Weekday Homily

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Saturday, 28 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are being reminded that as God’s holy and beloved people, each and every one of us are called to be the ones to remain true and faithful to the Law and commandments which the Lord Himself has presented and shown to all of us. Each and every one of us as Christians must remember that we are the role models and examples for everyone around us, in showing God’s light and truth to everyone in our midst. Therefore, if our actions, words and deeds do not match that of what we believe in, how can we then profess to believe in the Lord and call ourselves as genuine and true Christians, brothers and sisters in Christ?

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard of the words of the Lord as spoken through His servant Moses, the one whom God Himself has appointed as leader over all the people of Israel at the time of the Exodus from Egypt and the journey towards the Promised Land of Canaan. Moses reminded the people of God through a series of exhortations, part of which we heard in that first reading passage today, which he made towards the end of his life and ministry, at the time when the Israelites were almost about to enter into the lands promised to them and their ancestors by God. And Moses reminded them all that as God’s people, all of them ought to uphold the commandments and Law that God had given them all.

And they all ought to also remember that God had made a Covenant with them and their descendants, a binding agreement and arrangement which the Lord had generously presented to them. A Covenant is a pact and agreement between two parties, in this case between the Lord and His people, in which each of the parties have specified obligations to each other. And the Lord bound Himself to this Covenant out of His ever enduring and wonderful love for each and every one of His beloved people, whom He had called and brought by His own power and might out of their enslavement and suffering in the land of Egypt. He offered His love, compassion and kindness, which He promised and reassured them that they all would always receive as His people.

Then, in turn, the people of Israel also have their obligations to the Covenant which God had made with them, and this includes following and obeying the Law and commandments that the Lord had taught and revealed to them all through Moses. The Lord has made His Covenant clear and manifested through the Law and commandments which He passed to His people, and also making His Presence felt among all of them through the Ark of the Covenant, where His Holy Presence came down and rested often among the Israelites. Through those Law and commandments, God wanted to show and guide His beloved people so that they might be able to find their way and live their lives worthily of Him at all times. That was what Moses reminded and exhorted the Israelites to keep in mind and uphold, to their descendants after them as well.

From our Gospel passage, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples on what it truly means for them all to be His disciples and followers, in the manner that is genuine and true, and not merely just paying lip service and superficial. We should not seek personal glory, ambition or achievement, but instead we should do our very best that we will always be full of faith in God and be genuine in every actions that we do, even in the smallest and what may seem to be least significant for us. In each and every one of these, our faith in the Lord is manifested, or our lack of faith in Him, and by our actions, words and deeds, others can see whether we have faith in God or lacking this faith in Him.

The Lord is highlighting the fact that the true meaning, purpose and intention of the Law is that of love, to love God with all of our heart and might as best as we are able to, and to love our fellow neighbours around us, showing the same love which we have shown God and ourselves, to those whom we love and who are dear to us, and even to those who have hated and despised us. We should not allow ourselves to be swayed by hatred and instead learn to forgive one another our faults and mistakes, just as the Lord Himself has forgiven us all our sins and evils. We should indeed follow the Lord’s good examples and do our very best to walk in His path, in all the things that we do and in everything that we say, in all of our interactions, to be always full of love and generous compassion to everyone around us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all reflect upon the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we are the ones whom the Lord had called to be His faithful disciples and followers. And that is why each and every one of us should always strive to be exemplary in all things, in everything that we say and do so that we may lead those whom we encounter and those who witness us and our actions, on the path ever closer to the Lord. Each and every one of us are reminded that we have this important obligation and responsibility in each and every moments of our lives so that we will always be the good example and inspiration for all the people we meet, in proclaiming the Lord and His truth to all of them.

May the Lord continue to guide each and every one of us so that we may always be committed to live our lives in each and every moments, doing our best to live genuinely in faith, practicing our faith and whatever we believe in the Lord in our every actions, words and deeds. May He continue to show us the way forward in life so that we may grow ever more in the faith in Him and conviction to live ever more righteously at all times in His Presence. May all of us continue to be blessed throughout this time and season of Lent, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 27 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and to reflect on all these which we have heard and received from God through the Church, we are reminded that each and every one of us are called to a life of holiness and virtue in accordance with what the Lord has called us all to do, in each and every aspects of our lives. All of us as Christians are always expected to do our best in each and every moments, in our every interactions and endeavours so that we may always be worthy bearers of God’s truth and love. We are all the ones who are supposed to live up to our Christian faith and beliefs in the Lord that all those who witness our lives and actions may truly believe in God through us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard of the Lord speaking to His people, the Israelites, telling them all of how everyone will be judged and have their fates determined by each and every one of their actions and deeds, their words and interactions in life. The Lord essentially told His people that there is no one who is already condemned from the beginning, and opportunity is always provided to all those who seek for reconciliation with Him. God is always ever generous with His love and mercy, and He never ceases to love us all, caring for us and giving us the necessary guidance and help in life, so that by all these, He hopes that each and every one of us may find salvation through Him, and be truly free from our bondage and enslavement by sin. Sin is a great enemy to all of us, and one which we have to overcome in order for us to come closer to God.

The Lord told His people that those who were considered as righteous can fall into sin and be damned for their sins they committed, if those sins truly were serious and were not repented or overcome, forgiven by God and absolved by Him. Meanwhile, all those considered and deemed as wicked, evil and sinful, could be saved if they repented from their sins and change their ways. The Lord will forgive all those who came seeking Him and His forgiveness, with the sincere and real desire to love Him and to return to Him, and this is what the Lord wanted all of His people, including all of us to know. Back then, during the time of the prophet Ezekiel, the people of God had suffered a lot and been humbled and thrown down, for all the wickedness that they and their ancestors had committed, and even so, God still loved each and every one of them, and desired for them to be reconciled with Him.

He called on them to return to Him, and gave them help, reassurance and assistance all throughout their way, sending His prophets, messengers and guides to them, and eventually, even His own beloved Son, the One promised to be the Saviour of all mankind, Our Lord Jesus Christ. In our Gospel passage today, the Lord said to His disciples of how they ought to be truly faithful and dedicated to God, and that they have to be genuine in their beliefs, and their way of life ought to truly reflect of their status as God’s beloved children and people, and that is, they have to be truly good and righteous in all of their ways and actions. Otherwise, if we profess to believe in God and yet act in ways that are contrary to our faith and beliefs, we are then no better than hypocrites and unbelievers in our faith and way of life, and worse still, we can even cause scandal for our faith and tarnish the Lord’s Holy Name.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we are reminded by the Lord Jesus Himself as He told His disciples of the reminder that they all had to believe in the manner that is better and more comprehensive than that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, or else they would not have truly believed in God as they should have. This must be understood in the context that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law having often practiced their faith in God by having a very strict and rigid interpretation of such laws and rules, emphasising a lot on the details and ritual aspects of the Law while neglecting the understanding and appreciation of the true intention, meaning and purpose of the Law.

Not only that, but many among them also had different motive and intention while they were observing the Law and commandments of God. As the Lord often mentioned in other occasions in the Gospels, those people who were the intellectual and religious elites of the community often took great pride in their way of observing the Law, loudly proclaiming their prayers and visibly exhibiting their practices so that they could be seen by everyone around them, and be praised for what they had done and for their piety and devotion. This is not what the Lord had wanted from His people, and especially not those who were entrusted with the care and guardianship of the Law and the people. And that was why the Lord also taught His disciples how they could be truly faithful to God in all of their ways.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Gregory of Narek, one of the Doctors of the Church who was recently declared as such by Pope Francis, our current Pope, hailing from the Armenian Church tradition during the Middle Ages. St. Gregory of Narek lived in the then Kingdom of Vaspurakan, where he was born as the son of a local bishop. His father was suspected of siding with the Chalcedonian beliefs and ways, which is what we Catholics believe in today, as well as many other Christians, but at that time, the Armenian Church refused to accept the Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon because of some issues in the dogma and teachings of the Council which did not fit their beliefs. As such, St. Gregory of Narek’s father was excommunicated, and St. Gregory of Narek himself faced those who doubted his faith and beliefs, being suspected of the same faults as his father.

Nonetheless, despite all those challenges and difficulties, St. Gregory of Narek, having been raised in a religious family, grew to be God-fearing and faithful, and eventually took up the calling to be a priest and monk. He was a truly humble and pious man, who was very bright intellectually and wrote extensive works such as his renowned Book of Lamentations, showing many others how to connect to the Lord ever deeper spiritually. He also spent a lot of time teaching the other monks and those who desired to seek the Lord, and devoted himself to a life of prayer and seclusion until his passing from this world. Despite his humble demeanour, the great faith and commitment that St. Gregory of Narek has shown brought countless souls to salvation in God, and still inspired many even to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore seek the Lord with renewed heart and mind, doing our very best to live our lives ever more faithfully, devoting our time and attention to follow Him like how St. Gregory of Narek and our other holy predecessors had done. Let us all be good role models and examples in how we carry ourselves, in all of our actions, words and deeds, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 26 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we reflected upon them during this time and season of Lent, we are reminded that we should always trust in the Lord our God even during the most difficult and challenging moments. We must always trust that the Lord has the power to change our situation and that He will never leave us alone in our struggles and difficulties. God has always loved us all unconditionally and most generously no matter what, and He has always consistently showed us His Presence when we needed Him the most. Even when we suffer, we do not suffer it alone because with the Lord by our side, Who has suffered far greater for us, we will be triumphant in the end.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Esther we heard of the moment when Esther, the Queen of Persia, who came from the people and race of Israel, went to seek the Lord for help, in her great anguish and desperate effort to help her people which was at that time under threat of annihilation and destruction, prayed before the Lord asking Him to help and to remember the love He has always had for them. For the context, the story began from the ascent of Esther from a humble Israelite woman living in exile in the community of the people of God in Persia, whom together with her relative, Mordecai, gained great favour from the king because the Lord was with them, and while Esther became the new Queen of Persia, Mordecai, who had saved the life of the king before from an attempted plot, received honour from the king.

However, within the court of the King of Persia there was one named Haman, the Agagite, known as such because he was directly descended from Agag, the historical king of Amalek. The Amalekites were the bitter enemies of the Israelites in the past, and despite several centuries having passed since the time when Israel destroyed Amalek and their king Agag, but their descendants likely sought vengeance against the Israelites, and they had the perfect opportunity through Haman. This Haman also rose greatly in the court of the King of Persia and became very powerful as the right hand man of the king and as vizier of the kingdom, essentially the most powerful person in the whole kingdom after the king himself.

And Haman, fueled by jealousy against Mordecai and anger against the Israelites, managed to get the king to declare a law against all the Israelites, considering them as outlaws and making it legal and allowed for anyone to attack them and to seize their properties and materials without any repercussions. Hence, it would have been the end of the Israelites, and because the Law of the kingdom of Persia could not be repealed, then it would have been certain doom and destruction for the whole people of Israel. That was therefore why Queen Esther was in a particularly difficult situation, and she was in the perfect opportunity and place to help her people. However, as what happened to her predecessor, Queen Vashti, if she did so, she was risking her position and even her own life.

That was why Esther prayed to the Lord asking Him to assist her and to give her the strength and courage to carry out what she was about to do, all for the sake of God’s own beloved people. She trusted the Lord wholeheartedly and allowed Him to guide her actions, eventually leading to her coming before the king and pleading for her people, and leading to the downfall of Haman, who got his just consequences of all his plots and attacks against the people of God. And the people of Israel were saved because the Lord was with them and Esther moved the heart of the King and convinced him to allow the Israelites to defend themselves against their enemies. That was how the people of God was saved and liberated from the plots of their enemies, and Haman, the prime instigator, was put to death by the king.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples and reminding them that God is indeed like our loving Father, Who truly cares for us and Who has always been loving towards us, showing us His ever patient and wonderful love, which He constantly lavished on us without end. The Lord told His disciples with the words, ‘Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks.’ reminding them and all of us that all that God is and has always been available for us, as our ever patient and loving Father.

Unfortunately, many of us do not have enough faith and trust in the Lord, not realising that if we only open our mouth and ask Him, open our hearts and minds to welcome Him into them and to listen to Him, communicate with Him as like that of a father and his children, and vice versa, therefore, we need to put that faith and trust in Him because just as the Lord said it, no father especially fathers who live their children, would ever treat their children with disdain and ignoring their needs and pleas. No father would also harm his children, and hence, everything that God, our most loving, generous and compassionate Father and Master has done for us, all were meant for the good and the benefit of each one of us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we all realise just how powerful God’s love and guidance have been for us, His constant presence and care for each one of us, which we should appreciate. As we continue to progress and journey through this time and season of Lent, let us all therefore continue to grow in faith in the Lord, and do our very best to proclaim Him faithfully through our own love for Him and from our exemplary living, actions and every deeds we carry out in each and every moments of our lives, obeying all that He has shown and taught us all to do. Let us seek Him wholeheartedly and entrust ourselves to Him just as Queen Esther had done, and just as how the Lord has reminded us of God’s ever present love. Amen.

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Wednesday, 25 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the power of God’s love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness on all of us, His beloved people. God has always loved us all most generously, and He has never abandoned any one of us, no matter what, and He has always shown His generous love poured down abundantly upon us, blessings everyone wonderfully, making His rain and Sun to go on the righteous and wicked alike. That is just how wonderful God’s love for us is, and how generous He has been in extending His mercy and compassion upon us all even when we have consistently and frequently taken Him for granted, not appreciating all these love and kindness we have been shown.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of the prophet Jonah, we heard about how the Lord God sent Jonah, one of His servants and prophets to go to the people of Nineveh, which was then a truly great and magnificent city, the capital of the very powerful and much-feared Assyrian Empire, which was the regional superpower of the time. Contextually and historically, the Assyrians were well-known for their great brutality and thirst for battle, for lots of raiding and destruction, as they went to conquer many states and cities, overthrowing their rulers and dominating the region, for their own wealth and glory, not fearing anything at all. And it is all those wickedness and sins they committed which had made the city of Nineveh to deserve destruction and damnation.

And God called Jonah to tell His judgment to those people in Nineveh, which the prophet initially refused to do, as he tried to flee from the Lord, going on a journey on a ship to distant lands. And for those of us familiar with his story, we heard how Jonah was thrown overboard from the ship in a great storm, and a great whale or fish swallowed Jonah and kept him alive for three days, after which, we heard the continuation of the story in what we heard earlier today, as Jonah finally agreed to embark on what the Lord had called him to do, to be the doom-bringer to the people of the city of Nineveh, to tell them of God’s terrible retribution and the punishments that they would have to endure for their wicked actions.

Yet, as we heard from the same passage, upon hearing what the Lord announced to them that He would do, in bringing destruction upon the city of Nineveh and its people, the whole city in unison, from the king to the nobles, and right down to the humblest and lowliest member of the community there, all were united in their attempt to appease the Lord and sorrowfully regretted their many sins and wickedness, and as we heard, they were all both genuine and wholehearted in their efforts to atone for their mistakes and sins, showing profound mourning and regret for their wicked actions, and the whole entire city, as we have heard, all donned mourning garments and sackcloth as public sign of their repentance, and God therefore spared the city of its fated destruction.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus Himself as He spoke to the people, many of whom were asking Him for signs and wonders, despite the fact that He had actually done so many of these signs and wonders before them, in many occasions. And contextually, it was likely that many of these people were actually the Pharisees and their supporters, who often found fault and issue with the Lord and His ministry, as they kept on insisting upon that their version of practicing and applying the Law of God was the right one, and that no one else could interpret or practice the Law in the manner more appropriate and better than them.

Hence, it was all those pride and ego which had prevented them all from truly being able to believe in God and His truth, in all the signs, wonders and all the works that He had done. That was why no matter what the Lord had done before them, all the wonders and wisdom, none of those things could convince them. Then we should also contrast this attitude of the people at the time of the Lord Jesus with the way how the people of Nineveh responded to the words of the prophet Jonah to them as we have heard and discussed from our first reading today. While the former kept on doubting and demanding for more signs from the Lord, the latter believed and repented even when they did not see any signs from Jonah, believing even if it was only on the weight of his words and prophecy alone.

This is why we are reminded that we should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by the temptations of sin and evil, of all the worldly ambitions, glory and power, all of which can lead us astray easily away from the path towards righteousness and grace in God’s Presence. We should not harden our hearts and minds as the people listening to Jesus and witnessing His works had done. Instead, we should allow the Lord to come into our hearts, opening wide the doors of our hearts and minds to welcome Him and to be humble like the people of Nineveh, in recognising our own sinfulness, faults and shortcomings, so that we may come to realise how fortunate we are to have been so loved by God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all continue to reflect upon these words and reminders from the Lord, let us all therefore continue to live our lives with great faith and trust in the Lord, knowing that through His most generous love, mercy and compassion, all of us will truly receive the assurance of His love and compassionate kindness, His promises and everything that He has meant for us all, His beloved children and people. And as we all continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, let us all hence continue to do our best to live worthily and courageously in the path that the Lord has shown us all. May God bless us always, in our every good efforts and endeavours to glorify Him, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Tuesday, 24 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that all of us should always have a good prayer life and also good relationship with God, our loving Father, Master and Creator. Each and every one of us should always spend time to pray to the Lord God, our Heavenly Father, not so much that we can get what we want through prayer, but rather so that we may come to know His will more closely, listening to His words being spoken in our hearts and minds. And this time and season of Lent is the perfect time for all of us to realign ourselves and our lives so that we may come to be ever closer and ever more committed to God, if we have not done so yet.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the short passage taken from Isaiah’s words to the people of God, of the Lord reassuring them all of His promises and Presence among them, and how He would indeed send His deliverance to them through the Saviour He has promised them. He also revealed through what we have heard today, of the truth behind this same Saviour Whom He would send, that is none other than His own Word, the Word of God made Incarnate and tangible in our midst, Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. And the prophet Isaiah spoke of how the Word of God will accomplish God’s will, and that was what the Lord Jesus Himself had done perfectly, in His perfect obedience to the will of the Father.

For indeed, God has sent His Son into this world to accomplish everything which He has planned for us from the very beginning of time, to gather all of us back to Himself, all of His scattered children all throughout the world. He has sent His Son to us to be our Good Shepherd, gathering all the flock of the Lord’s scattered sheep, the lost sheep of His flock, that all of us may once again enjoy the fullness of His love and grace, and be saved through all that Christ Himself has done, in perfect obedience to His Father’s will, through all the ministry He had done, in revealing unto us the perfect manifestation of God’s love made tangible, and ultimately through the offering of His own Most Precious Body and Blood, offered at the Altar of the Cross at Calvary for our sake.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus, the Divine Word of God and Son of God Incarnate, the fulfilment of what the prophet Isaiah had spoken earlier on in our first reading today. We heard how the Lord Jesus taught His disciples on how they ought to pray to the Lord God with the prayer that we now commonly call the Lord’s Prayer, or Pater Noster, or Our Father, because it truly began with petition and exhortation from us to Our Father in Heaven, God Himself Who has loved each and every one of us, those whom He has called to be His beloved and precious children, and Jesus our Lord, the Son of God and Son of Man both, has shown us this wonderful truth and love.

Through what He Himself had done, the Lord reminded us that we have to spend time in prayer to the Lord and pray in the right manner, and with the right disposition in our heart and mind. First of all, prayer must first be about giving thanks to God, thanking Him for all the wonderful things that we have received, no matter how all they might have been. And least of all, we have to give Him thanks for the continued gift of life that He has blessed us with. We have to thank Him for all the opportunities that He had provided us with, all the people whom He had blessed us with, our families, friends and other loved ones. We have to thank Him for everything He blessed us with despite us having often betrayed Him for false idols in life.

Then, prayer is also about listening to God and not just wanting or even demanding God to listen to us. It is about opening our hearts, minds and our senses to allow for genuine communication between us and God. If we only want God to listen to us and we are not willing to listen to Him, then it is not a communication at all. Our prayer has instead become a litany of demands that we make to the Lord and we are forcing our will on God. How can this be, as we are only a mere creation, daring to make demands on our Lord, Master and Creator? That is why when we pray we should not be quick to speak and to dominate the conversation, but instead, we should strive to have that good, quiet and contemplative time with God, to listen to Him just as He is listening to us.

And then, prayer is also the means by which we also seek the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy, as we ask Him to forgive us the multitudes of our sins. It is by God’s grace alone that we can be forgiven, and we who are sinners are in need of God’s forgiveness, that we may be reconciled to Him. The Lord will forgive us our sins, as long as we have ourselves learnt to forgive each others’ sins and faults to one another, just as mentioned in the Lord’s Prayer. We humble ourselves as sinners, all needing that much needed reconciliation with God. It is only through God’s grace and mercy, and our own merciful and forgiving attitude that we can truly be free from the guilt of our sinfulness and wickedness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to be committed and faithful children of God, following the example of Christ our Lord Himself Who has always shown unto us the perfect example of obedience and faith in God, our Heavenly Father, through our common humanity with His Human nature. And by teaching us all how we ought to pray, Christ has reminded us all that we need to spend that good quality time with God our loving Father so that He may show us the way to Himself, to His most wonderful love and grace. Amen.

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Monday, 23 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures during this time and season of Lent, we are all reminded of the Law and the commandments which the Lord Himself has shown, taught and revealed to us, and which He has also expected all of us as His beloved and holy people to follow and obey faithfully, with good understanding, appreciation and knowledge of what it is that the Law of God has shown and taught us all to do. Each and every one of us should always do our best to live faithfully and worthily in the Lord’s Presence, doing our very best so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will always be found worthy and good in the sight of the Lord.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Leviticus, we heard of the words of the Lord telling His assembled people that they should all heed carefully His words and teachings, and all the Law and commandments that He had placed before them so that they may truly follow them wholeheartedly and consistently in their lives, in each and every moments that they lived, so that they would not just follow the Law without truly understanding its meaning and purpose. Indeed, it is possible for one to merely follow the letter of the Law, in doing the actions and steps prescribed by the Law and yet not doing them for the right intention and purpose. That was why the Lord reminded His people that they all ought to be sincere in following Him.

And He went to great lengths and detail to the people to call them to live in the manner that is truly just and worthy, full of both love for Him as well as for their fellow brothers and sisters around them. To be truly faithful as God’s people one cannot indeed just be inward looking, or to claim to believe and be faithful to God, and yet, at the same time, acting in ways that brought about suffering and misery to others around them. This is therefore a reminder to all of us as well, that we have to be righteous in our way of life as well, in caring for one another and loving them generously just as we love the Lord and ourselves, and we should also uphold justice and truth at all times, be forgiving, merciful, compassionate and kind just as Our Lord Himself had done the same to us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which the account of the Lord’s description of the Last and Final Judgment to His disciples was recounted to us. In that account of the Last Judgment, we heard how the righteous would be separated from the wicked, and we heard how each of them asked the Lord Himself, the great Judge, what it truly means to be righteous or to be wicked according to the Lord. And as we have heard, it all boiled down to whether we all live our lives in the manner that brings about good things, blessings and happiness to everyone around us, caring for the poor, the needy and the sick in our midst, and also in caring for those whom we love and who are dear to us, even more.

On the other hand, if we have been neglecting our responsibilities, acting in the manner that ignores the sufferings of those who are around us, and ignoring those whom the Lord has put into our paths, all the opportunities we have been given, and instead selfishly seeking our own benefit, advantages and glory, then we will be held accountable for all these acts of selfishness and wickedness, and we will suffer the consequences of our lack of faith and action. This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, this time of spiritual renewal, we are reminded to reflect carefully on our actions and direction in life, so that we may truly serve the Lord faithfully in the manner that He Himself has shown and taught us.

Today, we should be inspired by the great examples and faith shown by St. Polycarp, a great Church father and our holy predecessor, who was a bishop of the Church, the Bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor. St. Polycarp was known to be one of the disciples of St. John the Apostle, the last surviving Apostle of the Lord back then, and he was entrusted with the care of many of the faithful in the often persecuted but still thriving Church. He was regarded as one of the three greatest Apostolic Fathers, the successors of the Apostles, together with Pope St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch, each of whom were great role models and sources of inspiration in their own right. St. Polycarp corresponded frequently with the other Church fathers and was a great example to his flock, caring much for their spiritual needs.

And during a time of great and intense persecution of the Church by the Roman state, which carried out many rounds and episodes of persecutions and attacks against the Church and the faithful, St. Polycarp helped to lead his flock to remain faithful to God, and to endure the hardships and challenges that they had to face in the defence of their faith in God. In the end, St. Polycarp himself was arrested and persecuted, when he was already in the advanced age of eighty-six years old. Even then, in that old age, he remained strong in his desire to love and serve the Lord, and in persevering through the hardships and sufferings that he had to suffer, together with the rest of his flock, which was truly an example of them carrying their cross with the Lord. St. Polycarp died a martyr, inspiring countless others to follow the Lord more faithfully and with greater love, and I hope he has inspired us similarly too.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore renew our faith and commitment in God as we continue to progress through this holy and blessed season of Lent. Let us make good use of this time and opportunity that God has given us so that each and every one of us may distance ourselves from the many temptations of sin, the allures of worldly fame, glory, pleasures, and the pressure from our pride, ego, greed, jealousy, ambition, and more. Let us all control all those desires and negative things within us, and help one another to be strong in enduring the challenges and trials of this world, carrying our crosses together faithfully with God. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, and give us all the courage to continue to live our lives as good and dedicated Christians, blessing our every works and efforts, our every endeavours at all times. Amen.

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Sunday, 22 February 2026 : First Sunday of Lent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday, the first one in the whole season of Lent, the first of the five Sundays of the season of Lent before we enter into the Holy Week, as we all prepare ourselves for the coming of the great mystery of the Passion of the Lord and all of His saving works, and the glorious celebration at Easter. On this Sunday we are all brought to the very beginning of how sin came into us and led us all into corruption and our downfall, so that hopefully we may realise just how dangerous and terrible sin can be, and why we have to remain vigilant and careful throughout our lives such that we do not end up falling down the slippery path towards damnation because of us being tempted to sin. It is quite easy for us to fall into sin unless we remain strong in our conviction and faith in the Lord, as how it had happened to many of our predecessors. And this is why we need to make good use of this season of Lent to remind ourselves to be more faithful and committed to God, resisting the temptations of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of Genesis the story of how the first mankind fell into sin, that is of Adam and Eve, the ones whom God created in the beginning of time. God created mankind after He had created the whole universe and existence, and prepared everything all well and good, crafting man in His own image. God made everything to be all good and perfect, and He intended for us to enjoy forever the happiness, bliss and joy of our existence, full of grace and love for God, for eternity. That is what why we had been created, to share in the love of God, and to enjoy the blissful existence in Eden as our ancestors had once enjoyed. Yet, unfortunately they fell into sin because they chose to listen to the sweet lies and falsehoods of Satan rather than to trust in the Lord and His love for each one of us.

Satan tempted Adam and Eve by playing into their desires, their curiosity for knowledge and understanding, their willingness to try out new things and to experience what it may be like to know good and evil like how God Himself is all-knowing. Yet, it was by their disobedience against God that they allowed sin to enter into their hearts and minds, corrupting them and their descendants henceforth, and because of that, we have to wander off in the hardships of this world, away from the fullness of God’s grace and love. This is because sin and wickedness have no place before God and His perfection, His all good nature. Sin has therefore held dominion over us all ever since then right up to the moment when the Lord sent us His salvation, through none other than Jesus Christ, His own beloved and only begotten Son. Through Christ, all of us have seen, witnessed and received the perfect manifestation of God’s love.

The fact is that God truly loves each one of us, brothers and sisters in Christ. He could have crushed and destroyed us easily for our disobedience and wickedness, but He chose to be patient with us, reaching out to us with genuine love and compassionate mercy. He gave us His beloved Son because through Him, we are going to be led out of the darkness of sin into the eternal life and justification in God. This is what St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in Rome has spoken about, as he highlighted to them all how sin had entered into this world through the first man, but then, God gave us the gift of His only begotten Son, to come into our world and becoming Man like us, as the Son of Man, so that by the perfect example of His obedience to the will of His heavenly Father, He may lead us all into the right path towards full reconciliation and reunion with the Lord, our loving Father Who loves each and every one of us, without exception.

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ, St. Paul clearly highlighted the comparison and difference between what Adam, the first man had done, in listening to Satan instead of listening to God, choosing to obey the words of Satan together with that of his wife Eve, so that they ended up disobeying God and doing what the Lord had forbidden them to do, with Jesus Christ, Whom St. Paul mentioned sometimes as the New Adam, the New Man, through Whom He showed us all the example of perfect obedience to the will of God. Our Lord Jesus obeyed the Father’s will so perfectly and well, that He obeyed even when He had to bear the burden of His Cross, that is the multitudes of our many and innumerable sins, evils and wickedness, our faults and corruptions, all of which should have led us to our deaths and destructions. Yet, by His great and ever patient and enduring love, God Himself has willingly done all He could for us, so that by His most loving and selfless sacrifice on the Cross, He could save us from our fated destruction.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard how the Lord Jesus Himself was tempted by Satan after He was baptised in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist, at the beginning of His ministry in this world. In this quite well known story, at that time, the Lord Jesus went through a period of forty days of physical fasting and spiritual exercise in the wilderness and desert, where Satan came to Him and tried not just once but three times to tempt Him to stop His work and mission in this world, by offering Him the same kind of persuasions and temptations that He had once tempted our ancestors with. Satan struck with all of his persuasions, tempting the Lord with all sorts of the most dangerous temptations, by first striking at Him with the satisfaction of the flesh through food, and pride, and yet again another one through hubris, ego and pride, and finally the greed and desire for worldly glory and fame.

Satan tempted Adam and Eve with the allure of knowledge and greatness, so that by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden, expressly prohibited by God, they could become equal like God, to be like God in His might and knowledge, tempting them with glory, power and knowledge, among others, which moved them to disobey the Lord and choose to walk their own rebellious path as Satan himself had done before them, instead of trusting in God and His providence. But this failed to tempt the Lord, Who as the Son of Man, the New Adam, showed us the perfect example of great obedience as He obeyed His Father’s will, and refused to bend to the demands of Satan, or even paying attention or any heed to his falsehoods, his sweet lies and wicked words. He refuted Satan’s claims and lies, and spoke courageously of the truth that He Himself has brought into this world.

When Satan tried to highlight to the Lord that He is the Son of God in order to make Him to be swayed by pride and ego, to do something for His own selfish gain and benefit, by turning the stones into bread to nourish Himself, the Lord rebuked Satan and rejected his effort in tempting Him, by saying that mankind do not live and survive on bread alone, but on every words that come from the Lord. Instead of doing something for the sake of His own benefit, the Lord chose to do what is most unconventional, and that is to do what He had done for everyone’s sake, in giving Himself to them all. Instead of turning the stones into bread for His own consumption, He, Who is the Bread of Life, chose to be broken Himself, and to offer Himself for everyone, in a most selfless sacrifice and offering of love, for the salvation of the whole world.

And when Satan brought the Lord over to the top of the Temple of Jerusalem, telling Him using the phrases from the Scriptures to try to trick Him and to make Him be swayed by the fame and glory that he offered, the Lord told Satan off once again, that one should not put the Lord to the test, which is an important reminder for each and every one of us not to lose faith in the Lord and His providence. Instead, we have to keep our faith in Him and put our focus on Him, and not to indulge in the desire to be seen or to be praised for our actions. Everything we do in our lives, all of them should indeed be to glorify the Lord by our own exemplary life and works, which should be in accordance to the will of God. We should not seek to be selfish and pursuing personal glory and satisfaction over our obedience and faith in God, and also our love for one another.

Lastly, the Lord also rebuked Satan when he showed Him the whole vastness of the wealth and the greatness of the world, as the latter desperately tried to bring the Lord to succumb to the temptations of worldly glory and riches, to no avail. The Lord told Satan off and rebuked him hard with the words that the Lord alone is worthy and ought to be worshipped, and not Satan. This last effort from Satan that was greatly rejected and criticised by the Lord, Who struck at the very core of Satan’s own rebellion against God, as he aspired to ascend even the Throne of God and become the ruler over all of Creation. Essentially, the Lord proclaimed to Satan that in the end, the justice and goodness of the Lord will triumph over him, and that the faith in the Lord alone will lead us mankind to salvation through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. Meanwhile, Satan and all those who choose to side with him will be crushed and destroyed.

That is why, each and every one of us are reminded today at the early beginning of this season of Lent, that we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the lies and false promises of Satan and all other tempters and those sent to convince us to abandon our path and journey towards the Lord. We have to be ever vigilant and not allow ourselves to be twisted and corrupted by our own pride, ego, arrogance, hubris, desires and greed, jealousy, lust and other things by which we often encounter serious obstacles in our journey of faith towards the Lord. We must follow the examples shown by Our Lord Himself, as well as the innumerable saints and martyrs, our holy predecessors, those holy men and women who have resisted the temptations to sin, the temptation of worldly glory, fame and ambition in our hearts and minds.

During this season of Lent, all of us are called and reminded to deepen our relationship with God through the three pillars of Lent, that we all should be well aware of. These three pillars are that of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, and our whole season of Lent should be filled with them. Not only that, but when we carry out those actions and fulfil what we have been recommended to do during this solemn period of Lent, we should do them with the right intention and purpose, that is to bring ourselves closer to God and to restrain the many temptations from outside and within us, so that hopefully we may come ever closer to God and His salvation, and distance ourselves from Satan and all those who seek nothing else but our destruction and damnation. We should make good use of whatever opportunities and time provided to us, and do what we can to live our lives worthily of the Lord.

We must of course have a good and vibrant prayerful life, as for Christians, it is inconceivable for us not to spend any time in prayer. But our prayers must also not be one that is merely reciting and saying words, as we should use prayer as how it is intended to be, for us to communicate with the Lord. All of us may come to deeper appreciation of God’s love and actions through our interactions and time spent with Him in prayer and through our other means of reaching out to Him. And when we fast, we should do so because we want to restrain the temptations of our flesh, which can be indeed weak in the face of relentless attacks and temptations present all around us. We should not fast because we seek renown or praise for our actions, but rather we fast because we have that genuine and strong desire to distance ourselves from sin and come closer to God and His merciful love, and in loving one another ever more.

We should also be ever more generous, in almsgiving, that is in giving whatever we can spare for all those around us who are less fortunate than us. And almsgiving should not just be limited to material giving, but rather, should also include our time and attention, our love and care in particular for all those who are less fortunate and unloved, all around us, and especially so for those who are most dear and precious to us. During this time of Lent, each and every one of us are reminded to sharpen the side of our humility and faith, deepening our relationship with God through charity and love, while at the same time rejecting Satan and all of his false promises and lies, and resist the many temptations all around us to commit what is sinful against the Lord. We are all called to be ever more faithful to God and to be good and worthy role models in our faith, inspiring many others to follow in our footsteps as well.

May God be with us always and may He empower us all throughout this Lenten season so that we may continue to serve Him and to walk in His presence, now and always. May God bless us all in our every good works, efforts and endeavours for His greater glory, so that by each and every things we do, we will always draw many more people closer to Him and lead many more towards the salvation in God. Amen.

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Saturday, 21 February 2026 : Saturday after Ash Wednesday, Memorial of St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to listen to the words of the Sacred Scriptures and to reflect upon the meaning of what we have heard, we are reminded that we should always be willing to allow God to shape and guide our lives and paths, in everything that we say and do, in following Him and walking down the path of righteousness and virtue at all times. Each and every one of us as Christians are reminded that we should always be trusting in God and in all that He has done for us, in all the Wisdom and kindness which He has generously bestowed upon us. God will not abandon us especially during the darkest and most difficult moments, and we will not be left alone amidst all those challenges because God is always by our side, no matter what.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the Lord’s continued reminder to His people through His prophet, reminding and telling them all to be truly faithful to Him, and not merely paying Him lip service and empty gestures, or actions that were hypocritical in nature, as they had done in their past, and how their ancestors had lived before them. Back then, many of the people of God in Israel and Judah had not truly obeyed the Lord, neglected His Law and commandments, and merely observing the Law out of obedience but without truly meaning what they had done, or understanding fully what the Lord Himself has taught and shown them, and that was why He sent them His prophets and servants like Isaiah to remind them of this fact.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the account of the calling of Levi the tax collector by the Lord Jesus Himself. At that time, as we heard, Levi was at his tax collecting station and when the Lord called on him, Levi without hesitation left everything he had behind, his job and all of his belongings, and decided to follow the Lord wholeheartedly as His full-time disciple. During that period, tax collectors were often hated and reviled by much of the community because of the great bias against them, the hatred which the people of God collectively gave to them as the tax collectors were seen as collaborators, agents and even traitors to the Jewish nation and state, for collecting taxes meant for the Roman overlords.

Hence, Levi and the other tax collectors really had it difficult in their lives and works, and many among the people, especially the Pharisees and the elites of the community deemed them all as wicked sinners and traitors beyond hope and redemption. They were therefore often looked down upon and hated as mentioned, but yet, the Lord reached out to Levi and called him to be His disciple, and also spent time among the tax collectors who were all willing and desiring to listen to His teachings, and shared a meal with all of them, to the surprise, criticism and displeasure of the Pharisees who were observing His actions.

But the Lord made it clear that He came into this world to gather those who have been separated from God through sin, reaching out to those who have been afflicted by sin, and those tax collectors clearly desired to seek God’s forgiveness and grace. Not only that, but in time, Levi himself would become a great and committed disciple of the Lord, known by his new name of Matthew, as one of the Twelve Apostles and one of the Four Evangelists, ministering to the people of God through his works and writings, directed primarily to the Jewish population, hoping to convince more of them to accept the teachings and truth of the Lord Jesus as their guiding principle and accepting Him as their Master and Saviour. He would go on to serve the Lord in many more great ways for many years.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Peter Damian, a great saint and Church father, whose life and works can truly inspire all of us to be faithful to the Lord in many ways, as he himself led a good and devout life, filled with faith and dedication to God. St. Peter Damian was a great intellectual and theologian who gave up the greatness of secular and worldly life to become a Benedictine monk. He was renowned for his great piety and dedication to his mission and works, in his efforts in reforming the Church and Christian faithful, beginning with his own Benedictine community, and then in tandem with the efforts of a few Popes of that time, beginning with Pope Gregory VI and up to Pope St. Leo IX and his friend, Pope St. Gregory VII.

Back then, the corruptions of worldly vices, attachments, ambitions and sins have slowly crept up into the Church and into its various communities, affecting both the clergymen and the laity alike. St. Peter Damian helped to reform the Church through his great vision and desire to root out from the Church those worldly corruptions and vices which had caused so many scandals and for so many of the faithful to fall into sin and evil ways. He rooted out corrupt practices and helped to straighten the ways of many of the faithful, in his various capacities as Papal envoy and legate, and as a member of the College of Cardinals, his role as a Cardinal and hence close Papal confidant and advisor was crucial in the reestablishment of order and virtue in the life of the Church of that time. And despite his high office and influential position, St. Peter Damian remained humble and thoroughly committed to his calling, and not swayed by worldly temptations of power and glory.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all discern what we have just discussed, including the life and examples of St. Peter Damian in remembering that as Christians each and every one of us are also expected to live our lives with genuine faith in the Lord, and root out from ourselves, from our hearts and minds, the corruption of sin and temptations of pride, ego, ambition, hubris, greed and others. Let us all remind ourselves of this as we continue to embark on this journey of reconciliation with God during this time and season of Lent so that we may draw ever closer to Him and receive from His most generous fount of mercy and grace, a full reconciliation and abundance of love He has always lavished on us.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate, merciful and patient God continue to guide each and every one of us in our journey of faith and life following the example of Levi the tax collector and our other holy predecessors, helping us to persevere in walking down the path of righteousness and virtue, doing our best to love the Lord our God and love our fellow brothers and sisters, especially those whom we love the most and precious to us, in a genuine and generous manner, just as much as the Lord Himself has loved us all. Let us all Christians be truly known and recognised by our love, most generous and wonderful, flowing ever more genuinely from our hearts through our actions, words and deeds, just as the Lord has shown and taught us. May God bless us all in our every endeavours and efforts to glorify Him, now and always. Amen.

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Friday, 20 February 2026 : Friday after Ash Wednesday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together and listened carefully to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, and as we continue to journey through this time and season of Lent, we are reminded that as we carry out our Lenten activities and practices, we must do them with the right and proper intentions in our hearts and minds, and we must not do them in vain or with the wrong intentions, such as to make ourselves look better, more pious or superior spiritually before other people, or in seeking praise and glory. Everything that we do in life, particularly in this time and season of Lent, we should always do them with God as the centre and focus.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people through Isaiah telling them all how they ought to be carrying out their observance of the Law and how to live their lives genuinely as the people of God, those whom He has loved, called and chosen from the world. And unfortunately, if we read through the Old Testament, we can see how many of the people of God over various periods and times, failed to obey the Lord and observe His Law and commandments, and hence, God kept on sending His servants and messengers, like the prophets including Isaiah to help and guide them all.

The Lord told the people clearly through Isaiah that they should not practice the Law and commandments without truly understanding what they truly meant and what He had taught and shown them. Many of them practiced all those laws, tenets and rituals with rigour and detail, and yet, as the Lord criticised them, they still persecuted their fellow men and women, causing scandal in the faith and bringing about suffering for those whom they had treated badly. Essentially while they might outwardly look pious and faithful, but in how they lived their lives and faith in God, they did not truly embody what the Lord had wanted them to have in their lives, that is true obedience and adherence to His ways.

The Lord did not want their sacrifices, offerings and empty gestures. He did not want their lip service and all the things they did in vain, lacking genuine faith and love for Him, and not only that, but they had also caused scandal by their hypocrisy, in acting in the manner that was self-serving, selfish and wicked, truly unbecoming of those whom the Lord had called and chosen to be His people. That was why the Lord told them all through His prophet Isaiah what it truly meant for them to practice their faith, with examples of in the matter of fasting and others, where they should be showing love, concern and care for their fellow men and women, particularly those who were less fortunate and oppressed, instead of taking advantage and benefitting from them.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the discussion from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist where the disciples of St. John the Baptist were asking the Lord about why His disciples were not fasting or practicing the fasts required by the customs and traditions of the Law of Moses and the Jewish laws as how the Pharisees and the disciples of St. John the Baptist themselves were doing. And the Lord told them all that it was not fitting or right that they fast when the Bridegroom was with them, referring to Himself as the Bridegroom of the Church, and the disciples representing the Church of God just like all of us as well, as Christians.

In this occasion, besides predicting what He was going to suffer from in rejection by the chief priests and the Temple authorities, referred to by the Lord as how the Bridegroom would be taken away from those disciples and henceforth they would fast in grief upon losing the Bridegroom, the Lord was also highlighting how the ways of the disciples would not be the same as how those in the old Law and its interpretations and customs were like. Essentially, the Lord’s coming and revelation of the fullness of truth about God’s Law superseded and perfected the understanding, purpose and application of the Law which God had bestowed upon His people. This was especially in the context of how many among the people, particularly among the Pharisees, who practiced the Law hypocritically.

What this means was that, like the people of God of old, that the Lord criticised and rebuked through the prophet Isaiah, those Pharisees did not truly learn from the examples of their ancestors, but doing the exact same mistakes and committing the same kind of errors and misbehaviours that were particularly unbecoming given their position as the leaders and respected members of the community of the people of God. And that was why the Lord was also equally critical on the way how those Pharisees and elites of the community had behaved, in their failure to practice their faith sincerely and properly as they should have done, and not becoming good examples for everyone around them, seeking for personal glory and fame instead of truly obeying God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, let us all continue to do our best in living our lives as good, faithful and worthy Christians, as beloved disciples and followers of Our Lord, so that our words, actions and deeds, all align together with our faith and love for the Lord. Let us always be focused and centred on God, and not seeking our own personal ambitions and greed in life, but instead striving at all times for the greater glory of God’s Name. Amen.

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Thursday, 19 February 2026 : Thursday after Ash Wednesday (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day as we embark on this journey of the Lenten time and season, we are reminded that all of us as Christians, that is all those whom God Himself has called and chosen to be His own people, we are all caleled to live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy and pleasing to God. This means that we should always do our best to walk in the path that God Himself has revealed to us and led us through. We should not allow ourselves to be easily swayed by worldly temptations, glory, desires and all the things which can lead us astray in our path towards God and His salvation. Each and every one of us as Christians should be good role models in living our lives with great and genuine faith at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy, we heard of the words of Moses, the one whom God had sent to the midst of His first chosen people, the Israelites, to be the one to lead them out from the land of Egypt to their Promised Land of Canaan where they would dwell in true happiness and satisfaction after many years and decades at least living under the tyranny of the Egyptians. The Lord Himself had led the Israelites out of the land of Egypt through Moses, and defeated their enemies before them, and He also made a Covenant with every one of them at Mount Sinai, putting His Law and commandments to them.

And with those Law and commandments in place, the Lord revealed that as His people, each and every one of them ought to live their lives faithfully in the manner that He has taught and shown them through those same Law and commandments, which in essence were meant to guide and help them all in their manner of living so that their lives and actions, all of those would always be aligned to God and His ways and that they would always live their lives with God at the very centre of their existence as they should all have done.

The Israelites often disobeyed the Lord and rebelled against Him, if we read through the whole account of the Exodus from the Old Testament, and many among those same Israelites perished and died in the desert because of their rebelliousness. They perished and died because of their disobedience and refusal to follow the ways of the Lord, allowing themselves to be swayed by worldly desires and temptations that led them to sin against God. But at the same time, God also revealed that He has always been full of love and mercy towards His people, and wanted them all to be reconciled with Him.

Therefore, Moses as he gathered the people in the latter part of his ministry and towards the end of the long Exodus journey from the land of Egypt to Canaan, he told them all very clearly and bluntly that they all had been given the freedom to choose their course and path in life, and that if they were to choose to obey the Lord, then they would be blessed and receive the bounty of God’s grace. However, like those who had perished earlier on during their sojourn in the desert, should the people of God choose to disobey God, then they would suffer for their disobedience and lack of faith.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples and followers on how He would be betrayed by His own, handed over to His enemies and made to suffer grievously for the sins and mistakes of the people, all of which were due to the wickedness and the ego, pride and greed of those who have frequently opposed the Lord and His efforts to minister to the people of God, such as many among the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, the Temple authorities, the chief priests and the Sanhedrin and many others.

The Lord also told His disciples and followers that if they want to be His true disciples, then they all ought to take up their crosses and follow Him. Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, what does it really mean by taking up the crosses? It is a figurative speech representing the need for all of us as the disciples and followers of the Lord to follow Him wholeheartedly and confidently, in resisting the temptations of sin and worldly vices, which is a path that is more difficult to take and walk in as compared to following the worldly ways and manners. Hence, this is the cross that all of us have to bear as Christians.

But, we must also remember that we do not carry these crosses alone, by ourselves, as the truth is that, we carry them together with the Lord, and we never suffer alone, as the Lord Himself is always often by our side, providing for us and giving us the strength necessary for us all to persevere and to walk faithfully in the ways that He has revealed to us. When He is calling on us to follow Him, He is not putting unreasonable demand from us, and He is there with us, journeying together with us, as we walk side by side towards His salvation and grace as one people.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, having been reminded of our calling and obligation as Christians, as those whom the Lord had called to be His disciples and followers, let us all live our lives worthily from now on, in obedience to His will, to follow faithfully the Law and commandments that He has passed down to us and taught us all through the Church. Let us all continue to observe this Lenten season faithfully and meaningfully, doing our very best to practice our faith and our Lenten practices with good appreciation and understanding of their importance in our lives. Amen.