Thursday

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Thursday, 6 November 2025 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the passages from the Sacred Scriptures in which the Lord reminds us all that we should not be quick to criticise one another and think that we are more worthy than those around us or those we encounter. Unfortunately, this attitude is quite common within the Church and many among us may have encountered attitudes and behaviours, actions and ways which might have scandalised us because all these actions and attitudes are in contrast to what the Lord Himself has told and taught us. And if we do not truly believe and live our lives in the manner that we have been expected to do, how can we then expect others to believe in Him as well?

Worse still, instead of bringing people closer to God, our actions and attitudes might push people further away from Him as these things we have done convinced people that we are no better than hypocrites and as all those who are not sincere about their faith in the Lord. As Christians, each and every one of us must always put the Lord at the very centre and as the very focus of our lives, and yet, as many among us Christians, we have caused hurt, scandal and hardships on others around us, both towards our fellow brothers and sisters in the same faith, and also to others who have not yet known or believed in God. In all these, we are reminded that we should not be only outwardly faithful but instead we should truly embody our faith in every breaths and actions we take.

In our first reading today, from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome, we heard of the Apostle telling them all not to be judgmental against their own brothers and sisters in faith, their fellow men and women, because ultimately, each one of us have our own flaws and imperfections, and none of us can truly claim to be better than the others around us. At the same time, the Apostle also said that God’s love has been freely extended and given to everyone, and therefore, because God Himself has loved each and every one of us equally and most lovingly, we should not be biased or prejudiced against anyone simply because we think that we are better or more righteous than others.

It is this attitude of being self-righteous, prideful and arrogant which had led so many, like the Pharisees and the chief priests among them, that many of these people failed to see the truth and reality of God, to whom they had all been intended to receive. All those pride and arrogance prevented them from humbling themselves that they might truly appreciate and understand what God had taught, revealed and wanted to show to them. That was why those people ended up hardening their hearts and minds, refusing to believe in God and His works, His teachings and truth, despite their own understanding of the Law and the Prophets affirm all the things that the Lord Himself had done among His people through His Son.

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 encountered some Pharisees who harshly criticised Him and His actions, simply because He often enjoyed the company of the tax collectors, who often invited Him to speak to them and to share their meal with them. Contextually, we must understand that the Pharisees were the religious and intellectual elites of the Jewish community, with the main preoccupation and focus on the preservation of the Jewish Law, commandments, customs and practices. As such, they were very highly respected by the community. Meanwhile, tax collectors were often viewed negatively back then, as they were often seen and considered as traitors to the people because of the nature of their work.

The tax collectors worked to gather the taxes meant for the local kings like Herod, as well as the Roman overlords who ruled over the whole region. Due to the demands placed on the people who were already suffering from hardships, challenges and difficulties, it was no surprise that the tax collectors were very much hated by many among the people. They were reviled, hated and rejected by much of the community, being ostracised and literally everyone avoided and hated them. Yet, the tax collectors themselves were the very ones who were in fact closest to the Kingdom of God, because they had regret and strong desire to be reconciled with God. That is why the Lord also wanted to reassure His people of His providence in all things.

The Lord used the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin to highlight His points and ideas, as in both parables, two important possession of a person had been lost, and the one seeking those lost possessions went all of the way to find and rescue the lost sheep, and also to find the lost coin. This is a reminder to all of us that the Lord Himself put the same efforts and sincerity in reaching out to us, to find and discover us, and to bring us all back towards Himself. Are we even aware of all the love and patience that the Lord has always shown us? Or have we often taken His love and generosity, His patience and compassion for granted? These are the questions we are constantly being reminded to consider carefully as we ponder on our paths going forward.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do whatever we can, as we have just discussed in the Sacred Scriptures, in doing what God has shown us all, in being truly faithful to Him, and not in merely paying lip service to Him. We are reminded that we should all be genuine in our faith in the Lord, in doing what He has commanded and entrusted to us to do, living our faith in life with sincerity and with clear effort, knowing that in each and every moments of our lives, we are always called to be good examples and role models to one another, and to be the ones to deliver the light and truth of God to this darkened world, so that 

May the Lord help us all to remain strong in our faith, conviction and dedication to glorify Him in each and every moments of our lives, in how we should carry out ourselves and our behaviours and attitudes so that we may truly be good, worthy and genuine disciples of the Lord, His holy and beloved people, to whom He had entrusted His teachings and truth, which He has passed down onto us through His holy Church. May God continue to bless each and every one of us such that in our every good endeavours and efforts, our every good works and contributions, we will continue to do the great works of God, for His greater glory. Amen.

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Thursday, 6 November 2025 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 15 : 1-10

At that time, tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what He had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering, “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus told them this parable :

“Who among you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, will not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and seek the lost one till he finds it? And finding it, will he not joyfully carry it home on his shoulders? Then he will call his friends and neighbours together, and say, ‘Celebrate with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner, than over ninety-nine decent people, who do not need to repent.”

“What woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one, will not light a lamp, and sweep the house in a thorough search, till she finds the lost coin? And finding it, she will call her friends and neighbours, and say, ‘Celebrate with me, for I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way, there is rejoicing among the Angels of God over one repentant sinner.”

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Thursday, 6 November 2025 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 13-14

YHVH is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? YHVH is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

One thing I ask of YHVH, 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 YHVH in the land of the living. Trust in YHVH, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in YHVH!

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Thursday, 6 November 2025 : 31st Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 14 : 7-12

In fact, none of us lives for himself, nor dies for himself. If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Either in life or in death, we belong to the Lord; It was for this purpose that Christ both died and came to life again, to be Lord, both of the living and of the dead.

Then you, why do you criticise your brother or sister? And you, why do you despise them? For we will all appear at the tribunal of God. It is written : I swear by Myself – Word of the Lord – every knee will bend before Me, and every tongue shall give glory to God. So each of us will account for himself before God.

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Thursday, 30 October 2025 : 30th 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 Scripture, we are reminded that God’s Love for us is so mighty and powerful that we should always trust in this Love that He has shown and manifested before all of us in His own Beloved Son, Our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord, by Whom God has made tangible and real the love which He has generously granted and given to all of us mankind. By this great and wonderful love all of us have indeed been saved and liberated from the tyranny and domination of sin and evil. He has done everything for us all out of His endless and patient love, and hence, we are reminded that we ourselves should continue to love Him wholeheartedly and do our best to carry out this love towards everyone around us as well.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Rome in which the Apostle continued to remind the faithful of the power of God’s Love which conquers and overcomes everything, and there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. For God has done everything that He could do, in sending us the best of all gifts in giving to us all His own Beloved Son, His own Begotten Son manifesting His perfect Love to all of us. He has provided us all the sure path through which He led us directly to Himself, by His willing embrace of our own imperfections, faults and problems, all of which He had put upon His own shoulders, as He bore that heaviest and most painful cross for our salvation.

The Lord did not easily give up on us, and He has crafted the perfect remedy for sin, by sending us His own Beloved Son Who took up our own existence in the flesh, our own human nature and existence so that by His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross, His most selfless and loving offering of Himself on our behalf, to be persecuted, tortured and slain for us and our salvation, all of us may receive the guarantee of life everlasting and the complete freedom from the domination by sin, which had plagued us all throughout time and history. No one, nothing and no powers in Heaven, on Earth or in the underworld are capable of separating us from the love of God, and to undo what He had done for our sake, not even the mightiest of the evil ones, Satan himself.

That is why we are reminded that we should continue to hold on firmly to our faith in God, and we should not be easily tempted to abandon the Lord especially when things were tough and challenging for us. We should instead continue to hold on to that faith which we have had in Him, and learn to trust in God even when we may not immediately see His providence and help in our midst. We must remember that each and every one of us are truly precious to God and we are never far from His mind and from His Most loving Heart. We have to trust in everything that He has planned for our own good, resisting the pressures and other demands for us to conform to the path of worldliness and evil. We should continue to show our good faith in God in all the things we say and do, at all times.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which it was highlighted that some of the Pharisees were warning Jesus that King Herod, the ruler of Galilee wanted to persecute and kill Him. And to this warning the Lord replied with a prophecy referring to His upcoming moments of suffering and persecution, and what He would continue to do up to that moment, continuing to do whatever that His Heavenly Father has entrusted to Him, to heal the sick and to encourage the downtrodden and those who were facing difficulties and challenges in life. He would not be deterred simply by those threats and persecutions which the authorities, like King Herod or even some of the Pharisees themselves had shown Him.

At the same time, we also heard how the Lord then lamented on Jerusalem, on the state of affairs of the people and how the reality was indeed sad such that they would persecute the One Whom God had sent into their midst to bring them all the revelation of His salvation and the eternal life that He has assured to them all. He has always been patient in showing His love and compassion on the people, and yet, they and their ancestors had persecuted Him and all those whom He had sent earlier on, the prophets and messengers, to remind them of this great love and wonders of God. Instead of obeying and listening to God, they had hardened their hearts and minds, closing them even further against the Lord and His constant efforts to reach out to them with love.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence continue to remind ourselves to appreciate the great and ever enduring love of God which has always been shown and lavished upon us all. Let us not take this great love for granted anymore, and instead, we should show gratitude for everything that God had done for our sake, and follow His examples in loving us all, by showing Him the same love that He has shown us, by our wholehearted devotion to Him and His cause, and also by showing the same love towards our fellow brothers and sisters around us, as He has shown us by His own selfless offering of Himself on the Cross. Let us all be truly genuine in loving and caring for each other, and in showing our faith in God in all the things we do in life in each and every moments.

May the Lord continue to strengthen each and every one of us in our faith in Him, and may He continue to encourage us all so that in our every actions and works in life, in each and every one of our good endeavours and efforts, through our daily living and actions, our interactions and encounters with those we meet in our daily events and activities, and even more so towards our closest and most beloved ones. Let us all continue to show God’s love through our own loving actions, truly being genuine in loving and caring for those whom we have been called to share this love, at all times. Amen.

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Thursday, 30 October 2025 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 13 : 31-35

At that time, some Pharisees came to Jesus and gave Him this warning, “Leave this place and go on Your way, for Herod wants to kill You.”

Jesus said to them, “Go and give that fox My answer : ‘I drive out demons, and I heal today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish My course!’ Nevertheless, I must go on My way today, and tomorrow, and for a little longer; for it would not be fitting for a Prophet to be killed outside Jerusalem.”

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you slay the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I tried to bring together your children, as a bird gathers her young under her wings, but you refused! From now on, you will be left with your Temple, and you will no longer see Me, until the time when you will say, ‘Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord.'”

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Thursday, 30 October 2025 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 108 : 21-22, 26-27, 30-31

But as for me, o God my YHVH, for Your Name’s sake, act on my behalf; deliver me, in the goodness of Your love. For I am poor and needy; my heart is stricken within me.

Help me, o YHVH my God; and save me, for the sake of Your love. Let them know that this is Your hand; that it is You, YHVH, Who do this.

To YHVH, I will give my thanks; I will praise Him in the great assembly. He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who condemn them.

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Thursday, 30 October 2025 : 30th Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Romans 8 : 31b-39

If God is with us, who shall be against us? If He did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not give us all things with Him? Who shall accuse those chosen by God : He takes away their guilt. Who will dare to condemn them? Christ, Who died, and better still, rose, and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us?

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be trials, or anguish, persecution or hunger, lack of clothing, or dangers or sword? As the Scripture says : For your sake, we are being killed all day long; they treat us like sheep to be slaughtered.

No, in all of this, we are more than conquerors, thanks to Him, Who has loved us. I am certain, that neither death nor life, neither Angels nor spiritual powers, neither the present nor the future, nor cosmic powers, were they from heaven, or from the deep world below, nor any creature whatsoever, will separate us from the love of God, which we have, in Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

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Thursday, 23 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John of Capestrano, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

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 as Christians, when we follow the Lord, each and every one of us are called to reject the path of worldliness, sin and the temptations of the world, all of which can lead us astray from the path towards God and His salvation. Each and every one of us have been shown the truth of God’s way, the virtues and righteousness which He has taught and revealed to us, against the wickedness of the world. And therefore, we are also reminded that it is inevitable that there will be friction, hardships, challenges and problems that we may face in this world if we continue to live our lives faithfully in God’s Presence.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Rome in which the Apostle continued to speak on the matter of sin, which has caused us to fall into the path that leads away from God. St. Paul reminded the faithful how they were once the slaves of sin, and being slaves of sin they had been destined to destruction and damnation, but God had provided the sure path for them all out of the path of sin and into the path of righteousness towards Him. Through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, He has established His Church in this world, and by the authority presented to His Church, He has given us the gifts of the Sacraments, especially that of baptism by which we have been cleansed from the taints of our original sins and welcomed into the Church of God.

However, it does not mean that once we are baptised and become members of God’s Church, then we are absolutely free from the threat of sin, as sin can once again threaten us all and as long as we exist in our mortal and worldly existence in this world, we will always be vulnerable to the temptations and pressures to sin, by disobeying God and disregarding His Law and commandments, and by not doing what He has asked and told us to do. Each and every one of us as Christians are still in this long journey through this life towards God, the journey that we all undertake in our own respective paths, facing the ever present threats and attacks from the evil ones around us, all those seeking our destruction and downfall. If we remain firm and strong in our faith in God, then we will be able to persevere against all these.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the rather harsh words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples as He told them that He came into the world bearing the truth and the Good News which would not necessarily lead to peace and harmony unlike what many of His disciples thought that He would do. We must first understand that at that time, the understanding and appreciation of the Jewish people regarding the Messiah or the Saviour promised by God, was one of happy and jubilant expectation, as they considered the Messiah to be the One Whom God would send into the world to restore the glory of the Kingdom of Israel, to return the people of Israel and their descendants once again to the glorious days of King David and King Solomon.

However, the Lord Jesus Himself said that this was not to be, and He told the disciples that the reality was rather that, those who followed Him and put their faith in Him would in fact face hurdles and struggles because of what they believed. That was why He told them that He would bring divisions and struggles, conflicts and hardships between members of the family, even those who were closest to each other. This would indeed come true as if we were to read the story of the lives of the martyrs and members of the early Church, where those early Christians often faced persecutions and oppositions, and these came not only from the Roman state or the Jewish authorities, but from their own closest ones, their own family members and close friends, who disagreed with their Christian faith.

It is an important reminder that being Christians is not something that may necessarily be easy for all of us to do. If we have lived our lives mostly comfortably as Christians, which can and do indeed happen, but more likely because we have not truly lived our faith seriously and genuinely. From time to time, when we live our lives faithfully and courageously, in how we truly love God and put Him at the centre of our own lives, and when we love sincerely those whom God had put in our paths and lives, those whom the Lord had entrusted to us to our care. There will be challenges and frictions, even with those close to us, and what we may find most uncomfortable is that, those who make our lives and faith miserable may be even our fellow Catholics, those who are supposed to be our fellow brothers and sisters, and yet, they may be the one who caused us the most harm and sorrow.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John of Capestrano, whose life and examples should inspire us all in how we can be better disciples and followers of the Lord in all things. St. John of Capestrano was a famous Franciscan friar and priest, and a courageous and dedicated preacher and servant of God who committed himself wholeheartedly to the Lord, in obeying the commandments and the Law of God. He was a renowned theologian whose works and efforts, in spreading the Good News and the truth of the Gospel of Christ have borne a lot of good fruits, in proclaiming the salvation of God to more and more of those who have not known them. He preached to huge crowds that came to listen to him, which numbered even more than a hundred thousand people in one occasion, and he also attained great successes in other places as well.

St. John of Capestrano also dedicated himself to the Lord, putting Him above all else, even volunteering to raise and lead a large army together to fight against the forces of the Ottoman Turks that were threatening Christendom at that time, fighting in a Crusade launched by the Pope to resist the mighty forces of the enemy and unbelievers. He kept on inspiring all the soldiers who fought during that Crusade and conflicts, and while he eventually survived the battle, he fell ill from the bubonic plague and passed away shortly after. Nonetheless, the memories of his courage, commitment to God and efforts in proclaiming the Lord, in giving himself completely to the Lord and His cause are remembered by many long after his death, even to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today therefore as we listened to the story of the life and works of St. John of Capestrano and as we reflected earlier on the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded that we should continue to have faith in God even amidst all the challenges and difficulties that we may have to face in our lives. We should not easily give up the struggle and faith, in all the things we do in life, so that by our every efforts and good works, we will continue to inspire faith and hope in everyone around us. We should continue to do our best to live truly good, faithful and worthy lives, one that shine wonderfully with God’s light and truth, at all times. May God bless us always, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 23 October 2025 : 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. John of Capestrano, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Luke 12 : 49-53

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “I have come to bring fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to undergo, and what anguish I feel until it is finished! Do you think that I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house five will be divided : three against two, and two against three.”

“They will be divided, father against son and son against father; mother against daughter and daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”