Weekday Mass

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that God chose not the proud and the haughty, but He sees the hearts and minds of those whom He has called and chosen. But in the end, it is really up to us how we respond to the Lord in what He has called us to do, as He has also given us all the means and the abilities, the opportunities and all the chances for all of us to make good of everything that we have been called to do in our respective lives. In our own distinct and unique vocations in life, all of us should always realise that we should use those gifts that God has provided to us for the common good of all those around us and in being good role models for all.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Samuel, we heard about the moment when Samuel went to look for the man whom God had chosen to be the new king for His people, the Israelites, that was Saul from the tribe of Benjamin. Saul was great in physical appearance and stature although he hailed from the least of the families of the smallest tribe of the Israelites, the tribe of Benjamin. God chose that man to become the leader over all of His people and Samuel was sent to seek for him so that Saul could be anointed as the King of Israel just as the people fervently and stubbornly demanded earlier on as we heard yesterday in the passage from the same Book of the prophet Samuel.

And Samuel did encounter Saul and sought him where God had led him to, and God revealed to Samuel the man that He had willed and chosen to be this worthy man to take up the leadership over the people of Israel. That was indeed how the days of the kings began in Israel. Surely since we all should know how Saul behaved as king later on in his life, we may be wondering if God had made a mistake in choosing Saul. But then we must also realise and understand that God does not make mistakes in His actions and in everything that He does. Instead, what happens is such that God gives each one of us the free will and the freedom to choose our course of actions and way of living our lives, and that applied to Saul and his actions as king as well.

It is God Who chose men and women to do unique things in their lives, according to the respective gifts, talents and opportunities which He had provided to them. God gives us all the free will and all the freedom to choose what we are to do with these gifts, talents and opportunities, but ideally, we should do what the Lord has gently nudged us to do, in our every moments in life, even in the smallest and seemingly least significant things. The question is now then, are we all willing to listen to the Lord and to pay attention to what He has told us and revealed to us? This is a timely reminder for all of us that we, as God’s holy and beloved people, should always strive to do what is truly good and worthy in the Presence of God and our fellow mankind alike.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus went to call the disciple known as Levi. Levi was a tax collector, which profession at the time were often considered as greedy and self-serving, and not few even treated the tax collectors badly because they were seen as traitors and collaborators to the Roman regime and rule, for their actions and works in collecting the taxes on behalf of these rulers, and some of them might have been corrupt as well, pocketing some of the taxes for their own benefits. And yet, despite all these and other prejudices surrounding the tax collectors, the Lord Jesus did not consider them in whom He called to be His disciples.

Indeed, the Lord called His disciples from the most questionable origins by the standards of the time and even today. He called the illiterate, poor fishermen, tax collectors, intellectuals, a zealot that rebelled against Roman authority among others to be His disciples and followers. Through this, we are shown that the Lord does not have prejudices or favourites of any kind, and everyone are equally precious and beloved to Him, all are called to God’s loving Presence. For the case of Levi, that tax collector left behind everything that he did, his past life and works, becoming a great disciple and one day, he became one of the writers of the Four Holy Gospels as St. Matthew, Holy Apostle and Evangelist.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord has laid out His path and His graces upon us, and the choice is now ours whether we want to embrace Him and journey together with Him, or else, if we rather choose the comforts of the world and the temptations of glory and power. And we can also imitate and follow upon the good examples and works set by one famous saint and Church father, St. Anthony the Abbot, also known as the St. Anthony the Great, who was one of the earliest monastics of the Church, and living in the land rampant with bitter persecutions and hardships by the Roman authorities. Modelled by the examples of some others who lived a similar lifestyle like St. Paul the Hermit, St. Anthony devoted himself wholeheartedly to the Lord, spending his every living moments and breaths to glorify God by their work. He had to face a lot of struggles, but St. Anthony remained faithful and patient.

For example, it was well known that the devil and other demons often came to torment St. Anthony, lifting him up and tempting him with all sorts of false and empty promises. He was under constant attacks from the evil one, and had to contend with the sufferings of this world as well as the pressures for us to conform and follow the ways of the world. Nonetheless, St. Anthony remained firm and strong in his faith, ministering to the needs of his community and other people who desired to seek the Lord and His forgiveness and grace. Through his inspirational works, he has become our great model in how we should live our own lives, in being faithful and committed to God, and his writings inspired generations of good and holy priests, and holy people of God. The question is that, are we willing to spend the time and effort for us to change our ways for the better? The choice is ours alone.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have reflected from the passages from the Sacred Scriptures, and as we have heard from the examples in the life of St. Anthony the Abbot, let us all hence realise that all of us are called to specific purposes and meaning in life, in each and every one of our actions in life. We are all partakers of the mission of the Church of God, in reaching out to more and more people all around us, to all those whom we encounter in life, so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will become good source of inspiration and hope, good role models for everyone around us. And that is how we can fulfil more of the missions which our Lord has entrusted to us.

May the Lord our most loving and compassionate God continue to guide us in life, encouraging and strengthening us so that by our trust and hope in Him, God will continue to support us all through even the most challenging and difficult moments, giving us all the courage to bear through them with perseverance and faith. Let us all be the worthy bearers of God’s truth and Good News, in our hope in His love and compassion at all times, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 16 January 2026 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should trust in the Lord and follow Him wholeheartedly instead of being entangled in ambitions, pressures and desires of this world, all of which can severely distract and keep us away from the path towards the Lord, which in truth is what we all should be focusing on in our lives. Unfortunately many of us are precisely being trapped in these tangle of web of worldly ambitions and power, all the allures of worldly glory and fame, all the things which have divided our attentions from the Lord and brought us all into disarray in our respective lives in this world because we trusted in our own strength, intellect and power more than we trust in God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel the continuation of the story of the ministry of Samuel, whom God had made to be Judge and leader of all the Israelites, as well as a prophet. By the time frame of what we heard from today’s readings, Samuel was already old and had been the Judge and leader of the Israelites for a long time, but the same issue that happened with his predecessor Eli came back again in a similar way. Just as Eli’s two sons behaved wickedly and without fear of God in being corrupt and greedy, thus as we heard, the sons of Samuel were of the similar behaviour and manners as well. We heard then how the Israelites, their leaders and the whole assembly of the people all begged and even demanded Samuel to ask the Lord to give them all a king to lead and rule over them.

Their argument was that all of their neighbours and enemies were all led by lords and kings, while they alone were led by a Judge unlike those others. The kings and lords of that time, as is still to this day, were succeeded by their own sons and members of their family. Truly we can see the great irony in this demand, as the people of Israel had experienced not just once but more than once having Judges whose family members, especially children who behaved wickedly and unjustly, like that of the son of Judge Gideon, namely Abimelech, who declared himself king of Shechem and massacred his own many brothers and siblings in bitter plotting and rivalry for power. And as mentioned were also the cases of the sons of both Eli and Samuel who were wicked and unworthy of following in the footsteps of their fathers.

But the people were really stubborn and persistent and they demanded that their wishes were met, and no amount of persuasion and all the warnings which Samuel presented to them would change their minds and arguments as they kept on demanding to be led by a king who would rule over them and who would lead them to battle against their enemies. And despite all of these and stubborn attitudes, God still listened to the wishes of His people, and He gave them what they all wanted, as He chose one of them to be King to rule over all of them as the people of God, definitively bringing an end to the days of the Judges who have led Israel for probably a period of several centuries up to Samuel.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, in which the famous account of the healing of a paralysed man was told to us. In that occasion, a paralysed man was brought by his friends who literally climbed up the house that the Lord was in, and opened the roof of the house to lower the paralysed man right in front of the Lord Himself. And as we heard, the Lord had pity on the paralysed man and healed him saying that his sins had been forgiven. This immediately brought about a harsh criticism from the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who were present there, all those who were quick to criticise the Lord because they refused to accept the fact that the Lord had the power and authority to forgive sins, and the dominion over all things.

The attitudes of those Pharisees and teachers of the Law were indeed lamentable because they allowed their preoccupation and obsession over human made laws and rules, their customs and traditions to overrule and to close their minds and hearts to the truth of God which the Lord Himself had brought into their midst. Those Pharisees and teachers of the Law put more trust in their own power and might, intellect and wisdom rather than to put their trust in God and in His Good News and truth, His Wisdom and Love which Christ Himself has shown. When God manifested His Love in the flesh and made it perfectly visible and tangible for all to experience, those people allowed their pride, greed and worldly ambitions to lead them astray.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hence as we have listened to those words of the Sacred Scriptures and as we have discussed in depth through the things we have just talked about earlier on, we are reminded that we should put God’s truth and guidance above our own human wisdom, understanding and conventions. All of those things were what prevented many of the leaders of the people from doing what was right at both the time of the prophet and Judge Samuel, and also during the time of the Lord’s ministry in this world. The Israelites demanded that they ought to be granted a king to rule over them just in the manner of how the other states and nations were ruled, putting worldly customs snd ways above Divine guidance.

Similarly, as we have discussed, the attitudes of the Pharisees and the leaders of the people during the time of Jesus was motivated mostly by their refusal to let go of their pride, ego, greed and ambitions. It is therefore an important reminder for all of us that we should not fall into those same temptations and traps ourselves. We should indeed strive instead to put our faith and trust more in the Lord our God, in His Providence and in the ever wonderful and consistent love which He has always shown us. May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God continue to be with us, journeying with us and strengthening us all in our resolve to live ever more faithfully as His good and devout followers, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 15 January 2026 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul the Hermit (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saints)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together to reflect upon the words of the Lord that we have received from the Scriptures, we are reminded that all of us should put our faith and trust in the Lord, and we should always strive to obey Him and His words, His will, His Law and commandments. We should not do things in the manner that we decide by our own whim or ambition, or else it may likely cause difficulties and for us to lose our path and way amidst all the trials, challenges and obstacles that we may encounter in our respective paths in life. God has called on each one of us to follow Him and to trust in Him, to trust in His words and providence. God will never fail us and if we put our trust instead in worldly things, sooner or later we will realise that we will be disappointed by that decision.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the story of how the Israelites went to battle against their great enemy, the Philistines, was told to us. We also heard how the Israelites were desperate after their defeats and tried to gain favour and advantage by bringing the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh where it has been kept to the battlefield. In that occasion, we also heard of the two sons of Eli who was Judge of Israel, in which those two likely led the forces of the Israelites into battle as Eli was already very old at that time. For the context, Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas who led the Israelites in battle were wicked in their ways and actions, unbecoming of their position as priests and leaders of the people of God.

Those two were priests serving the people of God and yet, they kept the best of the people’s offerings for themselves while offering what were inferior to God, in contradiction to what the Lord had commanded them as His priests to do. This and other violations of the Law, and their wicked deeds have indeed been found wanting by God, and as such, just as we heard, the Philistines defeated the Israelites even as they brought their Ark of the Covenant with them, and those two wicked sons of Eli were slain. This was indeed a just retribution to all the wickedness and the sins which they had committed against God and His people alike, which led not just to the defeat of the Israelites but also the humiliating loss and hostage of their most precious Ark of the Covenant.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when a man suffering from leprosy came towards the Lord and asked Him to heal him, and it happened indeed that the Lord miraculously healed the man from his leprosy. At the same time, He also left strict instruction to the healed leper that he should immediately go to see the priest as prescribed by the Law of Moses and traditions, that he might be certified as being clean and healed from leprosy such that he might return back to the community. Back then, those who suffered from leprosy were not allowed to remain in the community and had to wander off in the wilderness, which was a result of the rules and laws that were practiced since the time of the Exodus when the Israelites were living in very close proximity to each other.

Therefore, those who suffered from leprosy and other contagious diseases were forced to leave the community until they were cured of the symptoms. And unlike what we may know about leprosy today, back then, all sorts of skin diseases were known and mentioned together as ‘leprosy’ and some were caused by fungal infection that were easily spread through direct or indirect contact, and were eventually curable. Regardless of what the man had actually suffered from, what mattered was that he sought help from the Lord and believed that He was able to heal him and make him to be rid of whatever it was that afflicted him. For that faith, he has been healed and made completely well again, and he must have indeed been very jubilant over it.

However, when the Lord instructed the man to not speak about the matter and the healing to anyone at all, he disobeyed the Lord and did not do as the Lord asked of him to do. But why is it that the Lord Jesus was so adamant about the man not letting anyone know about the way how he was healed by Jesus? That is likely because of various reasons, first of all the disease of leprosy being considered as taboo and unclean, and the fact that the leper had come to the Lord when he was still diseased would have made it taboo as well for the people to come near to the Lord, and hence, this led to difficulties in the Lord’s ministry, not considering also the oppositions and the unhappiness that the Lord faced from the Temple authorities, the chief priests and the Pharisees among others.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Paul the Hermit, also known by his epithet of St. Paul of Thebes. He lived during the third and fourth century in what was then Roman Egypt and reputedly lived through a long life, more than a century long and most of that long life was spent in a life of seclusion as a hermit, as one of the earliest known desert fathers, pre-dating even the more well-known St. Anthony the Abbot. It was told according to his hagiography that he and his sister lost their parents early on in their lives and their relatives cheated them out of their inheritance. Not only that but in his youth, St. Paul the Hermit had to face the effects of the intense persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Decius and his successor, Emperor Valerian. Consequently, he fled to the desert and lived in seclusion for quite a number of years in the beginning, but eventually he remained there for the rest of his life.

According to the same legend and hagiography, a raven would come each day bringing him food and provision, and St. Paul the Hermit remained in that life of seclusion, dedicated completely to prayer and meditation, inspiring others especially those who sought deeper relationship with God, purpose in life and disillusionment with earthly and worldly ambitions, desires and pursuits to come and follow his example. And as one of the first, if not the first person who adopted this kind of lifestyle, he was also known as ‘the first monk’, and his great personal holiness and piety served as an inspiration to many people long after he passed away. And while what he had done and chosen with his life is certainly not what most of us would ever consider, but we can indeed be inspired by the great commitment that this holy man of God had in focusing his attention wholly on the Lord.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, as we reflect upon the life and examples of St. Paul the Hermit, and also upon the readings of the Scriptures that we have received today, let us all seek to obey the Lord in all things, in obeying His will and in embracing what He has commanded and entrusted to us to do. Let us therefore be good and genuine Christians in all things, not just in words, but also in our every actions and deeds. May God bless our every good works and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 14 January 2026 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that each and every one of us have our own various callings and missions in life, to do what the Lord has entrusted to each one of us, in making good use of what He has given to us, all the talents, gifts, opportunities and chances that He has provided. What matters is for us then to come to know how we can listen to Him calling us to do what He wants us to do with our lives, in living our lives to the best of our abilities. We should always seek to do God’s will in each and every moments of our lives, and to know what God wants us to do with them, we should always be well-attuned to Him through prayer and time spent regularly with Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the story of the calling of Samuel was told to us. In that occasion, Samuel was still very young and he was under the tutelage of the Judge of Israel, Eli, who was already very old at that time. Indeed, God had intended for Samuel to be the Judge succeeding Eli, and has prepared him for that purpose, from his miraculous conception and birth that we heard about earlier this week, and then his dedication to the service of God under the guidance of Eli the Judge. For the context, if we have also read the other parts of this story in the Book of Samuel, then we will also know that Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas were wicked in their ways and actions.

Those two were priests serving the people of God and yet, they kept the best of the people’s offerings for themselves while offering what were inferior to God, in contradiction to what the Lord had commanded them as His priests to do. This and other violations of the Law, and their wicked deeds have indeed been found wanting by God, and they did not even try to hide their misdeeds. This was why the Lord called on Samuel in the manner that He did, calling on the still young and innocent boy, who did not yet understand the workings and things of the world. That was why Samuel also mistakenly thought that Eli was the one calling him when it was actually God Who did so, and after Eli instructed Samuel on how to respond to God calling on him, what the Lord spoke to the boy revealed a prophecy of what would happen to the wicked sons of Eli.

In all of these, we can see how the Lord guided His people to righteousness and to do His will. At the same time, we are also reminded that God does not impose on us His will or being a tyrannical Master Who lord it over us, making us follow His whim and desires without considering our choices. No, brothers and sisters in Christ, in truth, God has given each and every one of us free will, the freedom to choose our paths in life and also our course of actions, our way of behaving and whatever we may decide to do in each and every moments in life. Those two sons of Eli, whose actions were wicked, were therefore caused by their own disobedience and conscious rejection of what God has told and wanted them to do, and instead choosing the path of evil.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus came to heal the very sick mother-in-law of Simon Peter, one of His Twelve and innermost circle among His disciples, and He healed Simon’s mother-in-law miraculously, allowing her to be freed from whatever issues and troubles she might have had. And then we heard about how the news about such a wonderful and miraculous action spread quickly, resulting in many coming and bringing their sick ones to the Lord for Him to heal and to make them all recover their health once again. He was soon healing many of those sick ones and many more soon brought their sick ones from the surrounding regions to come towards Him for healing.

It was at that moment where the Lord quietly withdrew Himself and disappeared from the crowd, that even His disciples had difficulties in finding Him. And when the Lord’s disciples found Him in that lonely and quiet place, He told them to move on to another place to their surprise and amazement. But the Lord explained it clearly to them all that He was sent to all the people of God in Israel and not just to the few of them there in that region and place. That is the mission which His Heavenly Father has entrusted to Him and as the Son, He obeyed His Father perfectly and wonderfully, and through His own examples He wanted to show us all the way forward in how we too should be obedient to the Lord and to know what it is that He wants us all to do with our lives.

It would have indeed been much easier if the Lord just stayed there where He healed Simon’s mother-in-law, as after all He had ground and home advantage, support of the people and all, and He would probably even have the comfort of place to stay in, and would not have to go around from place to place. And yet, that was not what the Lord’s mission intended to be, as He had to go and reach out first to the lost sheep of the Israelites and then to the Gentiles or the non-Jewish people, and for that purpose, He and His disciples would have to forgo comfort and easy life, facing opposition, difficulties and struggles in their ministries to serve the people and to spread the Good News. But thanks to all that, the Good News began to spread far and wide, and saved many countless souls.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we reflect upon the messages of the Sacred Scriptures we have heard and what we have just pondered and discussed earlier on, let us all therefore strive to do our best to realise and to know what it is that God truly wants us to do in our lives, by deepening our relationships and connection to Him. We should always try our best to spend some good quality time with God, through prayer or otherwise even in our busiest in whatever we are doing in life. In that way then, like the Lord Jesus Himself, Who regularly went off by Himself to quiet places to communicate with His Father, then we too may grow ever deeper and stronger in our relationship with God. May the Lord be with us always and may He continue to bless us in our every good efforts, works and endeavours, all for His greater glory, now and always, that we may always be good role models and examples for everyone around us. Amen.

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Tuesday, 13 January 2026 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, and as we all heard them we are reminded that we should always learn to trust in the Lord, put our faith ever more in Him and do our very best so that by our every actions, words and deeds, God may always be glorified, and that we should not lose our hope in Him no matter how tough or difficult the situation may be because we have to remember and realise that God is always with us, for us and there for us by our side, even in our most troubled moments. We have to remember this when we encounter lots of obstacles and difficulties in our paths, when we are facing things that may seem impossible and utterly hard for us. That is because God has the power to overcome whatever seems impossible for us, and He has the power and authority over all things.

In our first reading today, we heard of the continuation of the story of the birth and arrival of the prophet and Judge of Israel, the famous Samuel who would go on to anoint both Saul and David as Kings of Israel, and was the last of the line of Judges that God had appointed over His people. At that time, Samuel’s father, Elkanah loved Hannah more than Peninnah although the latter had more children, and we heard how out of jealousy, Peninnah treated Hannah badly and often mocked her for her barrenness and childlessness. For the context, in the ancient Israelite community, being barren and unable to conceive a child was considered as a bad omen and even sign of Divine displeasure and sin. That was why Hannah was so distraught at this treatment, and she went to seek the help from the Lord.

That was when we heard in our passage today about Hannah baring her heart and soul out before the Lord in His Presence in Shiloh, where the Ark of God and the Judge of Israel, Eli, resided. There Hannah made a truly heartfelt plea and prayer to God, asking Him to help her and promised that if He were to fulfil her wishes and prayers for a child and son, she would dedicate that son to the service of God. We then heard of the exchange between Eli and Hannah, and how eventually Eli prayed for Hannah and interceded for her, asking that God might answer her prayers. And we heard how Hannah was transformed by that experience and time, and by the grace of God, she eventually became pregnant and had the child, the prophet Samuel himself, even after a long time being unsuccessful in having a child.

Then from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the occasion of the miraculous healing of a man who had been possessed by evil spirits who came to the Lord Jesus as He was teaching in a synagogue. The evil spirits possessing the man tried to expose the Lord’s identity and said before everyone assembled that He was indeed the Holy One of God, the Son of God, while also acknowledging that He has the power and authority to destroy them, something that no one else but God could have done. In doing so, those evil spirits in fact tried to disturb and prevent the Lord from carrying out His mission and ministry smoothly. This was because of the opposition that the Lord had been facing from the chief priests and the Pharisees that put obstacles in His path wherever He and His disciples went.

Hence, should the evil spirits proclaimed loudly before everyone that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the long awaited Saviour, and that He was none other than God Himself, manifested through His Son in the flesh, this would have led to great consternation and chaos among the people, who were divided among those who fervently believed in the Lord and His miracles and against those who were adamantly hardened in hearts and minds, refusing to believe in Him even despite all the signs, miracles and wonders that He had performed before their own eyes and despite all the wisdom and teachings which He had delivered to them with such great authority. The irony is indeed that it was the evil spirits that readily recognised the Lord for Who He is, while many among the leaders of the people and the religious elites failed to do so.

And then, more importantly, the Lord also told those evil spirits to be silent and to get out of those men, a feat that no one else but God and those whom He gave the power and authority to, could have done. Just like the case with Hannah, the Lord showed His power of resolving whatever seem to be impossible, and reminding us all that if we continue to have faith and trust in Him, eventually our faith and belief in Him will bear rich fruits in due time, in God’s good time. What we need to do is indeed to learn to be patient and continue to trust in the Lord and in His Providence, and let God do the rest for us. Truly, those who hope in God and trust in Him will never be disappointed for it is in God alone we can find true Hope that is always true and will never disappoint us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we heard about how the Lord provided for His faithful and beloved ones, today all of us also ought to look upon the good examples and inspirations set by St. Hilary, one of the great Church fathers, also known as St. Hilary of Poitiers, whose love and devotion to God, zeal and faith by which he had lived his life and ministry, can be great source of inspiration for all of us in how we live our own Christian living and faith. St. Hilary of Poitiers was the Bishop of Poitiers who was renowned for his great dedication to his flock and for his opposition to the heretics and all those who had perverted and misused the truth of God for their own selfish purposes. He was particularly energetic and passionate in opposing the then greatly influential Arian beliefs that distorted the truth about Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of all.

St. Hilary spent a lot of time and effort in reaching out to his flock and opposing those who sought to divide the Church and snatch the faithful from the hands of the Lord’s shepherds, having to endure persecutions and even exile for his courageous struggles for the truth, for the Lord and for the Lord’s beloved flock. He wrote extensively on many aspects of the faith, against the heretical teachings and ideas, which eventually made him proclaimed as one of the great Doctors of the Church for his immense contributions, long after he has passed on from this world. The faith and dedication which St. Hilary has shown us should serve as a good example for us to follow, so that each and every one of us may also follow him in his devotion and efforts in serving and glorifying God, in our own respective lives and actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our very best in each and every moments of our lives so that we may continue to be good examples of persevering hope and faith in God even amidst great challenges and even impossible odds. Let us share our faith and hope in the Lord to everyone around us, so that we may inspire and inflame in each one of them the ever stronger and burning flame of hope that should continue to be in us, in our constant faith and trust in God, at all times. May God bless us all and our every endeavours and efforts, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 12 January 2026 : 1st Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that each and every one of us have this wonderful God Who is our Lord and Master, as someone Who has truly loved us wholeheartedly and as One Who has always provided us with what we need and Who has always cared for us all whenever it is, even when we do not realise just how much He had done for us and when we have forgotten about Him and refused to acknowledge His kindness, always taking for granted His ever patient and rich love. But we are reminded today through these passages from the Sacred Scriptures that we should embrace God’s love, care and providence, not taking Him for granted anymore. Whatever it is that we believe in Him, He will provide for us if we trust in Him.

In our first reading today, we heard from the beginning of the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the story of how Samuel himself was conceived and born was told to us, with the background of his family, consisting of his father Elkanah, his mother Hannah and Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah highlighted. Elkanah loved Hannah more than Peninnah although the latter had more children, and we heard how out of jealousy, Peninnah treated Hannah badly and often mocked her for her barrenness and childlessness. For the context, in the ancient Israelite community, being barren and unable to conceive a child was considered as a bad omen and even sign of Divine displeasure and sin. That was why Hannah was so distraught at this treatment, and she went to seek the help from the Lord.

We heard how Elkanah tried to comfort Hannah and told her that what mattered was that he loved her more than anything else, even more than all those children that Peninnah had borne to him. And yet, this did not change the fact that Hannah still wanted to bear Elkanah a son, and the constant harassment from Peninnah certainly did not help the situation. It was all of these issues and troubles that eventually led to Hannah choosing to seek the Lord for help, and as she went to pray in the Presence of the Lord that the then Judge of Israel came to her and prayed over her, eventually leading to God answering her prayers and gave her a son, that is Samuel the great prophet, and other sons and children that wiped away the stain of her barrenness. All these are proofs that God truly provides for each one of His people, and that He truly loves us all.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the account of the Lord Jesus, Our Saviour, as He went about carrying out His missions and works, at the beginning of His earthly ministry, when He called upon His very first disciples at the Lake of Galilee. It was there that He encountered the future disciples Simon and Andrew, sons of John, as well as James and John, sons of Zebedee. All four of them were ordinary fishermen working at the place, a truly unassuming and ordinary profession, but God called each one of them to a greater purpose in life. And the Lord called them to become fishers of men, followed by each one of them leaving their boats and works, and dedicated their lives to the Lord henceforth.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we must not misunderstand the purpose and intent of this passage from the Gospel of St. Mark the Evangelist, lest we may think that God is asking us to abandon everything that we do in our lives and follow the Lord in the manner that the Apostles that He chose had done. Yes, there will indeed be those whom God called for that purpose just as He had done for those whom He called, but He did not intend for everyone to do the same. In fact, those whom He called, principally the Twelve, and also some others, were those who were meant to help Him out in His ministry and mission to the people, in serving them and in preparing His way, and such a calling require a full-time commitment that they could not possibly continue to do whatever work and responsibilities that they had previously.

The vast majority of people that followed the Lord in fact still continued on with their daily lives, work and responsibilities. They just followed the Lord on occasions and when He came around, with different people having different levels of commitments. It would indeed be chaotic should everyone decided to abandon everything behind, their livelihood and responsibilities, and even the early Church Christians, the Apostles and the Christian communities realised that it is not feasible for them to live in the very idealistic manner that some of them might have thought of, or attempted in the very earliest days of the Church. This is why we have to understand that what the Lord intended for us to know through this Gospel passage is for us to trust in the Lord and to allow Him to lead and guide us in what He wants us to do in our lives.

Each and every one of us have different callings in life, just as diverse as the many and varied gifts, blessings, talents, abilities and opportunities that He has provided and blessed each one of us with. And what we need to do is indeed for us to embrace the Lord and to know His will for each one of us. He has provided us all with the various opportunities and good things for us to contribute in our own unique way to the good works and missions of the Church, in being responsible, accountable and consistent in everything that we do in life, in all that we have been entrusted with by God in our own unique vocations and ministries. All of us indeed should strive to live our lives worthily in this manner and be the good examples and inspirations for all others to follow.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God continue to provide for us and strengthen us all in everything that we do, so that we may always be full of faith and trust in Him, loving Him wholeheartedly just as He has done to us. May He continue to show us His kindness and patient love as He has done all these while, so that we may continue to be inspired to show that same love in our own daily lives and actions. May God bless us always in everything that we do, in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Sunday, 11 January 2026 : Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today on this day we mark the occasion of the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which also marks the last day of the entire Christmas season in our liturgical calendar and year. It means that after the more than two weeks of celebrations since Christmas Day, beginning tomorrow, we shall enter into the Ordinary Time of the year. Of course traditionally Christmas is still being celebrated all the way up to the second day of February, the fortieth day since Christmas, marking a traditional forty days of Christmas season. But this day marks that transition from our focus and emphasis on the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, and into His ministry and works in this world, with the moment of Baptism marking that significant new beginning and change.

If we recall our Scripture readings of the previous days, it was leading up to this moment of the Baptism of the Lord, when the early life stage of Our Lord, growing up from a Child to adulthood ended, and then, the Lord finally entered into the beginning of the mission and works that He had been sent into this world for. That Baptism at the Jordan marked the moment when He was also revealed yet another time, to St. John the Baptist and those present at His baptism, Who He really is. The Lord Jesus indeed had no need for purification or baptism, but yet, He still shared in the same Baptism that all of us as members of the Church had gone through, not because of His sins or impurities, which He had none, but because He wanted to share with us His death and Resurrection, to bring us into the promise of eternal glory and life.

The Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ at the Jordan symbolically marks the beginning of His ministry of bringing all of us, the lost sheep and flock of God back to Him, because Christ is our Good Shepherd, Who has come into this world to seek for us and to gather all of us back into God’s loving embrace. He has gathered all of us, and shares with us our human existence and life, so that, by also sharing our common Baptism, He may lead us all through the waters of death and rebirth, just the way the people of Israel went through the Red Sea, walking through the water, from their slavery in Egypt and the desolation they had there, into the freedom that God had promised them, and the promise of happiness and joy in the Promised Land that God had promised them and their forefathers.

Now, as we celebrate this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, we are all called to remember the moment of our own baptism, when we were received into the Church whether as infants or as adults. If we were too young to remember any details because we were baptised as infants, then we should go and find out more about that important moment from our godparents and/or those who were there to witness our baptism, especially while they are still around us. The moment of baptism is something that is essentially as important as our own birthdays, just as the Lord Jesus said in one occasion to Nicodemus, the faithful Pharisee, that to be His followers and disciples, is like one that is born again through the Spirit, and baptism is that moment marking our rebirth into this new life and existence.

How about us? Do we remember our baptism and do we keep it as an important event in our lives? Do we celebrate it the way we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord today in this Feast day? Or do we just let it be a mere footnote and another event in our lives, and not paying more attention to its significance and importance to us? All of us as Christians must recall our Baptism with the same vigour and zeal just as we rejoice and celebrate this Feast today, and also remember the baptismal promises that we have made then, and renewed every year at Easter. Many people could not even remember the date and time of their baptism, and this tells just how little importance we assign to that moment which should have been a truly groundbreaking, memorable and watershed moment in our lives and existence in this world.

The reason why we remember our baptism is also not just so that we recall what we have promised, but also a reminder that we have to continue carrying on the way of life that is expected of us as baptised Catholics, as members of the Lord’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Baptism is not the end of our journey as Christians, especially for those of us who went through the process of initiation into the Christian faith through a period of discernment and catechumenate, and it is not the pinnacle of our Christian journey. Rather, baptism marks that new beginning in our lives in which we have begun a new path of life and existence, dedicating it all to Christ, and striving our best to follow Him in our path of life. Just as the Baptism that the Lord Jesus experienced at the Jordan began His ministry formally, our own baptism should be the point marking the new beginning of our lives.

It means that we are all called towards a better and holier existence, one that is more attuned to the Lord and to His ways and His truth. We are all called to answer God’s call in our lives, making good use of whatever provisions and gifts, blessings and graces that He has given to each one of us. As Christians, we cannot be idle believers, as those who are idle and do nothing at all, are those whose faith are lukewarm and without sincerity, and in the words of St. James, faith without good works and deeds is essentially a dead and useless faith, the faith of a hypocrite that does nothing for the person, and is of no use when we have to account for ourselves on the Day of Judgment. The Lord has given us all His blessings, graces, various talents and abilities so that we may make good use of them for the benefit of others, our fellow brothers and sisters all around us.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we rejoice today in this Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, let us all spend some time to reflect on whether we have been truly faithful to God in our actions and deeds, in our way of life and believing in Him. If we have not been truly faithful and devoted to Him, then the time is now for us to really consider and discern our path going forward in life, and we should spend the time to think of how we can better glorify God by our lives and actions, in each and every daily moments and at all opportunities. Let us all strive to draw ever closer to God and to remain firmly committed to walk the path towards His salvation and grace, fulfilling and ever being mindful of our baptismal promises. May the Lord, by Whose Baptism we have been saved, through His suffering and death on the Cross, and by His glorious Resurrection, empower us and strengthen us that we may always ever be faithful to Him, now and always. Amen.

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Saturday, 10 January 2026 : Saturday after the Epiphany (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are called to be good and committed Christians who do our part to care for one another, in reminding each other to live good and virtuous Christian lives at all times, distancing ourselves from sin. All of us are called to be part of the missionary outreach and works of the Church, for the salvation of many more souls, for us to be great role models for our fellow brethren at all times and in every opportunities. The Lord has given us the many opportunities and ways for us all to contribute to the good missions and works of the Church, and therefore, we should not squander or ignore these opportunities that God has provided to us.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. John, we heard the Apostle exhorting the faithful people of God to follow the Lord and His path, to be faithful to Jesus Christ, the One Whom God has sent into our midst, God’s own beloved Son incarnate in the flesh, and born of His mother, the Blessed Ever-Virgin Mary. The Lord has shown us the path of freedom from the bondage of sin and the tyranny of death. By His suffering and death, He has purchased for us the redemption for all of our multitudes of sins, and hence opened the path and way for us to escape out of the fate of death and destruction, which await all those who continue to live in darkness and sin. Christ has brought upon us His Light and taught us all His love so that we may also show this Light and love in our own lives.

In that same passage, we heard how sin can lead to death, for sin is caused by our disobedience against God and our refusal to obey His will. And since we have rejected the Lord of life, Our Master, then it is only right and just that we have to suffer the consequences of our sins, that is death. But death is not the final fate for us unless we have consciously rejected the Lord right to the very last moments of our lives, refusing all the opportunities and the generosity by which God had given us the chances time and again to repent and turn away from our sinful ways.

When St. John mentioned that not all sins lead to death, this highlighted the fact that Christ Our Lord has freely given His love and merciful compassion to us. He has reached our even to those who have condemned Him to death and made Him to suffer, praying for them all and forgiving them their sins and their faults. He has given even the worst of sinners the chance to find redemption and the path to eternal life through His compassionate love. He came into our world, to our midst to look for us all, to find those who have been lost to God due to sin. He did so even when those same people whom He had been sent to, refused to listen to Him, rejected Him and even persecuting and condemning Him to death.

Yet, it was our stubbornness that had led us astray and prevented us from finding our way back to Him. Our continued attachments and desire for worldly temptations and sins eventually led us back into a wicked life and a state of sin, from which God kept on calling us and trying to bring us out, to allow us to return to Him. He has prepared the path and the place for us with Him, but everything in the end depends on us and whether we are willing to accept His love and compassionate mercy. Too often that we have rejected His love and mercy, brothers and sisters in Christ. We have often disregarded the ever generous love of God, which He has constantly poured on us, and we really need to reexamine how we do things in life.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard how St. John the Baptist, the Herald of the Messiah worked hard for the glory of God, and when the Lord came and revealed Himself, and gained more and more followers, he humbly receded from the public popularity and allowed his Lord and Master to become more important than he was. When some of his disciples confronted him regarding this, he humbly mentioned how it has been his purpose from the very beginning to serve his Lord and Master, the One for Whom he had been sent into this world, to prepare His way before His coming. And when the Lord has indeed come into this world as prophesied, St. John the Baptist was more than willing to step aside and to let the Lord’s glory be manifested over his own popularity among the people.

In that way, St. John the Baptist was very happy that the Lord was gaining more follower and attention, and he was happy that everything went as it should be. He did not do all his works, the baptisms and others for his own sake and glory, unlike what many other people would have done. He did everything all for the greater glory of God, and gave his whole life to serve the Lord and to follow Him, and showed the path to His salvation to all who followed him and were willing to listen to him. He is truly an example that all of us can and should follow. He did not seek for his own benefits or greatness but allow instead the Lord to perform wonderful things through him, and he dedicated himself to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, inspired by the great examples of faith and dedication showed by St. John the Baptist, let us all strive to walk humbly from now on before the Lord, dedicating ourselves to follow Him and to be faithful to Him in all things. Let us all appreciate all the love and compassionate kindness, the mercy and forgiveness that God has shown us all these while. Let us embrace God’s love through Christ, His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, and strive to become ever better Christians, ever better disciples of Our Lord from now on. May God be with us all, and may He remain with us in His love for us, always. Amen.

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Friday, 9 January 2026 : Friday after the Epiphany (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scripture, we are called to remember the love of God and all that He has done for our sake, which He has shown us and revealed to us through none other than Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. He has revealed to us just how fortunate we are to have been beloved in such a way by our Lord. God has always been kind and compassionate to us, and His love was what made His action possible, in sending us our salvation through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. And as we are still in this time and season of Christmas, as we continue to rejoice, we ought to focus our attention on Christ our Lord and focus on Him as we continue to carry out our lives faithfully each day and at every moments.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. John, we heard of the words of the Apostle concerning all that God had done for our sake, through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. In that passage, we heard St. John speaking of how Christ has been acknowledged through water and through Blood and the Spirit of God. This was a reference of everything that we have received from Him, and how He has revealed Himself and God’s salvation, through His baptism at the Jordan, His crucifixion and death, and finally through the gift of the Holy Spirit. This testimony reminded us all that what the Lord had planned and accomplished through His Son had indeed come true and had become the new source of Hope and strength to all of us who are living in this world surrounded by the darkness of sin and evil.

First of all, at the time of His baptism at the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist, the Lord has been proclaimed by the voice coming down from Heaven, as He was immersed in the water, and a Dove came to rest on Him, the Holy Spirit descending from the Father into this world through Jesus, the Son. The Father’s voice spoke the truth about the Man Who was baptised that day, that Jesus is indeed His Son and the One Whom He had promised to send into our midst, so that we may be saved from our fated destruction. Through this perfect and most wonderful gift that we have received in Christ, the One Who is truly the Son of God, Our Lord and Saviour, we can dare to hope again, to hope in the Light and true Hope which Christ our Lord and Saviour Himself had brought into our midst.

Then, at the moment of His crucifixion, as Christ bore His Cross, and was nailed to that Cross, enduring for us the punishments and the consequences that we ourselves ought to have suffered, He spilled His Most Precious Blood, which came down to us, as the Blood that washes us away from our sins. At that same time, when the soldiers were told to break the legs of those who had been crucified, Jesus was already dead, and one of the soldiers, later known as St. Longinus, took a spear and hit the side of the Lord with it, and immediately blood and water poured forth from it, a proof of God’s Love that endured even through His death on the Cross. By His selfless and most worthy sacrifice, Christ has restored us all into new life with Him.

And lastly, the same Holy Spirit that had come down upon the Lord was also sent to the Apostles and the other disciples just as the Lord Himself has promised them, as tongues of fire descending on them at Pentecost, fulfilling what He has promised them and revealing to those who have received the Spirit, the fullness of truth of God’s love for us mankind and His saving grace. Through all these signs therefore we have been made aware of the most wonderful love that God has given us, through His most beloved Son, Whose coming into this world has given us all a new hope. All of us have received this great and most generous love, and the same Holy Spirit that has come upon the Apostles has also been given to us as well.

In our Gospel passage today, we then also heard from the Gospel of St. Luke regarding the healing of a man suffering from leprosy. The Lord wanted to heal him, and immediately, He cured the man from the leprosy. Leprosy was then a very dreaded disease that according to the old Law and customs of the Israelites would have led those who were suffering from it to be forced to live away from the rest of the society, to wander off in the wilderness until they could prove that their disease had been completely cured. Essentially, all those who suffer from leprosy had to endure great challenges and sufferings, not just physically but also socially and emotionally, being ostracised and cast out from the community and from their families, unable to return as long as they still showed signs and symptoms of the disease.

This is yet again another reminder for us of the most generous and wonderful love of God which He has kindly and generously shown us from the very beginning. God has reached out to us and make Himself approachable to us through Christ, and we ought to remember during this the blessed time of Christmas. We celebrate the most generous and amazing love God has bestowed on us, everything that He had done for us through His Son. We all rejoice because the Light of our Hope has come upon us. Through this Light of Hope we have been renewed and strengthened, and reminded that even amidst the greatest darkness, there is always light and hope, and we should not easily give up the struggle and continue to have faith in God.

May the Lord be with us all, and may His love continue to be poured onto us, in our every day and every moments. May He bless us all in our every endeavours and good works for the greater glory of His Name. Through this encouragement and strength that He has given us, let us all therefore do our best to glorify Him in each and every moments of our lives, to do His will and to be good in all of our attitudes and interactions with everyone around us. Amen.

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Thursday, 8 January 2026 : Thursday after the Epiphany (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord, we heard of the reminder of the love of God that has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Whose coming into this world brought forth upon us the fulfilment of the long promised salvation that God had promised to each and every one of us, to all mankind through His many prophets and messengers that He had sent to us in the past. God has proven to all of us that His love and kindness have triumphed in the end, and that His love for us is truly abundant and most plentiful, and none of us can truly be separated from the most generous love of God which He has lavished and given to each one of us, His beloved people.

In our Gospel reading today, we heard how the Lord Jesus came to the synagogue in His hometown Nazareth, and reading the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, uttering the very words that the prophet had spoken regarding His own coming into this world. By proclaiming the words of God’s salvation, and reminding all of us of His promises, Christ has reassured all those assembled, and all of us here who have heard those words from the Scriptures, that He will always uphold and fulfil His promises, and we can truly trust in Him. His very coming and entry into this world revealed to us the depth of His love and how true He has always been to everything that He has uttered and promised. And God is always ever faithful to the Covenant that He has made with His people, His beloved ones.

For it was by His Incarnation and coming into this world that He has shown us the gifts of His love, and the hope of redemption, for us to be reconciled to Him and to be able to find our way to Him. The Lord has sent His own Son into our midst that He may dwell with us and remain with us, and that we are not alone regardless of what we are facing in this world. He has come to heal us from our wounds, forgiving us our trespasses and transgressions, and calling us to repent from our many sins and be reconciled with us. And it is indeed amazing just how patient, loving and compassionate the Lord has been in always showing care and concern towards us even when we ourselves have been inconsistent and lacking in accountability and credibility.

In our first reading today, the Apostle St. John in his Epistle spoke of the calling for all of us Christians to love one another and to show love in our daily lives and actions, just as God has loved us first, through all that He had done for us and ultimately through Christ, by His loving sacrifice on the Cross, as He selflessly took upon Himself all the scourges, the punishments and the sufferings due to our sins. He gave Himself for us, so that by His love and actions, all of us may receive the guarantee of everlasting life, and by His wounds and His death, we have been made sharers in the true joy and everlasting glory. And we should indeed be genuine in showing love in each and every one of our actions as we have been called to do.

If we all profess to believe in God, then it is natural that each and every one of us should love Him to the best of our abilities, and to reach out to Him, loving Him first and foremost before all else. And with this same love, all of us should also love our fellow brothers and sisters, in our respective communities. For if the Lord has loved each and every one of us without any exceptions, even to the worst of sinners, then how can we not love our brothers and sisters, even strangers whom we encounter in our daily lives? To be Christians, and genuine ones at that, we should indeed show genuine and generous love in every moments of our lives, in our every actions and deeds, in all that we carry out in our daily living.

And not only that, but as the Lord Himself has also taught His disciples, we have to learn to love even our enemies and all those who hate us. It is easy for us to love those who love us back, but it is much harder to love those who have made our lives difficult and hurt us. But that was exactly what the Lord Himself had done to us. Remember how He has forgiven even those who have made Him to suffer, rejected and humiliated Him, all those who have condemned Him to die a most painful death on the Cross. He forgave those who hated Him from His Cross and prayed for them all. This is indeed the measure of true love, which is immeasurable and beyond comparison, and what is wonderful is the fact that all of us are the ones to whom God has shown this love.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all learn to love generously and fulfil our calling as Christians to show love to one another in the same way that the Lord has first shown us. Let us not harden our hearts and open ourselves ever more to God’s most generous love and wonders. Through His love, God has rescued us and endeavoured to make us whole again. Yet, it was by our stubbornness that many of us remained attached to sin and placed ourselves under the bondage and the sway of sin, of evil and wickedness. And this was how many of us became lost to the Lord and lost our path in life, falling ever deeper into the trap and downfall in sin and darkness. This is what we have to resist and keep ourselves away from, to do what is always right and just in the Lord.

Today, as we continue to celebrate this Christmas season, let us all be witnesses of God’s love in the midst of our communities, and let us devote ourselves ever more courageously in order to love the Lord and to share that love with each other. Let us follow the Lord and His ways, of loving generously and tenderly from now on, always and evermore. May God bless us always and remain with us, at all times. Amen.