Tuesday

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Tuesday, 3 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Lord through the Sacred Scriptures we are reminded of the need for all of us to continue to have faith in God and to put our trust and faith in Him, dedicating our efforts and attention towards Him, even in our most difficult and darkest moments. We must always have hope in the Lord, believing that with His light, hope and encouragement, with His guidance and strength, all of us can overcome the many challenges, trials and difficulties that we have to face in our journey each and every day. We should not turn away from the Lord when things does not go according to our plans, but instead we should listen to the Lord speaking to us and guiding us in our path, so that we may find the best way that the Lord wants to guide us through in our lives.

In our first reading today, we heard of the time when St. Paul the Apostle went to Ephesus during one of his last missionary journeys, and at that time he was heading towards Jerusalem from his ministry throughout various cities and places across the Mediterranean. St. Paul was responding to the Lord’s call, as He sent him to the last mission of his life, to go and face the members of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem that sought to prosecute him for his beliefs and works in propagating Christ’s truth and Good News among the people of God. He could have chosen to remain far from Jerusalem and avoid prosecution and avoid facing his opponents, but he entrusted fully in God’s plan and providence, and listened to His words calling on him to follow Him wherever He would lead him to.

Therefore, fully knowing of what he would likely have to endure in that final part of his journey, all the persecutions, hardships and more that he might have to go through, St. Paul was making a farewell speech to the elders and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, telling them that the Lord has always been with him in all of his works and endeavours, and they should also continue to have faith in the Lord despite all the challenges, trials and difficulties that they may have to encounter in life because of their Christian faith. This is also therefore a reminder for all of us to keep our faith and trust in God despite the obstacles and hardships we may be facing, and to keep on that strong relationship and connection with God at all times.

Then from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the prayer which the Lord Jesus made to His heavenly Father, asking Him to watch over His beloved disciples and followers at the time when many of them would be tested for their faith in Him, and would be scattered by what would soon happen to all of them. At that time, this prayer was made by the Lord just shortly before the commencement of His Passion, that is the moment of His ultimate suffering and leading to His death on the Cross. As we all know, when that happened, the Lord suffered greatly, betrayed by one of His own closest disciples, one of the Twelve, and all the other disciples were scattered when that happened, fearing for their lives and all.

Therefore, the Lord Jesus prayed for His disciples and followers, praying that the Father would strengthen each and every one of them in the upcoming struggles and hardships that they would all face, not only during the time and moment of His Passion, His suffering and death, but in fact also referring to what they all would have to suffer and face in continuing to do their works in ministering to the faithful and to the others, in their works of evangelisation and in their various ministries among the world. Just as the Lord Himself has been hated and persecuted by the world, therefore, the disciples would also face similar persecutions, rejections and hardships in their various journeys, and they would need the strength and courage from God to be able to continue onwards, and hence the Lord was praying for them.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important that we should also do the same in our own respective lives, that is in how we pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in faith, so that they may all be strengthened and encouraged despite the challenges, difficulties and obstacles that we may have to face in the midst of living our lives faithfully in God. We should also continue to show and give our support to everyone around us who are in need of our help and support. We should show the love of God generously to our brethren through our own love for one another, and this is indeed what we have been reminded to do each day as Christians, as those whom the Lord Himself has called and chosen to be His own people.

Today the Church also marks the occasion of the Feast of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, who were martyred in what is today Uganda, also known as the Holy Martyrs of Uganda. St. Charles Lwanga was the chief of the royal pages of the Kingdom of Buganda, which today still exists as a major part of the country of Uganda. At that time most of the kingdom was still practicing pagan beliefs, and the king and his court were living in a state of great sin. But when the Christian missionaries came to Uganda and began proclaiming the Good News of Christ and the salvation in God, some among the people, including that of St. Charles Lwanga were touched by their message of hope and righteousness, and eventually chose to be baptised as Catholics.

However, the king of Buganda began to see the growing number of converts within his domain as a threat to his power and to the community, and hence, he began to carry out systematic persecutions against Christians in his kingdom. Many among the faithful, both the foreign missionaries and the local converts alike were persecuted and not few were martyred among the missionaries for their great zeal and commitment to God, and also among the local converts for refusing to recant and abandon their faith in God. St. Charles Lwanga protected some of those Christian converts using his position, and his examples touched many others who therefore also chose to accept the Lord as their Saviour as well. In the end, St. Charles Lwanga himself and several others were martyred by burning on a stake, at the site where now the great Basilica of the Holy Martyrs of Uganda in Namugongo is standing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard and reflected from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life and examples of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Uganda, let us all therefore do our very best to be faithful and committed disciples of the Lord at all times, in doing His will and in being courageous and strong in proclaiming our faith and belief in the Lord in every opportunities. Let us all not be easily distracted or discouraged by the many pressures, temptations and other obstacles around us, but instead we should continue to commit ourselves to the Lord, doing our very best at glorifying Him by our lives and actions, in everything that we say and do, at all times. May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen our resolve to live our lives well in accordance to His will, to proclaim His truth and Good News to all the nations. Amen.

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Tuesday, 3 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 17 : 1-11a

At that time, after Jesus said all that He had said to His disciples, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come! Give glory to Your Son, that the Son may give glory to You. You have given Him power over all humanity, so that He may give eternal life to all those You entrusted to Him. For this is eternal life : to know You, the only true God, and the One You sent, Jesus Christ.”

“I have glorified You on earth and finished the work that You gave Me to do. Now, Father, give Me, in Your presence, the same glory I had with You before the world began. I have made Your Name known to those You gave Me from the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they kept Your word. And now they know that whatever You entrusted to Me, is indeed from You.”

“I have given them the teaching I received from You, and they received it, and know in truth that I came from You; and they believe that You sent Me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world, but for those who belong to You, and whom You have given to Me. Indeed all I have is Yours and all You have is Mine; and now they are My glory.”

“I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I come to You.”

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Tuesday, 3 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 67 : 10-11, 20-21

Then You gave a rain of blessings to comfort Your weary children. Your people found a dwelling and in Your mercy, o God, You provided for the needy.

Blessed be the Lord, God our Saviour, Who daily bears our burdens! Ours is a God Who saves; our Lord lets us escape from death.

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Tuesday, 3 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 20 : 17-27

From Miletus Paul sent word to Ephesus, summoning the elders of the Church. When they came to him, he addressed them, “You know how I lived among you from the first day I set foot in the province of Asia, how I served the Lord in humility through the sorrows and trials that the Jews caused me.”

“You know that I never held back from doing anything that could be useful for you; I spoke publicly and in your homes, and I urged Jews and non-Jews alike to turn to God and believe in our Lord Jesus.”

“But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me. Indeed I put no value on my life, if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus, to announce the Good News of God’s grace.”

“I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will ever see me again. Therefore I declare to you this day that my conscience is clear with regard to all of you. For I have spared no effort in fully declaring to you God’s will.”

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Tuesday, 27 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained within the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should continue to have hope in the Lord, believing that in His Providence, His presence and help, we will always find hope and strength, as well as the sure path out of our predicaments and sufferings, all the hardships and challenges that we have had to endure in our lives. We must never allow ourselves to be easily swayed and pressured by fear, indecision and doubt. We must continue to hold up firmly that faith in the Lord, that we should always have in our hearts and minds. That is why we are all called to reflect upon this hope which He has placed in us, so that we may continue to faithfully serve Him at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the continuation of the account of the works of the Apostles in the ministry of the proclaiming of the Good News of God among the people, calling more and more towards the Lord and to His salvation. And even in the midst of their predicament and hardships, the Apostles continued to receive guidance, strength and encouragement from the Lord. God did not abandon those whom He had called and chosen to be His own, and He heard the prayers of those who have fervently prayed to Him and kept their faith in Him. We heard how a great earthquake struck when St. Paul and the other faithful disciples of the Lord were put in incarceration, and they were miraculously freed.

But what was even more wonderful was the fact that the Lord did not in fact just free St. Paul and the other disciples from their bondage and imprisonment, but He also made it such that the jailor and his family were also freed from their own bondage and slavery to sin, as St. Paul convinced the jailor not to take his own life out of guilt, but rather to put his trust in the Lord, and which led therefore to his conversion together with that of his own family members. Therefore, God did not just bring His servants to their safety, but was even adding to their numbers in such moments of darkness and suffering. All of these serve to remind us ever more of God’s greatness and His wonderful grace towards us, in how He has constantly and patiently guided us in our journey through faith and life.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, in which the Lord Jesus continued to speak to His disciples about what would happen to Him at the moment surrounding His Passion, His suffering and death on the Cross, all of which would soon happen, and He told these all to the disciples so that they would not fall into despair and fear, and that they would continue to put their trust and faith in Him even in difficult times. And as He had shared with the disciples in today’s passage, that everything had to happen as according to the will of the Father in Heaven, Who would send to them all the Helper or the Advocate, which refers to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God that would strengthen all of the followers of the Lord.

And the Lord told them all that everything had to happen as it had been planned by God, or else, the Holy Spirit would not come into this world as He should have. Through the Holy Spirit that eventually came upon all the disciples, guiding the Church of God, the Lord would do wonderful things for His people, growing the reach of His works to the whole world through the works of evangelisation and mission, as the disciples of the Lord courageously went forth to proclaim the Good News and the truth about God and His salvation, strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, sent unto them by the Lord Himself, dwelling in their hearts. Through the tireless effoorts and works of these dedicated missionaries and many other holy and faithful people of God, countless people and souls have been saved from eternal damnation and brought into the light of God’s salvation.

Today, the Church also marks the occasion of the Feast of St. Augustine of Canterbu ry, the very first bishop of the restored Church hierarchy and structure in England, after the turmoil and destruction of the previous two centuries when civil upheavals and problems led to the loss of contact between the Church in England and that in the rest of the Christendom at the time. After the downfall of the Roman Empire in the Western Europe, as well as the invasion of England by the pagan Anglo-Saxons, the state of the Church in the formerly Christian England was dire, but this did not lead to total destruction of the Christian faith in the region as many still held onto their faith in God despite being separated from the hierarchy and administration of the Church.

And most importantly, at that time, Pope St. Gregory the Great initiated important efforts to reevangelise the many areas that had fallen back to paganism and where the faith had floundered, sending among others, St. Augustine of Canterbury to be the Papal representative and missionary in England. It was at Canterbury in southeastern England where he ministered and worked patiently for the Lord’s sake, eventually leading to the conversion of many to the Lord, and beginning a great period of rejuvenation of the Christian faith there, that in the end brought back the whole England to the faith, as the Anglo-Saxons eventually completely and entirely adopted the Christian faith and were baptised in the Lord. Thanks to the courageous and tireless efforts of St. Augustine of Canterbury and the many other missionaries, all these good things happened.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard today from our Scripture passages and also from the life and works of St. Augustine of Canterbury among others, let us all therefore be evangelising and missionary in our own actions, words and all the things that we do in our respective lives daily, in each and every moments, and in all of our encounters with those whom we meet in our lives. Let us all therefore be the faithful and worthy beacons of God’s light and truth, His Good News, love and hope to everyone around us. May the Lord bless our every good efforts, works and endeavours, and bring us all to be the great examples to all the people, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 27 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 16 : 5-11

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “But now I am going to the One Who sent Me, and none of you asks Me where I am going; instead you are overcome with grief, because of what I have said.”

“Believe Me, it is better for you that I go away, because as long as I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go away, it is to send Him to you, and when He comes, He will vindicate the truth before a sinful world; and He will vindicate the paths of righteousness and justice.”

“What is the world’s sin, in regard to Me? Disbelief. What is the path of righteousness? It is the path I walk, by which I go to the Father; and you shall see Me no more. What is the path of justice? It is the path on which the prince of this world will always stand condemned.”

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Tuesday, 27 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 137 : 1-2a, 2bc-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.

You save me from the wrath of my foes, 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.

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Tuesday, 27 May 2025 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 16 : 22-34

So the slave owners of Philippi set the crowd against Paul and Silas and the officials tore the clothes of them and ordered them to be flogged. And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them safely. Upon receiving these instructions, he threw them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly a severe earthquake shook the place, rocking the prison to its foundations. Immediately all the doors flew open and the chains of all the prisoners fell off.

The jailer woke up to see the prison gates wide open. Thinking that the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword to kill himself, but Paul shouted to him, “Do not harm yourself! We are all still here.” The jailer asked for a light, then rushed in, and fell at the feet of Paul and Silas. After he had secured the other prisoners, he led them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your household will be saved.” Then they spoke the word of God to him and to all his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer took care of them and washed their wounds; and he and his whole household were baptised at once. He led them to his house, spread a meal before them and joyfully celebrated with his whole household his newfound faith in God.

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Tuesday, 20 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the reality of becoming disciples and followers of the Lord, which will likely involve some sorts of challenges and difficulties in our paths, and we must always be prepared that we may not have it easy and smooth in our journey, but we may encounter twists and turns in our way towards the Lord. As our predecessors in faith, the many Christians throughout the history of the Church had shown us, and the innumerable saints and martyrs had testified to us, there will likely be a lot of opposition to our commitment and faith in God, and to our works and efforts as the Lord’s disciples in this world. But this does not mean that we should easily give up on our faith in the Lord and our efforts to glorify Him by our actions in life. Instead, we should be even more resolute in committing ourselves to love and serve the Lord at all times, in whatever opportunities that He had provided to us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of what St. Paul and St. Barnabas encountered during their missionary journey in Asia Minor, in what is now part of Turkey, where they faced obstacles and hardships in proclaiming the words and Good News of God to both the Jewish diaspora communities and the Gentiles alike. They were attacked by the conspiracy of some of the Jewish people who opposed them in Lystra, causing the people who mistakenly worshipped St. Paul and St. Barnabas as the manifestations of their gods to go violent against the two of them and causing them to almost lose their lives after being stoned. Yet, all these did not dampen the spirits of the Apostles who picked up from where they were and then continuing their journey and ministry to other people in the other places.

St. Paul and St. Barnabas used all those experiences and sufferings to strengthen the other disciples and followers of the Lord, reminding them that they were not alone in suffering for the sake of the Lord. They also helped to establish the strong foundation of the Church in those areas they had visited appointing elders and leaders to guide the faithful, so that the Church and the body of the Christian faithful and community could continue to grow despite the many hardships and challenges that they had to face at that time. The Lord guided and strengthened the Apostles, and the other disciples and followers of the Lord such that they would not lose their faith amidst the trials and challenges that they had to face in their mission and journey.

In our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we then heard of the moment not long before the Lord was to go and face His Passion, where He had to endure the worst of persecutions and sufferings for our sake, betrayed by one of His own closest disciples and abandoned by the rest, and condemned to death for sins that He did not commit. Hence, knowing all of these that were to happen to Him, the Lord reassured His disciples that despite everything that would happen to Him, they all should not lose hope but instead they should remain firm in their commitment to serve Him, because while He would be taken away from them, He would not truly go away, as He would still remain with them and would always guide them in each and every steps of their journeys.

Linking this to what we have heard in our first reading passage today, we can see indeed how true it would be, that the sufferings and hardships that Christ suffered would also be shared by many of His own Apostles, disciples and followers. And yet, the reassurances from the Lord Himself of His Presence and guidance strengthened many of these disciples and made them to joyfully and courageously continue their efforts and struggles in proclaiming the Good News of God despite the many challenges and hardships that they had to endure and go through, all the oppositions and persecutions that they faced, but at the same time also all the good things that they had done and the opportunities and successes that they had achieved in their respective missions and works.

And the Lord Jesus reminded His disciples as we heard in our Gospel passage today that He gave them His peace, and that His peace would be with them as they carried on with the missions and works that He had entrusted to them. This is a reminder for us that we should not be afraid or worried in doing what we have been tasked by the Lord through His Church, in contributing our efforts and works for the good of the Church and the faithful people of God. We must always trust in God in guiding and strengthening us in our journey and mission as Christians, in all the things that we do, even in the smallest and the seemingly least significant efforts and works that we do. With God, nothing is impossible, and He will grant us the strength, courage and power to carry out our works, missions and efforts and bring us to success, all for His greater glory.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Bernardine of Siena, a holy man and priest of God whose faith and examples in how he had committed his life and efforts should inspire all of us to be more committed towards God and be more righteous in our actions and ways of life. St. Bernardine of Siena was born into a noble Italian family, but was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his pious aunt, who eventually led to him joining the Franciscan order, firstly as a member and then eventually becoming a priest. He was a renowned preacher and missionary who spent a lot of effort working with the sick and the poor, as well as preaching against the corruption and worldly excesses practiced during that time among many of the people, especially among the nobility and even within the Church and the clergy.

He preached effectively as he used examples and connections to the daily lives and sufferings of the people, which could be easily related to many of them, and therefore, he drew many people who came to seek his preaching and works. People flocked to his sermons and he spent many hours in these sermons and works, touching the hearts and souls of countless people, and calling many to the conversion of their lives. Through his faith and dedication, St. Bernardine of Siena had indeed shown us all what it truly means for us to carry on our own mission with faith in God, and in being committed to live our lives worthily as Christians, to the best of our abilities, in our respective areas and vocations in life, each and every moments and each day.

Let us all therefore do our best from now on to live our lives as good and faithful Christians in all things, and do our best to be good role models and inspirations for one another in faith. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to inspire us all to live our lives most worthily in His Presence, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 20 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Bernardine of Siena, Priest (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 14 : 27-31a

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Peace be with you! I give you My peace; not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. You heard Me say, ‘I am going away, but I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would be glad that I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.”

“I have told you this now before it takes place, so that when it does happen you may believe. It is very little what I may still tell you, for the prince of this world is at hand, although there is nothing in Me that he can claim. But see, the world must know that I love the Father, and that I do what the Father has taught Me to do.”