Sunday of the Lord

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Sunday, 7 September 2025 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 89 : 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17

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

You sow them in their time, a dawn they peep out. In the morning they blossom, but the flower fades and withers in the evening.

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

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

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Sunday, 7 September 2025 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Wisdom 9 : 13-18

Indeed, who can know the intentions of God? Who can discern the plan of the Lord? For human reasoning is timid, our notions misleading; a perishable body is a burden for the soul and our tent of clay weighs down the active mind.

We are barely able to know about the things of earth and it is a struggle to understand what is close to us; who then may hope to understand heavenly things? Who has ever known Your will unless You first gave Him Wisdom and sent down Your Holy Spirit to him? In this way You directed the human race on the right path; they learnt what pleases You and were saved by Wisdom.

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Sunday, 31 August 2025 : Twenty-Second 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 clearly from the messages passed onto us through the words of the Sacred Scriptures, reminding us all that each and every one of us as Christians must always be humble in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions and works with one another, to all those whom we encounter in life, even strangers and everyone we meet in our path. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by our pride and desires, our ambitions and all the worldly attachments that we have all around us, then we may end up losing sight of what is truly important for us in our lives as Christians, that is our focus on God and His salvation. This is because we may likely end up being obsessed in shoring up our own worldly desires and ambitions, our pursuits for the satisfaction of this world.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Sirach in which the prophet of God mentioned clearly in his words that the greater we all are, then the humbler each and every one of us should become, instead of us being prouder and more haughty, ambitious and greedy as how many in this world often behaved. The prophet reminded the people of God that they should continue to good in life, showing good virtues, obeying and following God in everything that He has taught and shown them all, and they should not seek or desire things that were beyond their reach, as what many often aspired to do at that time, and similarly even in our present day world. This is because many of us, by our unbridled desires, ambitions and all the other things which we seek in life, we may cause great sufferings and hardships for others around us.

In many occasions in this world, it was our pride and ego that often became the source of our undoing, as we do not want to give in to others and we tend to think that we are better than everyone else, or that we cannot be wrong or mistaken in our thoughts and ways. Unfortunately, this often led to clashes between us and others, and in our pursuit of things to satisfy our wants and desires, we may even cause sufferings to others around us, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Many people suffer because of the greed and desires of those who seek more glory and worldly satisfaction for themselves, be it for material goods, wealth and possessions, or be it for fame, renown and ambitions, for power, prestige and glory in this world.

As Christians, that is as those who believe in God and have Him as our Lord and Master, then it is only right and just for each and every one of us to shun all these worldly glory and ambitions, and to embrace true humility as an important virtue in our lives as Christians. And the best example for us all to follow is none other than the Lord Himself, Who has indeed humbled Himself and filled Himself with true and genuine humility before all. That was what He had done for our sake as He emptied Himself of His majesty and glory as the Lord and Master of the whole Universe. He chose to take upon Himself the form and nature of Man, to be one like us and to be tangible and approachable to us, His creations, by being incarnate and then born of His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Throughout history, many people had aspired to be great and mighty, to aspire to great glory and not few want to be treated like the divine. In many civilisations, we saw how many people aspired to be honoured and even worshipped akin to that of the gods and the divines, and some of them even demanded this while they were still living, and meanwhile some others were honoured after their death with great tombs, monuments and other means to celebrate their glory and memories. But among all these, truly there is none like our God Himself, Who chose to do the exact opposite, that is to humble Himself, that while He is already full of majesty, power and glory, He chose to lower Himself, to assume the status of a servant, to be dwelling in our midst, He Who is the Almighty Lord and Master of all the Universe, born of His Mother as a small and frail Child in Bethlehem.

And through what He has done next after this incarnation and appearance in this world was even more mind-boggling in the perfect example of true humility, as Christ obeyed perfectly the will of His heavenly Father, choosing willingly to suffer and die for the sake of all of our sins, to endure the punishments that had been due for all of us so that we may not perish and face eternal damnation, but through Him, receive the sure promise and assurance of eternal life. This is also what the author of the second reading today, from the Epistle to the Hebrews, wrote about, detailing the call that the Lord, God of Israel and Master of the whole Universe, had made to all those whom He loves, that is all of us mankind, to be gathered in Him and to share in the love and inheritance that He has meant for us.

Through that, the author of this Epistle to the Hebrews wanted to highlight firstly to his audience, the faithful among the Jewish people, the descendants of those who were first called by God, the Israelites, that God has always loved them and shown them His care and concern, and He has shown them His most amazing love, manifested in all of its perfection in none other than His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the One Whom He sent into this world to bring about its salvation, to gather each and every one of us to Himself, and to manifest His love in all of its most wonderful and perfect form, and He did all these through the ultimate show of humility, one that is truly genuine and full of love. And through the same Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all, God would bring us all into a New and Eternal Covenant which Christ is the Mediator of.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, we heard yet another reminder of the importance of humility in our lives, which the Lord Jesus Himself had spoken to His disciples and followers, and all those who have listened to Him and followed Him. He was bringing up the examples of the Pharisees and the religious and intellectual elites of the community, many of whom often had elitist attitudes and behaviours, seeking their own personal glory and ambitions, desiring for more worldly grandeur, glory and greatness, all of which brought them ever further away from the path that the Lord has asked them to walk through, as they indulged in human praise and adulation, seeking the most important places in banquets and other events, while looking down on those whom they deemed to be inferior to them.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all reminded that all these temptations of worldly glory and ambitions, all the pursuits of worldly desires and all these attachments we often have to worldly things, greed and ego, all these can lead us all easily astray from the path which God has shown and taught us all to walk through. If we allow those temporary treasures of this world, those treasures that are passing and transitory in nature, impermanent and are easily destroyed, to tempt and keep us away from following the path towards the Lord and His salvation, then we will end up losing sight on what is truly important for us, and we will not be able to find our way towards the Lord. In the end, if we choose to follow the path of worldliness and pride, greed and ambition, we will only regret it at the end. Let us all seek instead the path of true Christian humility in all things.

Let us all therefore heed the Lord’s words which we have heard through the readings and passages of the Sacred Scriptures this Sunday, in which we have been reminded of the importance of the virtue of humility for all of us as Christians. Humility is a very important thing that we need to have in our everyday living and action, and humility is indeed the greatest means by which we can rid ourselves of worldly glory, ambitions, ego and pride, all of which are obstacles preventing us all from coming closer towards God. Let us all seek to be more humble in everything, and strive to put God ever first and foremost, and at the very centre of our lives. May God be with us always, and may He bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 31 August 2025 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 14 : 1, 7-14

At that time, one Sabbath Jesus had gone to eat a meal in the house of a leading Pharisee, and He was carefully watched.

Jesus then told a parable to the guests, for He had noticed how they tried to take the places of honour. And He said, “When you are invited to a wedding party, do not choose the best seat. It may happen that someone more important than you had been invited; and your host, who invited both of you, will come and say to you, ‘Please give this person your place.’ What shame is yours when you take the lowest seat!”

“Whenever you are invited, go rather to the lowest seat, so that your host may come and say to you, ‘Friend, you must come up higher.’ And this will be a great honour for you in the presence of all the other guests. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised.”

Jesus also addressed the man who had invited Him, and said, “When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not invite your friends, or your brothers and relatives, or your wealthy neighbours. For surely they will also invite you in return, and you will be repaid.”

“When you give a feast, invite instead the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind. Fortunate are you then, because they cannot repay you; you will be repaid at the resurrection of the upright.”

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Sunday, 31 August 2025 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Hebrews 12 : 18-19, 22-24a

What you have come to, is nothing known to the senses : nor heat of a blazing fire, darkness and gloom and storms, blasts of trumpet or such a voice that the people pleaded, that no further word be spoken.

But you came near to Mount Zion, to the City of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, with its innumerable Angels. You have come to the solemn feast, the assembly of the firstborn of God, whose names are written in heaven.

There is God, Judge of all, with the spirits of the upright, brought to perfection. There is Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant, with the sprinkled Blood that cries out more effectively than Abel’s.

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Sunday, 31 August 2025 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 67 : 4-5ac, 6-7ab, 10-11

But let the righteous be glad and exult before God; let them sing to God and shout for joy. Sing to God, sing praises to His Name; YHVH is His Name. Rejoice in His presence.

Father of orphans and Protector of widows – such is our God in His holy dwelling. He gives shelter to the homeless, sets the prisoners free.

Then You gave a rain of blessings, to comfort Your weary children. Your people found a dwelling, and, in Your mercy, o God, You provided for the needy.

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Sunday, 31 August 2025 : Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Sirach 3 : 19-21, 30-31

The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself and thus you will find favour with God. For great is the power of the Lord and it is the humble who give Him glory. Do not seek what is beyond your powers nor search into what is beyond your ability.

As water extinguishes the burning flames, almsgiving obtains pardon for sins. The man who responds by doing good prepares for the future, at the moment of his downfall he will find support.

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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, 24 August 2025 : Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 13 : 22-30

At that time, Jesus went through towns and villages teaching, and making His way to Jerusalem. Someone asked Him, “Lord, is it true that few people will be saved?”

And Jesus answered, “Do your best to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the master of the house has gone inside and locked the door, you will stand outside. Then you will knock at the door, calling, ‘Lord, open to us!’ But He will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.'”

“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets!’ But He will reply, ‘I do not know where you come from. Away from Me, all you workers of evil.’ You will weep and grind your teeth, when you see Abraham and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves left outside.”

“Others will sit at table in the kingdom of God, people coming from east and west, from north and south. Some who are among the last, will be first; and some who are among the first, will be last!”

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Sunday, 24 August 2025 : Twenty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Hebrews 12 : 5-7, 11-13

Do not forget the comforting words that Wisdom addresses to you as children : My son, pay attention when the Lord corrects you and do not be discouraged when He punishes you. For the Lord corrects those He loves and chastises everyone He accepts as a son.

What you endure, is in order to correct you. God treats you like sons, and what son is not corrected by his father? All correction is painful at the moment, rather than pleasant; later, it brings the fruit of peace, that is, holiness, to those who have been trained by it.

Lift up, then, your drooping hands, and strengthen your trembling knees; make level the ways for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but healed.