Sunday Mass

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all gather together to glorify the Lord and praise His Name, we remember how important and central the Word of God is to our lives and faith as Christians. That is because God’s Word as contained within the Sacred Scriptures, from both the Old and the New Testaments, and how they are interpreted through the Wisdom and Magisterium of the Church, together with the faith of the faithful people of God or the ‘Sensus Fidei’ all form together this important foundation of the Church and everything that we believe in as Christians, as the pillar of our belief and something that can truly anchor is amidst all the volatility and uncertainty in this world. That is why as Christians, all of us are always reminded to read regularly the Word of God in the Scriptures and truly understand the meaning and intentions of God’s Words for each one of us in their unique ways.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophecy passed down through Isaiah to the people of Israel had been presented to us, reminding us all of the fulfilment of the great salvation and liberation which God had planned and accomplished through none other than His own Beloved and Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, He Who is the Son of God and Son of Man both, and the Divine Word Incarnate. Yes, on this Sunday of the Word of God, it is indeed timely, apt and perfect that we hear about how the Word of God has been manifested to us, not just through the Scriptures, but in an even better and more tangible form, in Christ Himself, the Logos, the Word of God made flesh.

That is why, by the coming of God’s salvation manifested in the Incarnation of the Logos, the Word of God, we can see clearly how God’s Words are truly real and true, and not merely just empty words, all of His promises having been fulfilled and accomplished, all the promise that Light and Salvation would come to all the nations from the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, which was a prophecy about where the Messiah or Saviour would be born, as Nazareth, the Lord’s hometown, was indeed located between those two lands. And through His coming into this world, dwelling in our midst, the Divine Logos has imparted on us not just His love and presence, but also His Light, the Light of Hope that dispelled the darkness surrounding us, giving us renewed hope and strength to come towards Him.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth, we heard of the exhortation of the Apostle to the people of God in Corinth regarding the serious matter of division which happened quite recently at that place. The context was that even during those earliest days of the Church and the early days of the community of the faithful in Corinth, there were already factionalism and divisions between the members of the Church community between those who supported the charismatic and famous preacher named Apollos, and those who supported St. Paul himself, and also other groups and divisions that existed back then in the community of God’s people.

That was why St. Paul told the faithful people of God in Corinth not to become divided and split among factional lines, between those who favoured a certain preacher or missionary, but rather to work together and stay firmly united as one people of God, as members of the one, united and indivisible Church of God, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, all believing in the same God, the same Messiah and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the manifested and Incarnate Logos, the Word of God. And all Christian believers, those in Corinth and elsewhere, and all of us here living in this world today, we all share the same faith and the same mission and calling to proclaim the Lord and His Good News to all the nations, to everyone whom we encounter in our everyday lives, and we should be united in our purpose and efforts, and not be divided by any worldly divisions.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His ministry among the people of God, and the clear reference from what we heard in our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the prophecy of the coming of God’s salvation from the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, and how the author, St. Matthew, who wrote his Gospel with the primary audience and target being the Jewish people living in Judea and Galilee, reassured them all that God’s promises and prophecies had been accomplished and perfectly fulfilled in that same person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour, Whom the Christian believers have believed as the One Whom God had sent into this world to save it.

And we heard also how the Lord began His work and ministry, and called to Himself several disciples and followers, the first of those whom He had chosen to be His Twelve Apostles. He began from the region of the Lake of Galilee, where He encountered the fishermen there, calling upon some among them to follow Him. There were two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew, as well as James and John, whom He called and promised that they would no longer seek for the fishes of where they used to work at, but they would become the ‘fishers of men’, and that was indeed what they had been called to do, to help the Lord in His mission to gather all the lost and scattered children of God, becoming the fishers of men, in their ministry as Apostles and leaders of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we have heard and reflected from these readings and passages of the Scriptures this Sunday, let us all ponder upon how we can better attune ourselves to the Word of God in our daily lives. In fact, honestly, how many of us even spent some quality time to read the Word of God and ponder on their importance, relevance and meaning to our lives? Unless we spend some time and effort to read the Word of God contained within the Scriptures and make the effort to understand them through the teachings of the Church and also the understanding of the faithful, the ‘Sensus Fidei’, and the context of our present day world as compared to what it was like during the time the Scriptures were written, how can we then grow ever stronger in our faith?

In fact, the reality is likely that part of the ongoing crisis in our faith across the world, particularly where many are leaving the faith stemmed from the lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word of God and what our Christian faith and God is truly about. But at the same time, on the other extreme, we must also realise that there are also those who sought to misuse the Word of God to their own selfish purposes and ambitions, and also those who misunderstand the true intention of God’s words and commandments, not unlike how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law once behaved and acted, in how they interpreted the Word of God and His Law to their liking and preferences, without understanding at the heart of the Word of God of the immensity of God’s ever present love for each and every one of us.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we should always let our faith in God develop organically and genuinely at all times, growing ever stronger in our faith and understanding of God’s will, His love and compassion towards us, and that we should show the same love and kindness to everyone around us as well, especially more so for those whom we love and care for. Let us all therefore be genuine and faithful Christians at all times, not just merely in words but also in our every deeds and actions, that we may be true and faithful witnesses of the Divine Logos, the Word of God, made manifest even more in this world through us all. Lastly, this Sunday, as we are at the conclusion of this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, let us also pray and work for the unity of all Christian believers, as well. Amen.

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 4 : 12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.

In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled : Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live beyond the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans : The people who lived in darkness have seen a great Light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a Light has shone.

From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim His message, “Change your ways : the kingdom of heaven is near.” As Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 4 : 12-17

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.

In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled : Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live beyond the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans : The people who lived in darkness have seen a great Light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a Light has shone.

From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim His message, “Change your ways : the kingdom of heaven is near.”

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 1 : 10-13, 17

I beg of you, brothers, in the Name of Christ Jesus, our Lord, to agree among yourselves and do away with divisions; please be perfectly united, with one mind and one judgment.

For I heard from people of Cloe’s house about your rivalries. What I mean is this : “I am for Paul,” and others, “I am for Apollo,” or “I am for Peter,” or “I am for Christ.” Is Christ divided or have I, Paul, been crucified for you? Have you been baptised in the name of Paul?

For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to proclaim His Gospel. And not with beautiful words! That would be like getting rid of the cross of Christ.

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 13-14

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation – Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek – that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life, to gaze at His jewel and to visit His sanctuary.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 8 : 23b – Isaiah 9 : 3

YHVH has just afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the future He will confer glory on the way of the sea, on the land beyond the Jordan – the pagan’s Galilee.

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death. You have enlarged the nation; You have increased their joy. They rejoice before You, as people rejoice at harvest time as they rejoice in dividing the spoil.

For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, You have broken it as on the day of Midian.

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Sunday, 18 January 2026 : Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday, the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, and on this first Sunday after the Christmas season we have heard of the words of the Lord calling on each one of us as Christians, as His followers and His disciples to do His will and to carry out the missions and respective opportunities, responsibilities and things that He has entrusted to us all in our various areas of life, be it as members of the ordained, the bishops, priests and the deacons, as well as members of the laity, in our various responsibilities and areas of concern, as those whom God had called to live our lives worthily, in loving those whom He has given and entrusted to us to love, as He has planned it all.

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah we heard of the words of the Lord speaking to His people regarding the prophecy about the coming of the servant of God that would bring about the proclamation of the salvation of not just Israel but the whole world, and this prophecy in fact referred to the coming of St. John the Baptist, the one who was the one to prepare the coming of the Messiah or the Saviour of the world. And just as prophesied by Isaiah, this man of God, St. John the Baptist would be prepared from the womb of his mother to become the servant of God, to be the one to prepare the way for Saviour, as he would eventually do, as the one to call on the people of God to repentance and reconciliation with Him.

And through what St. John the Baptist had done, throngs of people came to seek the Lord with renewed faith and conviction to walk in His path, giving themselves to be baptised and at the same time committing themselves to a renewed path of redemption. He had indeed committed himself to the mission he has been entrusted with, allowing God to inspire and lead him in the difficult journey to turn back the hearts and minds of the people of God back towards Him. And at the same time, St. John the Baptist also had the great humility in him, knowing that whatever he had done, all the successes and fame he attained, they were all for the greater glory of God and not for his own personal glory and ambitions.e s

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in Corinth, we heard of the beginning of the letter or the Epistle which St. Paul wrote to the people of God in the city of Corinth, one of the larger cities in Greece where at that time a community of early Christians had been formed, and more and more people came to know of the Lord and becoming disciples and followers of Christ. He greeted those who have been his collaborators in the works of evangelisation and mission in the region, and he also reminded the faithful of what they all have been called to do, to be the ones whom the Lord had sanctified and made holy, and hence, in all of their works and actions in life, they all should always be anchored in their faith in God and show their faith through their lives lived in accordance with the will of God and His teachings.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle, we are reminded of the time when St. John the Baptist, the one whom we have been discussing about in our first reading earlier, as he spoke to his disciples and followers, testifying about the experiences he had in encountering the One Whom the Lord had sent him to prepare the way for, that is Jesus, Who happened to be St. John’s own relative, as their mothers, Mary and Elizabeth were also related to each other. It was at that occasion in which St. John the Baptist spoke about this great Saviour, the One Who had been promised, the Lamb of God, Who has been sent into this world to bring about its salvation and deliverance.

St. John the Baptist himself was very famous and renowned, with many people seeking him for his baptism, and he could very well have declared that he was indeed the Messiah that God had promised and sent to be with His people, and yet, he did not do that, and instead, he humbled himself as the servant, guiding his own disciples and the people to the One that they themselves ought to follow, the One in Whom the salvation of the whole world has been made manifest and real, the fulfilment of God’s long promised love and compassion for all of His people. St. John the Baptist is the role model for all of us, God’s faithful, in doing God’s will and in striving our best not for our own glory and ambition, but for the greater glory of God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have discussed throughout these passages from the Sacred Scriptures, it is clear that all of us as Christians are reminded of our own respective missions and callings in life, in whatever it is that we can do, in all the opportunities that God has given us, we should always do our best to carry out within our means, even in small and simple actions, things that can inspire others to follow the Lord, to testify all the great things that God had done for us, even in small things, in His faithfulness and in all the love He has constantly shown us all these while. In our shining and most genuine faith, God will be manifested ever more strongly in this world, and everyone who sees our brilliant faith, made evident through our lives and actions, will also come to believe in God as well.

May the Lord our most loving and compassionate God continue to strengthen each and every one of us in faith, so that in everything that we do, we will always show forth the true faith that we have in Him, and that we may illuminate the path of others through our own good examples and inspirations, so that by our dedication and commitment, by our perseverance to live righteously even through our own imperfect lives and sinful existence, we will strive to be good Christians at all times, and may inspire many more people to come and seek the Lord and His truth, and that by our lives, as small and insignificant it may seem to be, many more people may be saved through us. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Sunday, 18 January 2026 : Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

John 1 : 29-34

At that time, the next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said, “There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! It is He of Whom I said : A Man comes after me, Who is already ahead of me, for He was before me. I myself did not know Him, but I came baptising to prepare for Him, so that He might be revealed in Israel.”

And John also gave this testimony, “I saw the Spirit coming down on Him like a dove from heaven, and resting on Him. I myself did not know Him, but God, Who sent me to baptise, told me, “You will see the Spirit coming down, and resting, on the One Who baptises with the Holy Spirit.’ Yes, I have seen! And I declare that this is the Chosen One of God!”

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Sunday, 18 January 2026 : Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 1 : 1-3

From Paul, called to be an Apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and from Sosthenes, our brother, to God’s Church which is in Corinth; to you whom God has sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with those who everywhere call upon the Name of our Lord Christ Jesus, their Lord and ours.

Receive grace and peace from God our Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Sunday, 18 January 2026 : Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 39 : 2 and 4ab, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10

With resolve I waited for the Lord; He listened and heard me beg. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of prayer to our God.

Sacrifice and oblation You did not desire; this You had me understand. Burnt offering and sin offering You do not require. Then I said, “Here I come!”

“As the scroll says of me. To do Your will is my delight, o God, for Your law is within my heart.”

In the great assembly I have proclaimed Your saving help. My lips, o Lord, I did not seal – You know that very well.

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Sunday, 18 January 2026 : Second Sunday of Ordinary Time, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 49 : 3, 5-6

YHVH said to me, “You are Israel, My servant. Through you I will be known.”

And now YHVH has spoken, He Who formed me in the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, to gather Israel to Him. He said : “It is not enough that you be My servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob, to bring back the remnant of Israel. I will make you the light of the nations, that My salvation will reach to the ends of the earth.”