besieged his city of Hippo Regius.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the great faith which St. Augustine of Hippo, our holy predecessor had shown us all. And as we have reflected from the messages of the Sacred Scriptures, let us all continue to do our best to walk in the path that the Lord has shown before us, in loving Him most sincerely and wonderfully, and in showing the same love to our fellow brothers and sisters around us like how St. Augustine of Hippo and many other saints had done. If we truly live our lives faithfully in each and every moments, then certainly we shall be blessed and strengthened in our endeavours and efforts, and even when we face hardships and trials, we will be triumphant in the end. May God be with us always and may He continue to guide us in all things. Amen.

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Thursday, 28 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 24 : 42-51

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Stay awake then, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come. Obviously, if the owner of the house knew at what time the thief was coming, he would certainly stay up and not allow his house to be broken into. So be alert, for the Son of Man will come at the hour you least expect.”

“Imagine a faithful and prudent servant, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time. Fortunate, indeed, is that servant, whom his master will find at work when he comes. Truly I say to you, his lord will entrust him with everything he has.”

“Not so with the bad servant, who thinks, ‘My master is delayed.’ And he begins to ill-treat his fellow servants, while eating and drinking with drunkards. But his master will come on the day he does not know, and at the hour he least expects. He will punish that servant severely; and place him with the hypocrites. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

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Thursday, 28 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 89 : 3-4, 12-14, 17

You turn humans back to dust, saying, “Return, o mortals!” A thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has passed, or like a watch in the night.

So make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart. How long will You be angry, o YHVH? Have mercy on Your servant.

Fill us at daybreak with Your goodness, that we may be glad all our days. May the sweetness of YHVH be upon us; may He prosper the work of our hands.

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Thursday, 28 August 2025 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Thessalonians 3 : 7-13

What a consolation for us, brothers and sisters, in the midst of our troubles and trials, this faith of yours! It is a breath of life for us, when you stand firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough, for all the joy that we feel before God, because of you? Day and night, we beg of Him, to let us see you again, that we may complete the instruction of the believers.

May God, our Father, and Jesus, our Lord, prepare the way for us to visit you. May the Lord increase, more and more, your love for each other and for all people, as He increases our love for you. May He strengthen you, internally, to be holy and blameless before God, our Father, on the day that Jesus, our Lord, will come with all His saints.

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Wednesday, 28 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we continue to be reminded through the words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, in which we are all called again to be truly faithful to God in all things, in our every words, actions and deeds, in every moments throughout our whole lives so that we may indeed be fully committed in all of our ways, in everything that we carry out in life so that we may always inspire others around us to be ever more faithful and committed to the Lord. As Christians we have to be truly sincere in our faith, obedience and dedication to God, to do whatever we can so that by our lives we may truly proclaim the Lord our God to everyone whom we encounter in life, and be the shining beacons of His truth and Good News, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard St. Paul the Apostle continuing with the exhortation to the people of God and the faithful Christians in the city and region of Thessalonica in what is now part of Greece. The Apostle exhorted the faithful people of God to obey the Lord and to do whatever they can so that they would do their part as members of the Church of God, to live their lives virtuously and righteously in the manner that the Lord has shown and taught us. At that time there were those who thought that since the Lord was coming soon, then they did not need to do anything and since they had been saved, then they could just enjoy and await the Lord’s coming, which is contrary to what the Lord had entrusted to them that is the mission to proclaim His truth and Good News, to evangelise to the whole world.

And there were also others who did not do their part as Christians because they were afraid of persecutions, trials and challenges that they were facing amidst their lives among the mainly still pagan populations of the Roman Empire. St. Paul strengthened them and reminded them and others that to be disciples of Christ, sufferings and hardships are part of the journey, and that they must not easily lose heart because the Lord would be with them throughout their journey, and they would not be alone. That is why, like St. Paul and the other Apostles themselves had shown them by example, they all should support one another, helping each other to remain firmly faithful in the Lord, resisting the temptations of worldly wickedness and sins, while living righteously as God’s holy and beloved people.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we still heard of the continuation of the same discourse on the woes and rebukes against the Pharisees by the Lord, Who has criticised the Pharisees for their elitist and discriminatory attitudes against those whom they looked down upon, those whom they disagreed with and considered to be less worthy than they themselves were. The Lord rebuked those Pharisees as they did not truly have genuine faith in the Lord, focusing more on their actions and ways which were meant mostly to glorify themselves and to gain more fame for themselves. They liked to parade themselves and their piety before everyone to see, but inside them, there was not much space for the Lord, because it is their own ego and pride that they were so full of.

And it is this same pride and ego which prevented them from truly being able to follow the Lord faithfully. This is because they hardened their hearts and minds, thinking that they could not have been wrong in their attitudes and approach in observing the Law of God. The Lord came telling them and all the other people that they had wrongly understood and interpreted the meaning, purpose and intention of God’s Law, and He revealed to them what the Lord truly wanted from them, and how they all should have practiced their lives with faith. Ironically, it was those whom the Pharisees were prejudiced against and condemned, who were closer to the Lord, as they were willing to listen to Him and embrace whatever it is that He had told them to do. It is therefore a reminder for us not to fall into the same trap of ego and pride as the Pharisees had experienced.

As Christians, it is important that all of us must be willing to listen to the Lord and to accept criticism and correction when it is due. We must not allow our pride, ego, hubris and desire to turn us away from the path of the Lord. We must realise that if we want to remain truly faithful to the Lord, we must always strive to put the Lord at the heart of our every actions and every parts of our lives. He should always be the focus of our lives and existence, and we should always remind ourselves not to lose sight on this focus. We must also not be idle in our faith and should do whatever we can, in each and every opportunities that God had provided to us, as St. Paul had exhorted and reminded the faithful people of God in Thessalonica.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, the great and renowned Bishop of Hippo Regius in Roman Africa, one of the four original Doctors of the Church. Yesterday, we celebrated the Feast of his mother, St. Monica, whom I have mentioned as a great and devoted mother, who patiently cared and prayed for the conversion of her son and family. St. Augustine of Hippo grew up in an influential Roman noble family, and he had the best philosophical education. However, in his youth, St. Augustine was unfortunately led into the wrong path by his peers, giving in to the many temptations of the world, becoming a Manichaean, indulging himself in all sorts of wicked behaviours and even fathered a child out of wedlock. One can only imagine the frustrations that St. Monica might have to experience for her son’s misbehaviour.

And yet, St. Monica went through it all patiently, always there to pray and support her son, praying for his conversion and change of heart. Slowly but surely, this impacted the members of her family, beginning from her husband, a Roman pagan noble who converted to be a Christian before he passed away, and then St. Augustine of Hippo himself, who was called by God and then, under the tutelage of St. Ambrose of Milan, finally embraced the Christian faith and the Lord fully, abandoning his past wicked way of life. St. Augustine of Hippo henceforth became a great servant of God, committing himself thoroughly to the Lord and to His people. St. Augustine of Hippo was renowned for his many great theological and other works, which are still influential and important to this very day, such as ‘De Trinitate’, the great treatise on the Trinity, as well as the famous ‘City of God.’

Through the examples of St. Augustine of Hippo, we can see how we can truly change our lives when we have the right focus in mind. St. Augustine found his refuge and satisfaction in the Lord, which no worldly pleasures or philosophical discourses he sought for earlier in his life could afford to give him. Therefore, since we have heard of his examples, let us all therefore be inspired to follow in his footsteps and continue to do our part in contributing to the works and missions of the Church. Let us all put the Lord back at the centre of our lives, and let us all inspire many others to come ever closer to God, through our actions and efforts which hopefully become good inspiration for others around us. May the Lord continue to bless each and every one of us, and bless our every works, efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 28 August 2024 : 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 23 : 27-32

At that time, Jesus said to the people and to His disciples, “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, beautiful in appearance; but, inside, there are only dead bones and uncleanness. In the same way, you appear religious to others, but you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness within.”

“Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets, and decorate the monuments of the righteous. You say : Had we lived in the time of our ancestors, we would not have joined them in shedding the blood of the prophets. So, you, yourselves, confess to be the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.”

“And now, finish off what your ancestors began!”