Wednesday

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Wednesday, 23 July 2025 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the great love and providence which God has given to each and every one of us, and how this love has been shown to us most generously through what He had done to us mankind throughout history, and how He has indeed sowed the seeds of His love in us, the seeds of our faith and trust in Him, and the seeds of hope, which He has provided to us so that we may all grow ever stronger in our faith, hope and love, in our commitment and dedication as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own, as the ones whom He had made holy so that we may be truly worthy of Him and everything that He has prepared for us.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Exodus of the account of the time when the Israelites were journeying through the desert, continuing from the account of the Exodus and liberation of the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt that we have heard in the past few weekdays. In that account of what happened, the people of Israel had been journeying hungry and thirsty through the dry and lifeless desert, and they began to complain against God and Moses for having brought them all out of the land of Egypt, where they had been enslaved by the Egyptians before. They complained that although they were enslaved but at least they had good food and good things to drink in Egypt, and they would rather be slaves instead of dying there in the desert.

This attitude, which would be repeated again and again throughout Israel’s long sojourn in the desert showed the lack of genuine and strong faith in God. They kept on grumbling and complaining despite having seen God’s signs and wonders, His miracles and power being shown before them when He was liberating them from the hands of the Pharaoh and the Egyptians, when He opened the sea itself before them to walk through the seabed, dry and safe, and crushing the forces and chariots of Pharaoh afterwards, among other mighty deeds He had done. And we heard how despite the complaints and grumblings that His people had made, God was still very patient in loving them and in caring for them, promising that He would send them food and sustenance throughout their time and journey in the desert.

That was how the Israelites came to be sustained and nourished by the manna, the heavenly bread that came down upon them on every morning except on the morning of the Sabbath days. They also received another sustenance through the flock of birds that the Lord sent to them every evening. Through all of these we can see just how great and loving God is towards all those who are beloved to Him. He always provides for the needs of those who are dear to Him, caring for them to the best way possible, leading them all to the path of grace and happiness. He never breaks His promises and reassurances, and we are reminded to be ever more faithful and committed to the Lord at all times, and no longer allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by the pressures and the fears in our hearts and minds that may lead us astray as they had done to the Israelites.

From our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the well-known parable of the sower in which the Lord used the example of the sower spreading his seeds in various places to highlight His intentions in teaching His disciples and others about providing for ourselves favourable and good conditions for our faith to grow so that we may grow ever stronger in our faith and love for God, that as Christians we may be ever more committed in following the Lord, our most loving God and Master. In that parable, the Lord spoke of a sower who actually represented the Lord Himself, the One Who sowed the seeds of faith, hope and love in the hearts and minds of many in this world, that is represented by the field and the other places that the seeds have been sown.

And what we heard from the parable of the sower is very important because it is related to the behaviour of the Israelites back then during the time of their Exodus and journey towards the Promised Land of Canaan. They did not have much faith in the Lord precisely because they were like those seeds which fell on the roadside or on the barren and rocky soil or on the good soil but with thorns and brambles surrounding them, which means that their faith in the Lord was not cultivated in a truly fertile ‘soil’ that is a commitment to a loving and good relationship with God. That was why they lost their faith in the Lord so quickly, especially when they were facing troubles and difficulties in their journey, leading them to complain and being ungrateful despite everything that God had done for them.

Yes, even after they had been given the manna and the flocks of bird to eat daily, and also good quality water to drink throughout their journey, they still complained nonetheless, and they could not be truly happy because they sought what was material and earthly in their desires, and not trusting in God Who has always loved them and provided for them throughout their whole journey. That would be what we may experience as well if we do not have true and genuine faith in the Lord, and if we do not put Him as an emphasis and focus in our lives. Each and every one of us as Christians should always strive and seek for things that are beyond this world and not to seek or desire for worldly glory and ambitions in this life.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Bridget of Sweden, who was born into a family of nobility in medieval Sweden. She was born in the early fourteenth century, and had a rather usual early life, being married to another nobleman, having several children, one of whom, St. Catherine of Sweden, was also honoured as a saint. When she was widowed by her husband’s death, she became the member of the Third Order of St. Francis, serving the needs of the poor and the less fortunate. St. Bridget herself also established the religious order later known as the Bridgettines, the Order of the Most Holy Saviour, a joint community of men and women dedicated to the care of the needy and the poor, those who are suffering and sick.

She also made many well-known pilgrimages to Rome starting with the Jubilee Year in 1350. Then subsequently, she made more pilgrimages to Rome and worked hard among the people there, caring for the need of those who were troubled by sickness and other maladies. She continued to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to the Lord to the end of her life and inspired many others to do the same as well. She received many visions from the Lord and was a renowned mystic in her own right, and many of her experiences and visions were documented, serving as inspiration for many more people beyond her time and reach. And all of us should also be inspired by her great faith and commitment in loving the poor and caring for the need of those who are sick and less fortunate, in whatever means and capacities we can contribute.

May the Lord continue to help us to appreciate all the love that He has given us, and inspired by the examples and faith shown by our holy predecessors like St. Bridget of Sweden among others, let us all continue to nurture in us a heart that is truly centred on the Lord and commit ourselves with ever greater conviction and faith to serve and follow the Lord at all times. If we provide this fertile ground by which the Lord’s truth, His Good News and teachings can be sowed and nurtured, then surely we will bear rich fruits of our faith and grow ever stronger in virtue and charity, and be good inspiration and example to others, and be worthy beacons of God’s light, now and always. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours, all for His greater glory. Amen.

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Wednesday, 23 July 2025 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Matthew 13 : 1-9

At that time, that same day, Jesus left the house and sat down by the lakeside. Many people gathered around Him. So He got into a boat, and sat down, while the crowds stood on the shore; and He spoke to them in parables about many things.

Jesus said, “The sower went out to sow; and, as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path; and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil, and the seeds sprouted quickly, because the soil was not deep. But as soon as the sun rose, the plants were scorched; and they withered, because they had no roots.”

“Again, other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants. Still, other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop : some a hundredfold, others sixty, and others thirty. If you have ears, then hear!”

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Wednesday, 23 July 2025 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Psalm 77 : 18-19, 23-24, 25-26, 27-28

The people of God tested Him, demanding the food they craved. They blasphemed against God, saying : “Can God spread a table in the desert?”

Yet, He commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; He rained down manna upon them, and fed them with the heavenly grain.

They ate and had more than their fill of the bread of Angels. Then, from heaven He stirred the east wind, and, by His power, let loose the south wind.

To rain down meat on them like dust. Birds as thick as the sand on the seashore fell inside their camp, lying all around their tents.

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Wednesday, 23 July 2025 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Bridget of Sweden, Religious (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Exodus 16 : 1-5, 9-15

The Israelites left Elim and the entire community reached the desert of Sin, between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after leaving Egypt. In the desert the whole community of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of YHVH in Egypt when we sat down to caldrons of meat and ate all the bread we wanted, whereas you have brought us to this desert to let the whole assembly die of starvation!”

YHVH then said to Moses, “Now I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to gather what is needed for that day. In this way I will test them to see if they will follow My Teaching or not. On the sixth day when they prepare what they have brought in, they will find that there is twice as much as they gather each day.”

Then Moses directed Aaron to say to the whole community of Israel, “Draw near to YHVH for He has heard your complaints.” It happened that as Aaron was speaking to the full assembly of Israel, they turned towards the desert and saw the Glory of YHVH in the midst of the cloud.

Then YHVH spoke to Moses, “I have heard the complaints of Israel. Speak to them and say : Between the two evenings you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have bread to your heart’s content; then you shall know that I am YHVH, your God!”

In the evening quails came up and covered the camp. And in the morning, dew had fallen around the camp. When the dew lifted, there was on the surface of the desert a thin crust like hoarfrost. The people of Israel upon seeing it said to one another, “What is it?” for they did not know what it was. Moses told them, “It is the bread that YHVH has given you to eat.”

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that God has called upon each and every one of us to do His will, to do what He has entrusted to each one of us in a distinct and unique manner so that by our active participation in His will and works, we may truly obey what He has wanted us to do and that we may truly be fruitful in everything that we say and do. We are also reminded of God’s great and generous love, His persistent and enduring love and care for each and every one of us, the great love which He has lavished on us throughout time, all the kindness which He has provided so lovingly and selflessly all these while. Through this generous love of God, we are reminded that we are truly blessed and we should really appreciate this grace.

In our first reading today, we heard of the moment from the Book of Exodus when the Lord called Moses to be the one to deliver His message of hope and deliverance to His people, the Israelites being enslaved in Egypt, and to confront the Egyptians and their Pharaoh that they might set the people of God free. This happened as Moses was in the land of Midian, pasturing the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro during the time when he was in exile from Egypt after murdering an Egyptian slavemaster. He saw the Lord appearing in a miraculous burning bush and he encountered the Lord there at His mountain, and hearing God sending him out on the mission to rescue and lead the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt and to head to the Promised Land that He had promised their forefathers.

Moses received this mission from the Lord Who was acting to move His people out from suffering, because despite having endured a lot of tribulations and trials, the people of God were never forgotten and abandoned by God, Who have always loved them and remembered His Covenant with them. But the Egyptians and their Pharaoh chose to act with impunity and persecuted the Israelites through slavery and oppression. That was why, at the appointed time, according to His will, God moved and Moses was the one that He had chosen to bring His people out of the land of their misery, leading them to the land of milk and honey, a land of bounty and joy which God would grant to all of them.

Then, as we heard from our Gospel passage today taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we are reminded that the Lord has revealed to us His will and intentions, all of which had been made clear and tangible to us through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the One through Whom we have seen the love of God manifested perfectly before each one of us. And through His obedience to His Father’s will, in showing us the perfect example of what it truly means to be faithful, Christ our Lord has shown us all how we can follow God faithfully in all things, becoming the role models and inspirations for one another, becoming the beacons of hope and light for everyone around us, in living our lives and faith most committedly at all times.

And that is what we are all reminded to do, to be ever more faithful and dedicated to God, to follow the Lord in all and every moments of our lives, and to listen to Him speaking to us in the depths of our hearts and minds. We should allow the Lord to lead us down the path that He wants us all to walk in so that we may truly be good and virtuous Christians at all times, in each and every one of our actions, works and deeds, in our every dealings and interactions. God has called us all to be His faithful disciples and followers, to go forth and proclaim His truth and Good News in every possible opportunities, in doing our best to glorify Him by our lives and our every contributions, even in the smallest things that we do in life.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, remembering the occasion of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Holy Mother of God, to St. Simon Stock in the region of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land, from which the Carmelites get their name from, and which devotion would later be popularly known as the Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. At that time, during the time of the Crusades, Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared and gave the now popular brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to St. Simon Stock who then popularised this devotion at about the same time when the Carmelite order began in the late twelfth century.

Ever since then, the Carmelites and their devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, among their many other charisms and works continued to work wonders for the salvation of souls. Even after they had to leave the Holy Land due to the failure of the Crusades, the Carmelites continued to do many great works for God and His people, calling more and more people to salvation in Him and through Him, echoing how Moses brought the people of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt and into the land promised to them and their ancestors. Therefore, we too are called to leave behind our slavery to sin and darkness, and to embrace wholeheartedly the new life and existence which God is providing to us all, and which He has always reassured us all, all these while.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us all through the many challenges in life, through all of the difficult moments we may have to encounter in our paths and journeys. May He empower us all to be His worthy and committed disciples, allowing us to be truly good and worthy followers of His, to be the beacons of His light, truth and hope, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

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.”

Alternative reading (Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Matthew 12 : 46-50

At that time, while Jesus was talking to the people, His mother and His brothers wanted to speak to Him, and they waited outside. So someone said to Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside; they want to speak with You.”

Jesus answered, “Who is My mother? Who are My brothers?” Then He pointed to His disciples and said, “Look! Here are My mother and My brothers. Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Psalm 102 : 1-2, 3-4, 6-7

Praise YHVH, my soul; all my being, praise His holy Name! Praise YHVH, my soul, and do not forget all His kindness.

He forgives all your sins and heals all your sickness; He redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with love and compassion.

YHVH restores justice and secures the rights of the oppressed. He has made known His ways to Moses; and His deeds, to the people of Israel.

Alternative Psalm (Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Luke 1 : 46-47, 48-49, 50-51, 52-53, 54-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit exults in God, my Saviour!

He has looked upon His servant, in her lowliness, and people, forever, will call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, Holy is His Name!

From age to age, His mercy extends to those who live in His presence. He has acted with power and done wonders, and scattered the proud with their plans.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and lifted up those who are downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty.

He held out His hand to Israel, His servant, for He remembered His mercy, even as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.

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Wednesday, 16 July 2025 : 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Exodus 3 : 1-6, 9-12

Moses pastured the sheep of Jethro, his father-in-law, priest of Midian. One day he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the Mountain of God. The Angel of YHVH appeared to him by means of a flame of fire in the middle of a bush. Moses saw that although the bush was on fire it did not burn up.

Moses thought, “I will go and see this amazing sight, why is the bush not burning up?” YHVH saw that Moses was drawing near to look, and God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” He replied, “Here I am.” YHVH said to him, “Do not come near; take off your sandals because the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

And God continued, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face lest his eyes look on God. YHVH said, “The cry of the sons of Israel has reached Me and I have seen how the Egyptians oppress them. Go now! I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?” God replied, “I will be with you and this will be the sign that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

Alternative reading (Mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel)

Zechariah 2 : 14-17

Sing and rejoice, o daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people, but My dwelling is among you.”

The people of Judah will be for YHVH as His portion in His holy land. He will choose Jerusalem again. Keep still in YHVH’s presence, for He comes, having risen from His holy dwelling.

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Wednesday, 9 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the missions which the Lord had put into our paths and entrusted to each and every one of us, His disciples and followers. Each and every one of us have been put in certain places and given certain opportunities, talents or gifts in order to make good use of them in making it all a blessing for everyone, a grace for all those whom we encounter in life. All of us have been blessed with such great love by the Lord and hence, we should remember to love Him in the same way as well, and love all those who are around us, those who have been entrusted to us, and all those whom we encounter daily.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis in which the story of Joseph, the son of Jacob or Israel, and his brothers were told to us. For the context of the story, in case we forget what happened earlier on before the events depicted in today’s passage, Joseph, one of the youngest sons of Jacob, born from his beloved wife Rachel, was one of his favourite, and was showered with lots of favour from Jacob, to the point that the elder brothers of Joseph became envious of him. There were also occasions when Joseph received dreams from the Lord where in that dream he was given respect and obeisance from his brothers and even his parents. No one knew it then, even Joseph himself, that this was in fact a premonition of things to come, many years and decades later, when everything actually came to happen just as Joseph dreamt of it.

Joseph’s brothers actually plotted to kill him out of jealousy, and they were only prevented from doing so by the eldest brother, Reuben, who wanted to protect Joseph. In the end, they all trapped Joseph and then sold him to a Midianite slaver who brought Joseph to the land of Egypt, where he first ended up as a slave and was even imprisoned, but by God’s grace and help, as He had planned it all from the very beginning, Joseph was rescued from the prison after he helped to interpret the dream of the Pharaoh of Egypt, and made to be the powerful Regent of Egypt, no less than the second most powerful person in the whole kingdom after the Pharaoh himself. And it was this powerful Regent that the brothers of Joseph met him, at that time, when the world was gripped in great famine and sufferings.

It was in fact part of God’s plan for His beloved ones, as through this action and turn of events, which was surely most unexpected for everyone, not only that God turned sufferings into greatness, but in His perfect timing and divine plan, He made everything to be wonderful, reuniting Joseph with his brothers and family in the end, and at the same time, his careful stewardship of Egypt’s resources and food allowed him to help countless people in Egypt and many other places to survive through the great seven years of famine. We can see how God made even wicked things that the brothers of Joseph had done to Joseph into great and wonderful things for so many, all the works of His hands, His wonderful and most loving deeds for us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus calling and dedicating His most important and closest collaborators, the disciples known as the Twelve, the members of His innermost circle of disciples. And we heard the Twelve being named for us, including the one that would betray Him in the end, Judas Iscariot. These people had been chosen and called by the Lord, from among those whom He had encountered and called, from different and diverse origins, and to them all He entrusted the power and authority to perform miracles and wonders, and to reach out to more and more of the people that He Himself would minister to, so that many more would come to know the Lord and His salvation, His Good News and love.

This is a reminder for all of us that as Christians, all of us have also been called like the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, and we have been given the unique and diverse gifts and opportunities which God had provided to each one of us so that we may make good use of them in whatever it is that He wants us to do in our respective lives, in our respective capacities in whatever we have encountered daily in life, in all those whom we have met, interacted with and spent time with. All of us ought to bear with us all the courageous and genuine witnessing of our Christian faith in all that we say and do, in our every interactions with one another, in our love that we show to those who are dear to us, and in our care for our fellow brothers and sisters, our neighbours around us.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of China, commemorating all those faithful holy men and women who had courageously stood up for their faith and defended their commitment to God without fear and willing to suffer and die as faithful disciples and followers of Christ, particularly against terrible and harsh repressions and persecutions against them and the Church. St. Augustine Zhao Rong himself was born during the middle of the eighteenth century in China, and was one of the Christian converts during a time when the Imperial Chinese government and state was highly suspicious of Christians and the missionaries, and which carried out sporadic persecutions against them and the faithful.

St. Augustine Zhao Rong wanted to become a priest and he received training to be such, and in such extraordinary circumstances, only five years after his baptism, he was ordained as a priest, becoming one of the first local Chinese to be ordained a priest, and he spent many years in service to the people of God and to the works of mission of the Church in various places. Then, according to the historic tradition, under the Emperor Jiaqing in the early nineteenth century, more persecutions were carried out against Christians, and St. Augustine Zhao Rong was one of those who were arrested, and then tortured and eventually martyred for their faith. There were many other Christian faithful, both the missionaries and the converts who gave up their lives in their faithful commitment and obedience to God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be renewed and strengthened in faith, and let us all continue to do our best to live our lives each day with the strong desire to glorify God by our lives, knowing that God is always with us, providing for us at every steps of our journey in life. And through the inspiration provided to us by the courage and faith of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his fellow companions in martyrdom, let us all continue to be faithful in all things and at all times. Amen.

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Wednesday, 9 July 2025 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Matthew 10 : 1-7

At that time, Jesus called His Twelve disciples to Him, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out, and to heal every disease and sickness.

These are the names of the Twelve Apostles : first Simon, called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, the man who would betray Him.

Jesus sent these Twelve on mission, with the instruction : “Do not visit pagan territory and do not enter a Samaritan town. Go, instead, to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go, and proclaim this message : The kingdom of Heaven is near.”