Tempus post Epiphania

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Friday, 30 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Samuel 11 : 1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17

In the spring of that year, when kings usually set out to fight, David sent out Joab, his officers and all the Israelite troops. They slaughtered the Ammonites and attacked Rabbah, while David remained in Jerusalem.

One afternoon, David got up from his siesta and took a walk on the roof of the royal house. From the rooftop, he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. David sent to inquire about the woman, and was told, “She is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah, the Hittite.”

So David sent messengers to have her brought to him. As the woman saw she was with child, she sent word to David, “I am with child.” David then sent a message to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came, David asked him about Joab, how the people were and how the war was proceeding. Then he told Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.”

Uriah left the palace while the king had a portion from his table sent to him. Uriah, however, did not go down to his house but slept by the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord. David was told that Uriah did not go down to his house.

David invited him to table and he ate and drank until he was drunk. When evening fell, however, he went to lie down on his couch with the guards of his lord instead of going down to his house. The next morning, David wrote Joab a letter to be taken by hand by Uriah, in which he said, “Place Uriah in the front row where the fighting is very fierce and then withdraw from him so that he may be struck down and die.”

When Joab was attacking the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew was being defended by strong warriors. And the defenders attacked the men of Joab. Some of David’s soldiers and officers were killed; Uriah the Hittite also died.

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Thursday, 29 January 2026 : 3rd 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, we are reminded that as God’s faithful and beloved people, all of us are expected to live our lives well in the manner that He has shown and taught us to do, and we all ought to carry out our actions faithfully such that we can become good role models for everyone around us in serving the Lord and glorifying Him by our lives. And God knows all of our dealings, actions and deeds. He knows everything that we say and do, even those that we try to hide and even things that we may not even be aware of. This is why we have to be always ever ready to commit ourselves to the Lord in our every actions, words and deeds, and not merely paying lip service to Him, but being truly faithful to Him at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel, we heard of the great hymn of thanksgiving, a song of praise that King David of Israel sang to the Lord with great joy because God has reassured him of blessings and graces towards him and his family, to all of his descendants, who would always be guaranteed the rulership and dominion of the kingdom of Israel, God’s beloved and holy people. That was why David was so jubilant, happy and thankful for the Lord having provided for him throughout many different parts of his life, as if we read more from the history of King David, we can see clearly how God had been with him in all of his endeavours, from the good times to the difficult and challenging times.

And David had always been faithful to the Lord, and while he did commit mistakes and sins, he did not allow all those things and obstacles to prevent him from continuing to serve the Lord as best as he could, and he became truly revered, honoured and respected throughout the history of the Israelites among the people of God and even by many others throughout history because of all of these virtues which he had accumulated and practiced during his life and reign as king. King David became the model and good king which many other kings, both of Israel and Judah, and other later Christian kings aspired to follow and emulate in their own reign as king and ruler of the people entrusted to them by God.

David shone with great virtue and righteousness, becoming a great moral compass and inspiration for many others because he was not ashamed to proclaim his faith in God despite his own shortcomings, mistakes and faults. He courageously and joyfully showed his great faith and trust in the Lord, and his great love for God at all times, and he always strived to be a better version of himself, following the will of God and allowing Him to make use of him as an instrument of His works in the world, that he righteously led the people of God in the manner that is acceptable and worthy of God, and also becoming great inspiration and examples for everyone who have seen and witnessed his great deeds, triumphs and victories with God by his side.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples and followers in which the Lord told His disciples using a parable of the light on a lampstand to highlight to them how it is important that they all do not hide what talents, gifts, blessings and opportunities that God has given to each and every one of them, much like how King David earlier had openly practiced his faith actively in his life and reign as king. Therefore, the disciples and followers of the Lord, who had been given the many gifts, talents, blessings, and all the opportunities presented to them to be the bearers of the Good News and Light of God, they are all called to be active in proclaiming God in all things.

The Lord also continued on with the words reminding those same disciples and followers about the matter of the measure of what they have given and what they have been expected to receive because of what they have given, and this was yet another reminder that as Christians, as faithful and committed disciples and followers of the Lord, each and every one of those disciples, and also all of us living here today in this world are expected to make good use of all the blessings, wonders and all the good things that God has granted to us. God blessed us each and every one of us with these so that His works and wonders can be extended to more and more people, as we must understand that our actions and efforts, no matter how small, are parts of the efforts of the whole Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to reflect upon these words of the Scriptures that we have received from the Lord, and all that we have discussed earlier. Let us all do our best so that in every actions, words and deeds that we do, we will always be good role models and examples for one another, so that like King David and our other holy predecessors, we can inspire many others we encounter in our lives, in each and every moments, in all the opportunities that God has presented to us. If the actions of Christians like us are contrary to the ways of the Lord and His teachings, and to what the Church has presented to us and the world, how can we then genuinely bring the Lord to be better known to others around us? Worse still, it may even push people away from the Lord.

May the Lord our most loving, compassionate and patient God continue to help and guide each one of us in our respective journeys in life, in each and every one of our missions and vocations in life so that we will truly find what it is that we ought to be doing faithfully in God’s Presence, in doing His will and obeying His Law and commandments. Let us all continue to do our best and follow God’s calling and encouragement to us, and help one another to be ever always faithful to our own respective calling in life, being good, worthy and responsible Christians, disciples and followers of the Lord at all times. Amen.

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Thursday, 29 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 4 : 21-25

At that time, Jesus also said to His disciples, “When the light comes, is it put under a basket or a bed? Surely it is put on a lamp stand. Whatever is hidden will be disclosed, and whatever is kept secret will be brought to light. Listen then, if you have ears!”

And He also said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. In the measure you give, so shall you receive, and still more will be given to you. For to the one who produces something, more will be given; and from him who does not produce anything, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

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Thursday, 29 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 131 : 1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14

Remember David, o YHVH, and all his readiness; how he swore an oath to YHVH, to the Mighty One of Jacob.

“I will not enter my house nor get into my bed; I will give no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids; until I find a place for YHVH, a dwelling, for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

YHVH swore to David a promise, and He will remain true to it : “I will keep your descendants on your throne.”

“If your sons keep My Covenant and the decrees I have taught them; their sons, too, will sit forever upon your throne.”

For YHVH has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling : “This is My resting place forever; this I prefer; here, will I dwell.”

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Thursday, 29 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Samuel 7 : 18-19, 24-29

Then king David went in, sat before YHVH and said, “Who am I, o YHVH God, and who is my family that You have brought me so far? Yet this was not enough for You, o YHVH God, for You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a long time to come. Is this the way men act, o YHVH God?”

“You have set apart Your people Israel to become Your people forever; and You, YHVH, have become their God. Now, o YHVH God, keep forever the promise You made and have now revealed to me regarding myself and my family, that Your Name may be honoured forever and people may say, ‘YHVH of Hosts is God over Israel.’”

“The house of Your servant David will be secure before You because You, o YHVH of Hosts, God of Israel, have made it known to Your servant and have said to him : ‘Your family will last forever.’ This is why I have dared to address this prayer to You. So now, o YHVH God, since You are the faithful God, and have promised me this good thing, please bless my descendants, that they may continue forever before You. For You, o YHVH God, have spoken and, with Your blessing, my family shall be blessed forever.”

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures we are reminded that we should always trust in the Lord and believe in His Providence, His plan and everything that He has meant for us. We should nurture the seeds of faith, hope and love that have been given to us so that we can grow ever stronger in our faith and commitment to God, and that we will be the worthy, shining beacons of our faith and hope in Him, becoming good role models and examples of our genuine and ever growing faith at all times. That is what we have been called to do as Christians, so that even in the smallest things we do, we will always bear wonderful and rich fruits of our faith.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel of the instructions and the reply that the Lord sent through the prophet Nathan to David, the famous King of Israel and servant of God, who has been faithful throughout all his life and who has done many great and wonderful things for the Lord and His people. At that time, David has been blessed with a long and successful reign, and after many years of earlier struggles and tribulations, he has finally secured his reign and kingdom, bringing it to a golden age and glorious time, and as such, he wanted to establish a great new House and Temple for the Lord in Jerusalem, just as he has established his palace in that city. David wanted to build a proper dwelling for the Lord and indeed, his intentions were good and worthy.

However, God had different plans on what it was to be, and He told King David that it was His will such that it would not be him but his own son and successor, Solomon who would be the one to build the great Temple and House worthy of His Name and Holy Presence. And at the same time, God also reassured and affirmed David that He would make his house and reign secure, that he would end his reign in peace and go to rest with his forefathers, while his son and descendants will continue to hold the kingship over Israel unlike that of his predecessor Saul. Eventually, God did indeed fulfil everything as He had said, with the great Temple that David had planned and prepared for, being built by Solomon as a worthy House of the Lord, known as Solomon’s Temple. 

Not only that, but David’s house continued to hold the true kingship over Israel despite the later division of the kingdom into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, to the days of the Messiah and beyond, for Jesus our Lord and Saviour, the Son and Heir of David was also descended from David, making the dominion of David and his house lasting and persevering into eternity. This is showing that God is always ever faithful to His promises and words, and we can indeed trust in His Providence, love and in all the things that He has planned for us. God will not abandon us in our hour of greatest need, and He will not leave us alone even when things are most difficult and the conditions are hardest and most challenging for us. He will always be there for us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the passage from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist in which we heard of the famous parable of the sower, where the sower sowed the seeds that landed on different places, highlighting what happened to each one of those different seeds that landed in the different places. We heard how those seeds that landed on the roadside and on the rocky ground, and all those that landed among the brambles and thorns were unable to grow properly, either because they were picked off by birds, scorched to death by the hot Sun, or because they were unable to compete with the brambles and thorns, and were killed by those plants and weeds surrounding them.

As the Lord mentioned it, all those referred to those people who did not truly have genuine faith in the Lord, who might have listened to the Lord and yet did not let His words and truth to touch them deep within. On the other hand, those seeds that landed on the rich and fertile soil refer to those who have allowed God’s words to take deep roots within them, and not only that, but they also provided the best and most suitable conditions and environment in which their faith and trust in the Lord could grow and flourish, by their constant awareness of God’s Presence in their lives, and by living their lives with true and genuine faith in God, trusting in Him to guide them all in their journey. And we may not realise it at first, but in doing so, we are opening ourselves to great graces which can allow us to impact so many more people than what we may know of.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all also follow the good examples of one saint whose life and works can inspire us to deepen our faith and trust in God ever further. I am quite sure that many of us have heard the name St. Thomas Aquinas, a great and holy Priest and servant of God, and also an esteemed Doctor of the Church after his passing from this world. The Universal Church celebrates his feast on this day. He was known for his great devotion to God and great theological masterpieces, particularly his magnum opus, the ‘Summa Theologiae’. As a great theologian and servant of God, St. Thomas Aquinas spent a lot of time and effort to help the people of God to know better about Him and the truth about His love and compassionate mercy towards us. St. Thomas Aquinas did a lot of great works together with his other contemporaries like St. Dominic and St. Francis of Assisi, who in their own ways help to bring God’s people to be ever closer to Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures which we have received today, and which we have discussed earlier on. Let us all ponder how we can be truly ever more faithful and committed to God in all things, to grow in our trust and faith in Him so that by our everyday living and our every actions we will grow ever stronger in faith and in our conviction to lead a life that is truly blessed and filled with God’s grace. Let us all be good examples, role models and inspirations for one another, following the good examples of our holy and devoted predecessors like King David and St. Thomas Aquinas among many others, leading each other towards the Lord and His salvation.

May the Lord our most loving God continue to guide and strengthen us all in our journey towards Him. May He empower all of us to live ever more courageously in accordance with His will, to be shining beacons of His light and truth to everyone around us. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, all the things that we have done and which we will do for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 4 : 1-20

At that time, Jesus began to teach by the lake; but such a large crowd gathered about Him, that He got into a boat and sat in it on the lake, while the crowd stood on the shore. He taught them many things through parables. In His teaching, He said, “Listen! The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some of the seed fell along a path; and the birds came and ate it up.”

“Some of the seed fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil; it sprang up immediately, because it had no depth; but when the sun rose and burnt it, it withered, because it had no roots. Other seed fell among thorn bushes; and the thorns grew and choked it; so it did not produce any grain.”

“But some seed fell on good soil, grew and increased and yielded grain; some seed produced thirty times as much, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.” And Jesus added, “Listen then, if you have ears.”

When the crowd went away, some who were around Him with the Twelve asked about the parables. He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But for those outside, everything comes in parables, so, that, the more they see, they do not perceive; the more they hear, they do not understand; otherwise they would be converted and pardoned.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How, then, will you understand any of the parables? What the sower is sowing is the word. Those along the path, where the seed fell, are people who hear the word, but as soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”

“Other people receive the word like rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word, they accept it with joy. But they have no roots, so it lasts only a little while. No sooner does trouble or persecution come because of the word, than they fall. Others receive the seed, as seed among thorns. After they hear the word, they are caught up in the worries of this life, false hope of riches and other desires. All these come in and choke the word, so that finally it produces nothing.”

“And there are others who receive the word as good soil. They hear the word, take it to heart and produce : some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred times as much.”

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 88 : 4-5, 27-28, 29-30

I have made a Covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.

He will call on Me, “You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.” I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.

I will keep My Covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure. His dynasty will last forever; and his throne, as long as the heavens.

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Wednesday, 28 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Samuel 7 : 4-17

That very night, YHVH’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell My servant David, this is what YHVH says : Are you able to build a house for Me to live in? I have not dwelt in any house since I brought the Israelites up from Egypt to the present day. But I went about with a tent for shelter. As long as I walked with the Israelites, did I say anything to the chiefs of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel? Did I say : Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?”

“Now you will tell My servant David, this is what YHVH of Hosts says : I took you from the pasture, from tending the sheep, to make you commander of My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, cutting down all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great, as the name of the great ones on earth.”

“I will provide a place for My people Israel and plant them that they may live there in peace. They shall no longer be harassed, nor shall wicked man oppress them as before. From the time when I appointed judges over My people Israel it is only to you that I have given rest from all your enemies. YHVH also tells you that He will build you a house.”

“When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you; and I will make his reign secure. He shall build a house for My Name and I will firmly establish his kingship forever. I will be a Father to him and he shall be My son. If he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod, as men do.”

“But I will not withdraw My kindness from him as I did from Saul when I removed him out of your way. Your house and your reign shall last forever before Me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

Nathan repeated these words and related this vision to David.

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Tuesday, 27 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Angela Merici, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures and as we all ponder upon their meaning, importance and relevance to us in our world today, we are all reminded that as the holy people of God, we are all called to follow the Lord faithfully and wholeheartedly as how our holy predecessors had done, like King David in the past, in his wholehearted commitment and dedication to God, in doing God’s will and in being ever attuned to His Law, commandments and to His teachings. We are reminded that we should always live our lives in the manner that is truly pleasing to God, in loving Him and also in loving those people around us, especially those whom God had entrusted to us to love and care.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel, we heard of the moment when King David finally managed to bring the Ark of the Covenant or the Ark of God from its temporary housing at the house of Obededom to the city of Jerusalem. The context was that David had been wanting to bring the Ark of the Covenant which had always been kept in the wilderness, in the Holy Tent of Meeting since the days of the Exodus to a more permanent place in Jerusalem, in the Temple and House that he has planned to make for the Lord. However, in the earlier attempt to move the Ark into Jerusalem, an accident struck and one of the priests transporting the Ark was killed, and hence, David suspended the plan to bring the Ark into Jerusalem for some time.

We heard then about how David finally managed to bring this great Ark of God into Jerusalem, joyfully leading the procession before God’s Ark into the city, singing and dancing with great joy. This moment was described as a great event, a great moment of joy as God Himself has come into the midst of His people, dwelling among them again in the city which He has established as his city, firmly securing the reign and rule of David, His servant as King and leader of the people He had chosen as His own. And this is a reminder of how God Himself one day, a millennium or so after this moment, would come in the flesh among His people, an even greater entry and arrival than the Ark of the Covenant, as He appeared before all of us in the form of His Son, the Divine Word and Son of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the relatives of the Lord Jesus came to Him when He was preaching and ministering to the people of God, and we heard how when some people told the Lord that His relatives, including His Mother Mary was there, He told the whole assembled people that all those who followed God’s will and obeyed Him, faithfully living their lives according to His Law and commandments, all of these were His brothers, His mother and relatives. To us who heard the Lord and what He said, some of us might think that the Lord was being very rude to His Mother and relatives, but this was not in fact what He meant to do.

Instead, when the Lord Jesus said those words before the assembled people of God, He intended for all of them to know that His works and ministry, and God’s favour were not limited by connections to Him, unlike what was common in the world then, and what is still very common in our world even to this day. I am referring to the networks and connection which we often use to determine our response to one another, and what kind of favour we can give and gain from each other. Those who are connected by familial or blood ties tend to get higher and better preferences, and this is what the Lord wanted to make clear that His love is universal and meant for everyone, and not merely limited or restricted within His family and inner circle. And that is also the message and truth of Christian faith and love as well.

In this matter, we can then follow the good examples of St. Angela Merici, one of the great saints of God, whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Angela Merici was the famous founder of the religious order of the Ursulines, also known as the Company of St. Ursula that led to the later foundation of the Order of the Ursulines. St. Angela Merici was inspired since her early youth to commit herself with some others to work for the cause of the training and education of young Christian girls, which is still the inspiration for the educational institutes established by the Ursulines. Through her efforts and piety, many came to be inspired to follow in her example in dedicating themselves to God’s work in this area of Christian education and empowerment of people.

St. Angela Merici dedicated herself and inspired many others together in the ministry that she had committed herself as part of the Company of St. Ursula, establishing schools and orphanages, caring especially for the needs of young Christians, especially that of young, underprivileged Christian girls, who were often exploited and in disadvantageous positions. St. Angela Merici dedicated her life to this ministry, and many more people would come to follow her examples in working for the greater glory of God and for the salvation of His people. Through her efforts and works many people came to be touched by God’s love and truth, and became closer to God and His salvation.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon what we have just heard from the Scriptures and see how we can live our lives each day with true dedication and commitment to the Lord, in our own unique ways and in the manner that God has entrusted to us, with our diverse and distinct gifts and all the opportunities that He has presented to us. Let us all serve Him joyfully like King David had done, and remember that in everything that we do in glorifying His Name, even the smallest and what seems to be insignificant, all of these truly matter to the Lord, Who knows everything that we do, even in secret, and He will bless us all even more abundantly, strengthening us to do His will and His works in our world today.

May the Lord continue to strengthen each and every one of us with the resolve to carry out living our lives with great faith and dedication, so that in every works and actions that we do, we will always be exemplary and inspirational, becoming good role models to everyone around us in faith and life. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, all the things that we do in our lives to glorify Him, now and always. Amen.