Tempus post Epiphania

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Monday, 26 January 2026 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Timothy and St. Titus, Bishops (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Timothy 1 : 1-8

From Paul, Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, for the sake of His promise of eternal life, in Christ Jesus, to my dear son Timothy. May grace, mercy and peace be with you, from God, the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I give thanks to God, Whom I serve with a clear conscience, the way my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly, day and night, in my prayers. I recall your tears, and I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, so like the faith of your grandmother Lois and of your mother Eunice, which I am sure you have inherited.

For this reason, I invite you to fan into a flame, the gift of God you received, through the laying on of my hands. For God did not confer on us a spirit of fearfulness, but of strength, love and good judgment. Do not be ashamed of testifying to our Lord, nor of seeing me in chains. On the contrary, do your share in labouring for the Gospel, with the strength of God.

Alternative reading

Titus 1 : 1-5

From Paul, servant of God, Apostle of Christ Jesus, at the service of God’s chosen people, so that they may believe, and reach the knowledge of truth and godliness. The eternal life we are waiting for was promised from the very beginning, by God, Who never lies, and as the appointed time had come, He made it known, through the message entrusted to me by a command of God, our Saviour.

Greetings to you, Titus, my true son in the faith we share. May grace and peace be with you from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I left you in Crete because I wanted you to put right, what was defective, and appoint elders in every town, following my instructions.

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday as we all gather together to glorify the Lord and praise His Name, we remember how important and central the Word of God is to our lives and faith as Christians. That is because God’s Word as contained within the Sacred Scriptures, from both the Old and the New Testaments, and how they are interpreted through the Wisdom and Magisterium of the Church, together with the faith of the faithful people of God or the ‘Sensus Fidei’ all form together this important foundation of the Church and everything that we believe in as Christians, as the pillar of our belief and something that can truly anchor is amidst all the volatility and uncertainty in this world. That is why as Christians, all of us are always reminded to read regularly the Word of God in the Scriptures and truly understand the meaning and intentions of God’s Words for each one of us in their unique ways.

In our first reading this Sunday, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophecy passed down through Isaiah to the people of Israel had been presented to us, reminding us all of the fulfilment of the great salvation and liberation which God had planned and accomplished through none other than His own Beloved and Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, He Who is the Son of God and Son of Man both, and the Divine Word Incarnate. Yes, on this Sunday of the Word of God, it is indeed timely, apt and perfect that we hear about how the Word of God has been manifested to us, not just through the Scriptures, but in an even better and more tangible form, in Christ Himself, the Logos, the Word of God made flesh.

That is why, by the coming of God’s salvation manifested in the Incarnation of the Logos, the Word of God, we can see clearly how God’s Words are truly real and true, and not merely just empty words, all of His promises having been fulfilled and accomplished, all the promise that Light and Salvation would come to all the nations from the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, which was a prophecy about where the Messiah or Saviour would be born, as Nazareth, the Lord’s hometown, was indeed located between those two lands. And through His coming into this world, dwelling in our midst, the Divine Logos has imparted on us not just His love and presence, but also His Light, the Light of Hope that dispelled the darkness surrounding us, giving us renewed hope and strength to come towards Him.

Then, from our second reading this Sunday, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth, we heard of the exhortation of the Apostle to the people of God in Corinth regarding the serious matter of division which happened quite recently at that place. The context was that even during those earliest days of the Church and the early days of the community of the faithful in Corinth, there were already factionalism and divisions between the members of the Church community between those who supported the charismatic and famous preacher named Apollos, and those who supported St. Paul himself, and also other groups and divisions that existed back then in the community of God’s people.

That was why St. Paul told the faithful people of God in Corinth not to become divided and split among factional lines, between those who favoured a certain preacher or missionary, but rather to work together and stay firmly united as one people of God, as members of the one, united and indivisible Church of God, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, all believing in the same God, the same Messiah and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the manifested and Incarnate Logos, the Word of God. And all Christian believers, those in Corinth and elsewhere, and all of us here living in this world today, we all share the same faith and the same mission and calling to proclaim the Lord and His Good News to all the nations, to everyone whom we encounter in our everyday lives, and we should be united in our purpose and efforts, and not be divided by any worldly divisions.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His ministry among the people of God, and the clear reference from what we heard in our first reading today from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, the prophecy of the coming of God’s salvation from the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, and how the author, St. Matthew, who wrote his Gospel with the primary audience and target being the Jewish people living in Judea and Galilee, reassured them all that God’s promises and prophecies had been accomplished and perfectly fulfilled in that same person of Jesus Christ, the Saviour, Whom the Christian believers have believed as the One Whom God had sent into this world to save it.

And we heard also how the Lord began His work and ministry, and called to Himself several disciples and followers, the first of those whom He had chosen to be His Twelve Apostles. He began from the region of the Lake of Galilee, where He encountered the fishermen there, calling upon some among them to follow Him. There were two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew, as well as James and John, whom He called and promised that they would no longer seek for the fishes of where they used to work at, but they would become the ‘fishers of men’, and that was indeed what they had been called to do, to help the Lord in His mission to gather all the lost and scattered children of God, becoming the fishers of men, in their ministry as Apostles and leaders of the Church.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we have heard and reflected from these readings and passages of the Scriptures this Sunday, let us all ponder upon how we can better attune ourselves to the Word of God in our daily lives. In fact, honestly, how many of us even spent some quality time to read the Word of God and ponder on their importance, relevance and meaning to our lives? Unless we spend some time and effort to read the Word of God contained within the Scriptures and make the effort to understand them through the teachings of the Church and also the understanding of the faithful, the ‘Sensus Fidei’, and the context of our present day world as compared to what it was like during the time the Scriptures were written, how can we then grow ever stronger in our faith?

In fact, the reality is likely that part of the ongoing crisis in our faith across the world, particularly where many are leaving the faith stemmed from the lack of knowledge and understanding of the Word of God and what our Christian faith and God is truly about. But at the same time, on the other extreme, we must also realise that there are also those who sought to misuse the Word of God to their own selfish purposes and ambitions, and also those who misunderstand the true intention of God’s words and commandments, not unlike how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law once behaved and acted, in how they interpreted the Word of God and His Law to their liking and preferences, without understanding at the heart of the Word of God of the immensity of God’s ever present love for each and every one of us.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we should always let our faith in God develop organically and genuinely at all times, growing ever stronger in our faith and understanding of God’s will, His love and compassion towards us, and that we should show the same love and kindness to everyone around us as well, especially more so for those whom we love and care for. Let us all therefore be genuine and faithful Christians at all times, not just merely in words but also in our every deeds and actions, that we may be true and faithful witnesses of the Divine Logos, the Word of God, made manifest even more in this world through us all. Lastly, this Sunday, as we are at the conclusion of this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, let us also pray and work for the unity of all Christian believers, as well. Amen.

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Matthew 4 : 12-23

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.

In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled : Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live beyond the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans : The people who lived in darkness have seen a great Light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a Light has shone.

From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim His message, “Change your ways : the kingdom of heaven is near.” As Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. He said to them, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fish for people.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them. At once they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Matthew 4 : 12-17

When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee. He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.

In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled : Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live beyond the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans : The people who lived in darkness have seen a great Light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a Light has shone.

From that time on, Jesus began to proclaim His message, “Change your ways : the kingdom of heaven is near.”

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Corinthians 1 : 10-13, 17

I beg of you, brothers, in the Name of Christ Jesus, our Lord, to agree among yourselves and do away with divisions; please be perfectly united, with one mind and one judgment.

For I heard from people of Cloe’s house about your rivalries. What I mean is this : “I am for Paul,” and others, “I am for Apollo,” or “I am for Peter,” or “I am for Christ.” Is Christ divided or have I, Paul, been crucified for you? Have you been baptised in the name of Paul?

For Christ did not send me to baptise, but to proclaim His Gospel. And not with beautiful words! That would be like getting rid of the cross of Christ.

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 13-14

The Lord is my Light and my Salvation – Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek – that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life, to gaze at His jewel and to visit His sanctuary.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Sunday, 25 January 2026 : Third Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sunday of the Word of God, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Isaiah 8 : 23b – Isaiah 9 : 3

YHVH has just afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the future He will confer glory on the way of the sea, on the land beyond the Jordan – the pagan’s Galilee.

The people who walk in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those who live in the land of the shadow of death. You have enlarged the nation; You have increased their joy. They rejoice before You, as people rejoice at harvest time as they rejoice in dividing the spoil.

For the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressors, You have broken it as on the day of Midian.

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Saturday, 24 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (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 heard of the virtues and faith which we ought to have in the Lord as His followers and disciples, following the examples of our predecessors, like that of the great King David of Israel, who was truly a devoted servant of God in all things, in all of his attitudes and actions, and then none other than the Lord Jesus Himself, Our Lord and Saviour, Who has shown us all how we truly should live our lives as Christians, in spending the time and effort to carry out all that the Lord has entrusted to us to do. Each and every one of us should always be inspired to live with great courage and commitment to the path that God has led us into.

In our first reading today, we heard of the story of the moment when the account of the death of King Saul and his son Jonathan, with many other Israelites at the Battle of Mount Gilboa was told to David. For the context, David was the one whom God had chosen to succeed Saul as the next King and ruler over His people, the Israelites. Saul had disobeyed the Lord and acted without virtue in some of his actions and choices, and hence, God withdrew His approval and favour from him and his house, and chose David to be the one to lead the Israelites instead. This led to plenty of frictions and sorrow that happened between David and Saul, as the latter even tried to kill and destroy David, trying to have him killed in several occasions despite the advice and pleading from Jonathan, Saul’s son, whom David had close partnership and Covenant with.

Eventually, if we heard what Saul and David went through in these past few days of Scripture readings, we will know that although David had been grievously wronged and had his life made very difficult by Saul in several occasions, but David did not hold any grudge against Saul and forgave him. And in yesterday’s reading, when the perfect opportunity was presented to David to end Saul’s life, he did not take it and he refused to be tempted to do such a vile action even when his closest confidants and followers begged and pressured him to do so. David was truly a righteous man and while he was himself also with his own flaws, he was a man whose heart was after God’s own Heart. He truly grieved for Saul and Jonathan when he heard of their deaths at the battle against the Philistines. And all these are reminders for all of us to follow his good examples in his virtuous life.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord was carrying out His works and ministry among the people of God, something that took much of His time, and we then heard of how His own relatives came to Him and took care of Him, because the ministry took so much of the time of the Lord and His disciples that they could not even have a proper meal or time to eat. Therefore, the relatives of the Lord, probably His cousins and others, some of them likely followed Him throughout His ministry and works, were likely unhappy because of the extensive commitments that this Jesus had committed Himself into, and therefore took Him out from the crowd.

 

In this very short reading passage of the Gospel, there is not really much that we can talk about, but if we are to understand better the context and the intention of the author of the Gospel in writing this, we are all reminded that ultimately, what the Lord has called us to do in our lives may not necessarily be something that is popular or easily acceptable by others, even by those who are closest to us. And yet, this does not mean that we should become afraid or uncertain in doing what the Lord has called us to do. We should continue to do as the Lord has shown us, but at the same time in a measured and careful way that we still do God’s works faithfully but not in the manner that caused inconvenience to others around us. We should do our best to love God wholeheartedly and love our brethren around us in the same way as well, just as the Lord has commanded us to do.

Today, all of us should follow the examples of one great saint whose faith and dedication to the Lord can become a great source of inspiration for us to be more faithful ourselves in living our lives as Christians. St. Francis de Sales was the famous inspiration behind the later foundation of the Salesian order, and he was also a pious and devoted man of God, as a bishop and shepherd to his flock. He was always referring to God as ‘God is Love’ and was convinced that God’s Love for us was so great, which drove him to continue carrying out more missions and works for the sake of the people of God. He became a priest and missionary in opposition to his family’s insistence that he took up secular role, having been born into privileged, rich and powerful family at that time. He chose to serve the Lord rather than indulging in his or his family’s own desires.

St. Francis de Sales dedicated himself to his mission, ministering even to the hard-heartened and stubborn heretics who initially refused to listen to him and even accused him to be a sorcerer. When he was appointed as bishop, he continued to serve the people entrusted to his care with great humility, devotion and love both for the Lord and for the people. He preached with great zeal and sincerity, and with great love and compassion, which touched quite a lot among the people, who were either led closer to conversion and reconciliation with God, or drawn away from heretical teachings or being strengthened and affirmed in their faith thanks to the hard work and dedication of St. Francis de Sales. The commitment and love which St. Francis de Sales had for the Lord is something that should inspire us all to do the same as well in our own lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have discussed earlier from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life and works of St. Francis de Sales, let us all therefore continue to strive to live our lives well and worthily, in the manner that the Lord has prescribed for us, in everything that He Himself has shown and taught us, and everything that He has revealed to us through the Holy Spirit and the Wisdom that He has imparted upon us and His Church. Each and every one of us have been called to be good examples and role models in faith to everyone we encounter in our lives. May the Lord be with us all and may He empower us to live our lives ever more faithfully in each and every moments so that we may lead more and more people towards Him. Amen.

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Saturday, 24 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 3 : 20-21

At that time, Jesus and His disciples went home. The crowd began to gather again and they could not even have a meal. Knowing what was happening, His relatives came to take charge of Him, “He is out of His mind,” they said.

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Saturday, 24 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 79 : 2-3, 5-7

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who lead Joseph like a flock; You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

O YHVH of hosts, how long will Your anger burn against the prayers of Your people? You have fed them with the bread of woe, and have given them tears to drink in their sorrow. You have made us the scorn of our neighbours and the laughingstock of our oppressors.

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Saturday, 24 January 2026 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

2 Samuel 1 : 1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27

After the death of Saul, when David had returned from defeating the Amalekites, he stayed at Ziklag for two days. On the third day a man arrived from the camp of Saul with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. When he approached David, the man threw himself to the ground in homage.

David asked him, “Where are you from?” And he answered, “I have escaped from the Israelite camp.” David then said, “Tell me what happened.” And the man told him, “The soldiers fled from the battle but many of them fell and died. Saul and his son Jonathan – they too are dead.”

At this, David took hold of his clothes and tore them and his men did the same. And they mourned, weeping and fasting until evening, for the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, for all the people of Judah and for the nation of Israel.

David sang this song of lamentation for Saul and his son Jonathan, “Your glory, o Israel, is slain upon your mountains! How the mighty ones have fallen! Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, neither in life nor in death were they parted; swifter than eagles they were and stronger than lions.”

“Women of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in precious scarlet. How the valiant have fallen! In the midst of the battle Jonathan lies slain on your mountains. I grieve for you, my brother Jonathan; how dear have you been to me! Your love for me was wonderful, ever more than the love of women. How the valiant have fallen! The weapons of war have perished!”