Wednesday

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Wednesday, 24 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the great joy that is coming to us this Christmas, which is just tomorrow. Are we prepared to welcome the Lord and to celebrate in His coming into our midst, brothers and sisters? After a whole entire season of Advent, all the more that the Advent season this year is at the longest possible duration, have we been spending our time right in doing what we can to prepare our hearts and minds to welcome the Lord into them? Or have we instead been so busy and preoccupied with worldly matters and concerns, and with all sorts of temptations and distractions, that we have prepared in the wrong way for Christmas?

Let us all spend some time today to reflect upon the words of the Scriptures to remind us why we celebrate Christmas, so that we may be fully ready tomorrow and the entire Christmas season to rejoice worthily and well. In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel, regarding the time when King David of Israel, having been made secure in his reign and rule, wanted to build a House for God, and asked the prophet Nathan on his opinion and what the Lord would say regarding his plan to build God’s House and Temple in Jerusalem. God said that it would not be David that would build a House for Him in Jerusalem, but his son, Solomon, who would be King after him. God at the same time also promised David that his reign and his house will be forever secure.

And all that would indeed come true as David’s son, Solomon, would become the King over all of Israel. Solomon would also build the Temple and House for God in Jerusalem, to house the Ark of the Covenant and to be the place where God’s Holy Presence would dwell among all of His people. Then, while Solomon and his descendants eventually fell into sinful paths and disobeyed God, which resulted in the downfall of the kingdom of Israel, but God did not take away His promise, as what He had promised to David remained true, as His prophets said that one day, the Messiah, the Holy One of God, and the Saviour of the world would come from the House of David and be born as his heir, to restore the kingdom of Israel and the Lord’s dominion and rule over His people.

In the Gospel passage today, we then heard of the great song which Zechariah, the father of St. John the Baptist, Herald of the Messiah sang in praising and glorifying God, what is also known as the Canticle of Zechariah. Zechariah had seen the fulfilment of God’s promises, that the Lord had given him a son when all hopes were lost. Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of St. John the Baptist had been without any child for a long time, and while Elizabeth had been barren for years was way past her child-bearing age, but God proclaimed to Zechariah through His Angel that Elizabeth would bear a son, and that he would become a great servant of God, named John. And St. John the Baptist would be the one through whom God prepared His path, when He Himself come in the birth of His Son.

All those point out to the evidence and the proof that God truly keeps His words and promises, and that His salvation and grace have all come to us through His promised Saviour, the Messiah, the Heir of David, the One Whom St. John the Baptist had been tasked to prepare the people for, in calling on all of them to repent from their many sins and embrace God’s love and mercy, shown to them all through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour of all. Hence, we are all reminded that in Christmas, we celebrate with joy this coming of the Saviour of the world, the fulfilment of the long awaited promises of God, which He had indeed delivered unto us, no less and no more. He came into our midst, revealing unto us His perfect love and most generous attention to us, as He wants us all to be reconciled with Him and to return once again to Him.

That is what Christmas is all about, and yet, we see all around us is Christmas that is often bereft of the One Whom Christmas is actually all about and the One Whom Christmas has been named after. How can we celebrate Christmas if there is no Christ in our celebrations and festivities? How can we truly rejoice in Christmas if Christ is not the reason why we rejoice and are happy in this time of joy? This is a reminder for us all that as we enter into the glorious and joyful Christmas season tomorrow, we must have the right disposition and readiness in our hearts and minds to celebrate Christmas as the joyful moment when we welcome Christ into our midst, and enthrone Him in our hearts, as the King of our lives, Who has come into our midst, to save us all and to lead us into His glorious kingdom.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we approach the beginning of the Christmas season, let us all rediscover the true joy of Christmas in our Lord and Saviour, and rejoice for all that He had done for us. Christmas is a time for us to return once again to the Lord, to grow in love with Him once again, remembering everything that God had done for us, in coming down to us, emptying Himself and humbling Himself to become as a Man just like us, to dwell among us and to show us all the perfect manifestation of God’s love. This Christmas we are reminded that God has shown us His faithfulness, and He will not abandon us, but will dwell amongst us, and stay with us. Christmas is that time we are reminded how God reached out to us and touched us with His love, as He has always done.

May all of us continue to grow in faith, and may all of us enter the season of Christmas with better understanding of the reason why we celebrate. Let us all begin Christmas with a renewed reason to live our lives with greater faith and dedication to God. Let us all be the beacons of God’s light, truth and hope in our communities, doing whatever we can to inspire others by our righteous and just way of life, and by sharing our Christmas joy with all those who have little or no chance to rejoice and celebrate this Christmas. May the Lord continue to inspire us to be loving and filled with hope, the hope of God’s everlasting joy and truth, and be generous sharers of them to our fellow brothers and sisters. May God bless our upcoming Christmas season and celebrations. Amen.

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Wednesday, 24 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 1 : 67-79

Zechariah, filled with Holy Spirit, sang this canticle, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has come and redeemed His people. In the house of David His servant, He has raised up for us a victorious Saviour; as He promised through His prophets of old, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of our foes.”

“He has shown mercy to our fathers; and remembered His holy covenant, the oath He swore to Abraham, our father, to deliver us from the enemy, that we might serve Him fearlessly, as a holy and righteous people, all the days of our lives.”

“And you, my child, shall be called prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, and to enable His people to know of their salvation, when He comes to forgive their sins. This is the work of the mercy of our God, Who comes from on high as a rising sun, shining on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, and guiding our feet into the way of peace.”

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Wednesday, 24 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 88 : 2-3, 4-5, 27 and 29

I will sing forever, o YHVH, of Your love, and proclaim Your faithfulness from age to age. I will declare how steadfast is Your love, how firm Your faithfulness.

You said, “I have made a Covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.”

He will call on Me, “You are my Father, my God, my Rock, my Saviour.” I will keep My Covenant firm forever, and my love for Him will endure.

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Wednesday, 24 December 2025 : 4th Week of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

2 Samuel 7 : 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16

When the king had settled in his palace and YHVH had rid him of all his surrounding enemies, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I live in a house of cedar but the Ark of God is housed in a tent.” Nathan replied, “Do as it seems fit to you for YHVH is with you.”

But that very night, YHVH’s word came to Nathan, “Go and tell My servant David, this is what YHVH says : Are you able to build a house for Me to live in? I took you from the pasture, from tending the sheep, to make you commander of My people Israel. I have been with you wherever you went, cutting down all your enemies before you. Now I will make your name great, as the name of the great ones on earth.”

“I will provide a place for My people Israel and plant them that they may live there in peace. They shall no longer be harassed, nor shall wicked men oppress them as before. From the time when I appointed judges over My people Israel it is only to you that I have given rest from all your enemies. YHVH also tells you that He will build you a house.”

“When the time comes for you to rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your son after you, the one born of you; and I will make his reign secure. I will be a Father to him and he shall be My son. Your house and your reign shall last forever before Me, and your throne shall be forever firm.”

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Wednesday, 10 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Our Lady of Loreto)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, which marks the popular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Holy House of Loreto where in that place of Loreto in Italy, the very House that the Holy Family lived in during their time in Nazareth, can actually be found. The story of the miraculous translation of the Holy House of Loreto had a long tradition in the Church, and it was believed that the very same House of Loreto was translated from the site of Nazareth itself, where both St. Joseph and Mary originated from, and after a few occasions and movements, was finally settled in its current place and shrine in Loreto, where many people flocked throughout the year in pilgrimages, seeking the intercession of the Blessed Mother of God, Our Lady of Loreto, and the Holy Family.

The current shrine to Our Lady of Loreto located at the shores of the Adriatic Sea is among the largest Marian shrines in the world, and is the third largest in Europe after the famous shrines at Fatima and Lourdes. The tradition described as such that the very House where Our Lord and Saviour once lived with His family, with St. Joseph, His foster father and with Mary, His mother. It was told that after the Lord’s Ascension and at the very early days of the Church, the Holy House became a place of worship by the Apostles, who celebrated the Eucharist on its very table and place, and an Altar was built in the House. This House thus eventually became a church and place of Divine worship, being so connected to the story of Our Saviour and His life and ministry, and was brought away from the Holy Land at the end of the Crusades, to avoid destruction and harm at the hands of those who sought to destroy and desecrate the sacred places connected to the Lord’s life and ministry.

According to the same tradition, the Holy House was brought by the Angels miraculously from Nazareth first to the region of Dalmatia in what is today Croatia where pilgrims went to visit just as how it was when it was still in its original place in the Holy Land. And then later on, as the pilgrims were beset by bandits and brigands, it was told that the Holy House was brought miraculously once again by the Angels before it finally settled down in Loreto, in its current place, where it had remained ever since. Ever since then, pilgrimages had come every year and at every moment, of people seeking for the intercession of the Blessed Madonna or Lady of Loreto, and the healing power from her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as shown in the famous icon and statue of Our Lady of Loreto, the Madonna and Child enshrined within the Holy House, that remains accessible to this day.

While people have debated the authenticity and the accuracy of the accounts surrounding the translation of the Holy House from Nazareth to its current shrine at Loreto, and whether the Holy House is indeed the same House that Our Lord and Saviour had once lived in, what is important is that, given the many evidences and studies that had supported the authenticity of the Holy House, countless people throughout the years, decades and centuries had come to the Lord through His blessed and loving Mother, Our Lady of Loreto, seeking healing, consolation and help, and many became believers and were converted through their experiences and through the prayers and intercessions of our most loving and blessed mother, who extended her love and care to us just as she had loved her Son very dearly and tenderly.

As we reflect on today’s occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, the loving Mother of God and the patroness of the miraculous Holy House of Loreto, all of us are reminded that in this season of Advent, which we have now reached approximately the halfway point, we ought to spend the time and effort to deepen our connection and relationship with God. This season of Advent is a time for us to rediscover our love and faith in God, and for us to redirect our attention and attune ourselves anew to the Lord once again. It is a time when we should embrace the Lord wholeheartedly and turn our hearts and minds to Him, to welcome Him into them and to allow Him to change our lives for the better that we may become better Christians, better followers and disciples of Our Lord and Saviour.

Let us ask ourselves whether we are truly ready to welcome the Lord into our midst, or whether we have squandered the time and opportunities given to us by the Lord, especially during this time of Advent, in focusing our attention on worldly matters and pleasures rather than on God, on His truth and love. Let us ask ourselves if we as Christians have spent more time in thinking of all of our worldly concerns and ambitions, our preoccupations with all sorts of things that distract us from the path of following God and His righteousness. And not only that, but if we have been preparing ourselves in the wrong way during this time and season of Advent, we should rectify it by realigning our actions and directions in life so that we may no longer walk in the wrong path, but may finally make good use of this time to prepare ourselves to welcome the Lord with all sincerity.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all use this time of Advent to reorientate our lives and focus, and move away from the materialistic focus that many of us often have, not just in our upcoming Christmas celebrations but also in our lives in general. Let us not allow materialism and hedonistic behaviours to sway and lead us down the wrong path, and instead, let us all remember once again the love by which God has constantly shown us, in patiently leading and guiding us towards Himself and His salvation and grace, and in welcoming all of us back to His loving embrace despite of all of our constant stubbornness and rebelliousness. Not only that but He also entrusted us all to the care of His own beloved mother, whom He entrusted to be our own mother, and she, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Loreto, as per her many other apparitions and works, has lead us ever closer to her Son, by her fervent love for us and her intercessions for our sake.

May all of us continue to walk down the path of righteousness and grace, as shown by our Lord Himself, and follow Him wholeheartedly from now on if we have not yet done so. Let us all be inspired by the faith, love and commitment which His Mother, Our Lady of Loreto, has shown us, in how she dedicated herself and obeyed perfectly, as the handmaid of the Lord, in doing God’s will and in living a life of grace and virtue, at all times. Let us all be inspired to show the same faith and love as well, in our own lives and actions, in our every interactions with one another. May God bless us always in our every endeavours and good efforts, now and forevermore. Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Loreto, pray for us sinners. Amen.

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Wednesday, 10 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Our Lady of Loreto)

Matthew 11 : 28-30

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For My yoke is easy; and My burden is light.”

Alternative reading (Mass of Our Lady of Loreto)

Luke 1 : 26-38

In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth. He was sent to a young virgin, who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the family of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

The Angel came to her and said, “Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” Mary was troubled at these words, wondering what this greeting could mean. But the Angel said, “Do not fear, Mary, for God has looked kindly on you. You shall conceive and bear a Son, and you shall call Him Jesus. He will be great, and shall rightly be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the kingdom of David, His ancestor; He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and His reign shall have no end.”

Then Mary said to the Angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” And the Angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the Holy Child to be born of you shall be called Son of God. Even your relative Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age, although she was unable to have a child; and she is now in her sixth month. With God nothing is impossible.”

Then Mary said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said.” And the Angel left her.

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Wednesday, 10 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Our Lady of Loreto)

Psalm 102 : 1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10

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 is gracious and merciful, abounding in love and slow to anger. He does not treat us according to our sins, nor does He punish us as we deserve.

Alternative Psalm (Mass of Our Lady of Loreto)

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, 10 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of Our Lady of Loreto (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or White (Our Lady of Loreto)

Isaiah 40 : 25-31

To whom, then, will you liken Me or make Me equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and see : who has created all this? He has ordered them as a starry host and called them each by name. So mighty is His power, so great His strength, that not one of them is missing.

How can you say, o Jacob, how can you complain, o Israel, that your destiny is hidden from Me, that your rights are ignored by YHVH? Have you not known, have you not heard that YHVH is an everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth? He does not grow tired or weary, His knowledge is without limit.

He gives strength to the enfeebled, He gives vigour to the wearied. Youth may grow tired and faint, young men will stumble and fall, but those who hope in YHVH will renew their strength. They will soar as with eagle’s wings; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and never tire.

Alternative reading (Mass of Our Lady of Loreto)

Isaiah 7 : 10-14 and Isaiah 8 : 10

Once again YHVH addressed Ahaz, “Ask for a sign from YHVH your God, let it come either from the deepest depths or from the heights of heaven.”

But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask, I will not put YHVH to the test.” Then Isaiah said, “Now listen, descendants of David. Have you not been satisfied trying the patience of people, that you also try the patience of my God? Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign : The Virgin is with Child and bears a Son and calls His Name Immanuel.”

“Devise a plan and it will be thwarted, make a resolve and it will not stand, for God-is-with-us.”

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Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we gather together to worship the Lord and to proclaim His glory, and as we all heard from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that as we continue to progress through this time and season of Advent, we should continue to do our part as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen so that we may truly embody our Christian faith in everything  that we say and do, that we may indeed proclaim the Lord in every opportunities that had been provided for us, in all the encounters with those who are around us, we may always be the bearers of God’s Good News and His love, compassion, truth and hope to everyone we meet and work with, to our communities and everyone whom we care for, as is our mission in life to do so.

Today we mark the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the Patron of Missions and Missionaries and hence, the Scripture readings speak strongly about what is the meaning of Christian mission and the role of missionaries in fulfilling and completing what the Lord has entrusted to each and every one of us, His beloved people. In the first reading from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, the Apostle spoke of what he was called to do as a minister of the Good News of God, and that everything which he had done, he did for the greater glory of God and not for his own benefits, while in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself to His disciples and followers after His Resurrection, reminding them all of the missions which He has entrusted to them, to go forth to all the nations and to proclaim His truth and Good News, and how He would always be with them in all of their efforts and works.

Today as mentioned, the Church marks the occasion of the Feast of St. Francis Xavier, the Patron of Missions and a member of the Society of Jesus or the Jesuits renowned for his lengthy and great missionary journeys to different parts of the world, especially his works in Asia, in the regions of India and South Asia, then Southeast Asia and the Far East, in Macau, China and Japan. St. Francis Xavier gave inspiration to many others in how he dedicated his life and service to God, in his perseverance to continue the mission despite the challenges and hardships he encountered during his journeys, and his passion and love for his fellow brothers and sisters, in the genuine desire he has to proclaim the Word of God and His Good News to more and more of the people of God all around the world.

St. Francis Xavier was born in what is today Spain as Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta in the town of Javier or Xavier which would later on made him known as Francis Xavier as we know him today. He was one of the companions of the Founder of the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first members of the Jesuits, considered as one of its founding members. Back then, during the height of the Protestant reformation, St. Ignatius of Loyola gathered his companions and other like-minded people to commit themselves to the works of evangelisation and other ministries to spearhead the efforts in countering the terrible effects of the so-called reformation, which splintered the Church in many places into several factions and ‘churches’, and heresies and falsehoods were abound because of errant heretics and preachers.

The Jesuits were founded with the aim to help the Pope and the Church to oppose the tide of heresy and disunity, as well as to reform the Church in the right way. St. Ignatius of Loyola sent out the Jesuits in ministering both to the traditional areas of Christendom like in what is today Germany, the hotbed of the reformation, and also to those mission areas beyond Europe, where European explorers and adventurers made many discoveries of distant lands, all of which had not yet heard the message of God’s truth, His Gospels and the Good News of His salvation. St. Francis Xavier was among those entrusted with the responsibility to proclaim the Good News in the foreign and distant lands, and hence, he went forth, never returning to his homeland ever again.

He followed the long journey to the newly discovered areas, embarking on an extensive missionary journeys in parts of India, where missionaries had already laid some foundations earlier on, as well as areas of Southeast Asia like Malacca and the Spice Islands where he went to several islands and communities, preaching about God and gaining some people who were interested to know more about the Lord and became the first Christian converts in those areas. He did not always have it smooth though, as he did face rejection and hardships along the way, and in a well-known story about him, St. Francis Xavier almost met his end in a terrible storm in the sea, where the boat he was in was battered by waves and the strong wind. He prayed to God and thrust his crucifix into the waves, which then fell into the water and the storm stopped miraculously. A crab later on brought the crucifix back to St. Francis Xavier, who blessed it, and that crab later on always had a cross on its back.

That is just one of the many well-known stories regarding St. Francis Xavier, in his many efforts to serve the Lord through his time and work, in proclaiming the Good News to the furthest ends of the world. He went on to proclaim the Gospels in Japan, and was instrumental in laying the foundations for the later very successful Jesuit mission in Japan, which despite its termination later by the very intense persecutions under the Tokugawa Shogunate, for a period of about fifty years, the Church managed to flourish really well in Japan, with an estimated three hundred thousand Christians during the very height of the mission there, several decades after the passing of St. Francis Xavier. St. Francis Xavier himself passed away in Shangchuan Island just on the shores of China as he awaited the opportunity to enter China to begin a mission there. Some of other Jesuits like the famous Matteo Ricci would then continue what St. Francis Xavier had started.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all continue to follow therefore in the footsteps of the courageous St. Francis Xavier in his determination and commitment to serve the Lord in everything that he had done, in all the missions which he undertook even in the most difficult and challenging moments. Let us all be inspired by this great courage and faith which our holy predecessor had shown so that in our own actions, in our own words and interactions with one another, in our own lives as Christians, we will continue to be the shining examples and inspirations ourselves to everyone around us, to all those whom we encounter in our daily lives. May God bless our every good works, efforts and endeavours therefore, for His greater glory, in our respective missions in life. Amen.

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Wednesday, 3 December 2025 : Feast of St. Francis Xavier, Priest, Patron of Missions and Missionaries (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Mark 16 : 15-20

At that time, Jesus told His disciples, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptised will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.”

“Signs like these will accompany those who have believed : in My Name they will cast out demons and speak new languages; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”

So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took His place at the right hand of God. The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.