Tuesday

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Tuesday, 17 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings are important reminders for all of us that we should continue to trust in God’s power of healing and restoration for each and every one of us, that no matter how long we have to struggle, endure challenges and wait, and no matter how tough our situations and our trials may be for us, but in the end, if we trust in the Lord, everything will ultimately be fine for us, and we will be vindicated, liberated, strengthened and encouraged throughout whatever challenges, hardships and trials that we may be facing in our journey of life. We should continue to keep this in mind and never lose our hope, continuing to go forth confidently with God as our guide.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel in which we heard the vision of Ezekiel of the heavenly Temple of God, where the Lord’s Presence resided, and how from this grand and wonderful Temple, a great stream of lifegiving water was seen and coming forth, flooding out of the Temple into a great stream of lifegiving water, which brought forth many trees with bountiful fruits. In that great vision is an important reminder for all of us that with God lies the wonderful hope of renewal and restoration, because God indeed is the Lord and Master of life, and the One in Whom we can find true joy and hope that sustains us through even through the most difficult moments.

That is why through what we have heard from the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, we are reminded that no matter how bleak our situation in this world may be, we must never lose hope and we must always remain positive no matter what, and we have to put our trust in God because it is in Him alone that we can find true satisfaction, joy and fulfilment. We should seek the Lord from Whom we can receive the assurance of eternal life and contentment, because in the Lord there is the Spring of lifegiving water, which fills us all up and nourishes us, strengthening and empowering us all through the most difficult challenges and moments in life.

Now, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the miraculous healing of a paralysed man who was lying for many years, a total of thirty-eight years at the Pool of Bethzatha around Jerusalem. In that occasion, the poor man had been waiting for so many years without end, in trying to get the miraculous healing associated with that Pool, as according to what we heard, an Angel of God would descend periodically on the water of the Pool, and the moment that happened, the first person to come into the water would be miraculously healed. Unfortunately, as we heard, no one was willing to help the paralysed man to get into the pool.

And that was how he was lying there for so many years without any progress, until the day when the Lord Jesus Himself came to the Pool and saw the paralysed man, knowing that this man had been suffering for so many years without any hope of healing and redemption, and that was why, He offered to him the healing that he had been long waiting for, and by the man’s faith, he was hence healed and made whole again to the astonishment of everyone who had known him being paralysed and lying at the pool for all of his life. This reminds us all that if we put our faith and trust in the Lord, ultimately, we will be vindicated, all of our hope and waiting will be worthwhile in the end, no matter how long our waiting may be. Trust in the Lord always and be faithful to Him, and believe always in His Providence.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of the renowned missionary and saint who is the patron of all the Irish people all around the world, namely St. Patrick, who is remembered for his great missionary works and zeal, in his efforts to bring the Christian faith to the land of Ireland among other things. St. Patrick was a well-known missionary of the faith, who was born in the area of Britain in the fifth century, and it was told that he was captured and enslaved by Irish pirates in his youth, before he managed to flee and eventually made his way back to his homeland, where he studied to become a missionary and a priest.

St. Patrick went to the mainland Europe and was then appointed as a priest and missionary by the Pope himself, as one of those whom the Church sent to bring forth the Good News of God to more and more people around the world, sent to the region of Ireland, and became the first bishop of the land, where there were still mainly pagan populations throughout the whole island. St. Patrick ministered faithfully and patiently to the people of Ireland, spending many years reaching out to them, to the kings, the nobles and the commoners alike, and managed to touch many hearts and many lives, convincing quite a lot of people to turn away from sins and their old idols, and became followers of Christ.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all take the good examples of the life and the works of St. Patrick to inspire us in how we should live our own lives as Christians, loving God first and foremost, and dedicating ourselves to Him and His cause, and also loving one another in the same manner, remembering the patient love that both God and St. Patrick had shown to those who were beloved to them. Let us all ask the Lord for the strength and grace that we may follow Him with great faith and commitment, from now on, and walk always ever in His path, trusting that in Him there is healing and redemption from all of our afflictions and problems. May God continue to guide us and bless us in our journey of faith throughout this life. May God bless us always, in all of our good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Tuesday, 17 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 5 : 1-16

At that time, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now, by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem, there is a pool (called Bethzatha in Hebrew) surrounded by five galleries. In these galleries lay a multitude of sick people : blind, lame and paralysed.

(All were waiting for the water to move, for at times an Angel of the Lord would descend into the pool and stir up the water; and the first person to enter the pool, after this movement of the water, would be healed of whatever disease that he had.)

There was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. Jesus saw him, and because He knew how long this man had been lying there, He said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” And the sick man answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; so while I am still on my way, another steps down before me.”

Jesus then said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk!” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his mat and walked. Now that day happened to be the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had just been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and the Law does not allow you to carry your mat.” He answered them, “The One Who healed me said to me, “Take up your mat and walk!”

They asked him, “Who is the One Who said to you : Take up your mat and walk?” But the sick man had no idea who it was Who had cured him, for Jesus had slipped away among the crowd that filled the place. Afterwards Jesus met him in the Temple court and told him, “Now you are well; do not sin again, lest something worse happen to you.”

And the man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus Who had healed him. So the Jews persecuted Jesus because He performs healings like that on the Sabbath.

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Tuesday, 17 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 45 : 2-3, 5-6, 8-9ab

God is our strength and protection, an ever-present help in affliction. We will not fear, therefore, though the earth be shaken and the mountains plunge into the seas.

There is a river whose streams bring joy to the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within, the city cannot quake, for God’s help is upon it at the break of day.

For with us is the Lord of hosts, the God of Jacob, our refuge. Come, see the works of the Lord – the marvellous things He has done in the world.

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Tuesday, 17 March 2026 : 4th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Patrick, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Ezekiel 47 : 1-9, 12

The man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple and I saw water coming out from the threshold of the Temple and flowing eastwards. The Temple faced the east and the water flowed from the south side of the Temple, from the south side of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing the east and there I saw the stream coming from the south side.

The man had a measuring cord in his hand. As he went towards the east he measured off a thousand cubits and led me across the water which was up to my ankles. He measured off another thousand cubits and made me cross the water which came to my knees. He measured off another thousand cubits and we crossed the water which was up to my waist. When he had again measured a thousand cubits, I could not cross the torrent for it had swollen to a depth which was impossible to cross without swimming.

The man then said to me, “Son of man, did you see?” He led me on further and then brought me back to the bank of the river. There I saw a number of trees on both sides of the river. He said to me, “This water goes to the east, down to the Arabah, and when it flows into the sea of foul-smelling water, the water will become wholesome.”

“Wherever the river flows, swarms of creatures will live in it; fish will be plentiful and the sea water will become fresh. Wherever it flows, life will abound. Near the river on both banks there will be all kinds of fruit trees with foliage that will not wither and fruit that will never fail; each month they will bear a fresh crop because the water comes from the Temple. The fruit will be good to eat and the leaves will be used for healing.”

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026 : 3rd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the power of God’s love and mercy for us all His beloved people, as we are constantly being reminded of the great love and compassion, mercy and kindness that He has always had for each and every one of us His beloved ones. We are never distant from God’s love and kindness, and He is always ever ready to welcome us back should we seek Him and His loving Presence. As our most loving Creator and our ever present Father, God has always been kind and patient towards us, in loving us all genuinely and sincerely, in generously extending His love and mercy to us, and in the same manner then, we too are expected to show that same love and mercy in our own lives, to one another.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel, we heard of the prayer uttered by Azariah, one of the three friends of Daniel mentioned in that Book, where all of them, the four of them were members of the people from the former kingdom of Judah that had been sent into exile in the distant lands from their homeland in Judah, to the land of Babylon and beyond. They had faced a lot of trials and difficulties in those lands, uprooted from the lands of their ancestors and having to endure that shame, as well as being coerced, pressured and forced to abandon their customs and practices, and even their worship of the Lord their God, in favour of the pagan gods and idols of the Babylonians.

Yet, Daniel and his friends persevered on and remained faithful to God. And in this particular occasion, Azariah and his friends were being forced to worship the great golden statue and idol which King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had built in his own likeness together with many others of his subjects. And among all those people only the three of them refused to bend the knee and worship the golden statue, resulting in them earning the king’s great wrath, who ordered them all to be put into a blazing furnace. Not only that, but their courageous rebuttal and refusal before the king himself incensed the king even more, who ordered the fire to be made even hotter than usual. And this was the context of what we heard in our first reading passage today, as Azariah prayed to the Lord from within the blazing furnace.

Azariah prayed to the Lord asking for His providence, protection and mercy for His people who were suffering and who faced trials and tribulations, reminding Him of His love for all of them despite their sinfulness and wickedness, knowing and having full faith and trust that God would never abandon them all to destruction and harm. Azariah presented the regret that the people had at their sins, having been humiliated at losing their homeland and having suffered greatly for their earlier faults, beseeching the Lord to show His mercy and kindness, to move on their behalf and to help His faithful ones in their hour and time of distress. They all trusted in God’s Providence and placed themselves completely in His mercy, and indeed God protected them from harm.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples and the people gathered to listen to Him using the well-known parable of the ungrateful and unforgiving servant, where there was a servant who was deeply indebted to his master and he had no means by which to pay off his debt, and yet, his master took pity on him and forgave him from all of his debts out of compassion. That very same servant then immediately launched himself on a fellow servant who owed him a much smaller debt as compared to what he himself had owed his master earlier on. We heard how that ungrateful servant refused to forgive that debt owed to him even after the other servant pleaded for mercy and patience from him.

This was then followed by the great anger of the master upon knowing how the ungrateful servant that he had forgiven refused to forgive his fellow servant a debt that was far smaller and lesser than what he owed the master himself, ending with the ungrateful servant having to pay again all the debts that he had been forgiven from earlier on. And thus the unforgiving and ungrateful servant had to endure the consequences of his lack of mercy, kindness and love towards his fellow brethren, and as was mentioned in the Gospel’s parable, it was implied that the master would have expected his servants, including the ungrateful servant to follow his example in mercy, love and kindness, in forgiving one another their debts just as he has forgiven them their debts.

Does this sound familiar, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because it is prominently mentioned in what we all are very familiar with, The Lord’s Prayer that Our Lord Jesus Himself has taught His disciples and all of us to pray, at the latter part of the prayer where it says, ‘Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us’ and through these words, whenever we pray it and as we continue living our lives, each and every one of us are called to be forgiving to each other for whatever faults and mistakes, hurt and hardships we have caused one another, whether intentionally or unintentionally, remembering that God Himself has always been so forgiving towards us, and He has always loved us all no matter what, despite our disobedience, sins and stubborn attitudes.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, that is why during this time and season of Lent, let us all pray for the grace to be more like God, our most loving and merciful Father in all things. We are all called to be more loving, more forgiving, kinder and be more generous with our love, not only for God, but also for everyone around us. It is easy for us to end up spending this Lent focusing so much on ourselves and our spiritual life, but if we neglect those who are around us, and especially those whom God has entrusted to us to love, those dearest and most beloved to us, then this is not what the Lord wants us to do, and we cannot truly call ourselves faithful Christians, servants of God Most High unless we ourselves also do the same as our Lord and Father has done.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us all in our respective journeys in life, giving us the courage and strength to persevere through even the most difficult challenges and trials in life, remaining ever firm in our faith and trust in Him, at all times, and becoming great inspirations and role models to everyone around us. May God bless our endeavours and good efforts, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026 : 3rd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 18 : 21-35

At that time, Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times must I forgive the offences of my brother or sister? Seven times?” Jesus answered, “No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. This story throws light on the kingdom of Heaven : A king decided to settle the accounts of his servants.”

“Among the first was one who owed him ten thousand pieces of gold. As the man could not repay the debt, the king commanded that he be sold as a slave with his wife, his children and all his goods, as repayment. The servant threw himself at the feet of the king and said, ‘Give me time, and I will pay you back everything.'”

“The king took pity on him, and not only set him free, but even cancelled his debt. When the servant left the king’s presence, he met one of his companions, who owed him a hundred pieces of silver. He grabbed him by the neck and almost choked him, shouting, ‘Pay me what you owe!'”

“His companion threw himself at his feet and begged him, ‘Give me time, and I will pay everything.’ The other did not agree, but sent him to prison until he had paid all his debt. Now his fellow servants saw what had happened. They were extremely upset, and so they went and reported everything to their lord.”

“Then the lord summoned his servant and said, ‘Wicked servant, I forgave you all that you owed when you begged me to do so. Were you not bound to have pity on your companion, as I had pity on you?’ The lord was now angry, so he handed his servant over to be punished, until he had paid his whole debt.”

Jesus added, “So will My heavenly Father do with you, unless you sincerely forgive your brothers and sisters.”

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026 : 3rd Week of Lent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 24 : 4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9

Teach me Your ways, o Lord; make known to me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and instruct me, for You are my God, my Saviour.

Remember Your compassion, o Lord, Your unfailing love from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, but in Your love remember me.

Good and upright, the Lord teaches sinners His way. He teaches the humble of heart and guides them in what is right.

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Tuesday, 10 March 2026 : 3rd Week of Lent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Daniel 3 : 25, 34-43

Azariah stood up in the midst of the fire and prayed aloud : Do not abandon us forever, do not reject Your covenant for Your Name’s sake. Do not withdraw Your mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, Your friend, of Isaac, Your servant, of Israel, Your holy one, to whom You promised to multiply their race as the stars of heaven and the sand on the shore of the sea.

Lord, see, we have become the least among the nations in all the world, and we are humiliated because of our sins. At this time, we no longer have a king, or prophet, or leader. We cannot offer You holocausts, sacrifices, offerings, or incense. We have no place to present to You the first-fruits of our crops, and so obtain Your favour.

But at least when we present ourselves with a contrite soul and humbled spirit may we then be acceptable to You, more than by offerings of rams and calves as holocausts, and of thousands of fat lambs. May this sacrifice of ours today obtain for us Your favour for we know that those who trust in You shall never be disappointed.

And now, we serve You with our whole heart, we fear You and we seek Your face. Do not leave us in our humiliation, but treat us according to Your kindness and Your great mercy. Free us in keeping with Your wonders, and give us the glory of Your Name, Lord.

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Tuesday, 3 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we all ponder upon their message and importance in our lives, particularly as we progress through this time and season of Lent, let us all continue to reflect carefully on how each of these words can impact us in our lives and in how we live our lives. We must be mindful that our every words, actions and deeds reflect our identity as Christians and our part in the works of the Lord through His Church in this world. If our actions, words and deeds are contrary to what He has shown us all in love and compassion, then in the end, we may end up bringing about scandals that can hurt the whole Church and the efforts of evangelisation.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the Lord’s call to His people, the people of Israel while referring to the historical ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, calling on all of them to repent from their many sins and faults, from their wickedness and disobedience, their refusal to obey the Law of God and their persistent rebellion against the commandments of the Lord and the path that God has set before them. The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah was a reference to the destruction which God had wrought against those two cities that had been committing great sins against God and others alike.

However, lest we may end up misunderstanding the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah, unlike the prejudices that had happened in the past history of the Church, it has been long misinterpreted that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah referred to certain kind of sexual sin and perversion. Instead, the actual sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was in fact one of the lack of hospitality shown to guests and strangers in one’s midst, their lack of social justice and care for the needy and the poor, as well as morally corrupt actions which in no way prejudiced or make wrong any particular sexual preference or identity, as what was commonly misinterpreted by many throughout history.

And that was why God punished Sodom and Gomorrah, as they showed severe lack of hospitality against Lot and his family, whom they saw as strangers and foreigners that did not belong in their community, and their attempted assault on the two guests, the disguised Angels of God, more as a way to discredit and as contempt against Lot and his family, whom they had never welcomed into their midst. It was this same attitude which the Israelites had also exhibited during the time of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah. They persecuted the prophets and messengers of God sent into their midst in order to remind and guide them in their paths, and treated them as strangers and foreigners in their own land, much like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

But God was kind and loving to His people nonetheless, and He kept on offering them path to redemption, opening the floodgates of His ever generous mercy and compassion to all. He sent His prophets again and again, like Isaiah and his many predecessors and successors to help lead and guide those wayward yet beloved people of His back to His loving Presence. This kind of patient love is the Lord has always offered His people, and as long as they wanted to come back to Him, He will always welcome them, care for them and nurture them. However, if they so choose to completely reject Him and abandon Him, then in the end, it will be their own stubbornness and rejection which will be the reason judging against them.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples and followers that all of them should not practice their faith in the manner that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had practiced theirs, in their hypocrisy and attitudes which were self-centred and selfish, focusing on their own status, privileges and special position in the community of the people of God, seeking attention and praise from everyone around them. It is this attitude which prevented them from truly being able to follow the Law and commandments of the Lord in the manner that is truly worthy and suitable of the Lord.

What the Lord told the disciples were often mistaken and misunderstood in the context of the Church, as some people criticised the Church for having titles like Pope, Cardinal, Bishop and Father, in referring to the priests of different ranks in the hierarchy of the Church. What the Lord meant was not that He was against all those titles, which were indeed necessary in the scheme of things, but rather, He does not want us to become so preoccupied by those titles and privileges, as the Pharisees had done at that time, that we become proud and self-centred, forgetting that our faith and what we believe in, and whatever we do and carry out in that faith are all not about ourselves, but about how we manage our relationship with God and with one another.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as Christians, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, it is very important that all of us continue to live faithfully in the path the Lord has prepared for us, and loving generously in the manner that He has loved us all first. Let us all be grateful in whatever way He has created us all to be, in whatever He has called us all to do, in loving Him and in loving one another, especially to those whom He has entrusted to us all to love, so that by our every actions, words and deeds, people may indeed come to know that we truly belong to the Lord, and that we truly genuinely believe in whatever we profess to have faith in. May God bless us always, and may He strengthen us all in each and every moments of our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 3 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 23 : 1-12

At that time, then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, “The teachers of the Law and the Pharisees have sat down on the chair of Moses. So you shall do and observe all they say, but do not do as they do, for they do not do what they say. They tie up heavy burdens and load them on the shoulders of the people, but they do not even raise a finger to move them.”

“They do everything in order to be seen by people : they wear very wide bands of the Law around their foreheads, and robes with large tassels. They enjoy the first places at feasts and reserved seats in the synagogues, and they like being greeted in the marketplace, and being called ‘Master’ by the people.”

“But you, do not let yourselves be called Master, because you have only one Master, and all of you are brothers and sisters. Neither should you call anyone on earth Father because you have only one Father, He Who is in heaven. Nor should you be called Leader, because Christ is the only Leader for you.”

“Let the greatest among you be the servant of all. For whoever makes himself great shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be made great.”