Sunday Mass homily

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Sunday, 23 November 2025 : Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday we celebrate on the Thirty-Fourth and Last Sunday of this Ordinary Time of the year, the great occasion of the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, also known as the Solemnity and Feast of Christ the King. This Feast, which was established in the year 1925 by Pope Pius XI as a strong response to the ever increasing tide of secularisation and materialism in the world, the ending of many traditional hierarchies and societal norms, and especially the rapid ascent of Communism in various places and states, which seeks to detach the Lord and the Christian faith from the daily living of the people, their actions, works and livelihood. That was why Pope Pius XI established this Feast, originally celebrated at the last Sunday of the month of October, to remind all of us that Christ is the King of the whole world, and the Source of all authority of states and worldly powers.

This means that ultimately, whatever the differences may exist between the different states, countries, groups, sovereignties and other ways that we often distinguish ourselves from each other, God holds dominion and sovereignty over all of us. And no power or dominion, authority or sovereignty can claim to be independent of God because in God alone is found the true source of all power and sovereignty. And all of us belong to the Lord, Who is our one true Lord, Master and King, the One Who has created us and Who rules over all of us. The rulers and states of this world have been entrusted with the various authorities and powers by the Lord as stewards of God’s people, and those come along with responsibilities and duties that those who have been entrusted by God have to ultimately account to Him.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which we heard of the moment when the tribes of Israel, all the assembly of the Twelve Tribes and their representatives came and gathered to acclaim David as the King over all of Israel, after several years of strife, divisions and civil war between the supporters of David and those who supported Saul’s family and the latter’s claim to kingship. For the context, David was the one that God chose to be the new King and ruler of Israel replacing Saul, the first one to rule as King of Israel. He was anointed by the prophet Samuel who was also the Judge over all Israel. It was also Samuel himself who anointed Saul earlier on as King of Israel, but Saul had disobeyed God and did not do as the Lord has instructed to him, and hence, David was appointed as his replacement.

What was not shown in this passage is that lots of struggles, hardships, sufferings and tragedies happen in the process, as the kingship passed on and went from Saul and his family to that of David. David was persecuted by Saul although he was the favourite of the king, and he was chased by Saul that he had to go into exile even to the land of the Philistines and to the wilderness. And when Saul and his son Jonathan were slain in the battle against the Philistines, David also lost his best and precious friend Jonathan in that tragedy. And in the ensuing civil war between David and the family of Saul, many people were affected in the fighting and conflict, suffered and perished. But eventually David won the civil war and was universally accepted by all the Israelites as their King, ushering the golden age of the United Kingdom of Israel under David and his son, Solomon.

And the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Divine Word Incarnate was born into this world as the Son and Heir of David, as the rightful Heir and descendant of David as King over all of Israel although the kingdom of Israel itself had been destroyed centuries prior to His coming. But the Lord has promised through His many prophets and messengers that He would restore the Kingdom to His people, and the One Whom He would send, would be the One to restore it to its glory and even more. That was then how everything was fulfilled through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Who was born into the House of David and inherit the Throne of David as King, and with God Himself as King over all of His people, He became the Eternal Ruler and Master of all. Then, in addition, He is King not only just over Israel, because as the Lord, Creator and Master of the whole Universe, He is the King of all the Universe.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Colossae, where the Apostle spoke of the One Whom all of us as Christians have believed in, the One Who is the Son of God, incarnate in this world as the Saviour of all mankind, begotten of the Father before all of the ages and time. St. Paul highlighted Who this King of Kings and the King of the Universe is, the Image of the Unseen God, the Almighty God Who has created this whole Universe, Who was once beyond our understanding, appreciation and knowledge, but through His will and power, has manifested Himself and His love perfectly in the flesh, becoming tangible, real and visible to us, showing us Who our true Lord, King and Master is.

And that is the reality about our King of Kings, the King and Master of the whole Universe. As St. Paul described of Him, He is indeed incomparable and far beyond our league, infinitely mighty and powerful, holding dominion and power over all of Creation. He is the King Who truly loves us, Who is always compassionate and caring towards each one of us, His beloved children and people. That is why we should always appreciate all the love, attention and care that the Lord Himself has shown to us. We are truly fortunate to be loved in such a manner and we should indeed do our best to embrace His love, He Who has united all of us to Himself and to each other, as the Head of the visible Body of Christ, His own Body, the whole Church of God. Each and every one of us, we are part of the same Kingdom of our God and King.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist about the moment of the Passion and suffering of the Lord, when Jesus, the Saviour and Son of God was nailed to His Cross at the place known as Calvary or Golgotha. At that moment, we heard how the people were mocking Him for not being able to save Himself while He has saved others, mocking Him and telling Him to bring Himself down from His Cross. And yet, He Himself has willingly taken the Cross upon His own shoulders, because He is a King Who truly cares for His beloved people, ever full of love for each and every one of those who are precious to Him, and that is why He was willing to endure the worst of humiliations and punishments for our sake, that we all may live and not perish.

And in His conversations with the two thieves who were crucified with Him, we can see even further the great love, compassion and magnanimity that our Lord and King has for each and every one of us, even to the greatest and worst of offenders and sinners. The repentant thief admitted his faults and sins before the Crucified Lord and King, and he asked that He would remember him when He comes into His kingdom, and the Lord granted his wish, becoming perhaps the first to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, which we are all invited into as well. Our Lord and King has shown us that He is a King Who truly cares for each and every one of us, His people, and not like those kings who cared only about themselves and caused sufferings for many of those whom they ruled.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today on this great Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and King of the whole Universe, let us all therefore remember that as Christians, all of us as God’s people have Him as our King and we truly should behave and act in a way that truly shows that He is indeed our Lord and Master, the One Who rules over each and every one of us. That is why we should do our very best and continue to be good role models and examples, inspirations and encouragement for one another as exemplary and good Christians in all things, in our every actions, words and deeds so that we may truly inspire many more people, all those whom we encounter, that we can indeed glorify the Lord our King at all times.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe and King of Kings continue to reign in our hearts and in all of our lives, and may all of us be ever faithful and committed to Him at all times and as always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 2 November 2025 : Feast of All Souls, Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Black or Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, after we have celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints yesterday, now on this Sunday, we celebrate and commemorate the occasion of All Souls Day, in which we remember all those holy departed souls, who have gone from this world before us, and are now still in Purgatory. Purgatory refers to the state or situation in which the souls of the faithful departed who have gone from this world, and yet, because they have not yet been cleansed or purified completely from their taint and corruptions of sin, thus they cannot yet enter into the fullness of bliss, glory and happiness in Heaven, to be with God. That is why they are still currently in Purgatory, spending the time and occasion there in purification so that they may be fully and completely free from the taint and corruption of their sins.

This does not mean that God has purposely made it difficult for us mankind to reach out to Him or punished us unjustly. In fact, the truth is that no one can possibly be tainted by the corruption of sin and be in the Holy Presence of God. Otherwise, the sins and wickedness, corruptions and evils remaining in us will condemn us before the Lord, and the Lord’s goodness and perfection will wipe us out from existence. Hence, from the beginning of the Church, the Church fathers and traditions of our Christian faith have always taught that the souls of those who have died in the state of grace, and have not denied the Lord and remained unrepentant to the very last moment, do not end up in either Heaven or Hell.

The former, Heaven, is because the soul was still tainted with some venial sins, the residual effects of the corruptions of their soul, which had not been resolved and forgiven at the moment of their passing from this world. Meanwhile, for the latter, Hell, the Lord’s grace is so great and powerful that, to those whom He has deemed and judged at the moment of death, also known as the Particular Judgment, to be saved, thus, He did not condemn into Hell. Instead, that soul of the departed will eventually end up in Heaven. It is just that, those souls will not be able to immediately enter the glory of Heaven, unlike the saints, whose faith, virtues and commitments to God had deemed them worthy in the eyes of God to enter immediately into the glory of Heaven.

This state of the souls who have not yet been able to enter Heaven is thus known as the Purgatory. Unlike Hell, in which the condemned soul has no hope ever to enter into Heaven, and will suffer eternity of sufferings, punishments and regret for their sins, the souls in Purgatory do suffer, but not for an eternity. Why do they suffer, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because their intense love for God was raging in them, ever desiring to be reunited fully with God, but because of the residual corruptions and effects due to the sins which they had committed and which had not been resolved and forgiven, that ardent and burning love for God made them to endure the purifying fire of Purgatory. This should not be understood as a physical place with fire or any kind of flames that purified the souls in Purgatory, but rather, it was the love those souls had for God which made them to endure those burning love and zeal that had yet to be fulfilled completely.

And what is important today, as we commemorate this All Souls Day, we must remember that we ourselves may also end up in Purgatory one day, and we must not forget or ignore the holy souls in Purgatory. Many of our loved ones and those whom we know, our own family members and friends may be in Purgatory now, and are still awaiting the moment when they will finally enter into the eternal and true glory of Heaven. They are also still part of the Church, as I have mentioned on All Saints Day yesterday. Just as the saints, the holy men and women of God who are already enjoying the glory and the beatific vision of Heaven, are part of the Church Triumphant, and all of us still living in this world are part of the Church Militant, struggling daily for our faith against the temptations of sin and evil, thus the holy souls in Purgatory are part of the Church Suffering.

They are also our brothers and sisters, who need our love, care, compassion and prayers. The holy souls in Purgatory all need our prayers and help, as they cannot help themselves, and they cannot pray for themselves. They can pray for us, who are still living in this world, and no doubt, they hope that we do not make the same mistakes and sins they had done, which prevented and kept them away from the Lord’s glorious inheritance and true joy for the time being. They are in need of our prayers and help, and our every prayers for their sake do matter, as through prayer, we help them by moving God to have pity and mercy on these holy souls who are currently still in Purgatory. When their sins had been expiated, cleansed and they had been completely forgiven from those sins, the holy souls in Purgatory can finally then enter into the glory of Heaven, and enjoy what the saints have been enjoying.

Let us all therefore be charitable and compassionate to our brothers and sisters, the holy souls in Purgatory, that we remember today on this occasion of All Souls Day. Let us all remember that one day, we ourselves may also end up in the same condition and place, suffering the wait in Purgatory just as the holy souls in Purgatory are now enduring and experiencing their temporary wait and separation from God. We should always spend some time and moments to pray on behalf of those poor souls in Purgatory, be it those whom we may know, from our own family and circle of friends and acquaintances, but also those whom we do not know. There are many holy souls in Purgatory who had no one to remember them or pray for them, and today, on this All Souls Day, we should also remember them and love them, show them God’s love and compassion through our efforts and prayers for their sake.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this All Souls Day therefore, let us all first of all remember and pray for all the holy souls in Purgatory, all those who have passed on from this world and have yet to enter the glory of Heaven. Let us all ask the Lord to have mercy on these souls, and allow them to be forgiven and to be cleansed and purified from their residual corruptions by sin, and thus, able to enter into the glory of Heaven the soonest. Then, at the same time, as we have discussed and talked about earlier, we should also remind ourselves that we should strive to do what we can so that our lives will always be truly worthy of God, in obeying His Law and commandments, and in distancing ourselves and keeping ourselves away from sin and its corruption, as best as we can.

Let us all hence do what we can so that we may inspire one another to live our lives worthily in God’s path. Let us all be committed to lives that are truly virtuous and righteous in the sight of God and mankind alike, and do our part such that we may be the faithful bearers of God’s truth, Good News and love to more and more people, and that more souls may be saved from the damnation to Hell, and may at least end up in the purifying fire of Purgatory on their way to Heaven, because of their faith in God. May the Lord be with us all, and especially also with the holy souls in Purgatory, our brothers and sisters, and may He remember them, particularly those who have none to remember them or pray for them. May God grant them all eternal rest in Him, and may they rest in God’s love and peace. Amen.

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Sunday, 24 August 2025 : Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday all of us are reminded through the passages of the Sacred Scriptures of the great and constant love of God which He has always given to us without cease. God has always shown us consistent and patient love that endures even though we have often disobeyed and turned away from Him. God has been patient in reaching out to all of us with His most generous and compassionate kindness without exception, giving us all His attention and reaching out to us, showing us His mercy and forgiveness, that while He chastises us for our sins, all these are part of His efforts to help us to be truly reconciled with Him, to be reunited wholly with our loving God and Father.

In our first reading this Sunday from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord reassuring His people through the prophecies, reminding them all that God would gather all of His beloved people from all the nations, and everyone shall one day come to worship and glorify Him, and not merely just the exclusive right for the Israelites as many among the people of God thought otherwise during the time of the Lord’s ministry. God truly revealed in a rather discreet way through these prophecies that what He wanted is indeed to be reconciled and reunited with each and every one of us, all of us mankind, all the people of all the nations, with the Israelites being the first one whom He had called and chosen.

And this prophecy of Isaiah would indeed come true and to fulfilment in what the Lord had done afterwards, in sending His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in order to make manifest and tangible for us this great love. Through Christ, God has established His Church in this world, which He proclaimed and then made tangible, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, being born on Good Friday at the moment of the Crucifixion, when the Lord laid there on His Cross, suffering and dying for the sake of all of us mankind. He did not die just for the Israelites and their descendants, but for everyone, for all those who did not belong to the traditional definition of God’s people. And this is because He has made His Church to gather everyone from all races and all the nations, and His salvation made available to all.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, we heard of the author of this Epistle highlighted God’s actions and works to us and in His interactions with us, which is indeed likened to that of a loving Father. Indeed, God is our loving Father as our Creator, as the One Who has loved us all from the moment He created us, all of which He did out of most wonderful love. That is why He has always spent a lot of effort in reaching out to us, and always being concerned about all of us. He led us all through His patient and constant guidance, reaching out lovingly while at the same time also guiding us with discipline, chastising us gently for our misbehaviours and misdeeds. Yet, ultimately, He still loves us and His chastisement are meant for our own good.

That was how He constantly sent to us all His help, His servants and messengers, and after sending us all His Son, He sent to us all the Holy Spirit, through Whom He has shown Wisdom and guidance to all of us, the parts and members of His living Church, the members of His Body, of which Christ Himself is the Head. All of us shared in this relationship with God our Father through Christ, because He has shared in our humanity by being incarnate and born into this world, and just as He is the Son of God, therefore, by bringing all of us together as parts and members of His Church, Christ has made all of us to be God’s own adopted sons and daughters. And this fact is something that is truly amazing to behold, as imagine that, having God as our own Father! How much greater can things be than that?

Finally, from our Gospel passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord to the people that He has been visiting in the villages, responding to their questions about who could be saved and receive eternal life. The Lord told all of them that it is not easy as what some might have thought. The Lord said that there were many who claimed to have known the Lord but would be rejected and cast aside, because in their hearts and minds, God was not truly there. This was in fact a hidden and veiled reference to the attitudes and the actions of many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who indeed claimed to be pious and faithful to the Lord, and yet, they loved themselves and their desires more than they loved God.

And reiterating what the Lord Himself had spoken through the prophet Isaiah as mentioned in our first reading today, Jesus mentioned that nations and people will come from all directions, from all the ends of the earth to come and worship the Lord, believing in Him and becoming part of the Lord’s flock. Salvation is no longer restricted just to the Israelites and Abraham indeed will become the father of many nations, and truly the father of all the nations in faith. And that is why all of us should really appreciate the love which God has so generously given to us in calling on us to come to Him and to follow Him into the path towards eternal life and true happiness with Him. He does not discriminate or be biased with us on our status, background, race or any other worldly parameters we often categorise and bias ourselves with, but loving us all equally.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, having reflected upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures and seeing the great and ever patient love that God has given to all of us, whom He has called out of the darkness and into the light, and by all the kindness that He has always lavished upon us, let us all continue to draw ever closer to Him, to our loving Father and strive ever more to do our best in loving Him and being dedicated to Him in everything that we say and do. We should always be grateful that He has called us all to follow Him and how He has provided for us all His promises and reassurances. Let us therefore be exemplary in our faith and actions  so that we may be the worthy bearers of God’s light and truth, His Good News and love to all those whom we encounter in our lives.

May God continue to bless us all, and be with us all the members of His holy Church, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church which we are parts and members of. May God continue to strengthen each and every one of us with the resolve to follow Him wholeheartedly and faithfully in all circumstances and at all times. May God bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours for His greater glory. Amen.

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Sunday, 17 August 2025 : Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are called to remember that to follow the Lord our God is often something that may bring upon us hardships and challenges in our path, and we may have to endure trials and difficulties, obstacles and hardships especially in remaining true to our calling as Christians and in remaining faithful to the Lord and to His teachings and ways. We must not easily give up the struggles and the journey that we are undertaking towards God because in the end, we shall be triumphant with Him, sharing the joy and the glory that He has promised and reassured all of us, and we shall not be disappointed if we continue to hold onto that faith in God because only the Lord alone will not fail us, even when all sorts of worldly means and matters that we usually depend on failed us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah detailing to us what was happening at that time to the prophet Jeremiah during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, the last King of Judah when the opponents and many officials of Judah were plotting and attempting to destroy Jeremiah as he kept on speaking to the people and to the king regarding the omens and the terrible events that would come upon Judah and Jerusalem because of the disobedience, wickedness and sins of the people of Judah, all of their constant rebelliousness and lack of faith in the Lord, in persecuting the many prophets which had been sent to them to help them to return to the Lord’s path, and that included what was done to Jeremiah himself.

But we then see God’s Providence in protecting Jeremiah through our first reading passage, as even though the king had to follow the pressures and coercions of his councillors and officials who were against the prophet Jeremiah, but the latter still had friends that had the ears of the king. That was how Jeremiah managed to escape his fated suffering and death in a cistern which his enemies and oppressors had been plotting to happen to him. His friends among the king’s advisers reminded the king that such wicked treatments were unjust, and hence, the king allowed them to rescue Jeremiah in secret and took him out from that cistern, to hide from his persecutors and enemies, which continued until the time when Judah and Jerusalem were conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, the author encouraged those to whom he wrote the Epistle for, reminding them of how they have all shared in the sufferings of Christ, the One Whom the Lord had sent into this world to save us all. And just as Christ Himself, Our Lord and Saviour, had faced great sufferings and challenges, and persevered on nonetheless to show us the true face of God’s love and compassion, God’s undying and ever enduring love and patience with us, therefore, we too should remain resilient and strong amidst all the challenges and trials that we may have to face in our journey as Christian believers and faithful, and we should not expect that our journey ahead should be easy, but with God by our side, we can truly do all things and endure even the hardest challenges.

This is why we should always continue to remind ourselves that with God by our side, strengthening and guiding us, we will not falter and stumble as long as we continue to have faith and trust in Him. God would not abandon us to destruction purposefully, and He would not give us challenges and obstacles that are beyond what we can take and endure, and we certainly will not go through all of them alone. The Lord would always be by our side, helping us to endure and bear our crosses in life. And if we remember everything that the Lord had gone through for our sake, out of His ever always generous love, then truly we shall in fact be grateful to have shared in the sufferings of Christ, for if we have suffered for His sake, then surely it is because we have been truly faithful to Him, as how the prophet Jeremiah had been committed in his missions, and suffered greatly for it.

Finally, from our Gospel this Sunday taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling the disciples that His coming into this world, His teachings, revelations and ways would not bring about peace and harmony, and in fact, more likely than not it would lead to strive and divisions, not because He Himself wanted it, but because the world and all the forces in this world, the forces of Satan, the evil one and all of his fellow wicked forces, all assembled against us, and they are always arrayed against those who walk in God’s path. That is why the Lord told His disciples that they should not expect a good and smooth path in ministry and life in following Him, and unlike what many believed about the Messiah, that following Him would not bring them earthly glory and joy.

Back then, many among the people of God, the descendants of the Israelites, the Jewish people, believed that the Messiah would be born into the House of David, to be the One to bring about liberation and freedom for the Israelites from all of their oppressors and from all their troubles. Therefore, many among them expected that the Messiah would come as a conquering King and Ruler, to overthrow the yoke of the Romans and the Herodians, to bring back and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel, as how it was in the glorious days of King David and King Solomon, and to bring peace and prosperity to everyone. This was not how it was to be, and in fact, the Lord Himself would have to suffer grievously for the sake of our salvation and in accomplishing all that He has planned for all those. Yet, He kept on going nonetheless and kept on loving us regardless all the way to the Cross.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remind ourselves that sufferings and hardships should not lead us to abandon our faith in the Lord, and in fact, they should strengthen our resolve ever further in following God’s path, and doing whatever we can so that by our exemplary lives and actions, we may inspire many others to follow the Lord and His path, to persevere in faith and to remain truly committed to Him despite the struggles and challenges, obstacles and trials, disappointments and difficulties that we may encounter in the path that we walk. We must help especially those who are troubled and who are facing all these hardships alone and enduring lots of trials, so that by our companionship and help, we may continue to strengthen one another in faith, and journey together in faith towards God.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father continue to help us in our journey through life, ever strengthening each one of us so that we can continue to journey courageously and with great devotion towards the Lord, with ever stronger desire each day to glorify Him by our lives and actions. Let us all continue to trust and have faith in God, knowing that with God by our side, there is truly nothing that is impossible. For God, everything is indeed possible, and if we remain true in our faith, then we shall indeed share in the fullness of joy and satisfaction that we can find in God alone. May God be with us all, and may He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 10 August 2025 : Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded to continue to be faithful to the Lord at all times despite the difficulties, trials and challenges that we may be facing in life. We must always remain faithful at all times, persisting through the hardships and trials, all the obstacles and disappointments, all the times when we want to give up due to all those challenges and hurdles. This is because the Lord is always ever faithful to the Covenant that He has made with us, and He will never abandon us or leave us behind, and will always provide us all that we need. In the end, we shall be triumphant with Him and if we have enough faith and trust in Him, then we shall share in the eternal glory and joy that He has promised to all of us.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Wisdom in which the author spoke of the events of the past, and how the people of God trusted in the promises of the Lord, in everything that He would do for the sake of His people, all the love and kindness that He would show, and how He would not forsake everyone who are dear to Him. That was how they endured the hardships and sufferings that they faced, because they believed in the faithfulness of God’s promises and love, referring to the moment when the people of God, the Israelites were enslaved in the land of Egypt for a long period of time, after they had settled there for centuries. God had promised their ancestors that their descendants would be blessed and would return to the land promised to them, and that was what God exactly had done.

They remained hopeful and continued to hope for a deliverer to come from the Lord as they had been promised, and God did send them a deliverer indeed in the person of Moses, who brought God’s consoling words and reassurances at last, and showing the great power and might by which He brought them out of the land of Egypt, the Ten great Plagues which He had struck Egypt and its people with, humbling the mighty Pharaoh and his armies, destroying his chariots and forces, all so that the Israelites could go free, departing from the land of their enslavement and suffering, to journey towards the land that had been promised to them. This is one of the many proofs of God’s great love and faithfulness to everything that He has promised to His beloved ones.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, we heard of the words of the author of the Epistle speaking about the importance of our faith in God, and how the author quoted the examples of our fathers in faith, from Abraham and his wife Sarah, to Isaac and Jacob among others, in how they had been faithful to the Lord, despite the challenges and trials that they had to face in their respective paths and journeys, just as what we have heard in our first reading earlier. For example, Abraham was childless with his wife and was without an heir, and God was calling on him to follow Him to a distant land away from the comfort of his homeland and family. And yet, Abraham believed and trusted in the Lord, followed Him faithfully and did everything that he had been asked to do.

That was how Abraham received everything that he had been promised, as were Isaac and Jacob, and all those who had faith in the Lord. And as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews mentioned, they all still believed even though they could not see what it is that they had been promised for, and even when what they had been waiting for took longer than expected. Abraham remained firmly faithful even when he was tested for his faith, such as when he had to wait longer and longer for the promised son, and when the promised son had been given to him, that is Isaac, he obeyed perfectly even when the Lord asked of him to offer and sacrifice his own son. Abraham trusted wholeheartedly in God and did as he was asked, and his faith is truly an example for all of us.

That is why we are reminded that we too should be faithful to the Lord, doing whatever that the Lord has asked of us, because God is the only One Who will never disappoint us, and unlike depending on worldly things which may be fickle and unreliable, we should first and foremost trust in the Lord. And true faith is such that we continue to believe even when we cannot see clearly where the path forward will lead us, and what we shall have in the end, other than knowing that God will be true to all of His promises. To be truly faithful for us as Christians require strong and enduring faith in God, and this is not something that is easy or smooth-going for us. Instead, there will be lots of challenges and trials facing us, but with faith in God, we must remember that there can be no obstacle that is too great for us all to overcome.

Lastly, we heard of the parable that the Lord Jesus told to His disciples in our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist. In that parable, the Lord told the disciples of the servants of a household awaiting for the return of their master, and He used that parable to highlight the importance of trusting in God and to be prepared for God’s return one day, as the Lord indeed will return just as He has promised to us. He will not abandon us and He will always be with us, although the waiting may be long and arduous. In the end, if we remain truly faithful to Him, we shall indeed enjoy the fruits of our labours and faith. At the end of our journey, at the very end of time, at the time of the final reckoning and judgment, we shall have to account for our every deeds and actions.

That was what the Lord presented in the parable He mentioned to His disciples, comparing the actions of the servants who ignored their responsibilities and slacked in their duties, thinking that the master was not returning soon, with those servants who faithfully carried out their duties and responsibilities even when the master was not yet returning. Those servants clearly represented each and every of us, God’s holy people, with God Himself being represented by the master of the household. If we do not have faith in God and continue to walk down the path of worldliness, then in the end, we will regret it because when the reckoning comes, we shall be found wanting and lacking in faith, and I am certain that we do not want to end up in this situation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence remind ourselves to be ever more faithful and committed to God at all times. Let us not be easily swayed by temptations and hardships of this world, the obstacles and challenges that we have to face in our path. Let us continue to have faith and trust in God, doing our very best to walk consistently and faithfully in this journey of faith and life, loving God and loving one another, especially those who are dear and beloved to us. Let us all grow ever stronger in our faith and in our commitment to God. May the Lord continue to bless and guide us all, and may He continue to strengthen and encourage us all in all things, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 3 August 2025 : Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday all of us are reminded that we should not seek to gather for ourselves treasures of this world, all the riches and glory found in this world, all of which are truly transient in nature, and merely a distraction for us in our pursuit for the true treasures of our lives, which is the treasures that we can find in the Lord alone. And we are reminded of this fact today so that we may truly reevaluate our lives and directions so that we may be aligned to what the Lord has called us all to be in our respective various areas of life, in our various calling and missions, in each and every purpose that God has provided to all of us as His beloved and holy people, called to be His faithful missionaries in this world.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Ecclesiastes in which the author famously said the words, ‘All is meaningless, meaningless, meaningless!’ and how everything that mankind usually toiled, laboured and put their efforts for, all the hard work and all the things that they had done, all of these are ultimately meaningless as all the things that they had done, all that they had searched for, all these were ultimately not going to bring them good rest and peace in the end, as one’s desires, pursuits and ambitions usually lead to even more of what we want and desire in life. And that was why the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes used this to share with the people of God that they should not follow this path of ambition and desire in life.

But we must also be very careful that we do not end up misinterpreting or misunderstanding the intentions of the author of this Book of Ecclesiastes particularly with what we have heard in our reading today. The author did not intend for us to abandon all kinds of worldliness, or to reject all kinds of worldly works, labours and efforts. This is not what the Lord wants us all to do, and we must not think that He wants us all to leave behind our lives, our works, our actions and go forth to seek Him, while abandoning our responsibilities, our calling and mission in this world. It is dangerous if we only merely understood the words of the author of the Book of Ecclesiastes on the surface level without understanding the deeper meaning and purpose underneath all those words.

Indeed, in tandem of the reminder of our mortality as highlighted in our Psalm today, what all of us should take heed of is that we should seek to detach from unhealthy attachments, obsessions and desirees for worldly glory, fame, from all sorts of ambitions and things that can distract us in our journey towards God. We must always strive to keep ourselves free from those things that can make us to lose our way, just as St. Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians in our second reading this Sunday ought to remind all of us. The Apostle spoke of the need for all of us as Christians to embrace new life and existence in Christ our Risen Lord, having received from Him the path towards eternal life and salvation, by sharing in His death and resurrection.

All of us should always strive to keep ourselves free from what is wicked and immoral, what is distracting us away from God, our worldly pursuits and ambitions that make us to be so preoccupied and filled with desire that we end up forsaking God and His ways. In fact, some of these pursuits and ambitions, desires for fame and worldly glory, our attachments to various desires may lead us to disregard our responsibilities and duties in this world, to those whom we love and hold dear. This is why it is important that we must always be firmly rooted in our faith in God at all times, focusing and aligning our lives and actions with Him, so that we do not end up losing our direction in this life’s journey towards our Lord and Saviour.

Then, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to the people and responding to someone from the crowd who asked Him to be a judge between him and his brother. At any time and age, disputes between family members, friends and others regarding money, material wealth and privileges are commonplace, and it can really be very damaging in relationships. I am sure we have witnessed and heard how families, relationships and friendships are torn apart by these disagreements and conflicts, and unless we realise the folly of such arguments and contentions, then there will be only more of such heart pains and sufferings among us.

And in line with what our earlier readings from the Scriptures had highlighted to us, the Lord used a parable to show the folly of pursuing worldly ambitions and desires, such as what we often argued and bickered with each other for, for money, material possessions, status, fame and others. In His parable, the Lord showed how a rich man who possessed a lot of riches and wealth was so preoccupied with thinking and planning about where and how to store his wealth that he forgot about his own mortality and the impermanence of all the wealth and worldly possessions that he had accumulated. If that man were to die that very day, then all of the things that he had accumulated and gathered would have gone to waste, as none of them would follow him to the world that is to come.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we have listened from the readings of the Sacred Scriptures today and as we have discussed, we are all indeed reminded to keep ourselves away from all these unhealthy attachments and desires for worldly goods and matters. However, it does not mean that we neglect our affairs and works in this world, as at the same time God wants us all to be responsible and accountable in our actions and works, in everything that we say and do, so that by our responsible actions and deeds, by our accountability and reliability, our steadfastness in our interactions and ways of dealing with one another, and also our focus and emphasis on the Lord instead of the many worldly desires and ambitions around us, people may know that we are Christians.

May the Lord, our most loving God continue to help and guide us in our journey as we strive to live a truly faithful and committed Christian life. Let us all put God first and foremost in our lives and do our best such that in all things we will always live in accordance with His will and truly attuned to His will for us. Let us all continue to go forth courageously in each and every moments to proclaim our Christian faith, our belief and the Good News of God to everyone we encounter, not just through words but also through actions and by living up to our Christian teachings and ways, as the Lord has told us all to do. May God be with us all and may He continue to help and encourage us in our journey and good efforts and works, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 27 July 2025 : Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures that we are all called to remember the great love that God our Father has always consistently shown us, the most generous love which He has always given to each and every one of us regardless of our background and what we have done in our lives, whatever sins and wickedness that we have committed. God is always willing to love us and to show us all His most generous compassion, His kindness and patient care for all of us. God has provided us all the patient and ever enduring care and love of a Father, and like a father caring for all of his children, He has always been reaching out to us to help us find our way to Him, and to help correct us when we lose our way and fall into sin.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the story of the punishment that God was sending against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was told to us, and we heard how Abraham pleaded with the Lord for the sake of Lot, his nephew, who was then dwelling in that region together with his family. Abraham asked the Lord to reconsider His decision on behalf of his cousin and any other people who were counted among the righteous still living in those two cities who might also therefore perish in the destruction. Abraham pleaded with the Lord asking Him to remember His love for His people, for all those whom He had created out of love, that He would not destroy those who have loved Him as well.

That was how Abraham kept on pleading with the Lord, kept on asking until he asked Him to spare those two cities as long as there were even only ten people who were righteous there, and God gave Abraham His words on this. Unfortunately, as it eventually turned out, there were not even ten people who were righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah, and only Lot and his immediate family were considered as such. But God did not abandon them in their hour of need, and in fact He immediately sent His Angels there to rescue them out before He was to send His destruction upon those two cities. Once again, this is how God showed His love to us all mankind, through all of the actions He had done for us, whether we realised it or not.

In addition, we should also not be prejudiced or judgmental as what people would have done against those they perceive were the sins of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. The word Sodom had been misunderstood and misinterpreted for a long time, leading to the word ‘sodomy’ and used to judge and treat those who have same-sex attraction and relationships, thinking that God will punish all those who do so. The sins of Sodom and Gomorrah were not such, and the fact that Lot himself offered his daughters to spare his visitors from the lust of the townspeople said as much, that their sins against God were that of lust in general and not referring to a specific attraction, and as some scholars had mentioned, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah treated Lot as an outsider, and they did what they did to attack him, and the two Angels sent to rescue him, whom they saw as more outsiders they despised. God loves all of His children, regardless of their background and differences, and we have to remember this fact, always.

In our second reading this Sunday, we then heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the region of Colossae in Asia Minor, in what is today part of Turkey in which the Apostle spoke of the matter how all of us God’s faithful people, we have received great grace and blessings from God through the baptism that we have gone through, having been made parts of the Church of God, the Body of Christ, the communion of all those who believe in Christ. And through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, all of us have been led to safety and liberation from our fated destruction, just as Lot and his family had once been saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by the hands of the Lord acting to save them out of their predicament.

As St. Paul the Apostle mentioned, we were all dead and we should have been destroyed due to our many sins and wickedness, but through Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, and through everything which He had done for our sake, in the most selfless and wonderful sacrifice which He had offered on His Cross for us, in breaking His Most Precious Body and pouring out His Most Precious Blood for our salvation, as the Paschal Lamb, the Lamb of God, offered for our redemption, all of us have received the sure assurance of God’s grace and salvation, the promise of everlasting life and true happiness which we can achieve through the Lord alone. And through everything that God, our most loving Father, Creator and Master had done, we have indeed been rescued from certain destruction and damnation, showing us all the straight path to eternal life.

Then, our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray to the Lord, teaching them the prayer that is known as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ or Pater Noster, the perfect prayer that all of us should model our prayers after, filled with true faith and dedication to God our loving Father, praising and glorifying Him above all things and entrusting ourselves completely to His will and desires, knowing that we can completely trust in God and be assured that He will do everything that He knows we need, even when we ourselves may not realise or be aware of what we truly need in our lives. And He also taught us through that prayer how to ask the Father to grant us His blessings, our daily bread, and also to forgive one another our sins just in the same way that the Father has forgiven us ours.

Through this perfect prayer we are all reminded once again that we are truly fortunate to have a most loving Father Whom we can always ask in any circumstances and at any time. We can always seek the Lord and approach the Throne of His mercy, compassion and love. As such, we should not take God’s ever enduring and patient love for granted, all the kindness that He has always shown us. We should indeed appreciate and be thankful of everything that God had done for us, and continue to put our trust and faith in Him. After all, the Lord Himself said that, as our loving Father, He will not give us something harmful when we ask of Him, and He will always provide us with everything we need, and He will do so gladly, and He wants us all to call upon Him and to seek Him and His help.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to be ever more faithful to the Lord, our most loving God and Father, thanking Him ever always at all times for all the love that He has generously shown us. Let us all continue to serve Him faithfully and do our best to glorify Him and His Name by our lives, our every actions and deeds, and in our every interactions with each other. Like Abraham, who truly shows love and compassion in his actions, let us all also be loving and compassionate in all things, caring for everyone around us, and in not being judgmental against others whom we may deem or think to be less worthy of God than us. Remember that we are all sinners, and we all need God’s mercy, and instead, we should indeed show genuine love of God all the more to one another.

May the Lord continue to bless us all with His loving care and compassionate kindness, and may He continue to provide us with our needs, guarding us all from harm and leading us all towards the path to eternal life. May God bless our journey and every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 20 July 2025 : Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded to have faith and trust in the Lord, to believe in Him wholeheartedly and to trust in the plans that He has for each and every one of us. There is truly nothing that is impossible for God, and everything that God has planned for us will come to fruition and completion in due time, provided that we trust in Him, listen to Him speaking to us and guiding us all towards the fulfilment and accomplishment of His promises to us. We should trust in His plans and designs, which we may not yet see in full or completeness, and which we may still wonder at and have a lot of questions about, but trust in the Lord nonetheless, because we know that in God alone is sure hope and certainty of salvation.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis of the account of the time when the Lord came to visit Abraham and Sarah at their encampment at the moment when both of them were still awaiting their promised son, whom God had promised to him many times from the time when He called Abraham, then still known as Abram, from the land of Ur in Mesopotamia, to follow Him to the land that He would bestow upon him and his descendants, the land of Canaan. And Abraham obeyed the Lord and trusted in Him even though he and his wife had not been able to conceive a child for a long time. He went to the land of Canaan and did everything just as God had told him to do, and he was righteous in all things, a truly obedient servant of God.

And for additional context, Sarah did try to circumvent the problem, if we are aware of the story of how everything turned out in the Book of Genesis, by using her slave Hagar to conceive a child with Abraham. That was how Ishmael, Abraham’s eldest son was born, born from Abraham and Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian slave. At that time, it was common practice for a woman who owned a slave and had difficulty having a child, or for other reasons, to take her own slave to bear a child with her husband, and any children born by the slave would be considered as the legal child of the woman instead of the slave. This was because slave did not have any right at that time, and the slave and everything the slave possessed were considered to belong to the slave’s master, and that included any children the slave might have borne.

But God reassured Abraham and told him that the child that He had promised to him and Sarah would be born through Sarah and not through any other means, including that of Hagar and Ishmael. And the Lord appeared to both Abraham and Sarah as we heard in today’s first reading to remind and reassure them again on this matter. But as we heard, Sarah did not truly believe and still doubted, and she even laughed in secret about this. Yet, nothing could have escaped God’s attention and knowledge, and that was why He told Sarah that precisely that very moment the next year, she would be having a child with her, the child born from her own womb, just as God has promised. What God had promised might be delayed for a while, but eventually in His good time, everything will happen just as He has said it would.

That was how Isaac was to be conceived and born for Abraham and Sarah, the son that had been promised to them, the one through whom Abraham, the childless man, would become the father of many nations, and whose descendants would number as many as the stars in the sky, and as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. And he was named Isaac precisely because of this incident, because Sarah laughed at what the Lord had told her and Abraham about having a child at her age, something that is impossible for man, but not impossible for God. Indeed, God had the final laugh when everything did happen as He said it would, proving to Abraham and Sarah, and to all of us, the faithfulness and love that God has for all of us, and of the Covenant that He had made with us.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church in Colossae in Asia Minor, we heard of the Apostle exhorting the faithful to hold firmly to the truth and the Good News which they have all received from the Apostles and the other missionaries, the truth which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has come to reveal to the whole world, through the Apostles and the Church, from which the secrets and mysteries of the Lord that had been long hidden from our sight and understanding, had finally been revealed and made known in full to everyone who believe in Him and in His Providence. And all these had been made known to them all because God wants all those whom He loved and truly cared for to find their way to Him, and to trust in Him, in His Wisdom and guidance, that they may not be lost to Him.

This relates well to what God had Himself revealed to Abraham and Sarah from our story in the first reading passage today, as the Lord revealed His plan, slowly, through the wisdom and the encounters that He has put in the paths of men, and showed His faithfulness to the Covenants He had made and established, and constantly renewed with us. And lastly, He gave us all the perfect fulfilment of all of His promises, Covenant and all that He has reassured us all from time to time, through His only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, by Whom God has shown us all the perfect manifestation of His Love, teaching and revealing to us what His Law, commandments and ways are all about, and how we all ought to follow Him so that we may partake in the eternal life that He has prepared for all of us.

In our Gospel passage this Sunday, according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we then heard the short, more summarised account of what happened in the encounter between the Lord Jesus and the two sisters, Mary and Martha, who invited Him to their house. And we heard how Mary was listening to the Lord speaking and teaching to her while Martha was busy preparing all the things to welcome the Lord, probably a meal and more. But when Martha asked the Lord to tell Mary to help her out, likely that she was frustrated that she was left to do all the work by herself, the Lord told Martha that she should remember what is truly most important for her, and not to be distracted by all her works that she failed to notice how the Lord truly should be the priority at that time, and not all of her plans and chores.

This does not mean that what Martha had done was wrong. Martha had good intentions above all else, and she certainly and genuinely wanted to welcome the Lord and make Him happy with her hospitality. However, what the Lord wanted her to know was that she should not allow those busy preoccupations and the hectic preparations to distract her from appreciating the Lord’s Presence and the time when He was there at her place. This applies to all of us as well, brothers and sisters in Christ. How many of us, for example, were all so busy seeking for worldly pursuits and ambitions, in us seeking to climb the career ladder and in getting various wants and ambitions that we have, our desires and all that we ended up forgetting those whom we love all around us?

This is why we should learn to be more like Mary, to be ready to listen to the Lord and to be appreciative of everything we had done for us. We should have more faith and trust in God like Abraham had done, instead of being skeptical and doubtful as Sarah had done. If we put our trust more in God than in our own human power and works, then we can certainly see the clear difference in our lives, as we will find that trusting in God give us the peace and satisfaction that trusting in our own human means and workings cannot do for us. And we are reminded this Sunday that we should apply this to our lives, and do our best so that as Christians, we may be good role models and inspirations for one another, at all times, to show them God’s Providence, love and guidance in all things.

May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey and actions through life, and help us all so that we may continue to be strong and faithful in Him at all times. May He grant us the listening ears of Mary and the faith that Abraham, our father in faith had in Him. May God bless our every actions and good works, our efforts and endeavours, all done for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 13 July 2025 : Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded through the words of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received in which focused on the matter of the Law and commandments of God, which we all have received from the Lord through His Church and the Scriptures themselves. We are reminded this Sunday that the Law of God is not just meant for us to follow and obey blindly, but we must truly understand the true meaning, purpose and intentions of such Law and commandments so that we can become better, more faithful and more loving Christians in all things. We cannot be shallow in our faith and be merely paying lip service or be hypocrites in how we live our Christian lives and in how we follow the Law and commandments of God, but we must always be sincere and genuine in following God wholeheartedly at all times.

In our first reading today from the Book of Deuteronomy, we are reminded that the Law that God has given us all originated from the Law which the Lord Himself has shown and revealed to His first called people, the Israelites, through Moses, and therefore was also known as the Law of Moses. It was composed of the famous Ten Commandments and also the many rules and regulations that accompanied the Law. All those laws and rules, commandments and precepts were all meant by God to help and guide His people in their path and in their journey towards becoming a people truly blessed by God. However, in time, such Law, commandments and all of the precepts became blurred in their intentions and purposes, and the people grew to forget what their significance truly were in the first place.

That was why by the time of the Lord’s ministry and life, the Law and commandments of God had become a shadow of its original intent and purposes, with the people who were entrusted with its guardianship and safekeeping, namely the teachers of the Law and Pharisees being more concerned with the manner of how the Law and the commandments were enforced and lived, followed through and obeyed, in all of its intricate details, particularly with the additions and modifications made on them over the centuries, rather than truly understanding their significance and purpose, that is to teach everyone, all the people of God how to love Him and how to love their fellow brothers and sisters all around them. This is what truly matters, instead of how many among the Pharisees using them to discredit and being biased against those they deemed to be inferior.

Then, from our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the region of Colossae in Phyrgia in Asia Minor, we heard of the Apostle describing the Lord Jesus, the Saviour of all as the Image of the Unseen God, the Firstborn of all, and the One through Whom God had created the whole world and the Universe. He is the Logos, the Incarnate Word of God, the Divine Son of God made Flesh, becoming the Son of Man, and He is indeed the perfect manifestation of God’s Love, His Law and commandments being made visible, tangible and real for all of us, that God is no longer a distant concept, but as One Who is truly present among us and within us all.

That is why all of us who have received this great grace from God, of knowing His love personally and most wonderfully, which He had made through the sending of His only Begotten Son, we should indeed be grateful and thankful of everything we have received, and at the same time, we should also realise what the Lord truly wants us to do with our lives, in following His Law and commandments in the right way and with the right purpose and intentions. As the Head of the Church, Christ has shown us all what it truly means for all of us to be Christians, to be the ones whom He had called and chosen from the world to be His own, to be loved by Him and to be the examples and inspirations for everyone around us in our way of life so that many more may come to know what it means to follow the Lord, His Law and commandments in the right manner.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we are all reminded of what the true meaning and purpose of the Law of God is, as we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and followers, and to a teacher of the Law who asked of Him regarding what he ought to do to gain eternal life, and then regarding the Law and the commandments which he and the other teachers of the Law had always held very sacred and committed to guard and fulfil, the Lord then used the parable of the Good Samaritan to make it clear to all of them and to His disciples. This is important because the Samaritans from the perspective of the Jewish people at the time had a rather low regard and they were seen as heretics and even pagans, classified as the same level as sinners like prostitutes, tax collectors and those deemed to be unworthy of God.

But in that story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan was clearly the protagonist of the story, unlike the behaviour of the priest and the Levite who passed by and ignored the plight of the man who had been beset by bandits and robbers and left to die on the way to Jericho. And this comparison is significant because the Samaritans as mentioned were seen as sinners and wicked people, while the priests were highly revered in the Jewish community as the ones who were offering the sacrificial offerings and prayers to God on behalf of the people, while the Levites were the members of the tribe that had been consecrated and dedicated to God, and from among whom the members of the priesthood came from, and hence, shared the same respect and honour as the priests themselves.

Therefore the irony in that parable story was that the ones who were supposedly the most devout, most pious and the ones who got the positive outlook and respect from the people were the ones that ignored the sufferings and hardships of their own brother, who was evidently from the story of the Lord, was also a fellow Jew. It was in fact a Samaritan, which at that time could be said as the bitter enemy of the Jewish people, who actually bothered to stop and help the wounded man, who was on the verge of death. Not only that, but the Samaritan in fact went the extra mile to help the wounded man, telling the innkeeper to take good care of the man, and how he would return and pay any extra expenses that the man incurred should his injuries required longer recuperation time.

Now, that is what the true intention and meaning of the Law of God is, what the Lord had wanted us all to learn, that is to love as He Himself has loved all of us, without limit and without boundary. To love everyone generously and sincerely, and even more so to those whom we love and are dear to us. And we cannot be biased and prejudiced against others simply because of our man-made divisions and categorising, that ‘us-vs-them’ attitude that often directed our actions and way of interacting with those whom we encounter, like how the Jews and the Samaritans were often at each others’ throats. For us to be true and genuine Christians, and to obey His Law and commandments authentically, we ought to learn to love as the Lord Himself has loved, as how the Good Samaritan has loved, so generously and so sincerely.

Now, are we all ready and willing to follow the Lord faithfully in the manner that He has called us to do? Are we willing to follow Him in His Law and commandments in the manner that He Himself has shown and taught us, in loving others around us sincerely and generously, and not only showing outward expression of faith, but by truly being filled with God’s love, and sharing that love to others, to be faithful at all times and to share our hope in God’s light and truth to everyone we encounter in life, at all times? May all of us be inspired and strengthened in all these, and may God bless our every endeavours made with truly generous love, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Sunday, 6 July 2025 : Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us heard the words of the Lord speaking to us through the Scripture passages that we have received, reminding us of the message of hope which He has brought unto us and touched our hearts and minds with. All of us have received the wonderful love of God through the manifestation of this love through His Son, the only Begotten Son that He has sent into this world to be in our midst, that is Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ Himself. God has shown us His most beautiful love which He wants to share with all of us, ever reassuring us that we are truly precious to Him, beloved and dear to Him, and we will never be separated from Him, no matter what.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord’s reassurances for His people, as He told them all to be faithful to Him and to trust in His Providence, love and care as He told them all to rejoice for Jerusalem, for the good things that He would bring upon each and every one of them. And we need to understand that these words from the Lord came to the people of God in the kingdom of Judah and Jerusalem where Isaiah ministered in during the time right after the downfall and destruction of the northern neighbour of Judah, the kingdom of Israel, where many of the ten tribes of the twelve tribes of Israel dwelled in. Destruction came upon Israel and their capital Samaria because of the great sins and disobedience which they had shown, and hence, they were uprooted from their lands and forced into exile in distant lands.

Therefore, amidst all these, and also the uncertainties and fears that the people in Jerusalem and Judah also faced, as the same Assyrians that destroyed the kingdom of Israel also came up against Judah and Jerusalem, the Lord reassured His people with His constant love and providence, His generosity and presence. He would never abandon those who are dear and beloved to Him, and He would take good care of them, even when things were truly dark and uncertain, where He would always lead them out of the darkness and into the light. The Lord reassured this to His people who were then suffering and in time of tribulation, strengthening their resolve to walk in the times of difficulties and calling upon them to come back towards Him once again.

Then from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the region of Galatia in Asia Minor, we heard of the reassurances from St. Paul to them regarding the new life that they had all received from God, the reconciliation which the Lord had offered to them most generously and lovingly, and which would restore them all to grace in Christ, in the ultimate offering of most selfless love which He has shown us all from the Cross. By His sacrifice on the Cross, Christ our Lord and Saviour has shown us the perfect example of hope and love, a Hope that transcends the darkness of our lives and a most genuine and wonderful Love that touches our hearts and minds, inspiring us all to love Him and love one another more ourselves.

And St. Paul also spoke of how everyone have been made into new creations in Christ, and old classifications and boundaries like being Jews and Gentiles, or non-Jews, and being rich or poor, or being free or slave, slavery being then quite common in the region, all these divisions and classifications no longer take hold within the Church and among Christian believers. This is because before the Lord there is no distinction or difference between any one of us, and we are all equally beloved by Him, truly precious and dear to Him, and by His love and kindness, His compassion and generosity, all of us are truly blessed and we should really be thankful for everything that He has given and provided to each and every one of us so generously all these while. 

Finally, from our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus sending out His disciples, a total of seventy-two of them, who were likely counted among His close disciples beyond those of the Twelve, which He sent out two by two to the various places that He Himself was to visit and minister in. And through this, the Lord wants to show all of us of just how dear and beloved all of us are, because the Lord has always tirelessly reached out to us, wanting all of us to find our way back to Him, to be reconciled to Him and to be reunited with Him perfectly through love and redemption. And at the same time, we are also reminded that each and every one of us share in the missions which the Lord has entrusted to His disciples.

That is because the works of the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord, in reaching out to more and more people, to those who have not yet known or recognised the Lord, His truth and Good News, are still far from being done. There are still many people out there who have not known the Lord and His truth, His teachings and salvation. And even among many of those who have heard about the Lord, many still did not truly know Him, and there are still even those who have the wrong ideas and impressions about our Christian faith and about God. Within the Church itself, amongst our own fellow brothers and sisters, there are many who still have not truly believed in the Lord or have a strong and genuine faith in Him. That is why it is up to us to reach out to them all and to show our true faith to them not just with mere words, but also through genuine actions and interactions.

Let us all therefore renew our commitment to the Lord, to be active participant in our faith in the Lord and in our participation as members of the Church of God, in our various respective communities and within our own families and circles of friends. Let us all show love and care for one another, and live our lives with the full realisation and understanding of how beloved and blessed we have been by God, and therefore endeavour to be the source of love and blessings for others around us all as well. May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our resolve and journey, and help us all to persevere in faith, in being great beacons of light and hope for others around us, and be the genuine bearers of God’s love for all, now and always. Amen.