St. Cajetan

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Thursday, 7 August 2025 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us to put our faith and trust constantly in the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God, remembering that it is by His love and providence that all of us have managed to survive and thrive even amidst the hardest challenges and trials in life. There will likely indeed be trials, difficulties, obstacles and hardships that we may have to enconocunter in our paths in life, but we must not lose faith and hope in the Lord, believing that with the Lord our God, all of us can overcome all things, together as one united flock of the Lord, God’s holy and beloved people, His Holy Church which He has established in this world in our midst.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Numbers, we heard of the time when the whole congregation of the people of God, the Israelites grumbled, complained and rebelled against the Lord at the site known as Massah and Meribah. This was one of the worst occasions of the rebelliousness of the Israelites because it affected Moses so much with their lack of gratitude, their constant complaints and refusal to listen to him and in refusing to obey the Law and precepts that Moses had spent so much time explaining and enforcing among them, that even Moses himself was fed up, and when the Lord asked him and Aaron to gather together the Israelites to show His Providence and power, Moses himself disobeyed the Lord by striking the rock with his staff instead of commanding the rock to bring forth water for the people to drink.

From what we have heard in that occasion, we can see clearly the intention for us all to remember that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed and distracted by our desires and emotions, all the things that can keep us away from the Lord and leading us down the same path that the Israelites had once walked through. We have to be vigilant and careful lest our actions and preoccupations with ourselves, our desires and emotions, our fears and uncertainties, our doubts and other things cause us to stumble and lose our way. We have to keep in mind that the Lord is always by our side, guiding and providing us all with what we need, and we should not lose faith in Him. No matter how tough or difficult the conditions may be, ultimately, with God by our side, we will be triumphant in the end, if not in this world, then in the world that is to come. 

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the account of the time when the Lord asked His disciples about Himself, about His identity and what people said about Him. And the disciples spoke of what they had heard and believed about the Lord Jesus, with only St. Peter courageously speaking up the truth, stating that he believed that Jesus is none other than the Son of God Himself, the Holy One of God, the Messiah sent into our midst to save us all, and not merely just like any other prophets or teachers of the faith. The Lord praised St. Peter for this answer, and He told everyone that He would establish His Church in the firm foundation of the Rock of faith that is St. Peter, with the name Peter meaning ‘Rock’.

Through this, we are reminded that it is indeed important for us all to trust in the Lord and have faith in His plans, in all that He has shown and given to us through Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Saviour. And at the same time, right after that event, when the Lord Jesus told the disciples that He would face sufferings and persecutions from His enemies, St. Peter immediately pulled Him aside and complained against Him saying such words, and the Lord rebuked Satan who was speaking thrugh St. Peter. This is a reminder that if our faith in the Lord is not strong, and if we allow ourselves to be swayed by worldly considerations, attachments, and desires, by our fears and doubts, as the Israelites and even Moses and St. Peter experienced, then we may end up allowing Satan to strike against us and bring us to our downfall. We have to be truly careful and vigilant in how we live our faith then.a

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Sixtus II, a holy martyr of the Church, and his companions in martyrdom, as well as St. Cajetan, a holy and devout priest and servant of God. Pope St. Sixtus II reigned as Pope during a difficult time in the Church as the faithful were facing many persecutions from the Roman state at that time while also facing divisions over several heresies and disagreements among the clergy, such as what had happened earlier due to the supporters of one Novatian, which divided the Church in the Western part of the Roman Empire, in the area of northern Africa and the Eastern churches. Pope St. Sixtus II played an important role in bridging the divisions and mending the relations between the churches. He helped to unite the Church and lead the faithful through difficult times in their lives. He was martyred together with several others who shared his martyrdom during the intense persecution under Emperor Valerian in the year 258.

Meanwhile, St. Cajetan was the renowned founder of the Theatines, the religious order also known as the Congregation of the Clerics Regular. He was born in the region of northern Italy, in the area of Thiene, where the Theatines eventually got their name from, and he grew up being educated in both civil and canon law, and as a diplomat working for the Pope. He only became a priest later in his life, once he reached his mid-thirties. He ministered to the faithful in his home region, caring for the needs of the sick and those who suffered from maladies by helping to build a hospital there. But her longed to cater to the needs of the people’s spiritual troubles and healing more than their physical ones, and that was how he gathered together a group dedicated to a prayerful life modelled by the monasteries, and yet remaining in active life and ministry in the world, which inspired the foundation of the Theatines, that he founded together with another saint, St. Jerome Emiliani.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, recalling what we have heard and discussed from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, and being inspired by the examples, courage and efforts shown by Pope St. Sixtus II and his companions in martyrdom, and by the faith of St. Cajetan, let us all thus continue to do our best to live our lives worthily in the Lord, doing whatever we can to glorify the Lord by our lives, and to carry out God’s will and trusting in Him at all times. Let us all continue to be good role models for our fellow brothers and sisters around us and do whatever we can to proclaim God’s truth and Good News, now and always. May God be with us all and may He strengthen us in our resolve to live truly worthy and faithful lives, in accordance with God’s will. Amen.

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Thursday, 7 August 2025 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Gospel Reading)

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

Matthew 16 : 13-23

At that time, Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They said, “For some of them, You are John the Baptist; for others Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

Jesus asked them, “But you, who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you, but My Father in heaven.”

“And now I say to you : You are Peter; and on this Rock I will build My Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven : whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven.”

Then He ordered His disciples not to tell anyone that He was the Christ. From that day, Jesus began to make it clear to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem; that He would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law; and that He would be killed and be raised on the third day.

Then Peter took Him aside and began to reproach Him, “Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an obstacle in My path. You are thinking not as God does, but as people do.”

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Thursday, 7 August 2025 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Psalm)

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

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.

Come and worship; let us bow down, kneel before the Lord, our Maker. He is our God, and we His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would that today you heard His voice!

Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.

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Thursday, 7 August 2025 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (First Reading)

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

Numbers 20 : 1-13

The whole congregation of Israel came to the wilderness of Zin in the first month and the people stayed in Kadesh. Miriam died and was buried there.

Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered together against Moses and Aaron. They disputed with Moses saying, “Would that we had perished with our kinsmen in the presence of YHVH! Why have you led YHVH’s community to this desert to die here with our cattle? And why did you bring us out of Egypt to this wretched place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates and there is not even water for drinking.”

Moses and Aaron fled from the assembly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and fell on their faces. Then the glory of YHVH appeared and YHVH spoke to Moses, “Take your rod and assemble the community, you and Aaron, your brother. In their presence command the rock to give forth water and you will make water gush from the rock for the community and their livestock to drink.”

So Moses took the rod from before YHVH as he had been ordered. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock and said to them, “Listen, you rebels. Shall we bring water for you from this rock?” Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod. And then water in abundance gushed out for the community and their livestock to drink.

But YHVH said to Moses and Aaron, “You did not trust Me nor treat Me as the Holy One in the sight of the Israelites; because of that you shall not lead this community into the land that I am giving you.” It was at the waters of Meribah that the sons of Israel quarrelled with YHVH and where He showed His holiness to them.

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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the love of God which He generously ever poured down upon us, showing us His mercy, love and compassion, just as we have often been reminded of. At the same time, we are also reminded to seek the Lord and His mercy, His forgiveness and love, just as how the Syro-Phoenician woman had done in our Gospel passage today, that our sincere and strong desire to seek the Lord, to find His love, mercy and compassion shall liberate us from the bondage of our wickedness and sins, and deliver us into a renewed life blessed and strengthen by God and His grace. God has always loved and been kind to us, and He has also always been full of mercy and forgiveness for us, but we have to be cooperative with Him, allowing Him to come to us, to transform our lives for the better.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah, in which God would restore His people, the Israelites once again, to be His blessed and beloved people, restored and empowered, saved and liberated from their troubles just as He had done for them many times previously. These words of the Lord which He spoke to His people, the remnants of the Israelites living in the kingdom of Judah, would indeed come true in the upcoming decades. And these came after the Lord has spoken of all the misfortunes, destructions and hardships that they all would have to encounter in their path, as they had disobeyed Him and disregarded His Law, His commandments and precepts, and thus, they would have to endure the consequences of their actions. This showed us all that God truly loves each and every one of His people, but He does not condone their actions.

As a loving Creator and Father to His people, as their Lord, Master and King, God has always cared for them all as He has constantly shown throughout history and as recorded in the Old Testament, but at the same time, as a just and holy God, as mentioned, He does not condone their sinfulness, wicked actions and deeds that are contrary to the way and the teachings which He had passed on to them. He does not want any one of them to be swayed into the wicked path in life, into the path of darkness from which there could be no escape or hope. That was why God chastised His people, punishing them and correcting them but with the ultimate intent of leading them all towards Himself and restoring them to the state of grace together with Him. God does not desire our destruction, as it was us who have willingly chosen to reject His salvation and grace.

God remembers the Covenant which He had made and established with His people, and through Jeremiah, He wanted to remind them with all of that, that while He abhorred their sins and wickedness, but He still wanted them all to return to Him and to repent from their many sins and evils before it was too late for them. That is why, it is also a very important reminder for all of us that we should not take God’s love, compassion and mercy for granted. God has always been very patient with us, but at the same time, we must realise that if we continue to resist Him and refuse His love and kindness, it may come to pass that it ends up too late for us to accept God’s favour, love and mercy, and when it is too late for us, it is by all those sins and wickedness that we shall be judged by, and we shall be condemned by all those wicked and evil attitudes which we have carried out in our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew, as mentioned earlier we heard of the interactions between the Lord Jesus and a Syro-Phoenician woman who had come to seek His help with regards to her very sick daughter. The Syro-Phoenician region was outside the lands where the Israelites lived in, and at that time, that region was also not where the descendants of the Israelites lived in, and therefore the Syro-Phoenician woman in the reckoning of the Jews would be considered as an outsider and a pagan. And for many among the Jews, the Syro-Phoenician like the other Gentiles were considered unworthy and unclean, and it was often taboo for a Jew like the Lord Jesus Himself to mingle and interact with the non-Jews like the Syro-Phoenician woman. Not only that, but the Jews at that time also had a rather exclusive and elitist view of themselves as God’s chosen people, and looking down on others who did not believe in God as they did.

Thus, when the Lord seemingly mocked the woman and was being rude in replying harshly to her by stating that He was only sent to the people of Israel and that the food should not be given to the dogs, it was a representation of the folly of the prejudices shown by the Israelites and their descendants against those others whom they had deemed to be inferior and less worthy than them as God’s disciples and followers. But the Lord showed His disciples and others, including all of us that even among the non-Israelites, there could be great and wonderful faith too. The Syro-Phoenician woman ignored the insults and kept on asking the Lord with great faith, even humbling herself, saying that even the dogs gained the scraps of food from the table. This is a representation of just how one with great faith shall be blessed by God, and God’s love is in truth, for everyone, and not just for any particular group of people. All of us, regardless of race, background or origin, have all been called and chosen by God to be His beloved people.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of two great saints and holy men of God, whose lives and dedications to God can serve as great role models and inspirations for each and every one of us in how we should live our own lives as Christians. Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Cajetan both had lived truly virtuous and worthy lives that have shown us all what it truly means to be true and genuine, faithful and committed Christians, as God’s holy and committed disciples and followers. They have lived their lives with great faith in their own unique ways, that even when they faced difficulties and challenges, they continued to persevere on in trusting in the Lord and in being faithful to Him. They did not let the hardships, oppositions and all the other obstacles they encountered to dissuade them from their efforts and good works for the sake of the Lord and for His people.

Pope St. Sixtus II was one of the important and influential leaders of the early Church, who has dedicated himself as the Pope and thus as leader of the whole Universal Church, to lead the faithful and the Church through turbulent and difficult times. He led the Church through a time of challenges and divisions, as there was a particularly divisive Novatian heresy that happened just prior to his pontificate, which caused divisions in the Roman Church, and also in relationships with the Church in Africa and in the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Pope St. Sixtus II dedicated himself to heal the rifts and divisions in the Church, while at the same time, he also led the Church through the difficult times of persecutions and oppressions by the Roman state. It was during one of these oppressions, during the reign of Emperor Valerian that Pope St. Sixtus II was martyred. He remained firm in his faith and commitment to God, to the very end.

Meanwhile, St. Cajetan was an Italian priest who lived and ministered to the Church and the people of God during the Renaissance period, at the time when there were lots of challenges facing the Christian faithful, both from the corruption within the clergy and laity alike, and when the moral and spiritual standards of the people of God were waning. St. Cajetan committed himself thoroughly to minister to the people of God, devoting himself to reach out to those who have been lost from the Lord, calling upon them to return to Him. He established a congregation named the Theatines, gathering those who wished to follow the Lord’s call and serve the people of God, particularly those who were poor and less privileged. Through his efforts and works, St. Cajetan impacted the lives of many and brought many ever closer to God and helped them to come to God’s salvation and grace.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all remind ourselves that we all should have strong and genuine faith in the Lord, devoting our time and effort to follow Him wholeheartedly. Let us all continue to follow in the good examples and in the footsteps of our holy predecessors, like that of Pope St. Sixtus II and St. Cajetan. Let us all continue to walk in the path which the Lord has shown us, and continue to show our love for God and for our fellow brethren, in all and every one of our actions, words and deeds in life, now and always. May God be with us all, and may He empower us in faith, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Gospel Reading)

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

Matthew 15 : 21-28

At that time, leaving that area, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from the area, came and cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So His disciples approached Him and said, “Send her away! See how she is shouting after us.” Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”

But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus, and said, “Sir, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to puppies.”

The woman replied, “That is true, Sir, but even puppies eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Psalm)

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

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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Wednesday, 7 August 2024 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (First Reading)

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

Jeremiah 31 : 1-7

YHVH declares that when that time comes He will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be His people. Thus says YHVH : The people who survived the sword have found grace in the desert. As Israel was seeking for his rest YHVH appeared from afar saying, I have loved you with a love everlasting, so I have kept for you My mercy. I will restore you again, and you shall be rebuilt, o virgin Israel!”

“You will take up your tambourines and go out dancing joyfully. You will plant vineyards again on the hills of Samaria, and the farmers who plant them will enjoy their fruit. There shall be a day when watchmen will call out on the hills of Ephraim, “Come, let us go to Zion, to YHVH our God!”

For YHVH says this, “Shout with joy for Jacob; rejoice for the greatest of nations. Proclaim your praise and say : ‘YHVH has saved His people, the remnant of Israel!’”

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Monday, 7 August 2023 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the love of God which He has always provided upon us, from time to time again, that He showed us His care and providence, when we were in great need and were facing hardships. The Lord never abandoned us or ignored us when we were in need, and when we were calling out to Him, and He has patiently loved us despite our frequent disobedience and refusal to obey Him and our wayward lives and wicked actions, abhorrent and evil in His sight. He still loves us all regardless and cares for us, sending His messengers and blessings on us, hoping on all of us to be called to repentance and to embrace His rich forgiveness, mercy and love once again. He does not want any one of us to be lost to Him because of our rebellions and downfall to sin.

That is why the Lord reminded us through the Church with our Scripture readings today, of the moments when He had taken care of our predecessors, as we heard from the feeding of the people of Israel during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land with the manna, the bread from heaven, and also then with the well-known story of the Lord Jesus miraculously feeding the five thousand men and many others with the mere five loaves and two fishes made available to Him. Through all those events, we are all being reminded of just how wonderful God’s love is for us, that He still patiently cared for us despite our frequent stubborn and rebellious attitudes, in not listening to Him and in constantly being ungrateful despite having been so blessed and beloved by the Lord in so many circumstances. God still loves us all regardless, and wants us all to know of His love.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Numbers, we heard of the moment when the Israelites rebelled against and disobeyed God when they were all complaining of the manna that they received daily from the Lord as sustenance and food, to help and strengthen them in the journey through the mostly lifeless and resourceless desert. They complained because they compared what they had then in the manna every morning and the other sustenance that they were having in the desert, such as the flock of birds sent to their camp every evening, and the water provided to them, with the variety of goods and food that they had when they were still enslaved in the land of Egypt. This was a classic case of ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’, as they were thinking that even their old condition of being enslaved and treated as less than human beings were better than to follow the Lord to the assurance of the Promised Land, and everything that the Lord had done for them.

Nonetheless, the Lord continued to provide for them and helped them throughout their journey, patiently, through Moses, His servant, whom we can also notice and feel of just how frustrated he was from today’s reading passage, as he had to contend and endure the rebellious and hard-hearted attitude of the people that he was leading through all those years of hard journey and sufferings. The Lord helped His servant Moses and encouraged him to continue on, despite the challenges and hardships that he had to face, the ungrateful things that he had to face. This was how the Lord kept on caring for the people that He had called and chosen, loved and shown compassion towards, despite of their lack of faith and care for Him. Many years later, when He came into this world through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, that was how He blessed the five thousand men and many others who came to listen to Him, with the bountiful food and sustenance in the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes.

At that occasion, the Lord showed pity on the people who followed him, a great multitude of them in the wilderness with no food sources nearby and they were all hungry. Hence, the Lord miraculously multiplied the five loaves of bread and the two fishes that were found and presented to Him. This showed them all what it meant to be truly loved by God and at the same time, showing forth His power and truth of His nature as the Saviour of the world and the Lord of all. It was also a premonition and prefigurement of what He Himself would do at the end and culmination of His ministry, when He would lay down His own life and offer for all of us His own Most Precious Body and Blood for us to partake and share. The Lord loved us all so much that He was willing to endure the worst of sufferings and humiliations, and to let Himself be broken and shared among all of us, as the Bread of Life, the Living Bread of Heaven, in His own words. By this, the Lord wants us to gain passage to eternal life and to be truly reunited with Him.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of great saints, holy servants of the Lord whose lives and actions hopefully can inspire us in our own lives and actions, that we may always do our best to live our lives worthily of the Lord, and to thank Him and be grateful to Him for everything that He has always done for us. Today, we honour the glorious memories of Pope St. Sixtus II and his companions in martyrdom, who suffered during the trials and hardships, the martyrdom at the time of the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Valerian, when many suffered and die died for their faith in God, and then as well as St. Cajetan, a holy priest and man of God, who was remembered for his dedication and love for the Lord, and for inspiring many others to follow in his path and examples, in living lives that are truly worthy of the Lord, good and righteous in all things.

Pope St. Sixtus II was the leader of the Universal Church during the difficult time of the middle third century when there were tumultuous events, conflicts in the world and also divisions among the faithful, due to various disagreements and heresies that were widespread during that time. According to Apostolic traditions, Pope St. Sixtus II devoted his life and efforts to reunite the Church, and led the faithful through those difficult and turbulent years, and brought back many of the wayward to the Holy Mother Church. He and many others, including another great saint, St. Lawrence of Rome, was martyred during the persecution of Christians during the reign of the Roman Emperor Valerian, faithful to the very end. Meanwhile, St. Cajetan was a lawyer and diplomat by profession in his earlier years, and then became a priest, dedicating himself to healing the sick, particularly focusing on the spiritual healing of those who have been separated from God and His love.

St. Cajetan laid the foundations for and established the Theatines, also known by its official name of the Congregation of the Clerics Regular, together with Archbishop Giovanni Petro Carafa, who would eventually elected as the Pope and leader of the Church as Pope Paul IV. He also interacted well with his contemporaries like St. Jerome Emiliani, another famous priest dedicated to the well-being of the faithful and those who were suffering, assisting the latter with the foundation of the Congregation of the Clerks Regular, or the Somaschan Fathers. Through all of his work and dedication, St. Cajetan, like that of Pope St. Sixtus II and his companions, they all showed us how we all should respond to God’s call and love, which He has always shown and lavished upon us. Each and every one of us should do whatever we can so that we may truly be faithful and worthy of the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us therefore commit ourselves with renewed zeal and faith to the Lord, following the great examples set by Pope St. Sixtus II and his companions in martyrdom, St. Cajetan and many other holy men and women of God who had devoted their lives and works for the greater glory of God. May the Lord be with us all, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may draw ever closer to Him and His love. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Monday, 7 August 2023 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Gospel Reading)

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

Matthew 14 : 13-21

At that time, when Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, He set out by boat for a secluded place, to be alone. But the people heard of it, and they followed Him on foot from their towns. When Jesus went ashore, He saw the crowd gathered there, and He had compassion on them. And He healed their sick.

Late in the afternoon, His disciples came to Him and said, “We are in a lonely place and it is now late. You should send these people away, so that they can go to the villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” But Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes.” Jesus said to them, “Bring them here to Me.”

Then He made everyone sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fishes, raised His eyes to heaven, pronounced the blessing, broke the loaves, and handed them to the disciples to distribute to the people. And they all ate, and everyone had enough; then the disciples gathered up the leftovers, filling twelve baskets. About five thousand men had eaten there, besides women and children.