Thursday

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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.”

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

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

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.

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

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Romans 6 : 19-23

You see, that I speak in a very human way, taking into account that you are not fully mature. There was a time, when you let your members be slaves of impurity and disorder, walking in the way of sin; convert them, now, into servants of righteousness, to the point of becoming holy.

When you were slaves of sin, you did not feel under obligation to righteousness, but what were the fruits of those actions, of which you are now ashamed? Such things bring death. Now, however, you have been freed from sin and serve God. You are bearing fruit, and growing in holiness, and the result will be life everlasting.

So, on one side is sin : its reward, death; on the other side, is God : He gives us, by grace, life everlasting, in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

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Thursday, 16 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hedwig, Religious, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious or Holy Virgins)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that through our faith in God and by His great generosity in compassion and forgiveness, each and every one of us have received the grace of mercy and salvation from the Lord, our Saviour Himself, and each and every one of us are equally beloved, precious and dear to the Lord, and none of us should think that we are better or more deserving of God’s grace and mercy, and that others are more likely to fall into sin and damnation than us. Instead of us being biased and judgmental against each other like how the religious and intellectual elites, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law often considered themselves as superior and better than everyone else.

In our first reading today, taken from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the faithful and the Church in Rome, we heard the words of the Apostle exhorting the believers of Christ from both Jewish and Gentile or non-Jewish origins that God had indeed intended His salvation and grace for everyone, for all of His beloved children without exception. God does not discriminate or differentiate between any of His children, and He loves all of them, all of us regardless of our backgrounds and origins, and He has made us all righteous and worthy through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom alone the salvation of all mankind and the assurance of eternal life have been given and shown to us. This comment was made by St. Paul in particular against the attitudes of the Pharisees in the Jewish community, to which St. Paul himself used to belong to.

The Pharisees particularly among the Jewish people saw themselves of being righteous and just, worthy and deserving of God’s grace and blessings, while the non-Jewish people would all be condemned to oblivion and destruction, despite them in fact also belonging to the same race of mankind, the same children of Adam, and whose lack of faith in God was not necessarily by their own fault, as they had no one to tell them about the truth of God. God therefore had revealed through Christ, His own Beloved Son, Whom He had sent into the world, that He loves everyone and wants all to be saved without exception and without discrimination. What truly matters is one’s faith and trust in God, and in how one truly applies what he or she believes in, that they are true and genuine people of God in all things, and not merely externally as what many of the Pharisees had done.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus continued with His rebuke of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who had often acted in the manners that were in opposition of God’s good works and in their constant struggles, criticisms and attacks against Him, all of which prevented the Lord and His disciples from doing many good things for the people who needed them. The Lord was particularly critical against all those people who claimed to be righteous and good, and yet, continued to resist the good works of God, and like their ancestors before them, persecuting all those disagreed with them and who did not follow the way that they had believed.

The Lord rebuked those self-righteous, proud and arrogant people who sought mostly for their own self-glorification and benefits over the hardships and sufferings of others around them. This is therefore also a reminder for all of us that we should not give in to the same temptations that those whom the Lord had rebuked, had given in to. Each and every one of us as Christians, all equally beloved children, sons and daughters of our Lord, all share this same grace from God and also therefore the shared responsibility to proclaim the truth and Good News of the Lord and His salvation to our world today. And this means our behaviours, attitudes and actions should all be aligned to God’s ways and will, and we should always strive to live worthily at all times, in the best way we can, in our every good efforts and works.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of two holy and great women, whose lives and great examples in faith and in their way of life should inspire each and every one of us in how we should be living our lives, and in how we can be good and devout Christians in all things, in putting our faith and trust in God, rather than in worldly matters and temptations. St. Hedwig, also known as St. Hedwig of Silesia was the Duchess of Silesia as the consort of the Silesian Duke, and was renowned for her great piety and dedication to God, while St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French religious nun, who was also renowned for her faith in God, as well as for having received visions and revelation from the Lord, which has shown His Most Sacred Heart to her.

St. Hedwig of Silesia was married to the heir of the Duke of Silesia when she was barely just twelve years old, and she was involved for many years in the great intrigue and court politics involving her husband, who struggled to maintain the ducal authority while at the same time expanding his rule and influence, against rival duchies and other rulers. In one occasion, St. Hedwig interceded on behalf of her husband, when the latter was in captivity, and her husband was released by her efforts. The virtues and good actions of St. Hedwig helped her husband in his rule, and also became great inspiration for many people of her time, and both St. Hedwig and her husband, Duke Henry of Silesia, were very pious and faithful to God. And when she was widowed after many decades of marriage, she moved into a monastery and dedicated the rest of her life in commitment to God.

Meanwhile, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a very devout servant of God who had great and intense love for the Lord even from her early childhood. She dedicated herself to the Blessed Sacrament and the Lord, as well as to His Blessed Mother Mary, since early on, especially after recovering from a bout of serious illness, and eventually became a religious nun after having received a vision of Christ, reminding her of her love for Him. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque received several private revelations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus over a period of eighteen months, in which the Lord Jesus revealed to her the intense love that God has for each and every one of us, as manifested through His Most Sacred Heart, injured and wounded because of our many sins and transgressions.

Eventually, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque revealed her visions to her superior, after a period of struggle and discernment, and the messages she received from the Lord were made known, writing testaments and other works to make the Lord’s intentions known better, for the state, the society and all the people of God. Ever since then, and after having her visions and revelations certified as genuine, the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which had actually begun centuries earlier, came to take form in the manner that we are familiar with today, and became widespread among the people throughout Christendom, which continues to this very day, all thanks to the faith, devotion and commitment shown by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from the life and works of St. Hedwig and also St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and as we have discussed and reflected from our Scripture readings today, let us all therefore strive to do our best to be truly faithful to God and not merely putting up appearances and making our faith into merely a formality. Instead, we should always strive to live our lives ever more courageously in faith, doing our best in each and every moments so that by our examples in faith and life, we may indeed inspire many more people to come to believe in the Lord. May all of us continue to be faithful and committed in our everyday living, doing our very best to glorify God at all times. May He continue to strengthen us in faith each day, and bless our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Thursday, 16 October 2025 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hedwig, Religious, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious or Holy Virgins)

Luke 11 : 47-54

At that time, Jesus said to the teachers of the Law, “A curse is on you, for you build monuments to the prophets your ancestors killed. So you approve and agree with what your ancestors did. Is it not so? They got rid of the prophets, and you build monuments to them!”

“For that reason the wisdom of God also said : I will send prophets and Apostles and these people will kill and persecute some of them. But the present generation will have to answer for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the Sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, the people of this time will have to answer for them all.”

“A curse is on you, teachers of the Law, for you have taken the key of knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you prevented others from entering.”

As Jesus left that place, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to harass Him, asking Him endless questions, setting traps to catch Him in something He might say.