Tempus Ordinaria

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Friday, 26 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 9 : 18-22

At that time, one day, when Jesus was praying alone, not far from His disciples, He asked them, “What do people say about Me?” And they answered, “Some say, that You are John the Baptist; others say, that You are Elijah; and still others, that You are one of the Prophets of old, risen from the dead.”

Again Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.” Then Jesus spoke to them, giving them strict orders not to tell this to anyone. And He added, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, and be put to death. Then after three days He will be raised to life.”

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Friday, 26 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 42 : 1, 2, 3, 4

Make justice, o God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; deliver me from the wicked and deceitful.

You are my God, my Stronghold, why have You cast me out? Why should I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?

Send forth Your light and Your truth; let them be my guide, let them take me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You reside.

Then will I go to the Altar of God, to God, my gladness and delight. I will praise You with the lyre an harp, o God, my God.

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Friday, 26 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Haggai 1 : 15b – Haggai 2 : 9

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, of the second year of the reign of Darius, this word of YHVH was sent through the prophet Haggai, “Give this message to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the High Priest, and to all the people : Is there left among you one of those who saw this House long ago, in the time of its glory? What do they think, of what they see now? Is it not a very little thing?”

“But I say to you, Zerubbabel, Joshua and My people : do not be discouraged. Begin to work, for I am with you, says YHVH. Do not be afraid, for My Spirit is in your midst. Thus says YHVH of hosts, within a short while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the continents. Then I will shake all the nations; and bring in the treasures of the whole world.”

“I will fill this House with glory, says YHVH. I will have as much silver and gold as I wish. The renown of this Temple will be greater than before, and in this place I will give peace,” says YHVH of hosts.

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Thursday, 25 September 2025 : 25th 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 Sacred Scriptures and as we gather to ponder on the meaning of God’s words, let us all remind ourselves of the need for each and every one of us as Christians to do God’s will and to obey His commandments. To each and every one of us have been given the means, the abilities, opportunities and the calling for all of us to make good use of what we have been given so that we will go forth and carry out what the Lord had commanded us to do, to glorify Him by our every actions, words and deeds in life, in everything that we say and do so that we may truly proclaim His Good News and truth to everyone whom we encounter daily in our everyday life. That is what we are expected to do as Christians.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Haggai, we heard of the words of the Lord directed to the leaders of the people of Israel in Judah, consisting of the leader of the House of David, Zerubbabel who was also the Governor of Judah, the High Priest and others, reminding them of the Lord’s will and the obligation they had in reestablishing the Temple of God in Jerusalem, after they had rebuilt the city and settled in nicely back in their homeland. Back then, the Israelites had been allowed to return to their homeland after lengthy period of exile in Babylon and other far-off regions, after the new regime of the Persians under King Cyrus the Great and his successors allowed them to reclaim their ancestral lands and worship the Lord once again.

The Israelites had been humiliated, faced great sufferings and challenges in their exile in Babylon and those distant lands, uprooted from their ancestral lands and made to be a nation without a home and having had their city of Jerusalem and its once glorious Temple, the one built by King Solomon for God, destroyed, ransacked and plundered. But God never forgot about His people and He continued to watch over them and through His guiding hands and the means known to Him alone, by leading and inspiring certain people, including that of the King of Persia, He eventually led His people, already repentant and regretful over their past actions and those of their ancestors, back to the land meant for them to stay and dwell in, and restored them to grace and blessings once again.

However, as mentioned by the prophet Haggai, the leaders of the people delayed and tarried in not hurrying to rebuild the Temple of God despite having the means and the resources to do so. The prophet Haggai told those leaders of the people that they must not indulge themselves with pleasures while the people of God was without the House and Temple of God’s Holy Presence where they could worship Him and focus their attention to Him in their lives. This was indeed of a paramount importance because understanding how the Israelites became scattered and exiled from their homeland, it was because of their lack of faith in God in the first place, and that was why there was indeed a need to restore God’s central place in the community.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of astonishment from King Herod Antipas of Galilee, who wondered about everything which he had received regarding the miracles, wonders and works of Jesus, the One God had sent into this world to be the Saviour of all. Herod was surprised and amazed because what he had heard about Jesus sounded as if St. John the Baptist, the man of God and famous preacher that he had persecuted, arrested and unintentionally killed, had come back to life once again. That was because St. John the Baptist was indeed the precursor of the Messiah, the one sent by God to prepare the path for His Saviour. Hence, naturally, what he did would be similar and along the same manner and idea as that of the Lord Himself.

But what the Lord showed us all through all the works that He had done is the reminder for each and every one of us that we have been given the means and the abilities, the opportunities and the responsibilities to make good use of the various gifts given to us. All of us should always be ready and vigilant to be active in contributing and making use of those opportunities and blessings we have been given to do God’s great and wonderful works in the midst of our respective communities. And as it was said, that to those who have been given more, more would have been expected, therefore we are reminded that being Christians is not one of idle discipleship but instead one that is active and lived daily in our lives.

The question now is, are we all willing to commit ourselves to do God’s will, and to obey Him? Like the leaders of the people of God who had been chastised and reminded by the prophet Haggai, we must realise that each and every one of us have with us the important responsibility to make good use of the blessings, the opportunities and all the other good things that God has given and blessed us all with. We should always be aware of those opportunities and blessings that we have been given most generously by God and do our very best to use them well for the good of those whom God had entrusted to us, and all those we encounter in each and every moments of our lives.

May the Lord our God continue to help us in our journey and life, doing our best to serve Him and to do His will through each and every things that we do, in our every day moments even in the smallest things so that by everything we say and do, we will always glorify God and point the way for others to follow. Let us continue to be committed in our everyday living to be good and faithful Christians as always, and be worthy and shining beacons of God’s light in our communities. Amen.

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Thursday, 25 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 9 : 7-9

At that time, king Herod heard of all that Jesus and His disciples had done, and did not know what to think, for people said, “This is John, raised from the dead.”

Others believed that Elijah, or one of the ancient prophets, had come back to life. As for Herod, he said, “I had John beheaded. Who is this Man, about Whom I hear such wonders?” And he was anxious to see Him.

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Thursday, 25 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

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

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

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

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

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Thursday, 25 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Haggai 1 : 1-8

In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, a word of YHVH was directed to the prophet Haggai, for the benefit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

So says YHVH of hosts : This people claim that the time to rebuild the House of YHVH has not yet come. Well now, hear what I have to say through the prophet Haggai : Is this the time for you to live in your well-built houses while this House is a heap of ruins? Think about your ways : you have sown much but harvested little; you eat and drink, but are not satisfied; you clothe yourselves, but still feel cold; and the labourer puts the money he earned in a tattered purse.

Now think about what you must do : go to the mountain and look for wood to rebuild the House. This will make me happy; and I will feel deeply honoured, says YHVH.

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Wednesday, 24 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded that God is truly merciful, loving and forgiving towards all of His beloved people, even those who have offended Him the most, and He is always ever patient in guiding those who have slipped away and fell away from His path to return once more to His grace and blessings. Now what matters is whether we are willing to embrace that generous mercy, forgiveness and love or not. God has always given us His mercy and forgiveness generously, without limits, and He has given us all many opportunities to embrace Him and His most loving and generous mercy, but it is indeed up to us whether we want to accept that offer of mercy or not.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Ezra in which the prophet and priest Ezra presented before the Lord the prayers that he offered on behalf of the people of Israel, who had finally returned to the land promised to their ancestors after long period in exile in distant lands. They had managed to rebuild their lives, their homes and their cities, and most significantly, with the support of the Persian monarch and state, they finally had the freedom to worship their God again, and rebuild the Temple and House which had once stood in Jerusalem dedicated to the worship of God. That was a truly joyous occasion amidst the long period of suffering and humiliation endured by the people of God, through which God has shown His persistent and patient love towards them.

All those sufferings and hardships were after all caused by the disobedience which the people had done, in refusing to walk in the path of faith as the Lord had taught them to do. Instead of listening to the prophets and messengers that had been sent to remind them of their true purpose, their true allegiance and obedience to God, their ancestors had hardened their hearts and minds, persecuting those servants of God who had laboured patiently and courageously in their midst. That was why they fell from grace and were left to suffer the consequences of their disobedience and sins, which brought them to their downfall and the destruction of their kingdom, their cities and their livelihood. But God never forgot about them or abandoned them, as while He chastised and punished them, He has always done so with the intention to lead them to Himself.

That was how after having been humiliated and after having faced a lot of sufferings due to their disobedience, the people of God having repented from their sins and having been reconciled with God, came back to the land promised to them and their ancestors. The priest Ezra presented this collection of the people’s regret and repentance in prayer towards the Lord, highlighting the shame and the regret that they all had gone through and experienced, and had in their and their ancestors’ disobedient and wicked behaviours, committing to a new life and existence in God. And Ezra also thanked the Lord on behalf of the people for His constant presence and guidance, and for having always guided them all, staying with them throughout their good and bad times.

In the Psalm today, we also heard the song of Tobit, the man of Israel living in exile in Assyria after the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel who had faced a lot of hardships and challenges, to whom God had shown great mercy and love, delivering him out of his troubles and hardships. Tobit encountered hardships and challenges when he showed mercy and love to his fellow Israelite exile, and then faced blindness as another difficulty to add on to the trouble that he already had. But God did not abandon him and remembered his kindness and generosity, and how he still kept faith even amidst the hardships and challenges, and through the Archangel Raphael whom he sent to the world, Tobit was helped and cured from his condition, and others were also impacted in positive ways, as God answered their prayers.

All these are reminders that God is always with us all, His beloved people, and He never forgets about us. He has always cared for us and has always put us before anything else, showing us His patient guiding hands throughout even the most difficult and toughest moments in our lives. God has always been there for us, providing for us, lifting us up and strengthening us even when we thought that we were alone in facing those darkness and struggles around us. Even if we are to abandon Him, He will not abandon us, and to the very last moments, He will always be there for us, extending His hands and mercy to us, ever wanting to be reconciled and reunited with us. We should continue to hold on to hope and have faith in God, at all times, remembering His ever patient love and presence in our midst, even in our darkest moments.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples, to go in pairs before Him, as He sent them on the mission to go to those places that He Himself was to visit, to reach out to many more people and to carry out more good works for the Lord. He told them to not depend on themselves and their own means to survive, but rather depend on the good will of the people whom they were to visit, with the purpose that they should not depend on their own power or think that it was by their own greatness and abilities that they were able to achieve successes in their works and ministry, but rather, all of their successes were all due to the guidance and providence of God.

We are therefore also reminded that in our lives and also in our missions as Christians, all of us should not depend on only our own human power, abilities, achievements and intellect. Above all else, we should always be firmly rooted in the Lord and put our full faith in Him. We should allow Him to lead and guide us all in our every works, missions and efforts so that we do not grow conceited and proud, haughty and ambitious, thinking that it is by our own greatness and power that we manage to gain success, and we do not become distracted by the temptations of success and glory that we may end up losing sight on what it truly means to do the good works of God. Instead, we should always remain humble and continue to centre and focus ourselves on the Lord wholeheartedly as always.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our very best and strive such that we can continue to live our lives ever more worthily and faithfully in God’s Presence. Let us always follow the examples that our holy predecessors had shown us, and do our very best so that by our good examples and as good inspirations and role models to everyone around us, we will always glorify God by our lives in each and every moments. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 24 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 9 : 1-6

At that time, Jesus called His Twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, “Do not take anything for the journey, neither staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not even take a spare tunic.”

“Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. And wherever they do not welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet : it will be as a testimony against them.”

So they set out, and went through the villages, proclaiming the Good News and healing people everywhere.

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Wednesday, 24 September 2025 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Tobit 13 : 2, 3-4a, 4bcd, 5, 8

It is He Who punishes and He Who has mercy; Who makes people go down to the depths off the underworld and rise up again from the great abyss. No one can escape His hand.

Give Him thanks, people of Israel, before all the nations. Though He has dispersed you among them, He now shows you His greatness.

Exalt Him before all the living, because He is our God and Lord, our Father forever.

He punishes us for our wrongdoing but again He will forgive us. He will bring us together again from amongst all the nations among whom we have been dispersed.

I, in the land of my captivity, will return Him thanks and show His strength and greatness to My sinful people. Be converted, you sinners, and live justly before Him, certain that He will be pleased with you and show you mercy.