Thursday

by

Thursday, 20 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 16 : 19-31

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Once there was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and feasted every day. At his gate lay Lazarus, a poor man covered with sores, who longed to eat just the scraps falling from the rich man’s table. Even dogs used to come and lick his sores.”

“It happened that the poor man died, and Angels carried him to take his place with Abraham. The rich man also died, and was buried. From hell where he was in torment, the rich man looked up and saw Abraham afar off, and with him Lazarus at rest. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus, with the tip of his finger dipped in water, to cool my tongue, for I suffer so much in this fire.'”

“Abraham replied, ‘My son, remember that in your lifetime you were well-off, while the lot of Lazarus was misfortune. Now he is in comfort, and you are in agony. But that is not all. Between your place and ours a great chasm has been fixed, so that no one can cross over from here to you, or from your side to us.'”

“The rich man implored once more, ‘Then I beg you, Father Abraham, to send Lazarus to my father’s house, where my five brothers live, let him warn them, so that they may not end up in this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.'”

“But the rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham; but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced, even if someone rises from the dead.'”

by

Thursday, 20 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the one who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the law of the Lord and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

by

Thursday, 20 March 2025 : 2nd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 17 : 5-10

This is what YHVH says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings and depends on a mortal for his life, while his heart is drawn away from YHVH! He is like a bunch of thistles in dry land, in parched desert places, in a salt land where no one lives and who never finds happiness.”

“Blessed is the man who puts his trust in YHVH and whose confidence is in Him! He is like a tree planted by the water, sending out its roots towards the stream. He has no fear when the heat comes, his leaves are always green; the year of drought is no problem and he can always bear fruit.”

“Most deceitful is the heart. What is there within man, who can understand him? I, YHVH, search the heart and penetrate the mind. I reward each one according to his ways and the fruit of his deeds.”

by

Thursday, 13 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent, Twelfth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord contained in the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded as ever again on the generous and great love which God has shown us, His beloved people and children, in His care and concern for us, and how He has always extended His kindness to us despite all of us having constantly and frequently disobeyed Him and His commandments. God has always been patient in reaching out to us and calling on us to return to Him with contrite heart and with the genuine desire to be forgiven from our many sins and faults. We must not take for granted all the love that God has shown us, and we must always be ready to seek Him wholeheartedly and commit to Him our whole lives, as expected of us as Christians.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Esther, in which the account of the moment when Queen Esther of Persia prayed to the Lord, asking for His help and guidance, has been highlighted to us. For the context, at that time, the people of Israel living in Persia and in other territories of the Persian Empire were facing a lot of difficulties and challenges as they encountered opposition from their enemies, such as in particular one Haman, the Agagite, who was an Amalekite, a sworn enemy of the Israelites. Haman managed to manipulate the Persian King and the laws to favour him and to attempt the elimination of the entire race of the Israelites by framing them for rebellion and disobedience. Therefore, Esther, the Queen of Persia, who was an Israelite herself, prepared herself to face the King and his court, in the attempt to seek mercy and liberation for her people.

What Esther sought to do was very risky and dangerous for her, as she was not allowed or supposed to come to the presence of the King without being invited or asked to do so. Her predecessor, the former Queen Vashti of Persia was deposed and exiled precisely because she disobeyed the King’s command and rule, albeit in the exact opposite, as she refused to come to the King’s presence when he asked her to do so. Esther was her people’s last hope, as without her intercession and effort, the Israelites would surely have been destroyed and eliminated by their enemies, as per the designs of Haman mentioned earlier. And Esther turned her hope to the Lord, as she herself has no one else to turn to, and entrusted herself completely in His hands, believing that God alone can make things work and that He would provide for His people in their hour and time of need.

Esther pleaded before the Lord as we have all heard in our first reading passage today, asking Him to show mercy and kindness to His beloved people, that He would protect and guide them all just as He had once done during the time of the Exodus and then in the subsequent many occasions when He has intervened and shown His providence to His people, the Israelites, despite their disobedience and sins. It is a reminder for us all that we must always have faith and trust in the Lord, believing that He has the power to save us from our predicaments and troubles. We should not abandon Him in search of other sources of fulfilment, satisfaction and providence in our lives, but reaffirm our commitment to Him instead, desiring to love Him wholeheartedly in each and every moments of our lives.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples telling them all to put their faith and trust in God, Who is their loving Father and Creator, the One Who will not disappoint them in the struggles they encounter daily in life. If only they would put their trust and faith in the Lord, then the Lord would provide for them what they needed, and guide them to the right path. This is because as our loving Father, God will definitely not abandon us to harm or destruction, but He will give us what we need at that time and place. And in the case of Queen Esther, God was with her, as He answered her prayers and the prayers of the Israelites, overthrowing the designs and machinations of Haman, who was executed for his crimes and misdeeds, while the Israelites were saved from their fated destruction.

The Lord Jesus highlighted to His disciples, comparing God to a loving father, who will surely not give what is bad and harmful to his children. He will certainly provide for His children with love and attention, giving them our needs, even when we may not be aware of what we actually need in life. God’s love for us is such that we just need to ask Him, and He will answer us. However, many of us do not realise this, and we do not even bother to ask our Lord and Father, preferring to do things our own way, or depending instead on other means to settle our troubles, which may end up leading us into the path of disobedience and sin against God. And many of us may not understand that God may not necessarily answer us in the manner that we want, or give us what we seek or want. After all, He knows best what we need, even when we ourselves may not know what we need.

It is important therefore that we should spend the time during this Lenten season to rediscover the love which we all ought to have for our loving Father, our God Who has always shown us His patient and ever enduring love. All of us should not ignore our loving Father anymore, or neglect our obligations to Him, realising that there are still so many things that we are all supposed to do as God’s beloved and holy people, His children. We should make good use of this time and season of Lent to embark on a journey of reconciliation and repentance, seeking for the Lord, our most loving and compassionate Father to forgive us all of our trespasses, our disobedience and faults, and entrusting ourselves once again to His love and gentle care, so that we may truly be worthy to be called His children and holy people.

May the Lord continue to guide us through this journey of life, and may He help us to persevere through the many challenges present all around us so that we may truly be rooted in Him, and not be easily swayed by the many temptations present around us. May our loving Father continue to provide us all what we need, and help us to endure the various challenges that we may have to encounter in life, so that by His help and guidance, His strength and blessings, we may always walk ever more faithfully in His holy Presence, and strive to be good role models and examples for everyone around us. May God bless us all in each and every one of our good endeavours, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 13 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent, Twelfth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 7 : 7-12

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks.”

“Would any of you give a stone to your son, when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish? As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”

“So, do to others whatever you would that others do to you : there you have the Law and the Prophets.”

by

Thursday, 13 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent, Twelfth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 137 : 1-2a, 2bcd-3, 7c-8

I thank You, o Lord, with all my heart, for You have heard the word of my lips. I sing Your praise in the presence of the gods. I bow down towards Your holy Temple and give thanks to Your Name.

For Your love and faithfulness, for Your word which exceeds everything. You answered me when I called; You restored my soul and made me strong.

With Your right hand You deliver me. How the Lord cares for me! Your kindness, o Lord, endures forever. Forsake not the work of Your hands.

by

Thursday, 13 March 2025 : 1st Week of Lent, Twelfth Anniversary of the Pontificate of Pope Francis (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Esther 4 : 17n, p-r, aa-bb, gg-hh (Latin Vulgate version – Esther 14 : 1, 3-5, 12-14)

Seized with anguish in her fear of death, Queen Esther likewise had recourse to the Lord. Then she prayed to the Lord God of Israel : “My Lord, You Who stand alone, came to my help; I am alone and have no help but You. Through my own choice I am endangering my life.”

“As a child I was wont to hear from the people of the land of my forebears that You, o Lord, chose Israel from among all peoples, and our fathers from among their ancestors to be Your lasting heritage; that You did for them, all that You have promised.”

“Remember us, Lord; reveal Yourself in the time of our calamity. Give me courage, King of gods and Master of all power. Make my words persuasive when I face the lion; turn his heart against our enemy, that the latter and his like may be brought to their end.”

“Save us by Your hand; help me who am alone and have none but You, o Lord.”

by

Thursday, 6 March 2025 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we embark on this journey through the penitential and contemplative time of the Lenten season, let us all reflect on the words of the Sacred Scriptures that we have received on this day. We are reminded that as Christians all of us must make the decision to consciously follow the Lord and His path in our lives, and make the conscious effort and commitment to persevere in this path no matter what challenges, trials and tribulations may be in the journey that we have towards God. There is likely going to be plenty of obstacles in our path, but we must not allow these to be barriers preventing us from coming towards the Lord with genuine faith and devotion. Instead, they should make us even more committed and willing to follow the Lord more faithfully each day.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Deuteronomy in which Moses, the leader of the Israelites during the time of the Exodus from Egypt presented before the Israelites the rules and the commandments which the Lord had revealed and passed to them, and the expectations that accompany the Covenant which God had made with them, His beloved people. Moses reminded the people of the path that they ought to choose in their lives, whether they wanted to follow the Lord and obey Him, His Law and commandments, or whether they wanted to walk their own path of disobedience and rebellion against God. Moses made it clear the choices that lay before the people, and how their choices are truly important, in deciding their eventual fate.

What Moses had said to the Israelites highlighted the way that the Lord has always been loving and caring towards His people, and He has always been patient in helping and leading them all to Himself. However, at the same time, He also gave them the free will and the freedom to choose their course of actions in life, the gift that the Lord gave to each one of us. He does not impose on us His will, and He gave us the freedom to walk the way that we choose. At the same time, Moses made it clear that if we put our faith and trust in God, then in the end, we will receive the fullness of His grace and blessings, and we will not regret our choice, as despite the challenges and trials that we may face, we will be vindicated by the triumphant glory with God. On the other hand, if we choose to walk away from God, in the end, there will only be suffering and eternity of regret in Hell.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel of St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord telling His disciples plainly and frankly about what He Himself would experience in the midst of His upcoming Passion, the culmination of His worldly ministry. The Lord said it clearly that He, the Son of Man, would have to suffer rejection, persecution and oppression from none other than the leaders of the people, the chief priests and the elders, to be handed over to His enemies, and to be punished and persecuted although the fault was not His own. And yet, He would obey willingly to follow the path that His heavenly Father has shown Him, the path of redemption for all mankind, which He would accomplish by His most selfless and loving sacrifice on the Cross.

He also predicted His own Resurrection on the third day, and also how the same sufferings would be part of the disciples’ life, mission and journey. He reminded them all that just as the world has rejected and opposed Him, thus it is likely that they would also face the same challenges and obstacles that He had been facing. And they cannot be His true disciples and followers unless they carried their own crosses and follow Him wholeheartedly and faithfully. This is the reality that the Lord presented to His disciples, reminding especially those among them who might be expecting good and comfortable life if they were to follow Him as their Lord and Master. Some among the disciples at the time had the misconception thinking that the Messiah was to come to usher the era of peace and glory, the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel, and this is what the Lord wanted to remind them about the truth.

All of us are reminded that as Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord, we must always be ready to face persecution and difficulties in our path, and we should not expect that our lives will be good and smooth. This does not mean that God will not bless us, as He will surely bless us abundantly and give us His guidance and strength. However, we have to put our faith and trust in God whenever the challenges and trials come by us, or else we may be easily tempted and swayed to abandon our faith in the Lord and abandon His path, choosing to embrace instead the other allures of worldly temptations and solutions to our struggles and issues. All these may lead us astray in our journey in life, and in the end, we may end up being lost forever to the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we enter into this time and season of Lent, we are all called to turn over a new leaf in our lives, embracing the truth of God and His love, His path wholeheartedly as we all should have done. We have been given these many wonderful opportunities by the Lord which we should never squander, and we should try our best such that we use them well in changing our way of life and our attitudes, putting ourselves wholly in the path of righteousness and virtue, doing our very best to live in accordance to the manner that the Lord has shown us. We have been given the freedom to choose our path in life, and we have been reminded and shown what each of those paths will lead into, and therefore we should really spend the time to discern how we are to move forward in life from now on.

May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to strengthen and encourage us all in our lives, each and every moment of these precious lives we have been blessed with. Let our Lenten practices and observances be truly good, worthy and fruitful in leading us ever closer towards the Lord, and help us to remain true and faithful to this path towards God’s salvation and eternal life. May all of us not easily be swayed or tempted to abandon our struggles and perseverance despite all the challenges and difficulties that we may have to face in this journey. May God bless us all in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 6 March 2025 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 9 : 22-25

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the elders and chief priests and teachers of the Law, and be put to death. Then after three days He will be raised to life.”

Jesus also said to all the people, “If you wish to be a follower of Mine, deny yourself and take up your cross each day, and follow Me! For if you choose to save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for My sake, you will save it. What does it profit you to gain the whole world, if you destroy or damage yourself?”

by

Thursday, 6 March 2025 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the man who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the Law of YHVH and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For YHVH knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.