Wednesday

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Wednesday, 29 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, the friends of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and also some of His closest disciples. Through all of them we are reminded of the great and loving relationships that the Lord shared with His friends and closest confidants, as St. Martha and St. Mary were often hosting the Lord at their house while St. Lazarus was one of those that the Lord resurrected from the dead, after he passed away from sickness. The Lord showed His great love to all of them, and revealed the nature of His generous love and compassion. All of us are truly fortunate that the Lord has not abandoned us and indeed, He will never do so, and that is why, through these three great saints, all of us are reminded to come ever closer to Him and seek Him.

As we heard in our Gospel reading passage today, either of the account of the resurrection of St. Lazarus from the dead, and also how St. Martha and St. Mary welcomed the Lord into their place, we heard of the interactions between these three saints and holy people with the Lord Himself, how they were beloved by God, and how the Lord wanted to tell us that if we believe in Him, then we shall have no need for fear or uncertainties, and there is no need for us to be afraid of anything because the Lord will always be by our side, and we will always be guarded and protected, given the blessings and strength, grace and might from God. St. Lazarus’ death and his resurrection by the Lord showed us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and not even sin and death can do that, as God, the Master and Lord of life and death, have dominion over all things.

Meanwhile, St. Martha and St. Mary showed us all the love that one ought to have for one’s fellow brother and sister, just as we can see how distraught both of them were at the passing of their brother, and yet, at the same time, they still held on to the faith in the Lord, believing in Him and in the Resurrection, which came to complete fulfilment with the Lord’s resurrection of Lazarus from the dead. St. Martha and St. Mary also showed us in the other occasion, of what it means to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, with all of our heart and attention, and as a reminder that sometimes we may be swayed and distracted by the many worldly matters and attachments which may lead us down into our failure to recognise God’s Presence in our lives, or in being so busy and preoccupied in doing things in our lives, even if for the Lord, that we forget to remember Him and spend time with Him.

As we heard from the famous account of how St. Martha hosted the Lord in her house with her sister St. Mary, we heard of how St. Martha was really very busy preparing everything for welcoming the Lord, which presumably included cooking, preparing the food, the table and everything, in trying to be as hospitable as possible. Meanwhile, St. Mary was seated by the Lord’s side, spending time with Him and listening to Him, and when St. Martha complained to the Lord about her sister not helping her, the Lord quietly chided her obsession and preoccupation with her works and efforts, which made her to forget what she should also be doing at that time, which is to spend good, quality time with the Lord and to listen to His words, rather than to spend so much time preparing all things for Him, but ignoring Him and His presence and words in the process.

That is a reminder for us that the Lord wants from us our love and attention, our whole hearts and minds, undivided focus and more, and not all the busy actions and preoccupations we have in life, in all the things that may distract us from focusing ourselves upon the true focus of our lives, that is the Lord Himself, the Lord and Master of us all. That is why today, all of us are reminded as we rejoice in the glorious memories of the three siblings turned saints, St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, that each and every one of us should always put our faith and trust in the Lord, and we should always place the Lord first and foremost before everything else. We must always do our best so that we will not be swayed easily by the temptations and obstacles present all around us, threatening to mislead us away from the path of the Lord and His salvation.

As Christians, each and every one of us are expected to be wholly devoted to the Lord, and to live our lives with great commitment and focus on Him, so that all the others who witness our works, actions and deeds, and who hears us and our words, and interact with us all, they may be inspired to come to know more about the Lord and His salvation. You can essentially say that we are all God’s missionaries and the beacons of His light and truth in our communities and in the world. It is through us that we can either help to bring more and more people to come towards the Lord and His salvation, or to deter and discourage the same people from coming to approach the Lord by our own scandals and lukewarmness in faith. We must not allow worldly desires, distractions and temptations from leading us down the path towards our downfall.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the examples of faith shown by those three great saints, particularly that of St. Mary, in her focus and attention on the Lord, in her devotion and commitment to Him. And from St. Martha, let us all be inspired by her desire to serve and love the Lord, but at the same time, let us all keep reminding ourselves that we should not allow our actions, our piety and all to distract us somehow from our love and focus on the Lord. As it is very easy for us, just as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had shown throughout the Gospels, to be swayed and distracted, to become proud and haughty over our own actions of faith, that our faith become inward looking and exclusive, self-righteous and lacking in genuine and true love for the Lord. This is something that we all must be careful of, and strive to avoid, by keeping our focus solely on the Lord alone.

May the Lord, ever glorified through the lives and actions of His holy ones, the glorious saints and martyrs, and particularly on this day, through St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus, who are dear to Him, continue to bless us all and guide us in our own journey of faith and life, so that we may always be ever faithful to the Lord in all things. May we continue to strive and persevere in faith, even amidst the many challenges and trials all around us. May God bless our efforts and good works, our every endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 29 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 11 : 19-27

At that time, many Jews had come to Martha and Mary, after the death of their brother, to comfort them. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.” Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha replied, “I know that He will rise in the resurrection, at the last day.” But Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, shall live. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Martha then answered, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, He Who is coming into the world.”

Alternative reading

Luke 10 : 38-42

At that time, as Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He entered a village, and a woman called Martha welcomed Him to her house. She had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet to listen to His words. Martha, meanwhile, was busy with all the serving, and finally she said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me!”

But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”

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Wednesday, 29 July 2026 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Martha, St. Mary and St. Lazarus (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 33 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11

I will praise YHVH all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. My soul makes its boast in YHVH; let the lowly hear and rejoice.

Oh, let us magnify YHVH; together, let us glorify His Name! I sought YHVH, and He answered me; from all my fears He delivered me.

They who look to Him are radiant with joy, their faces never clouded with shame. When the poor cry out, YHVH hears and saves them from distress.

YHVH’s Angel encamps and patrols, to keep safe those who fear Him. Oh, see and taste the goodness of YHVH! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

Revere YHVH, all you, His saints, for those who fear Him do not live in want. The mighty may be hungry and in need; but those who seek YHVH lack nothing.

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Wednesday, 29 July 2026 : 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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Wednesday, 22 July 2026 : Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Apostle of the Apostles (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, one of the faithful and closest disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. St. Mary Magdalene was one of the women mentioned to have followed the Lord, together with the others named Mary, namely, Mary, the Mother of God herself, and also Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, as well as other holy women who dedicated themselves to help and serve the Lord and His followers. According to various Church traditions, St. Mary Magdalene was associated either with the woman who was caught in the act of adultery, or was a prostitute, or just another ordinary woman, from whom the Lord had driven out seven evil spirits, as recorded in the Gospels.

Regardless of the circumstances and tradition, it is clear that no matter what kind of life that St. Mary Magdalene had carried out in the past, all those things did not change the fact that in the end, this woman became one of the greatest among the Lord’s followers, and by the importance placed on her Feast today, which had been raised to equal that of the other Apostles of the Lord, we can see just how significant St. Mary Magdalene is to all of us as Christians, as the role model and the example for many of us, God’s faithful servants, the people of God. St. Mary Magdalene was truly the Apostle of the Apostles, or Apostolorum Apostola, the one who had brought the message of the Good News and the Lord’s Resurrection to the other Apostles.

That is what we have heard in our Gospel passage today, which highlighted the moment when the Risen Lord Jesus first appeared to His disciples, to St. Mary Magdalene who was among the first to go to the tomb of the Lord on the morning of Easter Sunday, the time when the Lord rose gloriously from the dead. The Lord appeared to the grieving St. Mary Magdalene who thought that the Lord’s Body might have been stolen and hidden by His enemies or persecutors when she saw His tomb was clearly open and empty inside. The Angels of God had told them that the Lord is Risen and that He was no longer in the tomb, as death itself could not contain Him, and He has triumphantly been victorious over sin and death, returning to us as the all-conquering Saviour and Lord. He therefore appeared to the still-shocked St. Mary Magdalene, who saw Him and believed.

It was St. Mary Magdalene who broke the news to the other disciples, and through her accounts and experiences, the Apostles came to know of the Lord’s Resurrection at Easter, with St. Peter and St. John having rushed immediately to the tomb after her return to Jerusalem. Thus, St. Mary Magdalene, who had once been probably living a life of sin and waywardness, became the agent and means through whom God revealed the knowledge and truth about His Resurrection, as the one to whom God first made His appearance after He has risen from the dead. It was also very symbolic, of God coming to be reconciled with us and to seek for the lost and those who suffer from the result of their sins. The Lord Himself has said in one occasion, that He came specifically for those who are lost and those who have none to help them, to heal them and to reconcile them to Himself.

And that is why He came to appear to St. Mary Magdalene, to highlight ever more clearly the love which He has always had for us all, especially for the last, the lost and the least among us. God does not desire any one of us to be lost to Him, and this example shown by St. Mary Magdalene serves as a reminder for each one of us that no one is truly beyond God and His love. God has always reached out to us, caring for us, guiding and helping us in our journey towards Him. St. Mary Magdalene herself also showed us that no sinner is beyond redemption, as has other great sinners turned saints have shown us. As mentioned, regardless of who St. Mary Magdalene was, what truly matters is that this woman has embraced the Lord wholeheartedly and committed herself completely to the Lord, becoming one of His greatest servants.

Now, all of us should be inspired by the great faith and examples, the dedication and the love which St. Mary Magdalene had for the Lord. Each and every one of us as Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord can and indeed should follow the same actions and examples that St. Mary Magdalene had done in her life. Each one of us have been called and chosen from this world, and we have received the same truth and Good News of God, and what remains is just therefore for us all to make the conscious choice and decision to commit ourselves to the Lord with all of our might and strength, and becoming great role models and sources of inspiration ourselves, by our own exemplary and faithful works and deeds, at all opportunities and through all the graces that God had provided for us.

Let us all therefore walk in the footsteps of the holy servant of God, St. Mary Magdalene, a most worthy example for all of us, in her commitment and efforts to serve the Lord. She would continue to serve the Lord and offer herself for the greater glory and works of the Lord, and each one of us should strive to follow her example and be always reminded that there is no one who is truly outside and beyond the power of God’s mercy and forgiveness. All of us have been given the opportunities and shown the path by the Lord, and hence, it is up to us whether we want to commit ourselves to the Lord and His path, believe in His truth and Good News, or not. What we all need to remember is that, to all of us God’s beloved people, we have the responsibilities and the calling to be missionary and to be evangelising in our every works and actions, in our every words and endeavours, and interactions with others.

May the Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey of faith through life, and may He inspire all of us to persevere and to be always ever strong in our every deeds and way of life, in all of our actions anchored in our faith and genuine love for God as St. Mary Magdalene herself has shown us, in how she dedicated herself and her life to the Lord, following Him in all things and in all occasions. May God therefore bless all of us in our every works and efforts, in every circumstances, now and always, forevermore so that we too may inspire many others to follow our good examples in faith. Amen.

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Wednesday, 22 July 2026 : 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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Wednesday, 22 July 2026 : 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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Wednesday, 22 July 2026 : 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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Wednesday, 15 July 2026 : 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, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all presented with the works of the Lord as He revealed to us His saving grace. He has given His kindness and love to His people and give justice to them. To those who obey Him and His Laws, He gives blessings and graces, protection and help, while those who haughtily and proudly disobeyed Him, remaining in their way and state of sin, were punished and faced consequences corresponding to their sins and faults, as the Scriptures today had presented to us. All of us are God’s beloved and precious children, and to God our Father Who truly and genuinely loves us, we are all wonderful and amazing in His eyes, and we have no need to worry because 

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord as delivered through Isaiah to the people of God in the kingdom of Judah, speaking about the proud and arrogant king of Assyria, whom God would put in his place, humiliate and remind that all of his glory and power were nothing without God’s approval and help. In order to understand the significance of these words and the passage, we have to know the circumstances during that time, when the king of Assyria came to destroy many nations and conquered many countries, including the wicked people of the kingdoms of Israel and Aram in Syria.

Back then, the king of Assyria became proud and arrogant, and thinking that he had all the power and glory in the world, that he went up against the faithful people of God in Judah and Jerusalem. King Sennacherib of Assyria brought his whole massive army to besiege Jerusalem and conquer Judah. Not only that but Sennacherib also boasted before the whole entire people of Jerusalem and Judah, their king Hezekiah, the prophet Isaiah and all assembled that he had conquered many nations and peoples, and how all of their gods and idols could not protect them against his armies, and therefore, God would not have been able to protect Judah and Jerusalem too as what had happened to the other cities that were destroyed and subjugated.

Sennacherib forgot that whatever he had done, all had been made available by God, and in his moment of folly, pride and arrogance, he blasphemed against God and spoke proudly in great sin against Him. Hence, the Lord through His prophet Isaiah spoke to His people offering reassurance for them that He would be with them, and the Assyrians and their king would be humbled and defeated. The blasphemy and wickedness that king Sennacherib had publicly uttered before the Lord and all the assembled people would become his undoing, as later in the history of this Assyrian invasion, it was told that the entire Assyrian forces were wiped out by the power of God.

These are all reminders for all of us that we should not go up against God or in defying Him by following our own ways and paths. Each and every one of us should follow the truth and the path that Christ Himself, the Son of God, has shown us all through His disciples and His Church. In our Gospel passage today, that was what we heard as the Lord Jesus spoke of Himself having come from the Father, revealing to all of us mankind the truth that God has willingly shared with us, so that through that same truth, all of us may find the path and the way to eternal life and true joy in God, the ultimate goal and realisation of our lives’ paths and journeys in this world, all of which are supposed to lead towards God.

That is why today we are reminded that we should renew our trust and faith in God, and learn to follow His path and examples, while resisting the temptations of the world and the pressures all around us which may try to force us to succumb to those temptations and abandon our faith in the Lord. That is why today we should look upon the great faith shown by our predecessors, all those servants of God, disciples and followers of the Lord who had given their all in order to serve Him. Today we celebrate the feast of one of those servants of God, namely St. Bonaventure, a renowned Franciscan bishop, theologian and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, who was later on declared as one of the Doctors of the Church for his great contributions to the Christian faith and the Church, as well as his commitment to Church reforms.

He joined the Franciscan Order and had an interaction with its founder, the other renowned saint, St. Francis of Assisi. He wrote extensively on theological matters, so much so that he was known well as the ‘Seraphic Doctor’ by his contemporaries and later Church theologians. He was also elected as the leader of the Franciscan Order as its Minister General, and was instrumental in guiding the order through its works and principles, and at the same time also involving himself in greater and wider whole Church reforms. He was elevated to the Cardinalate by the Pope for his influential efforts and works in securing his election, and in his many other contributions to the good of the Church and the faithful people of God. The great examples of St. Bonaventure still inspired many people right even up to this very day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow the great examples set by St. Bonaventure and many of our other holy predecessors, in doing our very best to glorify the Lord by our works and efforts in every moments of our lives, that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will always put God first and foremost in all things, and not easily swayed by worldly temptations and desires. May the Lord continue to help and guide us all in our journey, in continuing to persevere in being ever more faithful and dedicated as those whom He has called and chosen as His own, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 15 July 2026 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 11 : 25-27

At that time, Jesus said, “Father, Lord of heaven and earth, I praise You; because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to simple people. Yes, Father, this was Your gracious will.”

“Everything has been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father; and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”