St. Philip Neri

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Tuesday, 26 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (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 our faith and hope in the Lord is not going to be in vain, and despite the challenges, hardships and difficulties that we may have to face and encounter in our respective paths and journeys in life, each and every one of us are guided and helped by the Lord in various unique ways through His works and mysterious means, and especially the Holy Spirit that He has sent to us as our Helper, Advocate and Guide. We must learn to put our trust and hope in God and follow His guidance, help and gentle prodding in our lives and paths. All of us must remember that we are never alone in this journey in life, and God is always by our side even through the darkest and most difficult moments.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle, we heard of the words of encouragement from the Apostle to all the faithful who were then living through moments of uncertainty and struggles in their faith, while at the same time experiencing the great grace of God flowing through them and the Church. St. Peter reminded them all that everything which they had received and experienced, their ancestors and predecessors could only imagine, hope and long to see, while they themselves have experienced, witnessed and received the revelations of God’s truth and Good News in the flesh, through Jesus Christ, the Lord and Saviour of all. That is why they all should remain firm in their faith and they should not allow fear and uncertainties from discouraging them in living their lives faithfully in the manner that they had been taught to do.

Persecutions, challenges and trials are indeed part and parcel of Christian living, as it was back then and it may be even in our present day world. But if we trust in the Lord and have faith in Him, allowing Him to guide us in our path and journey, there is nothing impossible for us, and not even the most difficult challenges and trials can dissuade and prevent us from remaining firm in our path towards the Lord. Through His Holy Spirit, God continues to nudge us all through the difficult moments and choices we have to make in navigating life’s challenges and problems, and He will lead us all ultimately to the final triumph and greatness with Him, to the glory of eternal life, fullness of grace and true happiness that He has promised to each one of us, all that He has constantly reassured us with, that we will not easily give up amidst the struggles we encounter and endure.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the words of interactions between St. Peter and the other disciples of the Lord with the Lord Himself, stating about how they had all devoted themselves, their time and their lives to serve Him and to follow Him, and how the Lord then reassured them all that none of those who had dedicated themselves and offered their lives, time and effort to serve the Lord would be left or found lacking in the end. Even as they might suffer and endure persecutions, but the Lord would always be with them, guiding and strengthening them in their paths, and the Lord knows all of their struggles and efforts, all the sacrifices that they had made for His sake, and would act on them in His good time.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is an encouraging message and reminder to all of us that we should not easily give in to the challenges and hardships that we may have to endure and encounter in the path that we have embarked in our own journey of following the Lord, in whatever way it may be. We must remember how truly beloved we are by the Lord, and how wonderful this love is, and how we should do our best to live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy of the Lord, that our every examples, perseverance and faith will continue to be great inspirations for many others, and often we may not realise it ourselves, but the impact of our actions are truly immense, and we must never underestimate them.

Today the Church also mark the feast of one great saint whose life and works may be great source of inspiration to all of us as we carry on living our lives as Christians in our world today. St. Philip Neri was known as a great priest and servant of God, known as the ‘Second Apostle of Rome’ after St. Peter himself, for all the efforts he has done for the glorification of God and for the spreading of the Good News of the Lord and His salvation. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory, which still remained busy and active to this very day, and he contributed a lot in his mission to reach out to the least fortunate and to many of those who have fallen into sinful ways in the community back then. Through his efforts, countless souls were saved and brought towards God’s salvation.

St. Philip Neri ministered to prostitutes and those who were often shunned by others, and many were inspired to follow his examples, and not few became followers of the Lord because of his efforts. He established a growing community of believers both within and beyond his Oratory Congregation, and brought many closer to God. He continued to do his efforts despite the many challenges facing him and the stigma encountered by those whom he was working with and reaching out towards, as well as the stigma of associating with such people. But in doing this, St. Philip Neri showed and reminded us all none other than the same love which Christ our Lord Himself has shown to all those were marginalised, rejected and ostracised by the rest of the society. It is therefore a kind reminder to us all that we too should show the same genuine and sincere love to everyone around us as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all thus be inspired to follow the Lord ever more faithfully following in the footsteps of St. Philip Neri and the other Apostles like St. Peter and St. Paul, as well as many other among our holy predecessors, whose examples in faith and way of life should inspire each one of us to carry out our lives most worthily as Christians, that is as the disciples of the Lord. Let us all seek the Lord ever more faithfully and show greater commitment to Him, and entrust ourselves to Him and to His providence from now on, that we may always be worthy in our way of life and actions, and be inspiration for many others who desire to follow the Lord as well. May the Risen Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen us in our faith and commitment. Amen.

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Tuesday, 26 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 10 : 28-31

At that time, Peter spoke up and said, “We have given up everything to follow You.” Jesus answered, “Truly, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or children, or lands, for My sake and for the Gospel, who will not receive his reward.”

“I say to you : even in the midst of persecution, he will receive a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands in the present time, and in the world to come eternal life. Do pay attention : many who are now first will be last, and the last, first.”

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Tuesday, 26 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

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

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.

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Tuesday, 26 May 2026 : 8th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Peter 1 : 10-16

This was the salvation for which the prophets so eagerly looked when, in days past, they foretold the favour of God, with regard to you. But they could only investigate when the Spirit of Christ present within them, pointed out the time and the circumstances, of this – the sufferings of Christ, and the glories which would follow.

It was revealed to them, that they were working, not for themselves, but for you. Thus, in these days, after the Holy Spirit has been sent from heaven, the Gospel’s preachers have taught you these mysteries, which even the Angels long to see.

So, then, let your spirit be ready. Be alert, with confident trust, in the grace you will receive, when Jesus Christ appears. Like obedient children, do not return to your former life, given over to ignorance and passions. Imitate the One Who called you. As He is holy, so you, too, be holy, in all your conduct, since Scripture says : Be holy for I am holy.

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Monday, 26 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us as Christians, as God’s disciples and followers are reminded through these passages of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received today of the calling and missions which each and every one of us have as Christians, as God’s holy people, to proclaim the Good News to the whole world. That is what the Lord Himself has entrusted to us all, as the Church’s primary mission which is evangelisation, ‘To go forth to the world and to make the Lord known to all the people of all the nations, and to baptise them all in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’ And as we are reminded of this mission which we have as parts and members of the same Church of God, we are called to discern carefully our actions and works in our lives going forward, so that we may do our best to glorify God by our lives and actions.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles we heard of the continuation of the great works of the Apostles, in which St. Paul went from cities and towns, going to different places to proclaim the Good News of God and His works among His people. It was told in that account how a particular God-fearing woman named Lydia who chose to believe in the Lord, accepting the grace of baptism and hence becoming a member of the Church. While it was not truly known whether she was a Jew or a Gentile, or a non-Jewish woman, but what matters here is how the works of the Apostles and the Lord’s missionaries continue to bear rich fruits for the Lord and His people, growing the Church ever more in its reach and size, as more and more came to be baptised.

In those early days of the Church, the Church grew rapidly due to the tireless efforts of those disciples and followers of the Lord, some of whom were the Apostles that went to the different parts of the known world then to proclaim the Good News of the Lord both to the Jewish diaspora community and to the Gentiles in the region. As what we had heard in the Acts of the Apostles throughout the season of Easter, the works of the Apostles and their companions in mission continued to gain many wonderful fruits and results as more and more came to believe in the Lord as they listened to the words and teachings of those disciples of the Lord, or that they were inspired by the way and manner in which they lived and cared for one another.

Therefore, all of us living in this world today should also be inspired by the examples showed by those missionaries who have spent a lot of time and effort to proclaim the truth and Good News of God. We do not have to do exactly what they had done, but rather, we should live our lives to the fullest as those whom the Lord had called and chosen, to live in the manner as Christians, in our genuine faith and dedication to the Lord at all times. We should not easily be swayed and shaken by the trials, hardships and challenges that we may have to face in our journey and in the path of our mission. If we are courageous and trusting in the Lord, in His guidance, providence and help, eventually, no matter what we may encounter in our path, we will be strengthened and empowered, and through our efforts we shall bring about lots of wonderful things for others around us, bringing them closer to God.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, in which the Lord Jesus told His disciples about the events that would soon happen to Him and to all of them as well, as His disciples and followers. He told them all about the time of His Passion, His suffering and all that He had to endure for the sake of the whole race of mankind, and how they all might be shaken, but they all should not lose faith because God would always be by their side, strengthening them all, and the Lord Jesus Himself would also not leave them, because in the end, He would be triumphant against all the trials and challenges Himself, and would gloriously rise from the dead in the Resurrection.

Then the Lord also told them all about how He is the True Vine and the Father is the Vinegrower. Through this, He wanted to tell all of His disciples and therefore all of us that we have to be faithful and committed to His teachings and ways, and we should not easily lose hope and faith in Him due to the many pressures and temptations of the world around us. We should always hold firmly to our faith in God, and help one another to remain firmly attached to the Lord’s Vine, that is His teachings, truth and Good News as preserved and proclaimed, contained and upheld by the Church of God, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. And as Christians, it is our duty and responsibility to proclaim this truth and Good News in each and every moments of our lives.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Philip Neri, a faithful and holy priest of God, whose life and examples can serve as great inspiration for all of us to follow. St. Philip Neri was an Italian priest and saint who had great dedication in ministering to the poor and the marginalised in the community, which he helped the founding of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of Pilgrims and Convalescents, gathering all those who sought to minister to the needs of pilgrims and those who were suffering in the community. He was also later known even more for founding the Congregation of the Oratory, spreading the Word of God and truth through missionary works among the people of God, and the works of St. Philip Neri amongst the people of Rome were so profound that he was also known as the Second Apostle to Rome.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired to proclaim the words and truth of the Lord to all those whom we encounter daily around us, and do our very best in living our lives faithfully as Christians, in each and every opportunities so that we may truly touch the lives and hearts of those whom we encounter and interact with, in making God known to more and more of the people of all the nations just as He had commanded us to do. Like St. Philip Neri before us, let us all be missionary and evangelising in our every actions and works, in our every good efforts and commitments in life. May God bless our every good efforts and works, and may He strengthen us always with the courage and wisdom, and with the desire to glorify Him at all times. Amen.

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Monday, 26 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 15 : 26 – John 16 : 4a

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “From now on the Helper, the Holy Spirit Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I have told you.”

“Peace be with you! I give you My peace; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

“I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. It is very little what I may still tell you, for the prince of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in Me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father, and that I do what the Father has taught Me to do. Come now, let us go.”

“I am the True Vine and My Father is the Vinegrower. If any of My branches does not bear fruit, He breaks it off; and He prunes every branch that does bear fruit, that it may bear even more fruit. You are already made clean by the word I have spoken to you. Live in Me as I live in you.”

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Monday, 26 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 149 : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

Alleluia! Sing to the Lord a new song, sing His praise in the assembly of His saints! Let Israel rejoice in his Maker, let the people of Zion glory in their King!

Let them dance to praise of His Name and make music for Him with harp and timbrel. For the Lord delights in His people; He crowns the lowly with victory.

The saints will exult in triumph; even at night on their couches. Let the praise of God be on their lips; this is the glory of all His saints. Alleluia!

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Monday, 26 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 16 : 11-15

So we put out to sea from Troas and sailed straight across to Samothrace Island, and the next day to Neapolis. From there we went inland to Philippi, the leading city of the district of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. We spent some days in that city.

On the sabbath we went outside the city gate to the bank of the river where we thought the Jews would gather to pray. We sat down and began speaking to the women who were gathering there. One of them was a God-fearing woman named Lydia from Thyatira City, a dealer in purple cloth.

As she listened, the Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. After she had been baptised together with her household, she invited us to her house, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us to accept her invitation.

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Friday, 26 May 2023 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord in the Scriptures, all of us are reminded that each one of us have been called by the Lord to follow Him and to do His will, to wherever that He will lead us to, just as He had done with the Apostles, the many saints and martyrs of the Church, our holy predecessors. Each and every one of us as Christians are expected to live our lives worthily of the Lord and to continue carrying out our activities in accordance with God’s will, doing whatever we can to serve Him and glorify Him at every possible opportunities. We should heed the Lord’s call and love Him as much as we should, just as how He Himself has loved us so much first, that He gave Himself for us that through His loving sacrifice for us, we may all be saved.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles regarding a conversation between Festus, the Governor and Procurator of Judea with King Agrippa, the Herodian ruler of the region, about St. Paul the Apostle, his works and ministry and how the Jewish authorities, members of the Sanhedrin had been accusing him of wrongdoing, and how St. Paul appealed to the Emperor for his case. Through what we have heard here, we are reminded of how God moved things and spared St. Paul from the hands of his enemies in Jerusalem, who no doubt would have wanted him destroyed. Instead, as the Lord Himself had told St. Paul earlier on, that He was sending him to Rome, to the last stop of his long missionary works, where he would evangelise and proclaim the Good News of God at the very heart and centre of the Roman Empire itself.

St. Paul could have chosen to stay away from trouble and from all the hardships facing him, just as the past few weekdays’ Scripture passages from the Acts of the Apostles could show us. St. Paul willingly embraced God’s calling and mission, embarking on this last missionary journey through Jerusalem, and then on to Rome, in which St. Paul would go on to do more great works at evangelisation, stopping by the island of Malta along the way where he laid the foundation of the faith there, and many more. Through the hard work of St. Paul and other early Christian missionaries, the Church grew rapidly amidst the many challenges and hardships that it had to face, persecutions and oppressions that many among the Christian faithful had to endure. Their faith remained strong and firm as the Lord guided and strengthened them, and empowered them through the Holy Spirit.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the calling of St. Peter the Apostle, and the mission which God entrusted to him as He reaffirmed him as the leader and shepherd of His entire flock, the Church. That happened at the shores of the Lake of Galilee, where after the Lord’s Resurrection, He went and met with His disciples just as He has promised them. And in this private moment mentioned in the Gospel passage today, the Lord asked St. Peter, not once but three times, ‘Peter, do you love Me?’, which St. Peter replied fervently and lovingly with, ‘Lord, You know that I love You.’ And the Lord told St. Peter to take care of His sheep, the flock of His beloved people, to feed them and to take good care of them, as a reminder of the mission which He had entrusted to him earlier as His Vicar, as the leader of the whole entire Church.

And why the Lord asked St. Peter three times? It is symbolic as a response to what St. Peter had done earlier on at the beginning of the Lord’s Passion, where as we all know that St. Peter denied knowing the Lord and denied Him a total of not just once but three times. St. Peter was likely driven by fear, the fear for suffering and for being persecuted and hence, in his moment of folly, he abandoned and denied the Lord back then. But the Lord, through this threefold questioning of St. Peter was showing that He loved him, forgave him from his past mistakes and lack of faith, and entrusted to him anew what He has entrusted to him, the guardianship and leadership over His whole entire Church. St. Peter was also told of the kind of suffering and martyrdom that he would have to endure for the sake of the Lord, and to the very end, St. Peter would remain firmly faithful to his calling and mission.

Today all of us are reminded that as Christians all of us are called from the world, from among the ordinary people to become extraordinary in the Lord. Often we are reluctant to follow the Lord or to do as He has commanded us to do because we thought that we are incapable of doing all the things like our predecessors had done. But as we all have seen and discussed, the Lord’s own disciples are those who have come from ordinary background, and were people who were imperfect and even weak in their faith at first. St. Paul himself was a great persecutor and enemy of the earliest Christians, and had a part in the sufferings and martyrdom of many among the faithful. St. Peter as we knew, abandoned and denied the Lord three times. Yet, all of them had a change of heart and mind, and committed themselves thoroughly to the Lord for the rest of their lives.

Today the Church also mark the feast of one great saint whose life and works may be great source of inspiration to all of us as we carry on living our lives as Christians in our world today. St. Philip Neri was known as a great priest and servant of God, known as the ‘Second Apostle of Rome’ after St. Peter himself, for all the efforts he has done for the glorification of God and for the spreading of the Good News of the Lord and His salvation. He founded the Congregation of the Oratory, which still remained busy and active to this very day, and he contributed a lot in his mission to reach out to the least fortunate and to many of those who have fallen into sinful ways in the community back then. He ministered to prostitutes and those who were often shunned by others, and many were inspired to follow his examples, and not few became followers of the Lord because of his efforts. He established a growing community of believers both within and beyond his Oratory Congregation, and brought many closer to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all thus be inspired to follow the Lord ever more faithfully following in the footsteps of St. Philip Neri and the other Apostles like St. Peter and St. Paul, as well as many other among our holy predecessors, whose examples in faith and way of life should inspire each one of us to carry out our lives most worthily as Christians, that is as the disciples of the Lord. Let us all seek the Lord ever more faithfully and show greater commitment to Him, and entrust ourselves to Him and to His providence from now on, that we may always be worthy in our way of life and actions, and be inspiration for many others who desire to follow the Lord as well. May the Risen Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen us in our faith and commitment. Amen.

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Friday, 26 May 2023 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Philip Neri, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 21 : 15-19

At that time, after Jesus and His disciples had finished breakfast, He said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” And Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.”

A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” And Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Look after My sheep.” And a third time He said to him, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”

Peter was saddened because Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love Me?” and he said, “Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You.” Jesus then said, “Feed My sheep! Truly, I say to you, when you were young, you put on your belt and walked where you liked. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will put a belt around you, and lead you where you do not wish to go.”

Jesus said this to make known the kind of death by which Peter was to glorify God. And He added, “Follow Me.”