Universal Church

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Wednesday, 3 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (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 that each and every one of us should always continue to have faith in the Lord our Saviour, in Jesus Christ, His Son, Who has manifested for us all the great and most enduring love of God, given to us in the most tangible, approachable form in Christ Himself. We should remember how fortunate and wonderful it is for all of us to have been beloved in such a manner by our Lord, that He has done everything that He could in order to bring us all out of the darkness of sin and the threat of eternal damnation, opening for us the sure path to eternal life and salvation with Him. And this is why we also need to continue to be faithful in the Lord even amidst all the trials and challenges that we may have to face in our paths, and continue to do what God has called us all to do in our respective lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae in Asia Minor, where Turkey is today, we heard of the words of St. Paul greeting the faithful there and praying for them for their faith in God to be strengthened. Like the faithful in the region of Thessalonica that we have heard about in the past two weeks of Epistle readings, the faithful in Colossae, the Colossian Christians were also good and worthy in their way of living their Christian faith, and St. Paul commended them for their obedience to God and for their willingness to live in the manner that has been shown them by the Apostles and the missionaries, according to the Good News or the Gospels of Christ.

This is therefore also a reminder for each and every one of us living in this world today to continue to live up to our Christian faith in the best manner possible, to be ever more faithful and dedicated at all times, in everything that we are doing in life, even to the smallest and seemingly least significant of what we are doing, so that by all these things we will continue to walk faithfully in God’s Presence and do our best to glorify Him by our lives. After all, just as it was back during the time of the Apostles and the early Church when this Epistle to the Colossians was written, all of us as Christians living today are the examples and role models for one another, in how we live our lives with faith, just as the faith of the faithful in Thessalonica and Colossae inspired the other Christians, including even St. Paul himself, in wanting to do more to glorify God.

And we must realise that as much as our actions can inspire others to follow the Lord and as much as our faith can help others to be faithful and stronger in our devotion towards God, if we are not faithful in our way of life and even worse, act in manners that are contradictory to what our faith had taught us, then we may end up pushing more and more people from God and His salvation. Yes, this is indeed true, and there had been many examples in the past throughout the history of the Church where immoral and inappropriate behaviours of the members of the Church, including even those high in the Church hierarchy, even some amongst the Popes themselves, had led to great scandal against the Church that not only besmirched the Holy Name of God and His teachings, but also caused many to leave the Church and causing divisions in the Church. That is why, it is important that we must live our lives well in accordance to the way that the Lord had taught us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus came to visit the home of St. Peter the Apostle, then still known by his original name as Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law at that time was very sick and knowing that the Lord could miraculously heal many of those sick that had been brought to Him and having witnessed His miracles before, certainly they, especially Simon must have hoped that the Lord could also make his mother-in-law to be well again too. And the Lord did so, healing Simon’s mother-in-law and making her well again. But such deed was quickly known by everyone in the area, and very soon as we heard, many people brought to Him all their sick ones for Him to heal them all.

We then heard how the Lord Jesus then quietly slipped out of the great crowd when He was able to do so, and when the disciples came seeking for Him and asked why He had done so, He told them all that He still had a lot of responsibilities and missions to do in the other places. It was indeed easier for Him just to settle in that one place and receiving a lot of support and praise from everyone who welcomed Him and had been healed by His miracles, but the Lord had been sent to reach out to more and more people, including even those who would disagree with Him and refuse to believe in Him, and to them all, the Lord had been sent to reach out towards, and this was what He obediently do, in obeying the will of His Heavenly Father, and in this manner therefore, showing us all how we too should do the same, in obeying God’s will in all things.

Now, the Church today also celebrates the Feast of one of the most renowned saints of the Church, a great Pope and leader of the Universal Church of his time that had reformed greatly the Church especially in the Western parts of Christendom, and who was also very much involved in the efforts of evangelisation, in spreading the Word of God and the Good News to many parts of Christendom and even in the lands beyond in order to bring more and more people towards Christ and His salvation. Pope St. Gregory the Great has done many great contributions to the Church, and while he was born into a wealthy noble Roman family in the middle of the sixth century and brought up well in extensive education on philosophy, rhetorics, sciences, law and other areas, becoming a government official, eventually he chose to follow a monastic lifestyle after his father’s passing.

Eventually through his years as a monk and then rising through the Papal court as a Papal legate trusted by the Pope, involved in diplomacy and even theological disputes in which one particular episode against the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople himself gained him great renown among his supporters and notoriety amongst his critics and enemies, the future Pope St. Gregory the Great gained extensive experiences and insights from his works that would prove to be essential to the success of his many efforts and works when he was elected as Pope and successor of St. Peter the Apostle. As Pope, Pope St. Gregory the Great reformed the Papacy and the structures of the Church, making it much more efficient, and at the same time also started a great missionary drive, sending out missionaries to places like England with St. Augustine of Canterbury, to Germany and other areas where the Church had not yet taken root.

He was also known for his great works of charity and compassion for the poor and the needy, showing great love for the others that Christ Himself has advocated and taught, making good of what the Lord entrusted to His Church to do. Through his efforts and works, the once neglected almsgiving and charitable works of the Church were reformed and strengthened, and in addition, he also worked famously on reforming the Church music, creating a systematic process and development that would later on give rise to the Chant that would bear the name of its initiator, that is the Gregorian Chant. It was through his works that Pope St. Gregory the Great helped to formulate the liturgical order of the Mass in Western Christendom, which eventually evolved to the Mass as we are familiar with today, both in the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms of the Latin Rite. Pope St. Gregory the Great continued to devote himself with great enthusiasm to the end of his life, and is indeed truly a great inspiration for all of us to follow.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have heard from our Scripture readings today and discussed earlier, with what we have discussed about the life and examples of Pope St. Gregory the Great, let us therefore discern carefully our path forward in life so that we may continue to do our best for the greater glory of God and to proclaim His truth and Good News to more and more people, not just through our words but also through our genuine actions and our whole lives that are truly filled with sincere and genuine faith, through which we can then inspire many others to follow in our footsteps as well. And it is by doing all these that we can be truly faithful to the Lord, and not merely just paying lip service or being outwardly faithful but we are not truly genuinely filled with true faith in the Lord. May the Lord continue to strengthen us all and inspire us all to be ever more faithful to His cause, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 3 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 4 : 38-44

At that time, leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the house of Simon. His mother-in-law was suffering from high fever, and they asked Him to do something for her. Bending over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately, she got up and waited on them.

At sunset, people suffering from many kinds of sickness were brought to Jesus. Laying His hands on each one, He healed them. Demons were driven out, howling as they departed from their victims, “You are the Son of God!” He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, for they knew He was the Messiah.

Jesus left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place. People went out in search of Him, and finding Him, they tried to dissuade Him from leaving. But He said, “I have to go to other towns, to announce the good news of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do.” And Jesus continued to preach in the synagogues of Galilee.

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Wednesday, 3 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 51 : 10, 11

But I am as a green olive tree that thrives in the house of God : I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever.

I will praise You forever, for all You have done; and proclaim Your good Name before the faithful ones.

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Wednesday, 3 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Colossians 1 : 1-8

Paul, Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, to the saints in Colossae, our faithful brothers and sisters in Christ : Receive grace and peace from God, our Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord. Thanks be to God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord!

We constantly pray for you, for we have known of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of your love for all the saints. Indeed, you await in hope the inheritance reserved for you in heaven, of which, you have heard through the word of truth. This Gospel, already present among you, is bearing fruit, and growing throughout the world, as it did among you, from the day you accepted it, and understood the gift of God, in all its truth.

He who taught you, Epaphras, our dear companion in the service of Christ, faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, has reminded me of the love you have for me, in the Spirit.

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Tuesday, 2 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that in God we have our Hope and the Light that will dispel and drive out the darkness and evils surrounding us. We must not and should not be afraid of the forces of evil arrayed against us, and we have to do our best to live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy of God so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will always proclaim the wonders, the love and the glory of God at all times. We should always seek to trust in the Lord and His Providence, doing our best to follow His path and teachings, becoming good role models and examples for everyone around us in doing so.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, those who belong to the Church of God in the city and region of Thessalonica in northern Greece today. In that passage we heard how St. Paul encouraged the faithful there who have been good and worthy in their way of live as Christians, in caring and showing love for one another, as well as in their warm welcome for the Apostle and his fellow missionaries. St. Paul encouraged the faithful in Thessalonica with the message of hope, reminding all of them that the Lord will eventually come and vindicate them in their good efforts and faithful life, even amidst the challenges and sufferings which they might have to face in their journey and life.

St. Paul mentioned clearly that what the Lord Himself desired is not our destruction and damnation, but for all of us to be saved and brought out from our fated destruction, and He willingly did all of these through His own Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Who has shown us all the love of God manifested most wonderfully through everything that He has delivered upon us and all the generous love which He has shown us, not just through words alone but also through genuine actions, in Him embracing the least and the worst among us, those who have been abandoned and ostracised even by their own fellow brothers, and ultimately, in what Christ Himself had done in taking up the Cross for our salvation.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important indeed that we should realise just how beloved we have been by the Lord that He has reached out to us with such great love that He has shown us through His Son, that He has  given us this most wonderful hope manifested in us by His most perfect and selfless love, His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. For it was by that sacrifice that each and every one of us have been brought to a new Hope and assurance of eternal life, for all of us who are still in this world, and for all those who have departed from this world, everyone since the beginning to the very end of time. God will gather all of us to Himself and bring us into the eternal joy and happiness that He has promised and prepared for us.

Therefore, just as we have been reminded to have faith and trust in Him, we are reminded again of what we have ourselves heard from the Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel passage according to St. Luke the Evangelist, in which the story of the Lord’s ministry in the town of Capernaum in Galilee was highlighted to us. In that occasion, we heard how the Lord Jesus cast out the evil spirits and demons that had possessed a man there, and the evil spirits within him recognised the Lord and proclaimed publicly that Jesus is indeed the Holy One of God, the One Whom the Lord had sent into this world to bring about its salvation.

The Lord therefore showed His power and might, ordering the evil spirits to leave the possessed man behind, and those evil spirits obeyed, and the man was therefore healed from his condition. The people were astonished by the power and authority which the Lord Jesus had shown them, and how the evil spirits had to obey His words and leave the man. This no doubt brought about more people to come to believe in Him, and this had been recorded for us all so that we too may believe in the Lord, in His power and providence for us. God will not abandon us in our hour and time of need, and He will always be by our side, providing for us and strengthening us, being with all of us at all times.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, let us all continue to be faithful to the Lord at all times and in all circumstances. Let us all not be distracted in our efforts to follow Him ever more faithfully, and let us always strive to live lives that are truly worthy of Him. We should continue to do our part in every opportunities provided to us so that by our every actions we may always be attuned to the Lord our God, to His will and to the path which He Himself has shown and revealed to us, and we will continue to proclaim Him to all those whom we encounter in life, from our loved ones and friends, and even to those strangers and others whom we encounter daily in each and every moments.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God continue to guide each and every one of us in His beloved and holy Church, all of us His beloved sons and daughters so that in each and all things that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another, we will continue to be ever more faithful and devoted to Him, and in our every day examples and actions, we will continue to do our very best to glorify Him by our lives. May God bless us all and our every efforts, works and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 2 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 4 : 31-37

At that time, Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the Sabbath meetings. They were astonished at the way He taught them, for His word was spoken with authority.

In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by an evil spirit, who shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I recognise You : You are the Holy One of God.”

Then Jesus said to him sharply, “Be silent and leave this man!” The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them, and came out of him without doing him harm. Amazement seized all these people, and they said to one another, “What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!”

And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.

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Tuesday, 2 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 13-14

YHVH is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? YHVH is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

One thing I ask of YHVH, one thing I seek – that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life, to gaze at His jewel and to visit His Sanctuary.

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of YHVH in the land of the living. Trust in YHVH, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in YHVH!

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Tuesday, 2 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

1 Thessalonians 5 : 1-6, 9-11

You do not need anyone to write to you about the delay, and the appointed time for these events. You know, that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When people feel secure, and at peace, the disaster will suddenly come upon them, as the birth pangs of a woman in labour, and they will not escape.

But you, beloved, are not in darkness; so that day will not surprise you like a thief. All of you are citizens of the light and the day; we do not belong to night and darkness. Let us not, therefore, sleep as others do, but remain alert and sober.

For God has not willed us to be condemned, but to win salvation, through Christ Jesus, our Lord. He died for us, so that, we might enter into life, with Him, whether we are still awake or already asleep. Therefore, encourage one another and build up one another, as you are doing now.

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Monday, 1 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and reflecting upon the event that we celebrate today, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to be faithful stewards of the Lord’s creation, in everything that we say and do, in our every interactions in life, with all those whom we encounter, in our every responsibilities in this life. At the time of reckoning of our lives, we have to give an account of what we have done and also account for what we have not done or failed to do. All these things are expected of us all, and we have been reminded of them by the Lord Himself Who wants us all to be reconciled and reunited with Him.

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 the city and region of Thessalonica. In that passage we heard, the Apostle spoke to the faithful reminding them of what they would experience at the time of reckoning in the end of days and end of time. Contextually, the faithful Christians of Thessalonica had been quite exemplary and good in their way of life and in their attitudes and actions. That was why St. Paul wanted to encourage them all to continue to live in the way of their Christian faith so that they would continue to be worthy of the Lord and His salvation, for all that He has promised to each and every one of them, even amidst all the challenges and trials that they might be facing in their lives as Christians.

The reality at that time was such that many were opposed to the Christian teachings and the manner in which the people of God lived their way of life. The Christians across the various parts of the Roman Empire encountered difficulties and challenges firstly from the Jewish authorities and the communities of the Jewish diaspora where the Apostles and missionaries initially also worked amongst to spread the Good News of God’s salvation, because not all of them were convinced that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, with some siding with the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin, who sought to silence and stop the works of the Christian missionaries and disciples. Then, in addition, they also encountered opposition from the local pagan who often opposed the evangelisation efforts, and also the Roman state and slavemasters that were opposed to the egalitarian message of the Christian faith, of equality between everyone.

That is why St. Paul reminded the faithful in Thessalonica to continue to be faithful to what they had believed and to continue living in the manner that is worthy and expected of them all as Christians. He reminded them that in the end, all that they have done in faith would be vindicated and rewarded by the Lord when He is to come again into the world, at the end of time and the time of reckoning of all things, just as He has promised. And in the end, everyone who has been faithful to God shall be raised again in body and soul, united in perfection and made perfect and glorious once again, when God will restore all things to perfection and wonder, ridding all sorts of wickedness and evil, darkness and sins that have been all around us. And all of us shall share in the eternity of true joy and happiness with God.

In our Gospel passage today then we heard of the account from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, in which the Lord Jesus went back to His hometown of Nazareth in Galilee. In that occasion, the Lord was preaching in their local synagogue, speaking about the fulfilment of all that God had promised to them all through His coming into this world, as He read to them the prophecy of the prophet Isaiah. But as the Lord told them everything that He Himself had done, and no doubt the people of Nazareth had heard from the people of their surrounding regions, they were still gripped by that disbelief and lack of faith in Him, refusing to admit that one of their own townspeople could have been the Messiah or the Saviour that would be sent by God.

And if we compare what we heard in the treatment of the Lord’s own townspeople and neighbours against Him, with how the people of Thessalonica welcomed warmly St. Paul the Apostle and the other disciples and missionaries, we are reminded of the Lord’s words, as He spoke of how prophets and messengers of God were often reviled and hated in their own lands. Of course this does not mean that all the foreigners and pagans, the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people were more welcoming and kind towards the Lord and His disciples and missionaries, and even among the Jewish people there were those who strongly believed in the Lord and in His truth and Good News, as the Apostles themselves were mostly Jewish in origin. However, what lies at the crux of the matter and issue is the tendency that all of us as humans have in having preconceived judgments and bias against others.

In this case, for the townspeople of Nazareth, they had seen the Lord Jesus growing up in their midst, seeing Him from His childhood days. As such, many among them must have had prejudice and bias being built into their minds, thinking that it was impossible for this Son of a mere town carpenter, namely that of the Lord’s foster-father, St. Joseph, to be the One that the prophets had been proclaiming and speaking about. At that time, carpentry, while it was being a noble and important field of work, doing job that not many would want to do, was often looked down upon, and many carpenters were considered as inferior, uneducated and therefore did not belong to the religious and societal elite at the time, dominated by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.

It was likely all these attitudes, biases and all the other factors that we had mentioned which resulted in how they treated the Lord badly, refusing to believe in Him or listen to Him, and instead preferring to believe in their own prejudices and biases, and because they thought that they were also superior and better than the Lord because He was merely the Son of a carpenter. This attitude is what likely prevented them from seeing reason and believing in the Lord as they should have done. And yes, this is despite them having definitely heard all the wonders that the Lord had done in the whole of Galilee, in the nearby Capernaum and Bethsaida among other places, because their pride, ego and stubbornness had gotten the better of them, and this is what we ourselves should not be doing, brothers and sisters in Christ.

As mentioned earlier, today we also commemorate the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. On this day, all of us are reminded that The late Pope Francis, our previous Pope instituted this important occasion to remind all of us of the role which each and every one of us as Christians are called to take up in our way of living each and every moments of this life we have. In his Papal Encyclical Laudato Si, released in conjunction with this renewed emphasis for the care of the environment and the world all around us, we are reminded that we must be responsible and careful in how we live in this world that God has created and made for all of us to dwell in. Yes, God created this world for us to enjoy living in and to prosper, but also to teach us all to be responsible and to be good in our way of caring for what God had kindly created for us to share in this common world we have.

In the same manner, all of us are also called to be good and faithful stewards for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, in each and every actions and interactions that we carry out each day and at every moments. We have been entrusted not just with this world but also with the care of our fellow brothers and sisters around us. Unfortunately, the same attitude which the people of Nazareth had shown to the Lord Jesus, stemming from their pride and prejudices, their ego and sense of superiority, all these are attitudes that we should avoid and not have in our own lives. As Christians we should indeed do our best to show love, care and concern for one another, and realise that all of us are truly equal before the Lord, all equally sons and daughters of His, having been entrusted with this world to care together.

Let us all therefore strive to do our best to glorify the Lord by our exemplary lives, to do our part as faithful disciples and followers of the Lord in all things. May the Lord continue to help and strengthen us always so that by our every contributions and efforts, we will always show what it truly means to be good and worthy disciples of the Lord, and to be good and responsible stewards of His Creation. Amen.

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Monday, 1 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Luke 4 : 16-30

At that time, when Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, as He usually did. He stood up to read, and they handed Him the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written : “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me. He has anointed Me, to bring good news to the poor; to proclaim liberty to captives; and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed; and to announce the Lord’s year of mercy.”

Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. Then He said to them, “Today, these prophetic words come true, even as you listen.” All agreed with Him, and were lost in wonder, while He spoke of the grace of God. Nevertheless they asked, “Who is this but Joseph’s Son?”

So He said, “Doubtless you will quote Me the saying : Doctor, heal yourself! Do here, in Your town, what they say You did in Capernaum.” Jesus added, “No prophet is honoured in his own country.” Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land.”

“Yet, Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet; and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian.”

On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant. They rose up and brought Him out of the town, to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw Him down the cliff. But He passed through their midst and went His way.