Tempus Ordinaria

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Tuesday, 18 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Luke 19 : 1-10

At that time, when Jesus entered Jericho and passed through the city, a man named Zaccheus lived there. He was a tax collector and a wealthy man. He wanted to see what Jesus was like, but he was a short man and could not see Him because of the crowd.

So he ran ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree. From there he would be able to see Jesus, Who was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, Zaccheus, come down quickly, for I must stay at your house today.” So Zaccheus climbed down and received Him joyfully.

All the people who saw it began to grumble, and said, “He has gone as a guest to the house of a sinner.” But Zaccheus spoke to Jesus, “Half of what I own, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much.”

Looking at him Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this house today, for he is also a true son of Abraham. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Alternative reading (Mass of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Matthew 14 : 22-33

At that time, immediately, Jesus obliged His disciples to get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowd away. And having sent the people away, He went up the mountain by Himself, to pray. At nightfall, He was there alone. Meanwhile, the boat was very far from land, dangerously rocked by the waves, for the wind was against it.

At daybreak, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost. And they cried out in fear. But at once, Jesus said to them, “Courage! Do not be afraid. It is Me!” Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

Jesus said to him, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water to go to Jesus. But seeing the strong wind, he was afraid, and began to sink; and he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretched out His hand and took hold of him, saying, “Man of little faith, why did you doubt?”

As they got into the boat, the wind dropped. Then those in the boat bowed down before Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God!”

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Tuesday, 18 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Psalm 3 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7

O YHVH, how great in number are my foes! How numerous are they who rise against me! How many are they who say of my soul : “There is no help for him in God!”

But You are my Shield, o YHVH, my Glory; You lift up my head. Aloud I cry to YHVH, and from His holy hill He answers me.

If I lie down to sleep, again I awake, for YHVH supports me; no fear of the thousands standing against me.

Alternative Psalm (Mass of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 5-6

Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

YHVH has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love, nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YHVH, break into song and sing praise.

With melody of the lyre and with music of the harp. With trumpet blast and sound of the horn, rejoice before the King, YHVH!

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Tuesday, 18 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. Peter in Vatican and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

2 Maccabees 6 : 18-31

Eleazar, one of the prominent teachers of the Law, already old and of noble appearance, was forced to open his mouth to eat the flesh of a pig. But he preferred to die honourably than to live in disgrace, and voluntarily came to the place where they beat him to death. He spat out bravely the piece of meat, as should be done by those who do not want to do things prohibited by the Law, even to save their life.

Those in charge of this impious banquet took him aside, since they had known him for a long time, and tried to convince him to pretend to be eating the meat, but in reality, to eat something allowed by the Law and prepared by himself. In this way, he could escape death, and be treated with humanity for the sake of their long-time friendship.

But he preferred to make a noble decision worthy of his age, of his noble years, of his shining white hair, and of the irreproachable life he had led from childhood. Above all, showing respect for the holy laws established by God, he answered that he would rather be sent to the place of the dead. And he added, “It would be unworthy to pretend at our age, and to lead many young people to suppose that I, at ninety years, have gone over to the pagan customs. If I led them astray for the sake of this short life I would bring disgrace to my old age.”

“Even if I could now be saved from mortals, I cannot – whether living or dead – escape from the hands of the Almighty. I prefer to bravely sacrifice my life now, as befits my old age. So I shall leave an excellent example to the young, dying voluntarily and valiantly for the sacred and holy laws.” Having said this, he gave himself over to death.

Those who escorted him considered his words foolishness, so their previous gentleness turned into harshness. When he was almost at the point of death, he said groaning, “The Holy Lord, Who sees all, knows that though I could have saved myself from death, I now endure terrible sufferings in my body. But in my soul, I suffer gladly because of the respect I have for Him.”

In his death, he left a noble example and a memorial of virtue and strength, not only to the young but to the whole nation.

Alternative reading (Mass of the Dedication of the Basilicas of St. Peter and St. Paul)

Acts 28 : 11-16, 30-31

After three months, we boarded a ship that had spent the winter at the island. It belonged to an Alexandrian company, and carried the figurehead of Castor and Pollux as insignia. We sailed for Syracuse, staying there for three days; and, after circling the coast, we arrived at Rhegium.

On the following day, a south wind began to blow, and, at the end of two days, we arrived at Puteoli, where we found some of our brothers, who invited us to stay with them for a week. And that was how we came to Rome. There, the brothers and sisters had been informed of our arrival, and came out to meet us as far as the Appian Forum and the Three Taverns.

When Paul saw them, he gave thanks to God and took courage. Upon our arrival in Rome, the captain turned the prisoners over to the military governor, but permitted Paul to lodge in a private house, with the soldier who guarded him.

Paul stayed for two whole years, in a house he, himself, rented, where he received, without any hindrance, all those who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God, and taught the truth about Jesus Christ, the Lord, quite openly and without any hindrance.

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Monday, 17 November 2025 : 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 all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for all of us to continue to have faith, hope and trust in the Lord despite us maybe facing lots of challenges and trials in our journey. We must always have hope in God and we should not easily give up our faith in Him even when things seem to be very bleak, desperate and hopeless for us. We must remember that even in the past, our predecessors had faced lots of similar troubles and challenges, and many of them really suffered very terribly. And yet, they did not give up their faith in the Lord, and for their trust in Him, they were vindicated, rescued and restored to hope.

In our first reading today, taken from the First Book of the Maccabees, we heard of the moment when the descendants of the Israelites, the Jewish people living in Judea and Galilee, were suffering greatly during the time of the Greek successor kingdoms of the Empire of Alexander the Great. The Greek Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes in particular was notorious for his harsh and intense persecutions against the Jewish people in his dominion, which as we heard in our first reading today, stemmed from the desire to the unite the very diverse nature of his subjects, being a kingdom ruling over many different people and cultures, including that of the Jews mostly in Judea and Galilee.

And therefore the whole premise and history of the Book of the Maccabees were centred on the struggle between the faithful Jews who refused to obey the king’s commands to abandon their Jewish customs and practices, their faith in YHVH their Lord and God, and adopt instead the Greek customs, practices and beliefs. Many of those faithful to the true path suffered and many died under persecution from the King, who enforced greatly his laws and orders to convert all the Jewish and other people of his kingdom to the Greek customs and pagan beliefs. But the Lord was with His people and He raised up the Maccabees, a courageous family of leaders who led the people of God to eventual victory and freedom against the Seleucids.

Then, from the Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus came to Jericho and encountered a blind man who sought the Lord to heal him from his blindness. And despite being discouraged by others around him who tried to keep him silent and who told him off for crying out for the Lord, the blind man kept on crying out louder and louder until the Lord came to him and healed him for his great faith and trust in Him. He was healed and saved because of the great trust and faith He had in the Lord knowing that He alone has the power to make him see once again and healing him from his blindness, a feat that many would have thought to be impossible.

This is a reminder to all of us as Christians that we must also have a similar kind of faith in the Lord, a faith that is truly strong and unassailable, a faith that is indeed beyond all challenges and trials, faith that do not become weaker or dimmer even when we are faced with such great difficulties in our paths. This is the kind of faith which we should cultivate in all of us, faith that grows ever stronger each time and faith that continue to help us focus towards the Lord even in the most difficult and darkest moments in our lives. Are we willing and able to commit ourselves to a faith like this, brothers and sisters? We should be inspired by the courage and the faith of the blind man who never gave up and keep on seeking the Lord, no matter what.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast 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. 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 action also influenced him greatly, as her husband Louis often stood by the Church and the efforts the Church did.

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, a clear proof of God’s guidance and approval of her actions. St. Elizabeth of Hungary continued to carry out her charitable works and actions for the rest of her life. Her examples were indeed good inspiration for each and every one of us to follow since through her efforts, she has touched the lives of so many people around her and beyond, and showing many of us even to this day on how we should truly be faithful to God in all things, even in the smallest things that we do in our lives. We should imitate and follow her good examples in our own lives as Christians as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the life and works of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, and all that we have heard earlier on from our Scripture passages today, let us all therefore continue to strive to be always faithful to the Lord at all times, showing this great faith through our every actions, works and deeds. Let us show our faith courageously and be persistent in seeking God like that of the blind man seeking the Lord and His healing, and let us all continue to trust in God wholeheartedly as always. Amen.

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Monday, 17 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 18 : 35-43

At that time, when Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the road, begging. As he heard the crowd passing by, he inquired what was happening, and they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was going by. Then he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

The people in front of him scolded him, “Be quiet!” they said, but he cried out all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped, and ordered the blind man to be brought to Him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the man said, “Lord, that I may see!”

Jesus said, “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.” At once the blind man was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving praise to God. And all the people who were there also praised God.

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Monday, 17 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 118 : 53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158

I feel indignant at the wicked who have forsaken Your law.

The wicked have me trapped in their snares, but I have not forgotten Your laws.

Rescue me from human oppression, and help me keep Your precepts.

My persecutors close in with evil intent; they are far from Your law.

Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek Your statutes.

I look upon the faithless with loathing, because they do not obey Your ruling.

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Monday, 17 November 2025 : 33rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 Maccabees 1 : 10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64

From their descendants there came a godless offshoot, Antiochus Epiphanes, son of king Antiochus, who had been held as hostage in Rome. He became king in the one hundred and thirty-seventh year of the Greek era, in the year 175 B.C..

It was then that some rebels emerged from Israel, who succeeded in winning over many people. They said, “Let us renew contact with the people around us for we had endured many misfortunes since we separated from them.”

This proposal was well-received and some eagerly went to the king. The king authorised them to adopt the customs of the pagan nations. With his permission, they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem in the pagan style. And as they wanted to be like the pagans in everything, they made artificial foreskins for themselves and abandoned the Holy Covenant, sinning as they pleased.

Antiochus issued a decree to his whole kingdom. All the people of his empire had to renounce their particular customs and become one people. All the pagan nations obeyed and respected the king’s decree, and, even in Israel, many accepted the imposed cult. They offered sacrifices to idols and no longer respected the Sabbath.

On the fifteenth day of the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty-five, in the year 167 B.C., Antiochus erected the “abominable idol of the invaders” on the altar of the Temple. Pagan altars were built throughout the whole land of Judea; incense was offered at the doors of their houses and in the squares.

There wicked men tore up the books of the Law they found and burnt them. They killed anyone they caught in possession of the book of the Covenant and who fulfilled the precepts of the Law, as the royal decree had ordered. But in spite of all this, many Israelites still remained firm and determined not to eat unclean food. They preferred to die rather than to make themselves unclean with those foods prohibited by the Law that violated the Holy Covenant. And Israel suffered a very great trial.

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Sunday, 16 November 2025 : 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 we mark the occasion of the Thirty-Third and therefore the second last Sunday in our current Ordinary Time and also liturgical year. Within two weeks from now, we will enter into the season of Advent in preparation for Christmas and therefore also the beginning of the new liturgical year. Therefore, that is why the Scripture readings and the overall tone shift into one of preparing ourselves for the inevitable end of times, the time of the reckoning of our actions and lives, which we all ought to be well-prepared for, and which the Lord has amply and repeatedly reminded us of, in each and every opportunities that we have been given. 

In our first reading this Sunday, taken from the Book of the prophet Malachi, we heard of the words of the Lord as presented through Malachi, who was in fact the last in the long line of prophets that had been sent to the people of God in Israel and Judah. The prophet Malachi spoke briefly of the coming of the time of reckoning where those who were wicked and who committed evils will be destroyed and crushed, while those who are faithful and just will be strengthened and blessed by God. God knows each and every hearts and minds, and He will not stay silent against any kind of injustice. He will be with all of His people, whom He will always care for and protect, provide and strengthen amidst the challenging times.

God is a loving and just God Who does not overlook injustice and evil, and He is also a loving and caring God Who knows righteousness and justice in those who follow Him and His path. And this is why in our daily actions, in our manner of living our lives, in our every interactions and in our every moments spent journeying in every aspects in life, we are reminded that we should always continue to do what is truly right and just in accordance to what the Lord has taught and shown us all. We must not think that we can act in impunity, in causing hurt and harm to others especially in the pursuit of our own selfish needs, ambitions and desires. God knows all things, and we will have to account for everything, both good and bad, in the end.

Then, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard about the moment when the Lord Jesus predicted the downfall and destruction of the Temple and House of God in Jerusalem before the disciples and others assembled to listen to Him. That Second Temple of Jerusalem, which was also known as Herod’s Temple due to the massive enlargement and expansion done by King Herod the Great was indeed a magnificent Temple and House of worship dedicated to God, but what the Lord Himself encountered was a lot of hypocrisy and corruption, in how many of the religious and intellectual elites, the chief priests and the Pharisees, had superficial faith in God and were not truly faithful in Him.

And worse still that they allowed corruptions and corrupt practices to creep into the Holy House of God’s Presence, by them allowing the merchants, money changers and others to turn the courtyard of the Lord’s House to places where injustices took place, where they manipulated and profited over those who had come to them to get the necessary goods for the worship of the Divine. That was why the Lord told them all that eventually none of the grand edifice would remain, a premonition of the disaster that would come true in a few decades afterwards, when the Romans destroyed the very Temple that Jesus spoke about as they quelled and crushed the Jewish rebellion that happened then.

Through what the Lord has shared in our Gospel passage this Sunday, we are therefore reminded yet again that nothing in this world is permanent, even glorious edifices and worldly fame and power. In the end, what remains is our faith, trust and hope in the Lord, and we are all indeed expected to carry out our lives in good faith and obedience to God and His will. We should keep in mind of the Lord’s constant reminders, Who has always reminded us to live our lives worthily each day, in caring for those whom He has entrusted to us to love, our most beloved ones, family members and others, and also those whom He has sent to our way, so that our faith can truly shine and that we will be ready when He comes again and we have to account for our lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, how do we then live our lives faithfully just as the Lord Himself has taught us to do? How do we then be righteous and just in the eyes of the Lord and men alike so that we will be worthy of His everlasting inheritance? This is where what we also commemorate today this Sunday should help us in our path and journey as Christians and disciples of the Lord. Our late Pope Francis promulgated that the Sunday before the Solemnity of Christ the King, that is this Sunday, be known as the World Day of the Poor. We are reminded this Sunday therefore of the presence of those who are poor in our midst, and it is our Christian calling and obligation for all of us to reach out to the poor and show them love, care and attention.

But we must also realise that poverty is not just material poverty, but can even be spiritual and mental poverty. For there are a lot of people in our midst, although have nothing lacking in terms of material goods and possessions, but they are facing lots of struggles and difficulties in their spiritual journey and in their mental state and relationships, with God or with one another. There are many people out there today who are facing challenges and difficulties in their lives, facing struggles of loneliness, mental health issues and problems, as I am sure we have heard being quite common these days. Many are facing lots of struggles daily not just in earning their livelihood but also in enduring challenges not just physically but also mentally.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore let us all continue to help one another especially those who are around us and those whom we encounter daily in life so that we may indeed be the ones who always show love and compassion to everyone, especially to the poor around us, and not just those who are poor materially but also poor spiritually and mentally, all those whom the Lord had put in our paths and journeys to care for. Let us all make good use of whatever blessings and opportunities that God had provided to each and every one of us, so that in all the things that we say and do, we will continue to glorify Him by our actions and deeds. Amen.

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Sunday, 16 November 2025 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 21 : 5-19

At that time, while some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.”

And they asked Him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” Jesus then said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come claiming My title and saying, ‘I am He, the Messiah; the time is at hand!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, do not be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”

And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen. Before all these things happen, people will lay their hands on you and persecute you; you will be delivered to the synagogues and put in prison, and for my sake you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear witness.”

“So keep this in mind : do not worry in advance about what to say, for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. But even though, because of My Name, you will be hated by everyone, not a hair of your head will perish. By your patient endurance you will save your souls.”

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Sunday, 16 November 2025 : Thirty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, World Day of the Poor (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Thessalonians 3 : 7-12

You know how you ought to follow our example : we worked while we were with you. Day and night we laboured and toiled so as not to be a burden to any of you. We had the right to act otherwise, but we wanted to give you an example.

Besides, while we were with you, we said clearly : If anyone is not willing to work, neither should that one eat. However we heard that some among you live in idleness – busybodies, doing no work. In the Name of Christ Jesus our Lord we command these people to work and earn their own living.