Tuesday

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Tuesday, 29 July 2025 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

1 John 4 : 7-16

My dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves, is born of God and knows God. Those who do not love have not known God, for God is love. How did the love of God appear among us? God sent His only Son into this world, that we might have life, through Him.

This is love : not that we loved God, but that, He first loved us and sent His Son, as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if such has been the love of God, we, too, must love one another. No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us, and His love comes to its perfection in us.

How may we know that we live in God and He in us? Because God has given us His Spirit. We ourselves have seen, and declare, that the Father sent His Son to save the world. Those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in them, and they in God. We have known the love of God and have believed in it. God is love. The one who lives in love, lives in God, and God in him.

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Tuesday, 22 July 2025 : Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, a truly important woman and figure in the early Church and who was also highly visible throughout the narrative of the Gospels, the story of the activities of the Lord Jesus during His ministry in this world. This was because St. Mary Magdalene, although not numbered among the Twelve Apostles, was truly an integral part of the Lord’s group, and was one of the women who had always journeyed with the Lord and followed Him throughout His ministry and works. She was also honoured greatly as an equal to the Apostles, and indeed, was considered as one of the Apostles. In fact, she was known as the Apostle to the Apostles, Apostolorum Apostola, for her role in bringing the news of the Lord’s Resurrection to the Apostles.

In our first reading today, we heard of the reading from the Book of Song of Songs in which we heard the words of the author of this book speaking about the love that the author has been seeking, the love of the Lord, the One Who is truly the true love of our lives. That passage from the Book of Song of Songs highlighted the seeking and longing within one’s heart, seeking the great love of God that alone can truly satisfy our longing for love that is indeed true and fulfilling, and the effort that one ought to have and put in, in our journey to seek the love of God, to find this most wonderful and generous love that He has imparted upon us, and which we all experienced in every aspects and parts of our lives.

Then in the other alternative first reading from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the region of Corinth, we heard of the Apostle speaking also on the love of Christ, the perfect manifestation, proof and example of God’s love being made manifest for all of us. He spoke of how the love of Christ has transformed all the Christian believers, the people of God with the transformational love, the most selfless and wonderful love which He has selflessly and most lovingly provided upon us. That is why all of us as Christians, as those who profess to believe in Christ, must all be filled with the same love which Christ our Lord has shown us most generously and most lovingly from His Cross, for the sake of our salvation.

Lastly, from the Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the moment when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead and how He revealed Himself first of all to none other than St. Mary Magdalene, the one to whom the Lord entrusted the news of His Resurrection. That was why as mentioned, St. Mary Magdalene was the Apostle to the Apostles, with the word ‘Apostle’ meaning someone who brings forth a testimony and Good News, and it was through her that the Twelve Apostles and the other disciples came to know of the Risen Lord before He appeared to them as well. She was distraught when she went to the Lord’s tomb and saw that the tomb had been opened and the Lord’s Body went missing.

And despite the words of the Angels that were there to tell St. Mary Magdalene and the other women of the Lord’s Resurrection, we heard how at first she was distraught that someone might have stolen His Body. But the Lord appeared to her in all of His Risen glory and reassured her of His Resurrection. She was distraught because she truly cared for the Lord, and having been one of His most ardent and faithful followers, she genuinely felt the loss when she saw and witnessed everything that happened during the Lord’s Passion on the Cross, as He suffered and died, and St. Mary Magdalene herself being specifically mentioned being there at the Lord’s side during His crucifixion when many of the disciples had fled and hid themselves. And when His Body apparently disappeared as well, that must have been terrible to her. But the Lord reassured her and strengthened her in her faith.

While not much was known of the exploits and works of St. Mary Magdalene after this point during the early Church, it was quite certain that she was together with the other disciples when the Holy Spirit came upon them all, and she was likely part of the missions and evangelising works, the spreading of the Good News of God, bringing more and more of God’s people closer to Him, and calling on more to come to know Him. And through her efforts in encouraging the Apostles after the Lord’s Resurrection and the many other roles that she might have played in the early Church, many were touched by the love and devotion that St. Mary Magdalene had for the Lord, in her focus on Him and in her efforts to seek Him, as an exemplary disciple and follower of Christ.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples, faith and love for God which St. Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles, has shown to us. Let us all be inspired by the great love and dedication that she has shown, in following the Lord faithfully throughout His ministry, as she went to wherever the Lord and His disciples went, serving Him and being committed to Him and the mission He has entrusted to her and others. Let us all therefore also answer God’s call with fervent and loving hearts, full of love for Him and ever focused on Him at all times. Let us all be good, worthy and faithful Christians at all times, doing our very best so that through our actions, efforts and works, we may inspire many others to come to the Lord and His salvation as well.

St. Mary Magdalene, Holy Apostle to the Apostles, you who have restored hope to the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord through your faithful bearing of the Good News of the Resurrection, pray for all of us so that we too may be good and faithful witnesses of the Lord and His Resurrection in our world today, within our communities and to everyone whom we encounter and journey with each day, in every moments of our lives. May God be with us always, and may He continue to bless us all most wonderfully in all things, in our every efforts to glorify Him by our lives, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 22 July 2025 : Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 20 : 1-2, 11-18

Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark, and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter, and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb; and as she wept, she bent down to look inside. She saw two Angels in white, sitting where the Body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I do not know where they have put Him.” As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognise Him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”

She thought it was the gardener and answered Him, “Lord, if You have taken Him away, tell me where You have put Him, and I will go and remove Him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned, and said to Him, “Rabboni!” – which means Master. Jesus said to her, “Do not touch Me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and say to them : I am ascending to My Father, Who is your Father, to My God, Who is your God.”

So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what He said to me.”

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Tuesday, 22 July 2025 : Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 62 : 2abc, 2d-4, 5-6, 8-9

O God, You are my God, it is You I seek; for You, my body longs and my soul thirsts.

As a dry and weary land without water. Thus have I gazed upon You in the Sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify You.

I will praise You as long as I live, lift up my hands and call on Your Name. As with the richest food, my soul will feast; my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.

For You have been my help; I sing in the shadow of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

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Tuesday, 22 July 2025 : Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Song of Songs 3 : 1-4a

On my bed at night I looked for the one I love, I sought him without finding him; I called him and he did not answer. I will rise and go about the city, through the streets and the squares; I will seek the love of my heart…

I sought him without finding him; the watchmen came upon me, those who patrol the city. “Have you seen the love of my heart?” As soon as I left them, I found the love of my heart.

Alternative reading (Second Reading if this Feast is celebrated as a Solemnity)

2 Corinthians 5 : 14-17

Indeed, the love of Christ holds us, and we realise, that, if He died for all, all have died. He died for all, so, that, those who live, may live no longer for themselves, but for Him, Who died, and rose again for them. And so, from now on, we do not regard anyone from a human point of view; and even if we once knew Christ personally, we should now regard Him in another way.

For that same reason, the one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him, the old things have passed away; a new world has come.

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures today, we are all reminded of God’s love and providence, His kindness and compassion for all those who are dear and beloved to Him. God has always remembered us all in our good and bad times, and we are never forgotten or abandoned even when we cannot feel or see His Presence and works immediately. God is always with us regardless of the circumstances because He truly cares for us, and He has shown us His wonders and love again and again throughout history, in what He had done to His first-called people, the Israelites when they suffered in Egypt, and also in giving us all the best and most perfect gift of all, His own Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

In our first reading today, we heard the continuation of the account from the Book of Exodus in which the moment when Moses was born was told to us. Moses was the one whom God had promised to His people to be the one to lead them all out of their slavery in the land of Egypt. At that time, the new generation of Pharaohs had arisen in Egypt that did not know about the great deeds of Joseph and his exploits, and feared the rapidly growing numbers and prosperity of the Israelites who were dwelling in the region of Goshen somewhere in the Nile River delta region. Therefore as we heard yesterday, the Pharaoh decreed first the enslavement of the Israelites, forced to do hard labour for the Egyptians, and then, in a more desperate effort, the order to throw all the sons born to the Israelites into the Nile River to try to destroy them as a nation.

But God was with His people and despite all these challenges that they faced, they kept on growing in numbers and in one of the babies which had been saved from the water by God’s interventions, it was Moses who was named as such because he had been taken out and rescued from the water by his adoptive mother, the Pharaoh’s daughter. According to tradition, the Pharaoh’s daughter was childless and hence, she took upon herself the Hebrew baby that she found floating on the Nile as her own adopted son, and that was how Moses grew up in the court of Pharaoh as an Egyptian prince. But then we heard how Moses grew up seeing the injustice faced by his people, the Israelites, who were persecuted and oppressed by the Egyptians, and he fled from Egypt after killing one of the Egyptian slavemasters that struck upon a Hebrew, one of his own people.

But God would be with Moses, who fled to the land of the Midianites, and after many years later, he would be called by God and would return back to Egypt with God’s mission and words to the Pharaoh, beginning the fulfilment of His promises to them and their ancestors, where by His power and might, God would rescue all of them, with the Ten Great Plagues that He sent unto Egypt, the Egyptians and their Pharaoh. All of these show us the great might of God and the enduring love and patience which God has always had for those who are dearly beloved to Him. And this is an important reminder for all of us not to take this same love which He has shown all of us for granted. We should always be grateful of God’s love and Providence, everything that He had done for our sake.

Then, in our Gospel passage, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus and His lamentations on the cities in the region of Galilee such as Capernaum, Chorazin and Bethsaida. Why did the Lord make such denunciations and lamentations? That is because of the lack of faith which many of the people in those places had shown despite having witnessed and seen all the miracles and wonders that the Lord had performed before them all. Some among them, especially from among the Pharisees, doubted and criticised the Lord for His actions and teachings, questioning His authority and authenticity, and even accusing Him of colluding with evil spirits and demons in doing His works.

It is all these lack of faith and trust in the Lord, in all that God had done through His Son, sent into our midst, into this world to bring all of us into His loving embrace and salvation which had led to the lamentations and anguish that the Lord had spoken against those places. This was compared to the faith of those whom the people of God then often deemed to be sinners and unworthy, like those of the Syro-Phoenicians, those living in the region of Tyre and Sidon that the Lord mentioned, as a Syro-Phoenician woman had such great faith in the Lord that she believed in Him so wholeheartedly even against His harsh words towards her. And the Samaritans whom the Jewish people often regarded as heretics and pagans, proved to be more welcoming to the Lord and His words and teachings.

All these showed us that we must not be prejudiced against anyone, and we must realise that God truly loves each one of us, all of us mankind without limits and boundaries. He loves each one of us unconditionally and He has always patiently done so, even when we ourselves had not been faithful to Him, and even when we have taken His love and kindness for granted. Each and every one of us should strive to do what is right and just, in loving, following and obeying the Lord to the best of our abilities, in each and every moments in life so that by our love for Him and in loving one another in the same manner, we may truly be worthy to be called as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen as His own holy and beloved people.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Bonaventure, a renowned Franciscan bishop and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church who was remembered for his great many works and writings that eventually also earned him the honour of being one of the Doctors of the Church. St. Bonaventure was born in Italy during the High Middle Ages and while nothing much was known about his childhood and younger years, he eventually joined the Franciscans, and at the same time gaining great experiences and respect as an academic, earning his doctorate in theology which inspired him further in his many writings and works later on. St. Bonaventure was then also elected as the Minister General of the Franciscan Order, the overall head and authority over all the Franciscans.

He was also involved deeply in the works of reform of the Church at that time, before and after he helped the election of Pope Gregory X, who then appointed him as a Cardinal, as the Cardinal Bishop of Albano for his role in his election. St. Bonaventure continued to do great works in his various capacities, and it was well-known that he led the Franciscans in a moderate way, balancing faith and reason, making them very popular and outstanding in the Church. While he passed away not long after his appointment as Cardinal, St. Bonaventure’s legacy and inspiring works in various areas, especially in many matters of the faith and theology continued to touch the lives of many people even long after his lifetime.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect upon the words of the Scriptures that we have received today, remembering the love that He has always shown us, and through the inspiration and examples of St. Bonaventure, who has dedicated his life in the service of God and his fellow brothers and sisters. May the Lord help us all to be ever more faithful and committed to Him, to follow Him ever more wholeheartedly in each and every moments, becoming good role models and examples in faith to one another, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 11 : 20-24

At that time, Jesus began to denounce the cities in which He had performed most of His miracles, because the people there did not change their ways.

“Alas for you Chorazin and Bethsaida! If the miracles worked in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, the people there would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I assure you, for Tyre and Sidon; it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.”

“And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? You will be thrown down to the place of the dead! For if the miracles which were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would still be there today! But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 68 : 3, 14, 30-31, 33-34

I am sunk in the miry depths, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, swept and engulfed by the flood.

But I pray to You, o YHVH. At a time most favourable to You, in Your great love, o God, answer me, with Your unfailing help.

But I myself, am humbled and wounded; Your salvation, o God, will lift me up. I will praise the Name of God in song; I will glorify Him with thanksgiving.

Let the lowly witness this, and be glad. You who seek God, may your hearts be revived. For YHVH hears the needy; and does not despise those in captivity.

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Tuesday, 15 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Exodus 2 : 1-15a

Now a man belonging to the clan of Levi married a woman of his own tribe. She gave birth to a boy and, seeing that he was a beautiful child, she kept him hidden for three months. As she could not conceal him any longer, she made a basket out of papyrus leaves and coated it with tar and pitch. She then laid the child in the basket and placed it among the reeds near the bank of the Nile; but the sister of the child kept at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile; her attendants meanwhile walked along the bank. When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to fetch it. She opened the basket and saw the child – a boy, and he was crying! She felt sorry for him, for she thought : “This is one of the Hebrew children.”

Then the sister of the child said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, and the girl went to call the mother of the child. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take the child and nurse him for me and I will pay you.”

So the woman took the child and nursed him and, when the child had grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter who adopted him as her son. And she named him Moses to recall that she had drawn him out of the water. After a fairly long time, Moses, by now a grown man, wanted to meet his fellow Hebrews. He noticed how heavily they were burdened and he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own people.

He looked around and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day he saw two Hebrews quarrelling. Moses said to the man in the wrong, “Why are you striking a fellow countryman?” But he answered, “Who has set you prince and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must be known.” When Pharaoh heard about it he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian.

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Tuesday, 8 July 2025 : 14th 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 os the Scriptures, we are reminded that God will always be with us, providing for us for what we need and in all of our circumstances. God will never abandon us or leave us alone in suffering, but He is always present with us and guiding us throughout our journey, and we have to trust in Him and His guidance so that we will not be tempted by worldly desires and ambitions which may lead us astray in our journey towards the Lord. And unless we adhere firmly and faithfully to God’s path, it is easy for us to falter and fail in this journey that He has been calling us all into.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis relating to us the moment from the time when Jacob together with his whole family, with his two wives, Rachel and Leah, came back to the land of Canaan after spending at least fourteen years or so in the land of Haran, at his uncle’s place, after fleeing there in the aftermath of him taking away Esau’s inheritance and blessings from his father by trickery. Esau, Jacob’s elder brother was furious, and understandably Jacob fled to protect himself, and as he was returning to the home of his father, he was still worried of how Esau would react to him and whether he was still angry and furious at him.

And it was at that very occasion that God appeared to Jacob, who was at that time was filled with fear and uncertainty, probably thinking of how he could persuade his brother by his own designs and plans. God, disguised as a Man, wrestled with Jacob all night long, and hit the latter on his hip, and it was there, at that very time and place that God gave Jacob a new name, Israel, which means ‘one who had struggled with God’, as first a reminder of his renewed calling and Covenant as God’s servant and follower, in doing His will and in trusting in Him rather than in depending on his own mechanisms and designs, plans and other methods.

This change of name was also significant, as his own grandfather, Abraham, was also known by the name Abram prior to the Covenant that God made with him. And in other occasions in the Scriptures, there were also several others who had changed their names and identities, marking a dramatic change and moment of conversion in their lives, and for Jacob, this change symbolises him putting his trust in God completely and the restoration of his family ties, which had once been broken and frayed because of the rivalries and competitions, as one that he had with Esau, his elder brother, as well as a clear sign of God’s favour and Providence.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord healed two blind men who were brought to Him, and then another man who had been struck dumb because of possession by evil spirits, and the Lord Jesus continued to show His power and authority, commanding that evil spirit to leave behind the man, and he was therefore cured from his afflictions. But as we also heard, the Pharisees who were there, likely jealous from the Lord’s great popularity and from their hardened hearts due to their conflicting ideals, criticised the Lord harshly. They accused Him of performing His miracles, casting out demons with the help of the prince of demons.

Such was the conflict and disagreements between the Pharisees and the Lord that they made such a heinous accusation against the Lord, but the Lord continued to carry out His good works and ministry nonetheless among the people of God, sending out His disciples to carry out many more good works in those places that He was to visit Himself, and He was telling the disciples that the works of the Lord and the harvest was indeed plentiful, but there were few workers to work in the field of the Lord that is this world. Thus, the Lord asked them all to pray so that God would send more labourers, for more to be called to work in His field that is the world.

We are all reminded therefore that each and every one of us as Christians must not harden our hearts and minds like how those Pharisees had hardened theirs and refused to listen to the Lord. They also depended on their own power, intellect and wisdom rather than trusting in the Lord and allowing Him to speak to them, as the Lord Jesus Himself had done, and hence, that was why they continued to walk down the path of disobedience and rebellion against the Lord. But as Christians, we should be humble and committed to the Lord, ever aligned and attuned to His will through constant prayerful life and listening to Him in whatever He has called and told us all to do.

May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us, giving us the strength and courage, the perseverance and power to go on serving Him faithfully in life, to the best of our abilities, following God and doing His will, entrusting ourselves to Him and following Him in His path. Let us all also trust in His wisdom and providence rather than depending solely on our own power, intellect, plans and designs, and instead, walk together with Him in our paths of life going forward. May God bless us all in our every good works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.