Weekday Homily

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Thursday, 14 May 2026 : Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the whole Church celebrates the occasion of the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, marking the moment when the Lord Jesus Christ, forty days after His glorious Resurrection from the dead, ascended in glory to His heavenly Throne. The Lord Jesus ascended in glory by His own power, leaving behind this world but not abandoning His disciples and followers. He ascended to prepare for us all our places by His side in Heaven, to welcome us all in the end of time, to prove to us that we all truly have something to look forward to in our faithful and dedicated life. Each and every one of us are reminded of this most joyous moment and time, emphasising to us that Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in Whom we have put our faith, truly came from the Father in Heaven, and has returned to His place in Heaven, the Son of God incarnate, showing us the love of God manifested in the flesh.

In our first reading today, we all heard from the Acts of the Apostles detailing to us how the Lord ascended to Heaven in glory, before His assembled disciples and followers, and promising to them all the coming of the Holy Spirit, Who would guide and strengthen them in their journey and work, and Who would lead them to go forth and fulfil the commands and mission that He has entrusted to them, to proclaim the Good News of God to all the people of all the nations, and to baptise them all in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He ascended to Heaven afterwards and this was witnessed by His disciples, many of whom would suffer persecution and even martyrdom in subsequent years and decades, and they endured all those sufferings with faith, exactly because they have seen everything that the Lord had done, how He has risen from the dead and was with them, and ascended into Heaven.

If the Lord Jesus has not truly come from Heaven and if He had been a fraud and false Messiah as how some among His enemies and opponents claimed, then His disciples and followers would not have persevered and endured in their faith in such a manner. Many of them have experienced everything that the Lord had said and done, and witnessed His Resurrection and Ascension as mentioned, and therefore, they were willing to even die to defend their faith in the Lord. Everything also happened as how the Lord has promised the disciples, with the Holy Spirit coming down upon the Apostles and the other disciples, heralding the birth of the Church, and encouraged them all to go forth and proclaim the Good News, spreading the words of the Gospels of salvation to more and more people who also come to believe in the Lord Jesus and His truth.

In our second reading today, all of us heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians regarding how Lord has revealed to His Church, to all of us the revelation of His truth and glory, everything that He has told and brought upon us, and most importantly, how all of us believe in and follow this Lord and God, Who is the Almighty God, the Master and King of all Creation. Not only that, but it also reminded us that we believe in this Jesus Christ, as Christians, and that He is not just merely like any Man, or any other beings. By His Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, the Lord has shown us all that He truly came from His heavenly abode, from eternity and glory, coming down upon each and every one of us so that by dwelling among us and by His appearance in this world, He might save each one of us from being destroyed and crushed by our sins and wickedness.

This reminds us all that our faith in the Lord is not something that is nonsense and imaginary. By the testimony of faith and the evidence that the Church as well as other historical records have passed down to us, all of us know that our God is real, and although He did not leave behind much earthly existence, because He has ascended into Heaven, but He was there for us all, has been with us and shown us the love of God manifested to us, and He is and will always be there for us, guiding and helping us all throughout the way. He has sent us all the Holy Spirit to guide us and to strengthen us, to encourage and empower us, just as how the Holy Spirit encouraged the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord to do what they had been sent forth to do, in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel, the words of God’s salvation to His people.

In our Gospel passage today, that is what the Lord has told hIs disciples to do, to go forth to the nations and to all the people, and to proclaim God and His truth, His love and everything that He has done through the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ Himself, Who has shown us the love of God manifested and approachable in the flesh, and by Whose Passion, suffering and death has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life and glory. All these are brought upon us through Christ, and the Good News have to therefore be spread throughout the whole world, so that more and more people may come to believe in the truth that Christ Himself has proclaimed. And all of us as the members of the same Church of God are the bearers of this Good News and truth, which we have to proclaim in our own works and in whatever capacity and opportunities that the Lord has given us.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate this great Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, all of us are reminded as well that forty days have passed in this joyful and glorious season of Easter. How have we been living through our Easter season? Have we been idling around and been ignorant of our calling and mission as Christians? Have our words, actions and deeds been reflective of our Christian faith and beliefs? If we call ourselves as Christians and yet we do not practice our faith, our carry out our actions, deeds and works, and if our words and interactions with each other are not reflective of our faith in God, then how can we expect others around us or those whom we encounter and interact with can become believers as well? Not only that, in fact, there had been many cases where people both within and outside the Church had been scandalised by the wicked and less-than-worthy actions by our fellow Catholics, who have not lived their lives the way they should have. The sad reality is that there are many Christians within the Church who have become lukewarm and even dead in the faith, abandoning the Lord for worldly pursuits and other things.

And lest we easily point finger and blame others, or think that this problem is what others have but not us, let us all look upon ourselves first, our way of life, our predisposition and our actions. If we truly have lived our lives in the most Christian manner, obeying the Law and commandments of God, showing love for both God and for our fellow men alike, then well done indeed, and we should continue doing that. It is by all these that we can truly be missionary and evangelising in the way how the Apostles and the many saints and holy missionaries in the past had done. Many became believers not only because of the miracles and wonders that they had done, but also because of the faith and dedication which our holy predecessors had shown in their lives, in how they committed themselves to God and to His path, and also in how they loved and cared for each other.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us are called to be the beacons of the light of God, which Christ our Lord has shown and passed on to us. Are we willing and able to commit ourselves to a virtuous and worthy life that all of us as Christians have been expected to do in our own respective lives? All of us should no longer be hesitant or ignorant to do as God has told us all to do, as our first and most important mission as Christians is evangelisation, to go forth and spread the faith to others, just as the Lord told His disciples in the Great Commission, ‘Go forth and make disciples of all the people of all the nations, and baptise them all in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.’ And we do not have to seek for great things or worry that we have to aim for great achievements and wonders. We do not have to compare or worry, but instead let the Holy Spirit to help and lead us down the path, and entrust ourselves to God Who will show us how we can glorify Him by our lives.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, on this great Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, let us all remind ourselves that we have important mission in our lives, by doing our best in whatever we do in life, in whatever opportunities we have received and in whichever places that we have been called to, in our various respective ministries and vocations, be it as those called to the priesthood and holy orders, or those called to the religious and consecrated life, or those called to a life of holy singlehood and other forms of ministry associated with that, and of course as Christian couples and families tasked with the building of the faithful Christian families, the foundations of our Church and Christian faith, where our faithful future and young generations ought to be raised well in the Christian faith and truth of God. We must also realise that there are even more vocations than just those that had been defined by the Church, as the Lord has given us unique vocations, even those called to love most passionately and lovingly in a relationship blessed by Him, no matter what form it may be, with whom God had placed in our lives as fitting to our nature as He has created us. Each one of us should do our best to proclaim the Lord and His Good News, to those around us, both within and outside the Church, by our exemplary and faithful life.

May the Lord, ascended in glory onto His Throne in Heaven, most excellent and almighty, continue to guide us all His Church and all of us His beloved ones, in our path and way of life so that we may truly be the inspirational and worthy beacons of His light, truth and love. May all of us continue to strive to be faithful in all things, and do our best to be good role models and inspiration as the missionaries and disciples of our Lord in our world today. Amen.

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Thursday, 14 May 2026 : Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the great Feast of St. Matthias the Apostle, one of the Twelve Apostles of Our Lord, one of those great servants whom God had called and chosen to be His followers and to be the chief ones among His disciples. St. Matthias and his examples, his dedication to the Lord together with that of the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord, should be our source of inspiration in how we live our lives with faith, and in inspiring us all to proclaim the truth of God in the same manner to our fellow brothers and sisters. We are the ones who continue the good works of the Apostles and the early Church fathers, and through what we discuss today on his life and efforts, we should be strengthened and encouraged to live our lives with faith.

St. Matthias was not originally one of the Twelve Apostles, but he was chosen by all the assembled Apostles and disciples to replace the betrayer Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed the Lord and sold Him off to the chief priests, which led to His Passion, suffering and death. Judas Iscariot was one of the chosen twelve disciples of the Lord, and his death as he decided to take his own life marked an empty spot among the Twelve. As mentioned in our first reading today, the Apostles and the other disciples led by St. Peter the Apostle decided to choose from among those who had been with the Lord since the beginning, to be the one to replace Judas Iscariot as the Lord had indeed decreed that there should be Twelve of them representing the full twelve tribes of the Israelites.

St. Matthias was chosen after prayer and deliberation by the disciples, and he became one of the Twelve Apostles. According to Apostolic traditions, St. Matthias was indeed among the first disciples of the Lord, who had followed Him right from the beginning of His ministry that began with the Lord’s baptism and followed Him through to the end and beyond. And just like the other Apostles, St. Matthias went to many distant places proclaiming the Good News of God, the Gospel of salvation to all whom he encountered. According to traditions, St. Matthias went to the region of Cappadocia in Asia Minor, region of Colchis in Georgia in the Caucasus, and as far as Ethiopia.

St. Matthias dedicated himself for many years to serve the people of God and in calling more and more people to believe in God. St. Matthias gave himself like the other Apostles and disciples of the Lord, spending a lot of time and effort to reach out to those who have not yet known the Lord. He endured persecutions and challenges, trials and sufferings in the midst of his ministry, and yet he remained firmly faithful to the end. Entrusting himself to the Lord and empowered by the Holy Spirit, St. Matthias persevered on in his ministry until he was finally martyred for his faith, which some traditions placed as happening at Sebastopolis in the Caucasus. And his martyrdom like that of the other Apostles inspired many throughout the history of the Church to remain firm in their own faith in God.

As we listened to the Scripture readings today and recalling the courage and faith showed by St. Matthias, all of us are reminded that each and every one of us are also called to the same mission that we share with the Apostles like St. Matthias, with the saints and martyrs, all those who had gone before us and performed many great deeds for the sake of the Lord. The story of St. Matthias should serve as an inspiration to us on how each one of us ought to be faithful in how we all live our lives that we may truly glorify God by our actions and deeds, by our words and interactions with one another. We are called to be truly sincere and genuine in our actions in life, in bringing forth our faith into life and into reality through each and every one of our actions deeply rooted in the truth of the Gospels and in the authentic teachings of the Church.

In today’s Gospel we are reminded of how we can be truly good disciples of the Lord, by following the Lord’s commandment which He has entrusted to us all. He told us to love one another just as He has loved us. The Lord has told His disciples and followers to be His witnesses as He has shown them His love and truth, all that love that He has presented to us. By His love, we are all as His disciples, called to show the same love to our fellow brothers and sisters. We are all called to love one another, and not just loving ourselves only. This is not something easily done, as we tend to be selfish more than selfless, but this is exactly why we need to challenge our ego and selfishness.

That is also why, brothers and sisters in Christ, we have this obligation and calling to be exemplary in how we conduct ourselves as Christians, and we cannot believe in God in one hand, and yet not showing love to our fellow men, our fellow brothers and sisters. If we do so, then we are no better than hypocrites who claim to believe in God and yet, in us, there is no real faith and real commitment to the path that the Lord has shown us. If we truly call ourselves as Christians, as God’s people, then we ought to begin doing what God has called us to do. We should lead by examples and do our best in showing that faith even in the smallest things that we do in our lives, and we should help others to come ever closer to the Lord through our own inspirations and examples.

Brothers and sisters, let us all hence walk in the footsteps of the Apostles, inspired by the examples of St. Matthias and all the other holy men and women of God, that we too may become the bearers and beacons of God’s light to the people still living in the darkness of this world, in ignorance of God and His truth. May all of us be able to do our best and strive to be courageous and good Christians in all of our actions and works, so that through us and our works, we may endeavour to bring many more souls to the salvation and eternal life in God. St. Matthias, Holy Apostle of Our Lord, pray for us all sinners. Amen.

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Wednesday, 13 May 2026 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, marking the moment when the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, appeared to the three little children at Fatima, the three visionaries, St. Francisco de Jesus Marto, St. Jacinta de Jesus Marto and their cousin, Lucia dos Santos. This happened just not long after a century ago, when the world was deeply wrapped within the destruction and the chaos of the First World War, then known as the Great War. There had been vast amounts of destruction and chaos at that time, millions having perished and died throughout all the years of conflict, and it was there in the small town of Fatima in Portugal, that the Blessed Mother of God chose to make her appearance before the three children who were there shepherding their families’ sheep.

The Blessed Mother of God, who revealed herself to the three children on this date in the Year of Our Lord 1917, as a loving and beautiful Lady whose countenance is more brilliant than the Sun. Our Lady of Fatima hence appeared to the three, telling them about the messages which she wanted to tell all mankind, of the anger of God at the great destruction and all the chaos which man had wrought upon each other, and how many people had committed great sins against each other because of their greed, pride and ambition. She called on all the children of God, who were also her children, entrusted to her by her own Son, to repent from their many sins, and to follow once again the path that the Lord has shown and taught us to do. She wanted to guide us all, her beloved children, towards her Son by her guidance, through whom we can find sure path to our Lord and Saviour.

Our Lady of Fatima appeared on several occasions, every thirteenth day of the month, as she continued to reveal more and more about herself and the messages that she wanted to deliver to the people of God. She told the children to spread her message and call to more and more of the people, calling them all to repent and to pray the Holy Rosary, especially with regards to peace and the ending of the Great War. The fact that the three children heard about all these from Our Lady, in a place relatively far from the frontlines of the war then, was significant. Not only that, but Our Lady also spoke about the Consecration of Russia to her Immaculate Heart, which foreshadowed what would happen to Russia at that time, at the threshold of a Communist revolution that would see a seven decades long period of anarchy and severe oppressions against the faithful not just in Russia but also elsewhere.

Then, Our Lady of Fatima also mentioned persecutions and hardships that the Church and Christian faithful around the world had to suffer, and she even predicted the assassination attempt on Pope St. John Paul II, which would happen exactly on the date of her first apparition, sixty-four years after it happened. As she continued to appear to the three children, the message of Our Lady of Fatima and news about the apparition began to spread, and more and more people came to believe in God through her and through the apparition event. At last, on her last apparition on the thirteenth day of October, Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes and Mother of God showed a great miracle that was witnessed by many people, also known as the ‘Miracle of the Sun’, in which the Sun appeared to be erratic in its movement, circling around the sky and seen by no less than forty thousand people.

Ever since then, the devotion to Our Lady of Fatima kept on gaining popularity as more and more people come to the Lord, through the devotion to His blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Fatima. All of us have also come closer to the Lord through her, and I hope that this day as we all remember the love of God shown to us through His mother, then hopefully all of us should be inspired by her examples, faith and commitment to her Son, as well as her continued love for each and every one of us. All of us are reminded to be faithful to the Lord in the same manner as His Mother, Our Lady of Fatima. Through her apparitions, including the one at Fatima, Mary our mother continued to carry on the mission entrusted to her by her own Son. For the Lord has entrusted all of us to His own Mother as her own children, and she as our own mother.

That is why she has always cared for us, reaching out to us constantly, and her heart must have been filled with sorrow as she saw any single one of us falling into the path of sin and evil. Certainly she does not want any one of us to be lost to eternal damnation and darkness, and she wants us all to come to her Son through her and with her guidance. However, more often than not we have rejected the ever generous offer of love and compassion from her Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and rejected the same love showed by Mary herself, the Mother of God, and our own mother. All of us are called to turn towards the Lord once again, and Mary called on us to heed her examples and faith, her love for her Son, which we should listen to and follow, as we ought to hear the advice and heeding from our mother and our parents.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Our Lady of Fatima, and the faith that she had, the obedience that she had in her life, the dedication and commitment that she had towards everything that the Lord had entrusted to her. Let us all today as one whole Universal Church all entrust ourselves anew to our blessed Mother, Our Lady of Fatima and ask her for her ever generous intercession and help, and guidance so that we may be able to find our way in life, towards her Son, Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, heeding her call for us to repent and turn away from our many sins and wickedness. Let us all hence listen to our Mother and strive to live our lives ever more worthily from now on, as Christians, that is as all those whom God had called and chosen.

May our Blessed Mother Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, the Holy Mother of God, continue to pray for us all sinners, and may she continue to inspire us and lead us down the path towards salvation in her Son. May all of us continue to be encouraged and strengthened, so that in all of our actions and way of life, we will always be filled with zeal and faith, the desire to serve God and to do what is right with our lives, as according to what God Himself has revealed and taught to us. May God bless us all and be with His Church, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 12 May 2026 : 6th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, Martyrs, and St. Pancras, Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures in which we have received today, all of us are encouraged and strengthened by the words and the stories of how the Lord had guided, protected and provided for His people in their hour of need. We are constantly being reminded again and again, that the Lord is always with us, by our side, guiding and helping us to go through the journey of our lives, as we follow Him faithfully and as we walk in His presence, carrying out His will and doing our part as Christians, that is as those whom God had called and chosen, and all of us who have accepted Him as our Lord, Saviour and King. Each and every one of us are truly fortunate because all the great love that God has always shown us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of how St. Paul and St. Silas, one of his partners in missionary works across the Mediterranean region, faced great trouble in Philippi in the then Roman Greece, as they were despised by the slave owners of the region, who found their messages of Christian hope and emancipation, of the coming of the Lord’s help and assistance, and the equality between all mankind a truly dangerous one, as that had turned more and more of their own slaves into the Christian faith, and not few among those slave owners must have thought that there was a chance that the slaves might even turn against their own masters or disobey them because of the teachings of the Christian missionaries.

Hence, we heard how the two of them were put in prison after they were flogged and made to suffer, and they suffered, although not for long, because the Lord was always with all of His disciples, and He would aid and help them in their time and hour of need, according to His will. It was not the time for St. Paul or St. Silas yet to suffer prison for a long time or martyrdom back then, and hence, as we heard, an earthquake happened, which broke open their prison and made many others to be free as well. The jailor was so afraid of the repercussions of what had happened, that he almost took his own life if not for the intervention from the two disciples, who convinced him not to do so. And not just that, the jailor and his whole family was even convinced and became members of the Church, gotten baptised because of this event.

In a sense, what we have heard in the occasion of the earthquake was truly very symbolic indeed. As it did not just physically broke the chains holding the disciples, but also that of the many other people that were imprisoned with them. And with regards to the jailor himself and his whole family, this represented the breaking of the chains of sin and evil that had held them up, dominated them and kept them from the salvation in God. The Lord was not just protecting His faithful ones, but He even used the opportunity to open up the doors to more people who came to believe in Him because of the misfortune that had faced His disciples, and what was a hard time for the disciples of the Lord, became even yet another opportunity for the salvation of more souls. That is just how wonderful God worked in the manner that often brings surprise to us, that He could turn even great misfortunes into great and wonderful things in the end.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples, in which He reassured them that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, would come upon them, and would guide all of them. He told them beforehand that although they would not see Him anymore eventually, as He would go and ascend, returning to His heavenly Throne after He died and then risen from the dead, but He would always be with them, guiding and protecting them all, through the Holy Spirit that would encourage, strengthen and help them on their path to righteousness and to fulfil His will and commands, in doing whatever that He had told and guided them all to do. The Lord wants us all to know this as well, so that each and every one of us may come to know that He has given us so much to help and lead us down the path that He has called us to walk in.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, how do we then walk in the path of the Lord? We have to come and spend the time to listen to the words of the Lord speaking in our hearts and minds, and open ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit present within us all. That also means each one of us should trust the Lord ever more in our lives, following Him wholeheartedly each day and at every moments. All of us are reminded that in the Lord alone we will have true hope and consolation, and as we recall how He had guided many of His servants throughout the history of the Church, all of us are therefore called to renew and deepen our faith in Him. Can we do this, brothers and sisters in Christ? Many of us have become apathetic and lukewarm in faith, and we are reminded that we should rekindle the strong and genuine love that we should have in the Lord.

This day, having heard all these from the word of God and more, let us all hence turn towards the Lord, our most loving God with renewed conviction and faith. Let us all embrace the Lord with renewed dedication and commitment to Him, and let us strive to seek Him and to walk down the path that He has shown us, embracing the love and compassion that He has always given us all these while. Let us be strengthened with hope and be encouraged by the examples of the Holy Apostles and disciples of the Lord. Let us not easily be disheartened especially if we faced hardships and persecutions by the world, oppressions and challenges from those who disagree with us and refuse to believe in the Lord like us. Instead, let us all make use of every opportunities to allow the Lord to lead and guide us ever more, as we continue walking down the path that He has led us all into.

Today, all of us also can look upon the good examples and inspirations from three among our faithful predecessors, the saints and martyrs, namely, St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, and also St. Pancras. Each and every one of them had lived their lives most courageously with faith, and had endured the hardships and trials, the challenges and obstacles they had to go through amidst their journey of faith. All of them had devoted themselves to the Lord to the very end, as they faced death and martyrdom with courage and joy. To start with, St. Nereus and St. Achilleus were according to some traditions, eunuchs and chamberlains of the niece of the Roman Emperor Domitian, named Flavilla Domitilla, and they lived through the time of a great persecution of the Church and Christians, as the Emperor Domitian was historically known for his intense persecution of Christians, and attempts to eradicate the Church. According to tradition, they faced martyrdom with courage and faith, and did not give up their faith despite the trials that faced them.

Meanwhile, St. Pancras was a young Roman citizen who was also known as St. Pancratius, who lived through another period of great persecution of the Church and the faithful people of God, by the Roman Emperor Diocletian and the Roman state, which was known for the last great official persecution of Christianity, during which many of the faithful were arrested, suffered greatly and many were martyred for their faith in God. St. Pancras himself was a young man who converted to the Christian faith, and was brought before the authorities for being a Christian. He was forced to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods, but refused with firmness and zeal, and his determination to resist moved even the Emperor himself who tried to sway the young St. Pancras with wealth and power without avail. St. Pancras therefore faced martyrdom, in defending his faith in God to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the examples of the holy saints, St. Nereus and St. Achilleus, and St. Pancras, in how they have lived their lives with faith and how they have dedicated themselves to the Lord. Let us all be truly faithful towards the Lord and place Him right at the centre of our lives and existence, and strive to do our best to glorify Him by our lives and by our every good works, allowing the Lord to lead and guide us in our journey just as He has guided the Apostles and the saints before us. May the Lord be with us all and may He continue to guide and strengthen us all in our journey of faith, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 11 May 2026 : 6th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the Lord speaking to us through the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are called and reminded to follow the Lord wholeheartedly and dedicate ourselves to His works and ministry, and all that He has entrusted to all of us to do in our lives. Each and every one of us have been called to be good and faithful Christians in all things, to be role models and exemplary in our lives and actions so that we may be beacons of God’s light, truth and love in our various communities, proclaiming His Good News and truth to all the people all around us. That is what we have been called to do as Christians, and we will do well to heed this calling and to do what the Lord has commanded us to do, and to live our lives to the best of our abilities, in walking down the path that God has shown us. And He will provide the Helper, the Holy Spirit that will guide us in all things. 

In our first reading today, all of us heard from the Acts of the Apostles regarding the continuing works of the Apostles, as St. Paul continued on with his mission, travelling from place to place, proclaiming the Good News of God and ministering to the faithful in all those places. Many were turned towards the Christian faith and truth, and not few like what we heard today, in the example of the God-fearing lady named Lydia from Thyatira, who became a believer, and as we heard, her whole entire household were baptised in the Lord. More and more believers came to follow the path of the Lord, and more gave themselves to be baptised, growing the early Church from a very small community in the very beginning into a rapidly burgeoning assembly of the faithful, spreading from cities and towns, from place to place.

Despite the hardships, challenges and the many trials that the Apostles like St. Paul and the many other missionaries had to face throughout their mission, this certainly did not dampen their passion and efforts to proclaim the Good News of the Lord, as they continued to labour hard amidst the people of God, doing what they could to spread the truth of Christ, our Lord and Saviour, to more and more people. They patiently reached out to people of various origins and thoughts, convincing even some among those who were reluctant and even hostile at first, to become believers in the Lord and in His salvation. Thanks to the hard work of the Apostles and the saints, they have gained for the Lord innumerable new converts and more and more people who become parts of His Church, coming down the path towards salvation and eternal life.

They were all empowered and strengthened by the Holy Spirit just as the Lord Himself has promised and reassured them all in our Gospel passage today. The Lord has promised His disciples that He would send them all His Helper, or the Advocate, that is the Holy Spirit of God, Who would strengthen and invigorate them, give them the wisdom and the courage to carry out their missions and works, so that they might persevere and endure well despite the many challenges facing them, and the many obstacles and hardships that they had to go through amidst the duration of their ministry and hard work. The Holy Spirit guided the Apostles and the other missionaries and all the people of God ever since the Holy Spirit descended upon them at the time of the Pentecost. And from them, eventually the Holy Spirit has also passed down to us as well.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us have received the Holy Spirit as well and we have also been entrusted with the same gifts, talents and blessings, and given the same missions that the Lord has given to His disciples and servants then. What the Lord had asked His followers to do then, are still relevant to what we are supposed to do in our world today, as all of us are also called and reminded to proclaim the Good News of God, His truth and love in our own communities, as we embark upon our own missions and works as part of the Universal Church of God. There are also still a lot of people out there who have not yet known the Lord, and have not realised all the good things that He has done for us. The Lord has taught us all everything so that hopefully we can be the bearers of His truth and teachings, His ways and all to the others.

Not only that, but in fact, all of us are also called to rejuvenate and strengthen the faith of all those who are around us, those within the Church and our fellow Christian brothers and sisters, who have lapsed from their faith, who have forgotten their important obligations, duties and responsibilities in living up to their Christian calling and life, just as the Lord had told us all to do. There are many among us Christians who have not even gone to church or participate in the celebrations of the Eucharist and the other Sacraments for quite some time. And there are also many among us who have only gone through the motions in the way how we carry out our Christian living, in our actions and works. Many among us have become lukewarm in our faith, lacking true and genuine commitment to the Lord in our every deeds and works in life.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore today discern carefully our path in life, so that we may truly discern a path forward that leads us down the right path towards God and His salvation. If we have often been distracted by the many temptations and other matters in life, in all the worldly things and attachments we have, then we should take this opportunity to reevaluate our lives and how we have lived them so that we may truly be ever more faithful to the Lord, and have the right focus in life. All of us should reorientate our lives and our way of living them so that the Lord our God will always be at the very centre and as the very focus of our whole lives and existences. Let us all discern this carefully so that we may help to lead and inspire many others around us to live their own lives worthily in the path that God has shown us.

May the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, our Saviour, King and Good Shepherd be with us always and be with His Church, that each and every one of us may ever be empowered, encouraged and strengthened to live our lives worthily as Christians, to be worthy beacons of God’s light, truth and love at all times. May God bless us all, in all of our works and efforts, for the greater glory of His Name. And by the power of the Holy Spirit, let us all inflame this world with God’s love, through our loving actions and contributions, in each and every moments of our lives. Amen.

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Sunday, 10 May 2026 : Sixth Sunday of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are called and reminded to live our lives worthily of the Lord as Christians, whom God had called and chosen from this world. Through our shared Christian baptism, all of us have become parts and members of the Church of God, the one Body of Christ where all those who profess to be faithful in Christ are part of this Communion of unity, united as one people, living a new and blessed life with the grace of God as a community. All of us have been reminded of the life of the early Christian communities so that we may be inspired to pursue the same life filled with holiness and devotion to God, and that we may no longer be obsessed with all sorts of worldly temptations and evils, desires and attachments. We are reminded that we should always show God’s love in all things, in all that we say and do.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles, the account of how the Apostles worked to proclaim the Good News and the words of the Lord, His salvation and grace to all the people in various places. St. Philip, commonly known as the Evangelist, one of the seven Deacons, although others associated him with St. Philip the Apostle, went to the region of Samaria, proclaiming the word of God likely to the Samaritans who lived in that area, who had earlier on responded favourably to the Lord and his teachings and truth. There were many great signs and wonders that happened, as the Apostle carried out his ministry, performing miracles and wonders, and many among the people listened attentively to the words of truth as proclaimed by St. Philip. And then we heard how St. Peter and St. John came to the Samaritans, who had been baptised, and sent the Holy Spirit to come down upon them as well.

Historically, there had been a rather tense and hostile relationship between the Jews and the Samaritans due to conflicting claims on the heritage of the people of Israel, and for their differing viewpoints with regards to faith practices and customs, with each side often blaming the other side for having become wayward in their way of living their faith, and each one of them claimed that their way was the right one while the other one was wrong and heretical. The Jewish people, particularly the Pharisees back then took great pride on their status as God’s people, inheriting the claim of the Israelites as God’s first called and chosen people. However, the problem was that this ended up with them being condescending, elitist and uncharitable in their attitudes and interactions with others, as exemplified by how the Pharisees considered that all those who did not follow their ways and beliefs would be doomed and damned.

This is in tandem with what we have heard from the readings we have listened to in the past few weekdays, which focused on the divisions and disagreements within the early Church where those who belonged to the group of the hardline Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were against those who sought to help and make it easier for the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles to become a member of the Church. The former demanded that all of the faithful people of God must embrace and obey the full entire range of extensive rules, laws, precepts, practices and customs of the Jewish Law, which the Jewish people themselves had found it hard to be followed and obeyed, which would have pushed many of the non-Jewish people away from the Church and the Christian faith, should they have succeeded in having their way done.

Instead, the Lord guided His Church through the hands of the Apostles and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, in moderating the extreme demands of those who had their preconceived ideals and thoughts that were incompatible with what the Lord had taught us all. He has shown them what His disciples and followers should all do, and how His Church should be like. The Church is One and Universal, as contained within its character as the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Therefore, as one community of the faithful people of God, all called to a holy life and existence, just as our Lord and God is Holy, there cannot be prejudices, bias and all other things that bring about division and disunity within the community of the faithful, and that is why the Church is Catholic, which means Universal in nature. There is no favouritism or preference for a certain custom or practice within the Church, as everyone is truly equal before the Lord.

Then, we must also remember that the Church is also Apostolic in nature, which is reflected in the works and mission of the Apostles and the other missionaries of the faith. The word ‘Apostle’ itself came from the Ancient Greek word ‘Apostolos’ which means the ‘one who is sent off’, highlighting that the Church is also missionary in nature, all of us are sent out to proclaim the truth and Good News to more and more people out there who have not yet known  about the Lord yet. The actions of the Apostles St. Philip, St. Peter and St. John who went to the Samaritans to work amongst them, proclaiming the Good News and giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit were just some of the examples of how our Church is truly Apostolic or missionary in nature. The Church always extends it hands to reach out to more and more of the people, not enclosing ourselves within a bubble of self-righteousness and intolerance of differences.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hopefully all these serve to remind us all of our important calling and mission as Christians, for each and every one of us to do our part in living our lives faithfully and worthily as Christians at all times. Unless we carry out what the Lord had told us to do, and practice our faith with genuine and sincere desire to love Him and to walk in His path, doing what is right and just according to His Law and commandments, how can we convince others to believe in God as well? If our own actions contradict our faith and beliefs, then are we not just like hypocrites and unbelievers? If our actions, works and deeds, our words and interactions contradict what we believe in, then we may even end up driving others further from the faith, and causing divisions within the Church like how some of our predecessors had done.

Therefore, let us all discern carefully our path as we reflect upon the words of the Scriptures this Sunday, so that we may be inspired to live our lives more worthily and be able to commit ourselves more to the path that the Lord has shown us. Let us all continue to do our best, to live our lives to the best we can, so that our every actions, our every words and deeds, our interactions may be the best means through which we may introduce the Lord, His truth and Good News to all the people all around us. Let our lives be the shining beacons of God’s light, truth and love in our world today, and may the Holy Apostles, the saints and all the holy people of God continue to intercede for us, and may the Lord continue to guide us all and His Church, and bless our good works and labours for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 9 May 2026 : 5th Week of Easter (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 reminded of the responsibility and mission that each one of us as Christians had been entrusted with, and how as the followers and disciples of Christ, it is bound that we will encounter challenges and trials in our journey and path, as we continue to proceed down this way, in obeying the Lord and His commandments. Sometimes we may even have to make a stand and choose between remaining faithful to the Lord or to conform to the ways and norms of the world at the cost of abandoning our faith and Christian identity. But we must also remember that it is at the core of our Christian identity to be full of love and compassion, like God’s own in how we relate and interact even with those who hurt us.

In our Gospel passage today, the Lord spoke plainly before all of His disciples that they were bound to be hated by the world, as the world itself had hated the Lord and tried to suppress Him and His truth. Just as the Lord had encountered a lot of opposition from the Pharisees, the teachers of the Law and the chief priests throughout His mission in this world, and had His path littered with plenty of disapproval, persecution and ridicule from those who hardened their hearts and refused to believe in His truth, hence, the same things would likely happen to those who walk in the same path that Christ had walked as well. This is why we are reminded of this that we do not end up expecting that our lives and journeys as Christians will be an easy and utterly smooth one without any challenges or obstacles.

That was what the disciples would encounter as they went on their mission and works, having been sent by the Lord with the mission to evangelise to the whole entire world. He called on all of them and gave them the mission to go forth to all the nations, and make disciples of all mankind, to baptise them all in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Apostles and the many other missionaries and servants of God all laboured throughout the history of the Church, proclaiming the Good News of God’s salvation and His truth, and both enjoying great successes as well as enduring the persecution that came in quite a few of their missions. The Lord was always with them, guiding them and His Church, strengthening and encouraging them throughout all their struggles and trials.

As we heard in our first reading today, we heard of how St. Paul continued with his missionary journey, bringing St. Timothy, one of his protege with him, who would become one of the first bishops and successors of the Apostles. It was mentioned and indirectly implied how the Apostles were encountering challenges in their journey, and how the Christian missionaries encountered opposition from both the Jewish diaspora and from others who were not receptive of the truth they were bringing to them. If we read on more from the Acts of the Apostles beyond our reading passage today, then we will realise just how much hardships they had to endure, all the difficulties that they must face and all the tears and sacrifices which they were likely required to give amidst all of that.

Thus, as I mentioned earlier, the Apostles both encountered hardships, trials, prison and even death in martyrdom, as well as great successes in gaining many more people who became believers in the Lord. They established firm foundation for the Church, and many people flocked to seek the truth of God. The Church as we know it today would not have existed if not for all the hard work and efforts showed by the Apostles and all the followers of the Lord. This is why it is very important for us to appreciate and realise the importance of our commitment to the work of evangelisation, as without those who commit themselves to the work of the Gospels, the Church would not have grown. It is through the conscious efforts and participation of God’s faithful, all of us, that God’s works are made even more evident in our world today.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, each and every one of us are the ones who ought to continue the good works that the Lord has begun in His Apostles, as the ones inheriting His Church and the world as it is how we perceive and live in, in the world we have today, in our respective livelihoods and areas of responsibility. Each and every one of us have been entrusted with the unique and specific roles in our lives, in whatever areas the Lord had placed us in, so that we may make good use of the talents, abilities, gifts and all other opportunities that He has granted to us, hopefully that we will make good and prudent use of those gifts for the benefit of everyone around us and ourselves. This is why we are reminded of this reality today, of what we are called to do in our lives, in each and every moments we have.

And if we think that we are incapable or unworthy of doing such deeds and actions, then let us all remember that the Lord did not call the perfect and unblemished. Even the Apostles themselves were just normal, ordinary human beings like us, with their flaws and imperfections. But they chose to follow the Lord and His guidance, in whatever He has led them and entrusted to them to do, they strived to do their best in proclaiming the Good News and truth of God, showing the reality of God’s love to the world, bringing forth the Light of God and the Hope of His salvation to this world filled with darkness and despair. And we are the ones that have been entrusted to continue the good works that they had started and laboured for many long years in faith, and shed their blood for.

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, Who has raised up Jesus Our Risen Lord and Saviour, continue to strengthen us all to be faithful and good witnesses of the Risen Lord, His Resurrection, truth and Good News to all the whole world, through even the smallest and what may seem to be least significant of our actions, words and deeds. Let us all be the ones to bear witness to the Risen Lord in our world today, becoming those through whom God exercises His actions and justice, showing His love and compassion to everyone, in all that we say and do. May all of us come ever closer to the Lord and may we continue to support one another in our journey of faith and life, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 8 May 2026 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are called to follow wholeheartedly the commandments of the Lord, to take it to heart and to believe in God most sincerely in all things. We should not forget this call and duty that each and every one of us as Christians have in living our daily lives with commitment and devotion to God. All of us have the calling and the mission entrusted to us to proclaim the truth and Good News of God to all the people all around us. We should do whatever the Lord has told us to do, and live our lives the way that He has taught us, so that by our examples and way of life, we may inspire others all around us to become more committed to the Lord, and to believe in Him as well.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles, of the conclusion of the First Council of Jerusalem, the very first Council of the Church assembled to discuss and discern the decision regarding how the Christian faithful, the people of God ought to carry out their lives, as there was then the controversy and division among the Christian faithful whether the Christian faithful ought to follow the full range of the extensive and often oppressive Jewish laws and customs espoused and championed by those who belonged to the group of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, and who embraced the Lord as their Saviour. To those people, the faithful had to embrace the fullness of the Jewish customs and laws, with all of their strict regulations and practices, in order for one to be saved and worthy of God.

However, the Apostles and the elders of the Church decided, after a period of gathering and discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit, that what is important is obeying the Law of God in its true spirit and understanding, and focusing on the key aspects of the Law of God just as the Lord Jesus Himself has revealed it, and not requiring the faithful people of God to subject themselves to the numerous tenets and often difficult to enforce rules and laws, which had in fact made it difficult for many of God’s people to come to Him, as those laws hindered them and prevented them from coming closer to God. Not only that, but as the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law also often used those same rules and laws to discriminate against those whom they deemed to be less worthy and condemned as sinners, it became stumbling block for the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law themselves, who became enamoured with worldly glory, pride and ambition, and were blinded by their fanatical ideals and pursuits of their agenda.

They spent more time worrying about how to satisfy the many different aspects and tenets of the various rites and practices rather than truly loving and honouring the Lord their God through the faithful and proper appreciation, understanding and application of those laws and commandments. They often spent so much time focusing on the minute details that they had made an idol out of their way of observing and practicing the Law, zealously and even fanatically guarding their way of observing and practicing the Law, and not willing to listen to others who told them otherwise, even the Lord Himself Who had rebuked them and criticised them for their pettiness and their excessive emphasis on the ‘letter’ of the Law while forgetting the ‘spirit’ of the Law. The Lord reminded all of us, just as He had said to His disciples in our Gospel passage today, that each and every one of us should truly commit ourselves to His commandments of Love, that is to love God our most loving Father and Creator above all else, and then to love one another in the same way.

Unless we have the right focus and motivation, it will likely be easy for us to be distracted and pulled down the wrong path, as like the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law themselves have shown us, that we may be externally pious, holy and devout, and yet inside us, within our hearts and minds, it is possible for us not to have space for the Lord at all. Therefore in that case and regard, our faith is no more than an empty and dead faith, one that will not benefit us in our path towards the eternal life in God and in His salvation. Each and every one of us are called to be truly faithful to the Lord, to be filled with generous love like that which our Lord Himself has shown us at every moments. All of us are called to do what He has taught us, to be compassionate and kind towards our fellow brothers and sisters, and to resist the temptations of evil, of pride, greed and worldly attachments.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all therefore reminded through what we have received in our Scripture passages today, the call to be truly genuine in our faith in God, that is to be truly filled and steeped in God’s Love above all else, in first loving Him most sincerely and generously in the manner that He has loved us first, and then in showing the same love towards everyone around us, especially all those whom we love the most, who are most precious and dearest to us, and whom God had placed in our lives to care for, while also showing love and care towards those whom we meet and encounter in our paths, who have no one to love and care for them, showing genuine love and compassion just as the Lord Himself has first shown and taught to us how to love like He has loved us.

This is why we are all reminded to show that in how we live our lives, in genuinely caring for others around us instead of behaving in a manner that is elitist and exclusivist like those Pharisees and the early Jewish Christians had behaved, in thinking that they are better and more superior in all things. We should remember that every one of us are beloved by the Lord, and none of us are more or less deserving of His love. And certainly, we should never be prejudiced, biased or selective in our love, choosing only to love or care for those who we think we can benefit from, but causing hurt and harm, or be apathetic against those whom we may disagree with. Worse still, we may even inadvertently cause hurt to those who love and care for us too, if we allow our ego and pride, our ambitions and desires to get the better of us.

May the Lord, our ever loving and compassionate God continue to be with us always, to be with us throughout all the challenges and hardships which we may face and encounter in life, strengthening us at all times with His love and kindness, with His strength and encouragement so that we may always be genuine and true Christians at all times, in each and every one of our actions, way of life and in our every commitments to God and to one another. Let us always be the good role models and inspirations for each other, strengthening one another in our journey of life and to persevere together towards God and His salvation, now and always, with God by our side. Amen.

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Thursday, 7 May 2026 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the reminders from the Lord for all of us to follow His Law and commandments in all things, to be faithful at all times and to live our lives in accordance with what He has taught and revealed to us. But at the same time, we must also remind ourselves not to be fixated at the routines and the practices of faith that we carry out, or else we may end up losing sight on what is truly important in our lives and our faith. We are all reminded to turn towards the Lord once again, refocusing our attention towards Him and not allowing ourselves to be distracted either by the vices and temptations often present around us, and also by growing ever deeper in our understanding about our Christian faith, by knowing the tenets and precepts of our faith well but without exaggerations and overemphasis on the externals without an internalised understanding of the faith.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, all of us heard about the continuation of the events highlighted these past few days of the historic First Council of Jerusalem in which the issue regarding whether the Christian faithful had to follow and obey the extensive and in fact excessive ordinances and the rules of the Jewish laws and customs was resolved by the meeting of the Church leaders and elders. This issue had bitterly divided the early Christian community, with the side of the Jewish converts particularly those who belonged to the group of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law being very adamant in their demands and viewpoint that unless the faithful obeyed the entirety of the Jewish laws and customs, then they could not be saved. Those who belonged to those groups insisted that all the Christian faithful must obey fully the commandments of the Lord as practiced and enforced by them.

However, we must understand that back then, it was very difficult for any of the non-Jewish people or the Gentiles to follow the whole extent of the strict law as practiced and enforced by the Pharisees because some of those laws and customs were abhorrent and alien, repulsive and foreign to those people. With regards in particular to the practice of circumcision for example, it was a practice that was deemed abhorrent and disgusting by the Greeks and the Romans. Hence, if the Church were to require all the faithful to be circumcised as per required by the Jewish laws and customs, then it would have been very difficult for the Gentiles, many of whom found Jewish customs and cultural practices incompatible, to become Christians and to be the followers of the Lord. The strict and outdated dietary restrictions of the Law was another of this obstacle and hurdle which prevented many to come closer towards the Lord.

That is why, guided by the wisdom of the Lord through the Holy Spirit and through the prayers of the Apostles, we heard how St. Peter led the whole assembly of the faithful in the prayerful and careful discussion, discernment and the decision about the path that the Church ought to take going forward then, in the manner of how the faithful ought to be faithful to God. St. Peter related his examples ministering to both the Jewish and Gentile converts to the faith, and told them how everyone were called to follow the Lord, to follow what He Himself had said and taught to them, and to do what the Lord has called them to do. The Church should not make it difficult for all those who seek to be disciples and followers of the Lord, but should instead be most supportive in how they reach out to the people of God, to all those who are marginalised and forgotten, as the source of salvation for many out there, the lost sheep of the Lord’s one flock.

Essentially, all of us are reminded through these Scripture passages today of the need for us all to rediscover our faith in the Lord and to centre our focus and attention on Him, instead of being distracted by the many temptations and false paths, distortions and many other fallacies present all around us. We should not be like those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who spent so much of their time focusing on the nitty-gritty and the specific tenets, rules and regulations of the Law and commandments of God, and ending up forgetting why the Law and commandments were there in the first place. They were meant to help lead and guide the people who have been lost to the Lord so that they might find the path back towards the Lord and towards His saving grace. Unfortunately, that Law and commandments then had been misused to be tools of power and self-justification, as well as self-glorification and pride.

As we heard in our Gospel passage today, we are reminded by the Lord Himself to return to the very roots and origins of the commandments of God, which the Lord Jesus summarised very well into two main categories, that is the love for God, the love and devotion that we ought to show Him at all times, greater than anything else, and then also the love for our fellow brothers and sisters, particularly for all those who are in need of help. We should not think that we are better and more worthy than others simply because we observe more of the Law and the commandments of God, or because we are more stringent and particular in how we carry out living our faith life. Instead, we should remind ourselves that being Christians first and foremost is a call for us all to be loving just as our Lord, our God and Father is loving and kind towards us. Our love ought to be truly genuine and unconditional just as God’s love for us has been shown to us in such a manner too.

That is how all of us can be better and more committed Christians, not by doing things that we think make ourselves holier or better, or worse still by putting others down or by thinking that by our actions and merits, we can gain glory or status for ourselves. We should instead follow the examples of the Lord Himself, Who went to the most marginalised and all those who were most prejudiced against in the community, reaching out to them with love and proclaiming to them all the words of God’s salvation and reassuring them of God’s love and grace. All of us as Christians should do well therefore to love our fellow brothers and sisters as much as we love ourselves, and love the Lord our God first and foremost above all else, above all other things in life. We should renew our commitment to Him and be good examples and role models to each other in how we live our lives as Christians.

May Christ our Risen Lord continue to help and guide us in our journey of faith through life, and may He empower us all to live ever more worthily and courageously in His path. May the truth and the love of God guide us always in our path, that we will always draw ever closer to Him, with each and every passing moments. Let our lives and examples be good inspiration and motivation for many around us who have witnessed us and our efforts, who have been working with us and interacting with us, seeing God’s truth and love manifested in each and every one of our actions, words and deeds, consistently, at all times. Amen.

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Wednesday, 6 May 2026 : 5th Week of Easter (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that as Christians, all of us should be truly connected and linked to the Lord, attuned and in tandem with His ways and truth at all times. Unless we keep ourselves connected to the Lord and follow Him wholeheartedly, we may find it difficult to remain truly faithful to Him, and we may easily end up falling away from the path that the Lord and causing us to fall into eternal damnation if we are not careful and vigilant in how we live our lives. That is why we should heed to messages carried in our Scripture passages today so that we may truly know what the Lord has called us to, to a life and existence that is truly blessed and harmonious with His truth and love, to obey Him and to do as the Law and the commandments He had told us to do, with genuine understanding and appreciation of what we believe in.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the beginning of the narrative of the moment of time when the Church in its early and very rapidly growing days, began to be pulled into two opposite extremes, as we ourselves heard from the account of the Acts of the Apostles. Back then, the Church grew rapidly with the conversion of many of the Jewish people both in Judea and Galilee as well as in the diaspora, and not few of them came from among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. Meanwhile, the Apostles and the missionaries of the Lord had also managed to get great inroads into the Gentile communities throughout the Mediterranean, as many among the Greeks and other local populace, as well as the Romans and many others began to heed the call of the Lord and embraced Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

The Pharisees and the teachers in particular, as mentioned, carried on their past baggage of beliefs and prejudices, as they began to argue and insist that the whole Church and all of the Lord’s believers should follow the full rigour of the Jewish laws and customs, as how the Pharisees themselves had observed and enforced. As we all ought to remember from the Gospels, the Lord Jesus Himself had often rebuked and criticised many of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for their overly strict interpretation and observation of the Law of God, which happened because of the accumulation of excesses and changes throughout the many centuries since the first time revelation of the Law through Moses during the time of the Exodus from Egypt. The Law of God had been passed down through the generations, and the interpretations of the Law had been changing ever since, with the Law by the time of the Lord Jesus having become excessive and difficult to observe by the people of God.

Not only that, but one of the main criticisms that the Lord laid on the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are the fact of their hypocrisy. This means that while they enforced the very strict interpretation of the Law and forced others to obey and to follow their way of observing the Law of God, but they themselves did not truly obey the Law the way that they themselves had prescribed. Then, in addition, their preoccupation and obsession with the extensive details of the Law and all the rituals and the complicated nature of the laws, rules and regulations had distracted and prevented them and others from becoming true believers, as they made idols out of their own obsession with the Law of God and their own preoccupation with the intricacies of the laws and rules that they had made in their way of observing the Law and the commandments of God.

And it is in idolising their own prejudices and preoccupations with the Law and how it ought to be observed and done that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had ended up separating themselves from the True Vine, that is the Lord Himself, Who manifested Himself through His Son, through Whom He wanted to make us know and understand all these things. In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord speaking to His disciples using the parable of the vines in order to deliver to them His intentions and teachings, and to remind them to remain firmly faithful to the teachings and truth of the Good News that He has brought upon them, and which has been revealed to them. They should not seek to find other focus or distractions, or put their emphasis and attention upon other things that may end up misleading them down the wrong path, as what many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had done.

Through the parable of the vine, as well as by referring to Himself as the one and only True Vine, the Lord wanted all of His disciples and followers to remember that everything and especially all those who belong to the Church of God must be rooted in Him, in His teachings and truth. Anyone who separated themselves from the Lord will not have life or part with Him, and those who profess teachings and beliefs contrary to what the Lord Himself had taught His disciples, were wrong and mistaken, and unless they change their ways and beliefs, they would likely end up being discarded, damned and rejected at the end of days. They also can cause division and harm to the unity of the Church, as what happened back then during the time mentioned in our first reading today, was almost the case. Thankfully, the Apostles and the Church elders, guided by the Holy Spirit, convened the very first gathering of the Church, in what would be known as the First Council of Jerusalem.

Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Church led by the Apostles resolved the situation and reaffirmed that the Church and all the Christian faithful ought to follow the Law and commandments of God as revealed and explained by the Lord, but not the grievous excesses, abuses and misrepresentations and misinterpretations of the Law as espoused by the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law. The Lord, as the True Vine, truly guided and gave help and life to the Church, and as long as the faithful remained firmly attached and faithful to Him, they would indeed be blessed and strengthened in their ways and life, and the Lord would provide for them. Unfortunately, a lot of people tend to prefer to depend on other things, and got distracted by the many temptations of worldly desires and attachments found all around us.

That is why all of us must truly grow genuinely in the faith that we have in the Lord, in truly appreciating and understanding the true meaning, purpose and intention of the Law and commandments that God has given to us, in all of His intentions and will, in all that He has done towards us. We are all called to follow Him wholeheartedly in the manner that He Himself had taught and shown us, and we are also reminded not to follow the examples of those Pharisees and Jewish Christians who continued to be prejudiced and biased against those whom they disagreed and felt themselves superior against, that we ourselves do not end up doing the same things and show the same attitude which are truly unbecoming of us as Christians.

May the Lord, our most loving, compassionate and patient God continue to help and lead us all down His righteous path, bringing us all ever closer to Him and helping us all to be truly genuine in our way of living our faith, not merely superficially understanding it, but truly immersing ourselves fully in God’s love in all of our attitudes, actions and way of life, in everything that we say and do, at all times. May God bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always, forevermore. Amen.