teachings of the Church

by

Tuesday, 17 November 2026 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of our Christian mission in life, that is to be ever more faithful and committed to God. We must always keep in mind that as Christians, we have been given the mission and responsibility to proclaim the Lord and His truth through our lives and actions, our every words and deeds. The salvation of God will come to all those who have worthily carried out these missions in the way they live their lives, with real and genuine faith and not just with empty gestures and meaningless actions merely to put up appearances, as hypocrites and unbelievers had done in the past. The Lord had told us to be truly faithful to Him, and not to just make empty promises to Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelation of St. John the Apostle, we heard of the words of the Apostle to the Church in various places and communities established all across the region of Eastern Mediterranean Sea, which was at that time called the ‘Seven Churches of Asia’. The Apostle delivered what he witnessed and heard from the Lord through the visions he received, in which God was telling the Angels and spirits in charge of those seven Church communities, to remain steadfast in their faith and remain faithful to God, and not be easily swayed by the temptations present all around in the world. The Apostle spoke of the Lord’s reminders to His people to resist the temptations of the flesh, of pleasures and all things that will easily turn the faithful towards the wrong path towards damnation.

The Lord spoke to His people of what they ought to be doing as Christians, as those whom He had called and chosen from the world. They should live their lives righteously and with obedience to God’s will, His Law and commandments, and not to follow the wicked ways of this world. He reminded all of them that they should not be easily swayed or tempted by the allures of worldly pleasures, joys and comforts, as what many among the faithful had done at that time, in the various communities of the faithful then existing, and quite a few of those people did not stay and remain faithful to the Lord, but continuing to follow their own flawed ways and the ways of wickedness and evil. And their actions and deeds led to scandal within and outside the Church.

That is why the Lord warned them all through His Apostle, St. John, that they all ought to listen to Him and obey Him once more, and reject the wicked ways that they had been trodding along all those while. The Lord did not want them all to continue walking down that path to ruin and hence, He gave them a reminder and help, so that they might realise the errors of their ways, as He truly loved all of them, and wanted them all to be saved, by genuine and true reconciliation with Him, being forgiven from all of their sins, by the power and grace of His most compassionate mercy, and His enduring love and patience. Through the love that He has shown us, we have received once again the sure hope of life and freedom, of the promise of true happiness and joy that God alone can provide us.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the well-known story of the Lord Jesus and His encounter with Zaccheus the tax collector. Zaccheus was a notorious tax collector who had earned a lot from his trade, in gaining much wealth from the taxes he collected, and he was despised like the other tax collectors for that. At that time, tax collectors were often negatively viewed by the other people, especially so by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, namely all those religious and intellectual elites who considered themselves as being the righteous and worthy guardians of the people of God, and who zealously guarded their way of living the Law of God. They deemed the tax collectors as among the worst of sinners, unworthy of God and His salvation, because of their actions and wickedness in life.

They were considered and deemed as traitors to their country and people, as they and their actions were deemed as selfish and wicked, in persecuting and extorting the people for their own desires and wishes. They were therefore often ostracised and treated badly by the people, because of this prejudice which existed back then, and then continued to be repeated by the same people who sought to justify themselves for their righteousness and piety like those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. Zaccheus was an embodiment of this so-called wicked man, unworthy and undeserving of God and His grace, His salvation and love. And yet, the same Zaccheus went all out in seeking the Lord and trying to reach out to Him. He climbed a tree just to see the Lord because of his short stature, and he risked his life and threw away all of his pride and ego in publicly declaring his faith in the Lord.

Not a lot of people can do what Zaccheus had done, in publicly admitting his mistakes and publicly promising to rectify the mistakes and wickedness he had committed. Zaccheus promised before all assembled that he would return and compensate all those whom he had extorted and gained from illicitly, not just by the same amount, but even thrice and four times more of what they had lost. Through that act, Zaccheus had shown his determination to abandon his past, wicked and unworthy way of life, and embracing God’s love, compassion and mercy, which the Lord gladly extended to him, Zaccheus was well on the way to redemption and therefore to enter into the glorious kingdom that God has promised to all those who are faithful to Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard these readings from the Scriptures, each one of us are therefore reminded that as Christians, all of us should embrace the Lord and His truth, and abandon our wicked way of life, listening to Him and following Him wholeheartedly in the same way that Zaccheus had done. We also have yet another example and inspiration whom we can follow in one of our holy predecessors, whose feast we are celebrating this day, namely that of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, a great and holy woman, a faithful servant of God, whose life and devotion, commitment and worthy life should be source of inspiration for all of us to follow, in how we should be truly faithful in our whole lives as Christians, like both Zaccheus and St. Elizabeth of Hungary, our faithful predecessors.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a princess of Hungary who was married to a noble landowner and ruler of Thuringia in Germany. She had to marry at a young age and raise a family. But at the same time, she also lived a life of piety and virtue, inspired by the examples and reforms carried out by her contemporary, St. Francis of Assisi. St. Elizabeth of Hungary was renowned for her great charitable actions and care for the poor and the sick throughout her husband’s lands, which was approved by her husband, the ruler of the land. Her actions also influenced him greatly, as her husband Louis often stood by the Church and the efforts the Church did in all of her charitable works and good deeds among the people, and both of them inspired many others who followed in their footsteps and examples.

Later on, when St. Elizabeth of Hungary was widowed quite early on, just a few years after her marriage, she made a vow of chastity akin to that of those who have joined the religious orders, and resisted any efforts by her family and others to have her remarry because of her still relatively young age. She continued to do plenty of works of charity, caring for the needy and those who were suffering, as much as she could do. Her great charity and love for others were even shown in miracles such as the famous ‘miracle of the roses’ attributed to her. In that miracle account, St. Elizabeth of Hungary was caught by her husband in one of her times sneaking out to give alms and food for the poor, with her cloak containing food from her husband’s mansion. When she was confronted and asked of the cloak’s contents, the contents were miraculously transformed into that of roses.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired and encouraged by the faithful examples of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, in doing what we can so that we may always be ever faithful to God in all things. We should not allow the temptations of this world and our wicked desires and ambitions, attachments and other things from leading us into our downfall through sin. Like Zaccheus, let us also be filled with the ardent hope within us and the zeal to seek the Lord ever more courageously. Let us instead inspire one another to be ever righteous, virtuous and worthy in all of our works and dealings in life, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Monday, 16 November 2026 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland, and St. Gertrude, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints or Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all called to keep our faith in God and remaining firm in our commitment and obedience to God and His will. Each and every one of us as Christians are reminded to put our trust in the Lord, and we should all believe in Him wholeheartedly, and not be easily swayed by the many temptations found all around us. This is the message that the Lord wants us all to know through His Church and the Scriptures so that in everything we do in this life here on Earth, we will always be ever vigilant, and remember that in the end, we have to account our actions, and our words and deeds, as well as our failures to act and do the will of God, at the end of time, when we face Him, our Lord and Creator, and the Judge of all the living and the dead.

As the current liturgical year is drawing to an end soon, and as we approach the beginning of the new liturgical year with the season of Advent in just less than two weeks’ time, the readings from the Sacred Scriptures take a rather apocalyptic tone with the clear purpose of reminding us that as we continue on living in this world, we cannot be ignorant of the things that we are expected to do as followers and disciples of the Lord, in each and every moments of our lives. We cannot continue on living year after year, moment after moment as we usually have done, in immersing ourselves in worldly desires and pursuits, and forgetting or ignoring our Christian call and mission, the obligation we have to do God’s will, His Law and commandments.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Revelations of St. John the Apostle, written at the time when St. John was exiled at the island of Patmos in his old age, we heard of the vision received by the Apostle of the Angels of the Church, that God had sent to protect the Church in the various places that the communities of the faithful had been established. This revelation was also meant to strengthen the various members of the faithful and the Church in those places, amidst all the persecutions and hardships that they had to endure, that the Lord has, is and will always be by their side, no matter what. He is always with them, guarding them, protecting them and giving them guidance, through His Holy Spirit and His Angels, and St. John wanted to remind them all about that.

Yet, the Apostle also reminded them in the same occasion how the faith of those faithful communities had been wavering and faltering, and he reminded them all therefore to once again be faithful and obedient again to God. He told them all to put their whole trust and faith in Him, and to follow Him once again wholeheartedly, and not be swayed by the temptations of the world or by any other coercions or pressures from various quarters trying to pull the faithful away from the Lord, His path and the salvation in Him. St. John thereafter continued on with his writing on whatever he had seen and received in vision regarding the Revelation of what will happen in the end of time, that despite all the hardships and persecutions that the faithful people of God had to suffer, they shall all be triumphant with God in the end.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the blind man who sought the Lord’s help and healing, crying out to Him incessantly, calling on Him to heal him and open his eyes, that he might see again. Despite the people around him chiding him and telling him to be quiet, the blind man kept on crying out for the Lord regardless. He had total faith in the Lord that He could heal him from his maladies, and indeed, that faith touched the Lord and He healed him from his blindness. That, brothers and sisters in Christ, is the kind of faith which we all should have in God, that we seek Him with all of our strength, despite of challenges, trials and difficulties all around us. That is the love and faith which the Lord has called on us all to have in Him, the dedication and commitment which each one of us as Christians ought to have.

On the contrary, many of the other people of the time of the Lord’s ministry refused to believe in Him and even challenged and opposed Him and His works. It was about all those people that the Lord Himself spoke of how while they were able to see things clearly with their eyes, but in truth they were blind, blinded by their own ego and pride, and all the things which prevented them from seeing the truth of God in all that He Himself had done before their own eyes, and hence, they disobeyed the Lord and sinned, because although they had all witnessed everything that God Himself had done, and heard all the words of God’s truth and wisdom directly, they had failed to believe, as they did not open their hearts and minds to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard from these words of the Scriptures, we are reminded that all of us should also be faithful to God in real and genuine ways, like that of the blind man and also like the innumerable saints, martyrs and holy men and women of God who had gone before us to the Lord with glory because of their ceaseless and courageous dedication to the Lord. Many had suffered for their faith, and yet they persevered on regardless because they believed in God and His providence. They did not give up their faith because they know that God has always been by their side, being with them, guiding them and providing for them along their journey and path, and that they will be triumphant with God in the end. Those who gloated over and persecuted them enjoyed only for a moment, and they will face their due in time.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of two great women whose lives and actions, works and collaborations should remind us how each and every one of us how we all should behave and act in life, doing God’s works and obeying His will, Law and commandments. St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude the Great are both truly great role models and examples for each and every one of us in how we should lead a good and worthy life as Christians, in all of our actions and works. Both of them lived virtuous and faithful lives, committed and centred on God, and they showed love for God as well as for their fellow Christians, in showing solidarity, care and love for everyone as any Christians should be doing in their respective lives.

St. Margaret of Scotland was an English princess who was a very pious Christian from her early youth and throughout her life. She was exiled with her family, the House of Wessex, which was then displaced by the new Danish ruling family in the throne of England. Eventually, after a few other misfortunes and difficulties that she and her other family members faced, she ended up in Scotland, where the King gave her and her family refuge, and then eventually, she became the wife of the King, and hence, becoming the Queen Consort of Scotland. And even as Queen, St. Margaret of Scotland continued to show and exhibit the great piety which she had since early on in her life. According to historical and hagiographical accounts, St. Margaret of Scotland was a great influence on her husband, the King of Scotland. She carried out great reforms of the Church in Scotland, aligning its practices to the Universal Church, and helped to establish the firm foothold of the Church in all of Scotland, and she was also well known for her great charitable works and care for the people throughout the kingdom.

Meanwhile, St. Gertrude the Great was a German Benedictine nun renowned for her great piety and dedication to God, as she has spent most of her life in the service of God. According to some traditions, she was an orphan or having been entrusted to the care of religious nuns when she was still a young child. Eventually, St. Gertrude became a religious herself, dedicating herself in a life of holy sanctity, and committing her virginity to God. As she would later on be well-known for, she began to receive a series of mystical visions of God, and this led to her spending more and more time to deepen her spirituality and understanding of theology. She wrote a lot regarding various topics, especially those of her visions and theological matters, and her works inspired many both during her lifetime and long afterwards, till this very day. Her works and efforts, piety and exemplary life are indeed sources of inspiration for us to follow.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all listened and heeded the examples set by St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Gertrude the Great, let us all hence examine well our actions and way of living our lives, that each and every one of us may be truly devoted and genuine in following God, and in allowing God to lead us all through His Divine Wisdom and strength. Through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today and through the examples of these two holy women, let us all therefore be filled with His Holy Spirit and be empowered to live our lives each day with great joy and love for God, as well as with the commitment and desire to love Him, and our fellow brethren more and more, now and always. Amen.

by

Sunday, 15 November 2026 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded on this second last Sunday before the end of the current liturgical year, of the need for all of us as Christians to be truly faithful to God and to do what the Lord has taught, shown and commanded us all to do in our lives. All of us as Christians are encouraged and reminded of everything that we should carry out in our current livelihood, in reaching out to our fellow men, brothers and sisters, in caring and loving them, so that by our lives, actions and everything we say and do, we may truly proclaim the Lord in all of His love, truth and wonders to all the whole world. This is what we are all expected to do, brothers and sisters, in living our lives at the moment, in whatever opportunities that we have been given, to be ever more faithful and worthy of God in all things.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Proverbs, we heard from the author of this Book, the description of a righteous, virtuous and good woman, who is truly good and just in all of her works, actions and deeds. This description of a virtuous and righteous woman, who is respected and honoured by everyone is actually not just limited to that of a woman, but is a way for the Lord to tell all of us that the same attitude and behaviours are also expected of every one of us, regardless of gender, age or by whatever other parameters we tended to categorise ourselves into. Each and every one of us as Christians are expected to do what is right, virtuous, good and just in the eyes of the Lord, in doing His will and obeying every one of His Law and commandments, which He has revealed, taught and passed down to us.

This is especially important in our world today, where these virtues for either men and women had become diluted and even lost, amidst the many competing ideologies and distractions, from the secular and godless world, where many of us are accustomed to so many kinds of wickedness, evils, temptations and other attitudes that put emphasis on our own selfish wants and desires, and in all the exposure to the various paths and behaviours that directly contradict the Lord and His teachings and truth. We all live in a world where we are accustomed to these kind of thinking, behaviours and attitudes from early on in our lives. That is why we must always remind ourselves that we should not allow these corruptions and wrong ideas to distract and mislead us from the right path that God has shown and taught us.

In our second reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians in which the Apostle spoke about how the Lord’s second coming or parousia will happen at the time when we least expect it, and hence, we have to be always prepared and ready to welcome the Lord when He comes again, with a worthy attitude and life. We must not be complacent or ignorant of what is expected of us as Christians, in how we all should live our lives. That is because every one of us will be held accountable for whatever we have said, done and acted in our lives, and also for whatever it is that we have not done and acted, when we have been given the opportunities and the abilities to do so, in caring for our fellow brothers and sisters all around us, and in living our lives worthily as Christians.

In our Gospel passage today, the same theme appears again as we heard of the parable which the Lord told to His disciples and followers, on the parable of the silver talents. In that parable, we heard of the actions of the three servants to whom their master bestowed each of them with five, two and one silver talents respectively. In that parable, we heard how the ones who were entrusted with five and two silver talents made good use of their silver talents when the master was away, invested them properly and did good with them such that when the master returned, their silver talents had doubled in amount. Meanwhile, the one who had been entrusted with one silver talent hid his silver talent until his master returned, and returned the silver talent to his master as it was.

We heard how the two servants who have done well in investing their silver talents were greatly rewarded by the master, while the servant who was lazy and did nothing to the silver talent was punished. This parable is a classic reminder for all of us that we cannot be idle in living our Christian lives, in doing what we can to follow God and His will, in obeying His Law and commandments to the best of our abilities. Those silver talents, regardless of the amounts, represent the talents, blessings, abilities, opportunities and other things that we have received from God, and which we are therefore expected to make good use of, in each and every one of our actions and deeds, in all of our interactions and dealings with one another. We should always do our part to glorify God by our lives, and to show His love and kindness to everyone, through our own lives and actions.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from our Scripture passages today, we are all reminded that as Christians, we have to be always prepared for all things, and we must always strive to be exemplary and virtuous in all of our words, actions and deeds, so that we truly become responsible, good and faithful stewards of God’s Creation, and over whatever it is that God has entrusted to us, be it opportunities and talents, abilities and other things in life. We must always strive to do God’s will in all things and at all times because in the end, we shall be asked to account for our lives and how we have lived them. If we have neglected our responsibilities and all that we have been entrusted to do, then we may end up like the lazy servant, who failed to utilise his entrusted silver talent for good use, and we may have to answer for that with condemnation for eternity.

Today, the Church also commemorates the occasion of the World Day of the Poor, instituted by our previous Pope, Pope Francis, in reminding us that all of us have responsibilities and obligations to care for one another, especially for the less fortunate among us. We have been given different blessings, opportunities and talents, and for those who have been given more, as the Lord highlighted in that same parable, more would have been expected. Those of us who have been blessed with more good things in life, let us all spare some of these with love, with those who have little or none, those who struggle to make ends meet, and those who have been ostracised, rejected and shunned by the community. The poor are parts of the Church as well, and they are our brothers and sisters, all the same.

It is indeed part of our Christian calling and mission to reach out to the poor, to show them genuine care and attention, and as I have just mentioned, this should not be limited just to those who are suffering financially or in monetary terms, but also for all those who are suffering from the ‘poverty of love’. After all, is it not what the Lord Himself mentioned, that everything that we do for the sake of the least ones, we are all doing them for the Lord Himself? Why should we then distinguish poverty by merely financial or physical means only? We should do our very best to do good works for the sake of all those who are in need of our presence and help, including our care, love and attention, just as we have been called to do by the Lord Himself, Who made Himself always available to those who are the last, the lost and the least.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to live our lives ever more faithfully as Christians, in doing what God has commanded us all to do. Let us all turn towards God with our whole heart and mind, in devoting ourselves as God’s beloved people, His faithful followers and disciples, now and always. Let our lives be truly filled with God’s grace and love, and let us all follow Him from now on with ever greater commitment, dedication and love. May God bless us all and may He empower each and every one of us to live our lives in His path, now and always. Amen.

by

Saturday, 14 November 2026 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard from the Scriptures the words of the Lord reminding us of the great love of God that He has shown and bestowed upon us, as our loving Father and Creator. We can really trust in the Lord and have faith in Him because He alone truly cares for us so deeply, that He still patiently awaits us and reaches out to us from time to time, no matter how long it has been since we listened to Him and how we have constantly disobeyed Him from time to time again. The Lord wants each and every one of us to be once again reunited with Him, by our reconciliation with Him and our rediscovery of the path of righteousness that He has led us into.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. John the Apostle speaking to the faithful all around Christendom, calling on all of them to provide for one another with love and care, especially for the missionaries who went from places to places in spreading the Word of God and His Good News of salvation. At that time, early Christian missionaries travelled from place to place without much support and help, save that from God and His strength, and also from the kindness and generosity of the people whom they were visiting, including that from the local Christian communities that had by then been established. Without these support and help, the early Christian missionaries would have indeed found it difficult for them to carry out their mission efficiently.

For they were up against many difficulties and challenges, and also persecution by both the Jewish authorities, the Pharisees and elders, the chief priests, as well as the local governors and the Roman authorities among others. Yet, those missionaries carried out the will of God and continued to labour hard for the sake of their fellow brothers and sisters, because they embody the love of God and His kindness and mercy, just as He has shown us all earlier on. Thus, just as God has loved us all and showed us His love and kindness, thus, we too should be loving and kind, caring and helpful to one another. Those missionaries shared the love of God with their fellow brethren, to those who have not yet known God’s love, and especially those who have been lacking in love.

Therefore it is just right that we support them in whatever way we can, and not only that, but in our own lives and actions, in our every words, actions and deeds, we should show this same love to one another as well, or else we are no better than hypocrites, who profess to believe in God and yet do not act in the manner that is compatible to that belief, or even outrightly contradictory in nature in our way of living of our lives. Unless we make the conscious effort to live our lives in accordance with God’s will, and ask the Lord for His guidance and strength, then we will end up having a lot of challenges and difficulties in going through this journey of faith through life. Sometimes we also do not realise that all that we need, is actually just to ask God for help.

As we heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord used a parable to highlight this to His disciples and to all of us. He spoke of an evil judge who was wicked, proud and arrogant, and feared no one, even God, and yet, that evil judge was bound and persuaded to give in to the persistent demands made by an old woman, who kept on looking for him and persistently sought him to settle her case and issues, and she was so persistent that despite the wicked judge fearing no one, even he was compelled to do as the old woman asked and desired, if only because by doing so, he would be spared from the woman’s ever continued and incessant demands on him to settle her case in court. By using that example, the Lord wanted to make it clear to us, that if the old woman could make the evil judge to turn towards her, all the more then the Lord, Who loves us dearly, will listen to us, if we call on Him.

However, many times we find that we do not call on Him, or seek Him, and for many reasons at that. Many among us do not know God well, and we do not have that close and intimate relationship with Him, and He is not the One we turn to first. Instead, we turn towards the many worldly means all around us. We end up depending on those things instead of on God, and some among us also feared God more than we love Him, because we are afraid that He will punish us for our sins. Again, all of these show that we do not truly know God well, as if only that we know Him well, then we will know and realise just how beloved and how fortunate each and every one of us have been, to be blessed as such with God and His love.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, what is important for many of us is that we need to open our hearts and minds, our whole beings to God’s love. It is precisely because many of us have been so self-centred, selfish and proud, filled with ego and greed, giving in to the temptations all around us that we were unable to recognise the love of God present in our midst, and we are also therefore devoid of that love in our own lives and actions. If only we can learn to love the way that God has loved us all thus far, we will truly be transformed and changed, no longer the wicked creatures of our worldly attachments and desires, but truly becoming worthy people and children of God, a people filled with God’s love, light and hope.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us are reminded that we should always show love, care and attention in each and every one of our words and actions, doing our very best to serve the Lord our God ever more faithfully and genuinely, to live our lives with great sincerity and full of love and attention to everyone around us, especially all those who have been entrusted to our care and those to whom we are capable to touching their lives positively. Each and every one of us ought to bear witness faithfully and courageously to our Christian faith, and do so with utmost dedication in accordance to what we believe, our Christian faith and our genuine love for God and for one another. May God be with us always and may He continue to bless our every endeavours, for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

by

Friday, 13 November 2026 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained in the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the coming of the end of days, and the end of our own worldly existences just as this current liturgical year is coming to an end. We are also reminded that each one of us as Christians are expected to walk in the path that the Lord has shown to us, to be righteous, just and good as He has taught us to do. And that is our Christian mission and obligation that each one of us have been entrusted with, and we should not forget that, as we carry on living our lives from now on henceforth. We must be good role models for each other and show others how we should follow the Lord our God.

In our first reading today, we heard of the Epistle of St. John the Apostle, the reminder that God loves each and every one of us, and that same love ought to be shown by all of us as Christians, as God’s followers, as His people and children. It is the love which God has for us that made everything possible, and we have hope exactly because of this love. We should have deserved destruction and damnation because of our sins and disobedience against God, and yet, by God’s mercy, love and compassion, we have been given the hope out of our current conundrum and trouble, and we have received the assurance of liberation and salvation from evil, sin and death, all those things that sought to dominate and drag us down to the path towards damnation.

St. John the Apostle spoke to the people of God through his Epistle regarding the commandments and the laws that God has given to each and every one of them. Those laws and commandments teach us to love in the manner that God has loved us first, for us to love others generously, caring for the needs especially for those who are in need of more help and love. Unfortunately, in many occasions throughout our human history and also even within the history of the Church and our Christian faith, many among us have not truly practiced this way of life as the Lord wants us to. We preferred to think of ourselves and our selfish desires, greed, pride and ego instead of caring for others and loving those around us. This is what had become a serious obstacle for so many people in following God truly and faithfully, because they put themselves and their desires before serving God.

St. John also warned the faithful of all those who spread false messages and false ideas contrary to what the Lord Himself had taught and shown us, all those who sought to subvert the messages of truth to their own benefits and desires, to achieve their own ends and goals. At that time, there were all those who sought to change the teachings of the Lord as passed down through the Apostles, as it would also be throughout the history of the Church. Heresies and false teachings had sprung up all the time, causing many of the people of God to be led astray and turn their backs against God and His truth. They gave in to their temptations and refused to listen to God, His Good News and truth. The Lord has reminded us all to remember His love for us, that we may also embody the same love in our own actions.

The Lord Himself has shown us the perfect examples, of Him reaching out to the worst of sinners and all those who had been shunned by the other people, like the tax collectors, the prostitutes and all those who were ostracised because they were diseased, sick, and possessed by evil spirits among others. He did not hold against them their sins, but extended His loving mercy and compassion, reaching out to them, walking among them, and journeying with them, to love them all most tenderly despite the fact that it was them who had earlier on abandoned Him and betrayed Him first, preferring to walk in the path of sin rather than to walk in the path of His righteousness and truth. And that way, God has always been so patient in loving us, that He sincerely and truly desires to be reconciled with us all, despite our many sins.

That was how and why, He decided and willingly took upon Himself the weight and burden of His cross and sufferings, to be rejected and abandoned, betrayed and struck down by the world, and by all those who hated and persecuted Him, so that by His suffering and death, He obeyed His Father’s will most perfectly, and showed unto us the perfect example and manifestation of His love for each and every one of us. He Himself had once said that, there is no greater love than for one to lay down his or her life for a friend, and there, the Lord Himself willingly endured all the sufferings and laid down His life for our sake, that through Him, all of us may be saved and have the sure hope of eternal life and happiness with Him. He endured the most painful and humiliating death, that we may be spared our fated destruction and enter into eternal life.

And why do we have to keep this in mind? That is because God has loved us so wonderfully, that He has generously reached out to us with love. Yet, if we continue to reject and resist Him, then in the end, it is our rejection and refusal for God’s love and mercy that will condemn us to eternal suffering and damnation. Our Gospel passage today is clear, that the Lord Himself reminded us all how the time of reckoning and judgment can come just at any time. Unless we are ever vigilant and ready, and careful in how we live our lives, then we may end up falling down this path towards sin and evil, towards destruction and damnation. We have to be careful as the temptations of worldly desires and greed can indeed be very strong, and even many among the righteous had been tempted and fell from grace because of that.

That is why, as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, and as we have responded positively and courageously to embrace His call, all of us are reminded that in each and every moments of our lives, we should always make sure that in everything that we say and do, in our every words and actions, we will always embody faithfully each and every aspects of our Christian faith, tenets and beliefs, so that we do not just have faith that is dead and empty, but rather a faith that is truly genuine, organic, real and alive, full of enthusiasm and motivation, living our lives at each and every moments for the greater glory of God and for the good of all those around us, especially for those who have been entrusted to our care.

May God be with us always, and may He continue to strengthen our faith so that we will continue to persevere and do our very best in living our lives in accordance with the way that the Lord Himself has shown and taught us. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, in doing His will, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 12 November 2026 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the Scriptures, we are all presented with the matter of the coming of the kingdom of God into this world, and how it is actually already happening to us all even as we have experienced it all these time, all these while. We must not see God’s kingdom as something that is disconnected from the present life we have today, as it is definitely very tempting for us to think of that God’s kingdom has yet to come to us, while the truth is that the kingdom of God has actually been amongst us all these times. Yes, brothers and sisters, the fact is that we are already part of this blessed kingdom of God, in the Church and our Christian communities we have all around us, in which we participate daily and at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard the account from the Epistle of St. Paul to the other disciple of the Lord named Philemon. In that account, we heard St. Paul telling Philemon that he was sending him one of his godsons, Onesimus, to accompany him and the other faithful, in the ministry and mission entrusted to them all in the Church of God. At that time, St. Paul himself was likely suffering in prison after he was arrested due to the many challenges and trials that he had to undergo throughout his ministry and missionary journeys. Yet, St. Paul faced it all with faith and devotion in God, entrusting himself completely in the hands of the Lord, and not fearing the sufferings, consequences and hardships that he had to endure, because he truly cared for the needs of his fellow brethren, to whom God had sent him to as a minister of His Good News and truth.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the encounter between the Lord and some Pharisees who questioned Him regarding when the kingdom of God would come. And we must understand that at the time, the most popular idea and expectation among the people about the coming of the Messiah and God’s salvation was that they expected that the Messiah or the Saviour would be the Son and Heir of David, to restore the old glory of the kingdom of Israel, of the days of David and Solomon, the greatest kings of Israel and those moments when all the people of Israel were still united as one kingdom and one people, and before they were torn apart by internal strife and conflicts that eventually brought down the kingdom of Israel.

Hence, back then, the common interpretation and understanding of the nature of the coming of the Messiah was that this Messiah would lead the people of God in liberating their homeland from the rule by the Romans and other foreigners who had then imposed their rule, power and sovereignty over the Jewish people. Hence, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who disagreed with the Lord and saw His actions as against what they believed in, their ideals of what the Messiah would do and who this Messiah would be. To them, the Lord Jesus could not have been the Messiah because He did not fit their ideal and stereotype of the Messiah of the people of God. Yet, in their pride and ego, they had failed to realise that it was their arrogance, presumptions and mistaken ideals that had become serious obstacles preventing them from finding their way towards God’s truth.

The Lord has shown them and all of us that the kingdom of God was not what the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and the other people often thought it would be. Instead, the kingdom of God does not equate the monarchy of the Israelites of the old days, or anything like that. Instead, the kingdom of God is the establishment of God’s reign on this world, which has actually happened when the Lord Jesus came to this world and established His Church. Through the Church, the Lord made His kingdom tangible in this world, in our own communities and societies, wherever we are. By His New Covenant, sealed through His suffering and death on the Cross, He broke the barriers separating us from God, and hence brought us much closer to His heavenly glory and joy.

The kingdom of God therefore has existed in our midst, within the Church and our own various groups and communities. What we must then realise is how we manifest this kingdom of God in our own families, in our circle of friends and relatives, loved ones and others, even in our workplaces and elsewhere. It is here then that as Christians, each one of us are charged and entrusted with the task of making the kingdom of God being fully present and tangible in our world today, wherever we are and in whatever we are doing in life. And we have to be genuine in living our lives with faith, as members of God’s Church and as parts of His living and present Kingdom here in this world, already manifested and tangible in our midst, one where all the faithful people of God are filled with love for both God and for one another.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych, a faithful and holy servant of God, who as bishop of the Church was truly a courageous and dedicated servant of God, being martyred for his faith against all those who refused to listen to reason and embrace the true teachings of the Church and the unity of the Church against all the divisions that had brought about much harm to the Church and the faithful. St. Josaphat was one of the Eastern Orthodox bishops in Ruthenia, what is today part of Poland and Ukraine, where he was one of the leaders of the faithful people of God. Amidst the efforts of the time in that region to reconcile the divided Church and the Christian communities between those who are in communion to the Pope and those who have separated themselves from the communion of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, St. Josaphat rose to prominence in his efforts to bridge this gap.

St. Josaphat Kuntsevych was one of the bishops who accepted the agreements of reunion between the Churches, which was also known as the Union of Brest, about four centuries ago. He worked hard to bridge the differences between all those who supported and those who refused to embrace the efforts at reunification and reconciliation between the faithful members of the Body of Christ, the Church. But he still faced a lot of opposition and rejection from many of those who refused to listen to reason and truth, and in the end, he was martyred and suffered a terrible fate as those who opposed him and his efforts at reunion of the churches mobbed and attacked him, and brutally murdered him. Nonetheless, the inspiration and courageous examples of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych continues to inspire many people even to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have discerned and discussed from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures and as we have heard from the life and inspiring examples of St. Josaphat Kuntsevych, let us all therefore be resolved to live a good and worthy life in the manner that God has called us to in each and every moments, opportunities and occasions throughout our lives. Let us all be the shining examples and role models for one another in faith in all things, and help one another to remain firmly faithful to the Lord, to be truly committed in actions and deeds, to be courageous despite all the challenges and difficulties, trials and hardships we may encounter in our journey in life, to bring to full realisation and manifestation the Kingdom of God in this world, through the Church, through our communities and our own faithful lives. May God continue to bless us all, and may He empower us all to remain ever always in His loving presence, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 11 November 2026 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martin of Tours, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded to give thanks to God for all of His love, mercy and kindness towards us through the words of the Scripture we have just heard earlier on. We heard these in our first reading today, in the Epistle written by St. Paul the Apostle to his protege and brother bishop St. Titus, as well as in the Gospel passage today in the story of the healing of the ten lepers by the Lord Jesus. Firstly, In our first reading today, St. Paul wrote to St. Titus on some reminders for the Christian communities and the faithful, as part of his many Epistles or letters addressed to the different communities, urging all of them to keep their faith in Christ firmly and hold onto whatever the Lord had taught them through His Apostles and not fall into the wrong paths. The Lord through St. Paul is reminding all of us here to be good and righteous, to follow His laws and commandments faithfully.

This was what St. Paul spoke of in today’s segment of his Epistle, saying that while once we had been selfish and corrupt in the ways of the world, foolish and disobedient against God, but through Christ, God’s beloved Son sent into this world to be our Saviour, we have been called into a new life and existence that is holy and good, through the path that He has shown us and which He now calls us all to follow. Through that passage, we can see how God has showed us all His love and grace, in His desire to save all of us from eternal damnation and lead us into a new, eternal life. He does not want us all to perish and end up in eternal darkness, and therefore, He showed us His most genuine love and compassion, one example of which we have heard in our Gospel passage today in the healing of the ten lepers by the Lord Himself.

In that occasion, we have ten lepers who because of their condition had to stay outside the community as in accordance to the laws of God revealed through Moses. This Law came from the time of the Exodus from Egypt, when the Israelites were living together in tents in close proximity to one another. At that time, as the people came into frequent contact with each other, both in their persons and possessions, a disease like leprosy were deeply feared, and therefore, to prevent an outbreak, those who contracted the disease were forced to live outside the community until they were healed. Those ten lepers who came by the Lord Jesus were those who suffered the same fate, being excluded and forced to live away from their community, from their families and loved ones, to wander in the wilderness until they were proven to be healed and made whole. They sought the Lord to heal them from their sickness, and the Lord told them to go and see the priests as prescribed by the Law. By right, they could only go to see the priests once they had been completely healed, which at that time they were obviously not healed yet.

Nonetheless, all of them did as the Lord asked them to, and went on their way to see the priests. By their faith they were saved and healed, and along the way, they were healed from their leprosy and became whole again. They noticed what had happened to them, and they went off very happy and joyful for what had happened to them. However, out of all ten lepers, only one of them remembered the Lord and came back to see Him and thank Him for all that He had done for him. And that man was a Samaritan, an important fact to notice at that time because the Jews often considered the Samaritans as pagan and godless people who worshipped idols and were wicked in their lives. Yet, as we have seen here among other instances throughout the Gospels, it is clear that Samaritans were no different from the Jews, and God made it clear through this occasion that His love and mercy is for everyone who seeks Him.

The question now is, have we loved God as we should? Have we thanked Him for all of His kindness to us? Or have we been like the other nine lepers who were so happy for the healing that happened to them and forgot to give thanks to God? We really need to spend some time reflecting about this and our lives, and how we should proceed onward in life as good and dedicated Christians through our actions and deeds, and not just by mere words or formality. And sometimes we ourselves are deluded by our own sense of self-righteousness in which we think that we are beyond reproach and that we cannot be flawed or mistaken, and that we are better than those whom we are prejudiced against that we forget that we too may be flawed and in need of healing and correction. Each and every one of us needs to embrace God’s ever generous love, His mercy and kindness in always loving us no matter how we have treated Him, for all the compassion that He has constantly showered us with.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint of God, a great and dedicated servant of God whose righteous deeds and works, outstanding and exemplary life can become great examples and inspirations for us all to follow in how we live our own lives with faith in God. St. Martin of Tours was a soldier turned man of God, who was renowned for his commitment and faith in God, his virtuous life and actions, from even before he gave everything to the Lord. St. Martin of Tours was once a soldier in the Roman army during the late period of the Roman Empire, and it was told that he was called by God during his time as soldier, and one of that unique experiences is when he encountered the Lord Himself disguised as an old man in a blizzard.

At that time, according to the story, St. Martin of Tours was travelling on horseback in his centurion’s armour, and he encountered an old man in the midst of a blizzard or cold weather, who was naked and had nothing to protect him against the cold. It was there and then that St. Martin of Tours cut half of his cloak with his own sword, and then used that half of the cloak to cover the old man’s body. Later on, as he was sleeping, St. Martin of Tours encountered a vision of the Lord appearing to him, and revealing to him that the old man was after all, the Lord Himself in disguise. Through this experience and others, St. Martin of Tours eventually left his life as an army centurion behind, and thereafter, he dedicated himself to God, following the teachings and examples of another great saint, St. Hilary of Poitiers.

Eventually, he became a hermit and preacher, committing himself to preach the word of God and to evangelise to the people, in which many people were convinced and became believers in Christ. Later on, he was chosen by acclamation by the people to become the Bishop of Tours, in which capacity, St. Martin continued to do his best in caring for the needs of the flock entrusted to him. He cared for their spiritual needs and served them well, and established good administration and missionary works in his Diocese, while protecting his flock from the effects of various heresies and falsehoods running rampant at that time. Right up to the end of his life, St. Martin of Tours dedicated himself completely to God and to the people whom He had been entrusted with, truly a great example and role model for us.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us in our faith and give us the courage and the power to endure the many challenges and trials present all around us, that hopefully we will continue to live righteously and worthily in the path that God has shown and taught us, and following in the examples of the holy saints and martyrs, particularly that of St. Martin of Tours, whose feast we celebrate and whose memory we venerate and remember today. May all of us be touched by the great generosity that St. Martin of Tours had shown, the love he has shown to the needy and the poor, so that we too may be inspired to live our lives in the manner that God Himself has shown and taught us in love, that we grow ever greater in humility and not in pride. May the Lord bless us all in our every good deeds, efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 10 November 2026 : 32nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord through the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of our Christian calling and mission to be faithful to God, true and obedient to His ways and to the path that He has shown and taught us to follow. Each and every one of us ought to obey the Lord and for all of His Law and commandments. Otherwise, if we do not do so or have not yet done so, we cannot really consider ourselves as Christians, as our faith is then no better than hypocrites and unbelievers. After all, how can we be faithful Christians if our actions, words and deeds are not in accordance to what we profess to believe in, or worse still, even contrary to what our faith is about?

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Titus, which we have begun yesterday with St. Paul communicating the criteria for the selection of worthy candidates for overseers or bishops to lead the Church, then today we heard the Apostle communicating to his protege and godson St. Titus, regarding the matter of reminding all the faithful in their various capacities and responsibilities, in their positions and places in the community to be faithful to God. St. Paul spoke of what each segments of the Christian community ought to be doing, so that they may be sources of inspiration and strength for one another, and that their actions do not lead to scandal to the Church, the faithful and God’s Holy Name.

This is also a reminder that it was not only just the leaders, elders and shepherds of the Church who are expected to be faithful to God. On the contrary, every single members of the Church, every single one of the Christian faithful, are expected to fulfil their part in obeying God, His Law and commandments. All of us as Christians are part of the same Church and our actions, words and deeds ought to reflect well our Christian faith and beliefs. If we do not live our faith as we should, and do things that contradicts our beliefs in God, then how can we account that to the Lord on the Day of Judgment? If by our actions and way of life we have turned people away from the Lord and salvation in Him, and caused dissension and divisions within the Church, then how can we be considered worthy of the Lord?

Each and every one of us, be it as those who are young or old, powerful or weak, rich or poor, influential or nobody, whatever our background and origins are, as parts and members of the Church, each one of us have been made sharers in God’s one united Church, in His one community that is His Body. And we are all called and expected to be good, righteous and exemplary in our way of life just as the Lord our God, our Father and Master is perfect and all good. We must embody this faith we have in Him in our every actions and interactions with each other, so that by our lives, we may truly be living witnesses of what we believe in, that we do not just talk, but really are ‘walking the talk’. We have to inspire others to live in the same manner as well, to be obedient to God and to follow Him wholeheartedly.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord saying to His disciples regarding the matter of following God and obeying His commandments, and how we as His servants and followers should act and behave. The Lord said that as servants and followers of God, doing God’s will is what we are all expected to do, and we should not feel entitled to gain profits or benefits out of doing what has been expected to us. This is a reminder for all of us Christians that our faith is not one that is transactional or based on any rewards system. That is important because we will easily think that the more we do things for the Lord, in obeying His Law and commandments, then the more righteous and deserving of praise and glory we are.

All of that attitude will lead to selfish and arrogance which characterised some people the Lord criticised like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, many of whom had the elitist attitude in thinking that they alone were righteous and worthy of the Lord, while looking down on many others whom they deemed to be inferior or less than worthy than they were. The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law also made it difficult for others to come near to the Lord, particularly those who were in most need of them, as they made people like tax collectors, prostitutes, and other sinners to be ostracised and felt unwanted and unwelcome. Not only that, but in their attitude and haughtiness, they had not done what the Lord had expected them to do. Instead of being good and exemplary shepherds entrusted to guide the faithful towards the Lord, they closed the gates to salvation to many people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have been reminded today, let us all therefore reflect on what we have heard through the words of the Scriptures and what we have just discussed earlier on. As Christians, we should try our best to live our lives with virtue and true obedience to God, with love and dedication towards Him. Each one of us should strive to be role models for one another and to resist the temptations to sin. We have to show true Christian love and charity in our actions, in whatever we say and in how we interact with one another, both with those within the Church and our various communities, with our families, relatives and friends, and also even with strangers and all those whom we encounter each day. In whatever circumstances, we are reminded to do our best to be faithful to God and righteous in our dealings.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. Leo the Great, one of the great leaders of the Church and a renowned Pope, whose contributions and deeds were so great that he was indeed one of the very few Popes known with the epithet, ‘the Great’. Pope St. Leo the Great was one of the longest reigning Popes in the Church, reigning over the whole Church over a period of over two decades, during an important and tumultuous time both for Christendom and in the secular world. His efforts, works and deeds had inspired many and helped many people to remain firmly faithful to the Lord despite the many trials and challenges facing them at that time. Pope St. Leo the Great helped to lead the Church through those difficult times, and his leadership, actions and numerous writings, which made him to be honoured as a Doctor of the Church, should inspire us all to be ever more faithful to God as well.

Pope St. Leo the Great led the Church through a divisive time in Christendom, as there were numerous heresies and disagreements which had not been completely resolved and settled by the preceding Ecumenical Councils, such as the ones at Nicaea, Constantinople and Ephesus. Pope St. Leo the Great wrote extensively and sent his ambassadors and legates to the Ecumenical Council at Chalcedon in the Year of Our Lord 450, ten years into the reign of Pope St. Leo the Great, condemning the heresies of monophysitism that were rampant in the eastern parts of the Roman Empire. Then, in the secular side, Pope St. Leo the Great was also well-renowned for having led the Church and the city of Rome through two difficult time periods, first was when the King of the Huns, Attila, came to the city, and the Pope came to see him personally, and managed to make the Hunnic king to turn away back to his lands, sparing Rome from destruction. He was less successful with the Vandals that came few years afterwards and sacked Rome, but he managed to reduce the extent of the destructions.

By the inspiration which we have received from Pope St. Leo the Great, let us all therefore be good disciples of the Lord, committing ourselves to a graceful existence in God, and showing care and concern for our fellow brothers and sisters, for even strangers whom we meet in life. We have to inspire others through our faith and actions, and let us ask the Lord to guide us and strengthen us in our journey, and we should be responsible in our every actions so that in all the things that we do, we will always lead others towards Christ, and not to make them disillusioned or scandalised instead, as how many of our predecessors had done throughout history. May the Lord be with us always and may He empower all of us to be good and dedicated disciples and missionaries of our faith wherever we are. May God bless us all in our every efforts and hard work, all for His greater glory. Amen.

by

Monday, 9 November 2026 : Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the joyful occasion of the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which is the most important of all the churches in the whole entire world, being the Cathedral of the Diocese of Rome and hence is the seat of the Pope as its Bishop and leader of the whole Universal Church. This Lateran Basilica is the place where the Cathedra or the seat of the bishop, in this case, for the Pope, is placed at, and hence, why the Lateran Basilica is the Cathedral of the Pope. Since the Cathedral of the diocese is Mother Church of the whole diocese, and Rome is the seat of the Pope as the leader of the Universal Church as the Vicar of Christ, hence, this Basilica is the Mother Church of the whole entire world and is consequently also the most important and preeminent of all the world’s churches.

The Lateran Basilica, also known as the Basilica of St. John Lateran, or by its proper full name of The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran, as the only Archbasilica in the world, the most important and mother of all churches in the city and Diocese of Rome and the whole entire world, dedicated to the Most Holy Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the two saints, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, is one of the earliest and longest-enduring historical church buildings from the early days of the Church, having been built and consecrated about a thousand and seven hundred years ago during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great.

Back then, the Church and the Christian communities had just emerged out of long period of constant but intermittent episodes of persecution of Christians by the Roman and local authorities, that under the same Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, had ended officially with the famous Edict of Milan. The Edict of Milan extended toleration to all Christians, ending the persecution of Christians by the state, and with the Emperor Constantine increasingly becoming favourable and supportive to the Christian faith and Church, the Church began to flourish, and with the Emperor’s support, extensive building programs of various churches began in the city of Rome and elsewhere. Within the city of Rome, the Lateran Basilica was one of the first to be built, intended as the Cathedral for the Pope, as well as the Old St. Peter’s Basilica built atop the tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican Hill, among other churches and Basilicas.

Many people mistook the St. Peter’s Basilica, or the Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican as the place of the Pope’s Cathedral, because of its frequent use in the Papal Masses and liturgies. This was because St. Peter’s Basilica, which current building dated from about five centuries ago and replaced the Old St. Peter’s Basilica, was the place where the Popes resided after their temporal and worldly authority were no more when the Papal States ceased to exist about one and a half centuries ago. Prior to that, for a long time the Pope often resided at the Lateran Palace located just adjacent to the Lateran Basilica itself, as the seat of his temporal and spiritual power, as both the ruler of the Papal States or the States of the Church, as well as the Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pontiff.

Thus, on this day, we are reminded of this less well-known but not less important Basilica and church, upon which the whole entire Christendom revolved around. It was founded in the Year of Our Lord (Anno Domini) 324, almost a thousand and seven hundred years ago, during the reign of Pope St. Silvester I, who reigned during the pivotal twenty-one years during which the fate of Christianity and the Church was evolving and changing rapidly, from a faith that was just recently being tolerated and emerging from the very intense persecution by Emperor Diocletian and Galerius, to a Church that was growing rapidly and gaining many support and followers not just from the Emperor himself, but also from many segments of the Roman society. It was truly a time of great transformation in the Church and the community of God’s faithful people.

Many people mistook St. Peter’s Basilica as the Pope’s Cathedral and principal church because in the recent decades and centuries, that is where the Pope usually carried out most of his functions and celebrated the Mass, and that is where he also dwelled, historically because of the establishment of the Vatican City State as an independent and sovereign country, with the Pope as the Head of State, which is centred upon the Basilica of St. Peter and the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican. The Papal Basilica of St. Peter is indeed a very important church, the second in importance and precedence after the Lateran Basilica itself, but the fact remains that the Cathedral and hence the Mother Church of all Christendom, is the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, which dedication we celebrate today.

In today’s readings, we heard Scripture passages related to the dedication of a church, and reminded of the importance of these places consecrated and set aside to be House of God, the place of God’s dwelling, His Holy Presence, and a House of Prayer for all. In our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard of the heavenly vision of Ezekiel, who saw a great vision of a Heavenly Temple and Sanctuary, in God’s Holy Presence, from which a great torrent and flood of water came forth, purifying and blessing all that came within its path. This water is a life-giving water and spring which came from the Lord Himself, and is a reminder for us of another part of the Gospel, when the Lord Jesus met a Samaritan woman who was collecting water from Jacob’s well, and told her that He is the Life-giving Spring, in Whom she will no longer thirst or seek for anything else.

In the second reading, from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the Christian community in Corinth, we heard of the famous passage in which the Apostle reminded the faithful there, and hence also all of us, that we are all God’s Temple, the Temple of the Holy Presence of God, and how the Church has been built upon the foundation of the Apostles, and we are all the parts of this Church, as parts of the one and same Body of Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. This is a reminder that just as we celebrate and commemorate this anniversary of the Dedication of this great Basilica and House of God, we must not neglect the Temple, the House of God, that is each and every one of us, because God dwells in us too, and not just in the churches and Basilicas.

In the ceremony and parts of the Dedication of a church and Basilica, there are many components that if we examine closely, resembles and are similar to the rite of Baptism, done either on Easter Vigil or at the adult and infant baptisms. In the Dedication of a church, holy water is sprinkled upon the Altar and the whole Church, which is just as how the catechumens are baptised with holy water in the Sacrament of Baptism. Then, the Altar is also anointed with holy oils, the sacred chrism, to mark and consecrate it to God, together with the twelve consecration crosses throughout the church building, just as how the newly baptised are anointed with sacred chrism as well, anointing and consecrating us to God, as His holy and beloved people.

The church that is being dedicated is also lighted with the light from the blessed fire which ultimately originated from the holy fire blessed on Easter Vigil, symbolising Christ’s light, the Altar candles and all the other candles throughout the church, just as how the newly baptised Christians receive the light of Christ symbolised through their lighted baptismal candles. The Altar is then covered with pure white ‘garments’ that is the Altar cloths, just as we don our white baptismal garments at the time of our baptism. Then both are also incensed, just as the Altar and the church are incensed with the fragrant aroma pleasing to God, as we all, the whole living Church of God are incensed, marking us to be holy and dedicated to God.

Now, I hope we can already see very clearly how each and every one of us as Christians are also God’s Temples, where His Holy Presence dwells. He has also given us His Holy Spirit to dwell in us, and hence we, as the Temples of the Holy Spirit, in the words of St. Paul the Apostle, are all called to be holy and worthy, all the more because we also receive Him in the flesh and in His Real Presence, through the Most Holy Eucharist we partake, that the Lord Himself, in His Body, Soul and Divinity, has entered into our beings, not just spiritually but also physically, and hence, it is imperative that each and every one of us recognise the importance and the gravity of the matter, in ensuring that all of us remain vigilant in how we live our lives as Christians, that we always strive to do what is right and just according to God’s will, His Law and commandments.

In our Gospel passage today, this is alluded in the famous occasion of the Lord Jesus clearing the Temple from the many merchants, money changers and all others peddling their businesses in the courtyard of the Temple. Contextually, those merchants, money changers and others serve practical purpose providing the pilgrims and all those who came to the Temple to worship the Lord, the sacrificial offerings and animals to be offered and burnt to God. And at that time, since many Jewish people and believers lived in faraway places in the diaspora that spanned the entire Roman Empire and even in distant places like Persia and Ethiopia, they would have used different coins and currencies that might need to be exchanged first. Hence, this was why those merchants and money changers carried out their works and businesses there at the Temple.

What the Lord was against, was their practice in cheating and being dishonest in the way they carried their businesses and works, as they likely overcharged the worshippers by a lot, taking advantage of the fact that most if not all worshippers and other pilgrims needed their services. They treated the people of God and the sanctity of His holy place, His own House, the Temple of Jerusalem, with disdain, committing grievous sins in His very Presence. This was what angered the Lord very much, Who struck them all with a whip and chased those corrupt merchants and money changers out of the Temple courtyard. This is also a reminder therefore for us, that we must always keep our own Temples, that is our own beings, truly holy and worthy, just as we also should keep our churches, that had been dedicated to God for sacred worship, holy and worthy of God’s Holy Presence.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, can we therefore ensure that we always strive to uphold the sanctity and holiness of our places and worship, as well as our own beings, our bodies, minds, hearts and souls as well? As we rejoice today in the memory of the Dedication of the Mother Church of all Christendom today, let us all do what is tangible and possible for us, that is to keep ourselves truly holy and worthy of the Lord, by striving to be always obedient to His Law and commandments at all times. May the Lord continue to bless us all and guide us in our respective journeys in life, in all the things we say and do, and in our every interactions all the time. Amen.

by

Sunday, 8 November 2026 : Thirty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded of God’s Wisdom that has been given and shared with all of us, God’s beloved people, which He has imparted upon all of us, who live in this world. Through His beloved Son, Our Lord and Savior Jeus Christ, the Wisdom of God has come upon all of us, dwelling in us, through the words of His revelation, the Word of God Himself in the flesh, and then also through the sending and the imparting of the Holy Spirit, coming down upon us from the Father Himself, through the Son, and thus, the Wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit came upon us all. And why we all focus our attention on the matter of Wisdom and knowledge of God? That is because as we approach towards the end of this current liturgical year, we are all reminded that while the cycle of time continues unabated, the time will come indeed when everything comes to an end in a reckoning, when we shall come to account for our lives and actions before God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Wisdom, the explanation and revelation of Divine Wisdom, of what is the nature of the Wisdom of God and how the Wisdom of God comes upon this world, seeking those who are worthy and willing to embrace it. There are those who seek for the Wisdom of God, but at the same time, there are also many of those who have desired and sought for other forms of alternative ‘wisdom’ instead. They sought for the wisdom of the world, the ways and the customs of this world familiar to us. However, this ‘wisdom’ of the world, all of the corrupt ways of worldliness, all these do not lead to true satisfaction and fulfilment, and yet, we are all still easily tempted and persuaded by their allures and distractions, which ended up causing us to falter and fall away from the path of righteousness and truth. The Wisdom of God has been given to us, and yet, in our folly, we allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations to sin instead.

Then, in our second reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians, in which the Apostle exhorted the faithful people of God and the Church in Thessalonica regarding the matter of what woul happen at the end of time, when God will come and make everything right and perfect once again. St. Paul was comforting the faithful there of the assurance of the life that is to come, the eternal life which the Lord Jesus Himself has promised to all of us through His coming and revelation. This is one of the core tenets and teachings of the Christian faith, which the Lord and His disciples, the Christian missionaries have proclaimed, as the Good News to all. This is the promise of the life and existence after death, and that death is not the end of everything, or of our existence, because our time and existence in this world is one that is just temporary, and eventually, all of us should remember that we are destined and bound for Heaven, to be once again with God.

And through that assurance which St. Paul mentioned to the faithful in Thessalonica, we are all reminded that our labours and efforts in this world will not go to waste. For all those who are faithful to God and have been keeping true to His Covenant and providence, God will not abandon them and will always be with them. And while they might suffer and endure trials and tribulations in this world, and face death, but death will have no hold and power over us, because the Lord Himself has come into our midst, bearing upon Himself the punishment for our sins and purchased by the power of His own Most Precious Blood, the price for our redemption and liberation from the dominion and tyranny of sin. Hence, that is why when we die, while our physical bodies go to sleep, our souls will not perish but will go either to the Lord’s Presence, or to the preparation in Purgatory, except for all those who have rejected God, the ones who have been condemned by their sins.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the parable which the Lord Jesus told to His disciples and followers, the parable of the five wise women and the five foolish women. In that parable, the five wise women or bridemaids were fully prepared for the event that they attended, as they were supposed to welcome the bridegroom to the wedding banquet, which happened at night time and they were the ones to bear the lanterns to brighten the place and the festive occasion. They brought extra oil with them so that if the bridegroom were to be delayed, they still had enough oil for their lamps. Meanwhile, the five foolish women, as we heard, did not bring any extra oil with them, and they ran out of oil soon after the bridegroom was delayed. Thus, as the parable mentioned, the five foolish women failed to obtain the oil in time, and they only arrived back after the festivities have started, and thus, were excluded from the banquet.

The meaning of this parable is indeed very clear, and tied with whatever we have discussed earlier regarding the Wisdom of God and the matter of the afterlife, we are all reminded that we have to be ever vigilant and ready, and to entrust ourselves unto the Wisdom of God, in following His path and having faith in His providence. We should always keep in mind that everything which we say and do, and even whatever it is that we have not done and failed to do, when it has been within our power and calling as Christians to do so, all these will be asked of us, and they shall weigh either for us or against us on the day of the Last Judgement. Now, the question is, if we are going to trust in the Wisdom of God, entrusting ourselves in what the Lord has taught and shown us, or whether we are going to trust in worldly wisdom and paths instead.

Each one of us living in this world today have been given the great opportunity to make best use of our lives, and to do what the Lord has told and taught us to do. The choice is really ours to make, as God has given us all the freedom to choose what our next step in life will be. The path of the world may seem to be easier and more logical or more comfortable for us, since after all this is what we normally are accustomed to having in our lives, but in the end, we must have that discerning mind and the wisdom to see that the path of the Lord is the only one that will lead us all to true and everlasting happiness, joy and fulfilment. All the other paths and ways are merely distractions and temptations, which may lead us the path to our downfall if we are not careful and wise in our decisions, like those of the five foolish women. We should make good use of the time and opportunities presented to us, that we may strive to be ever always prepared in our lives, to be accountable for them to God.

May the Lord continue to help and guide us all in our journey of faith throughout our lives, and may He continue to impart His Wisdom upon each and every one of us that through His Wisdom, all of us may be better able to discern carefully our choice of path in life, and be more careful and vigilant in our choice of actions, words and deeds so that we do not end up falling into the wrong path, into the temptations to sin by disobedience against God. Let us all turn towards the Lord and focus once again upon His Wisdom, truth and love. May the Lord, in His infinite Wisdom and ever enduring love for each one of us, continue to bless us and strengthen us at all times, that we may grow ever stronger in faith and be ever more devoted and closer to Him. Amen.