Weekday Mass

by

Friday, 12 September 2025 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Most Holy Name of Mary)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church celebrates the occasion of the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, the Mother of God, of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us today are reminded of the need for all of us to follow the good examples of Mary in how she herself has lived her life faithfully and obeyed the Lord in all things. Mary is not only just honoured because she is the Mother of God and the Mother of Our Lord and Saviour, but also because her faithful example can indeed lead us all with certainty towards her Son, and if we walk with her, through her guidance and intercession, we can certainly find the best way towards Heaven.

In our first reading today, from the reading for this Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in Galatia and Ephesus in which he reminded them all of how each and every one of them were the children of God, Who is their loving Father, the One Who has always cared for them, showing them all His providence and love, His compassion and forgiveness. And therefore, having been shown such generous love and compassion, that is why all of them and hence, all of us whom the Lord had called and chosen, we ought to show that same attitude and love in our own daily living, in how we interact with one another, in showing genuine love and care to everyone around us.

Then, all of us are reminded that this is what Mary herself had shown in her life, and why again she is indeed our role model and example to follow, because Mary’s love and compassion is a reflection of God’s love for us, and she is indeed showing us all what it truly means to be loving and compassionate as a Christian, as a follower and disciple of the Lord. And her great love for her Son, her selfless giving of herself, all that she has done in committing herself wholeheartedly, all these had shown us the perfect Christian discipleship and path, and which we should be inspired to follow and walk through as well. Today as we honour her Most Holy Name, let us all seek Mary as the role model and example, inspiration and as someone whose Name we can utter whenever we encounter difficulties and hardships in life.

From our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel passage according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when Mary visited Elizabeth, her cousin who was then heavily pregnant just as Mary herself by then had also conceived, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Saviour and Son of God within her. And we heard how the very moment that Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby within her, St. John the Baptist, jumped and rejoiced in Elizabeth’s womb, and Elizabeth recognised her, as the Mother of the Saviour, the Mother of God Himself, coming to her with the Good News of the world’s salvation. And then we heard how they praised God for everything that He had done for their sake, all the providence and love that He had shown them and the whole world.

We can see how profound this moment and greeting is in the story of our salvation, and it is also a kind reminder for us that why we honour Mary and put her in a very important place in our Christian faith because of the unique role that she has been entrusted with, and her full obedience, faith and trust in the Lord, which made her to be the holy vessel through whom the Saviour of the world would enter into our presence and midst. And this was why the Lord prepared her well in advance, setting her aside to be made hallowed, worthy and suitable to bear within her, the Divine Lord Himself, because the One Whom she bore into this world was not just merely a Man, but is also God Himself, incarnate in the flesh, both Divine and Man, in the person of Jesus Christ.

That was why Mary was conceived without original sin, by the singular grace of God, set aside as the perfect and worthy vessel to bear the Son of God Himself. And throughout her life, Mary was full of grace, as she remained fully committed and aligned with God, not suffering any taint or corruption of sin. And this is also why, just as her Son’s Name is truly sacred and holy, therefore, Mary’s Name is truly holy and sacred as well. And we honour her name just as we honour someone’s mother and if we respect that someone, then we will respect that person’s mother too. We cannot truly respect and love someone if we do not love that person’s mother or other persons significant to that person. In the same way therefore, we cannot truly love the Lord Jesus unless we also love and respect His mother as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, and more importantly, the fact is that the Lord Himself has entrusted His own Mother to us all, as our own Mother, for from His Cross, at the moment of His supreme sacrifice, when He laid down His life on that Cross for our salvation and redemption, He looked upon His Mother Mary and His beloved disciple, St. John the Apostle, and He spoke to them, telling St. John that he would be a son to Mary, His Mother, and also to His Mother, that she would take St. John as her own son. Through this symbolic action of entrustment, with St. John the Apostle representing all of us the disciples and followers of our Lord, and all of mankind, the Lord Himself has given to us His own Mother to be our own Mother, and us as children to Mary, who would henceforth treat us as her own.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all entrust ourselves to Mary, our loving Mother, who has loved us so much and has always been concerned about us that she has always interceded for us, her own beloved children, pleading for our sake before her Son’s Throne in Heaven. Let us all therefore seek Mary’s help and guidance, asking for her to help us and guide us in our journey towards salvation in her Son, and trust in her ever great and wonderful love for us. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

by

Thursday, 11 September 2025 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen, of the need for all of us to be clothed in virtue and righteousness, in everything that God Himself had taught us through His Church, and above all, we have to be clothed with the virtue of true and most genuine love of God, which He Himself has shown to us all, and as His beloved and holy people, all of us have to embody this same love in our own actions and in each and every moments of our lives. Without this love in us, we cannot truly call of ourselves as Christians, as those who profess to have the Lord as our Master and King, as our Father and Creator.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in the region of Colossae in Asia Minor, in what is now part of Turkey, where the Apostle continued with his exhortation to the faithful there, reminding them to continue to be faithful to the Lord at all times and to do their best to live in the manner that is truly worthy of being Christians, as the followers and disciples of the Lord. He told them all to be filled with the virtues of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, which are indeed important values and virtues that each and every one of us as Christians are all expected to have in us. The faithful in Colossae had been faithful to the Lord and been practicing what the Apostle and the other missionaries had been teaching them, but St. Paul wanted to remind them to continue to do the same nonetheless.

St. Paul also highlighted the importance of love which is the most important hallmark of being a Christian. For without love, one can indeed be faithful and yet that faith will not be genuine, and without genuine love for one another, and for those who have been unloved, neglected and abandoned by the others in the community, then how can we consider ourselves as those whom God, Who is always full of love and compassion, had called and considered as His own beloved children and people? And worse still, if we act in the way that is contrary to what we have been taught and shown by God, then we are bringing scandal and disrepute to the Lord’s Holy Name, His love and kindness, compassion and everything that we should be standing up for.

Then from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist we heard of the important reminders from the Lord Jesus Himself, which He made to His disciples and all those who were assembled to listen to Him, that to be His disciples and followers, one ought to love generously and sincerely at all times, to all and everyone whom they encountered, so that in all that we say, do and in all of our actions and interactions with each other we may truly embody this love within us, love that is truly sincere and unconditional, love that is truly pure and inspired by the same love that God Himself given to each and every one of us. This is what we have been challenged by the Lord for us to do constantly in our lives as Christians, that we may truly be faithful to Him.

Jesus mentioned that loving in the manner that is expected of us as Christians is more difficult than we think, as it requires us to love and care for even our enemies and all those who have hurt and persecuted us. It goes against all the grains of logic and common sense as we are more likely to love only those who have loved us, but as the Lord mentioned, such kind of love, even the pagans and those who are evil and wicked also possess, as it is indeed much easier for us to love those who have loved us as well. But how about loving those who have hurt and persecuted us? It is something much easier said than done, and it is what we have been called to do as Christians, to love just as the Lord had loved us all, most unconditionally and generously.

What the Lord told and reminded us to do is to love unconditionally to anyone, not to love because we seek something in return. Those who love only those who love them, did so likely because they seek some kind of transactional relationship, where they sweek for what can benefit them in such a relationship, and hence, when they are unable to get what they wanted in the other person, they end up not loving and even hating and distancing themselves from those people. And sadly, this can also lead to the rupture and breakdown in relationships, as if our relationships are founded upon such desires and pursuits, needs and transactions will not last forever, and eventually, they may flounder and falter, while love based on true and genuine love for others, will last always, no matter what.

And the Lord Himself has shown us all the way, in how He has shown this most generous and selfless love in patiently reaching out and accommodating even to those who rejected and persecuted Him and His disciples. When He then willingly took up His Cross and was persecuted, tortured and facing the worst kinds of pain possible, did He do it only for those who embraced and accepted, loved and cared for Him? No, brothers and sisters in Christ, He did it for all of us sinners, even for those who have rejected and persecuted Him. He forgave all those who had condemned Him to death and to such great sufferings on the Cross. And He carried His Cross, bore His many wounds and sufferings for the redemption and salvation of all, even the most hardened hearts among His enemies.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, having been inspired by the great example of love which Our Lord Himself has shown us, let us all therefore as Christians aspire and strive to be always full of the same kind of love to everyone, to even those who have hated, persecuted and made our lives difficult. And the more we should also love those who are precious and dear to us, and let our love be truly unconditional and genuine, not loving because we seek for return and benefit for ourselves, but showing instead the pure love that God Himself has shown us, the pure and genuine love for those whom we love and for all others. May the Lord, our ever loving God and Creator, our Master and King continue to inspire and strengthen us all in love, now and always. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 10 September 2025 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to adopt a truly Christian way of life in all of our actions throughout life, in all of our words, actions and deeds, in our relationships with one another, especially with those whom we love, and also with those whom we encounter in our daily living. All of us as Christians are challenged to live our lives in the manner that is truly fitting for us as the disciples and followers of our Lord and God. We should not live our lives in the manner that is contrary to the path that God Himself has set before us, and we are constantly reminded that we should inspire and be good role models for everyone around us through our way of life, truly in accordance with God’s ways.

In our first reading today, we heard from the continuation of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae in Asia Minor, the Apostle continued with his exhortations reminding them all to stay true to their faith as the followers of Christ, to be truly dedicated to what he has taught and shown them, the teachings and ways of the Lord, the Christian faith and all of its truth, amidst all the temptations and challenges of the world that they might be facing. St. Paul exhorted the Colossian faithful to stay away from all sorts of immorality, worldliness and everything that could keep them away from God and from His salvation. It is easy for them to be tempted to abandon the path of the Lord as they encountered the hardships and challenges, all the different pressures and coercions all around them.

It was indeed challenging for one at that time to be living amidst the worldliness and the pagan ways common to the world, and increasingly the early Christians were persecuted, marginalised and considered as nuisance and even threats by the local authorities, on top of the opposition that they were already facing from the Jewish authorities and the local pagans. But St. Paul encouraged the faithful in Colossae and also elsewhere to remain firm and steadfast in their faith no matter what, and this applies even to us all living in our world today. That is because throughout the history of the Church and Christendom, there had been many occasions where it was indeed challenging to remain faithful to the Lord, and even in our world today, with its own set of difficulties and challenges, many Christians still face persecutions and hardships in maintaining their faith.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist in which the Lord proclaimed to them the famous Beatitudes, or Eight Beatitudes, also known as the Sermon on the Mount, as this set of blessings or beatitudes were proclaimed by the Lord as He was speaking to the people gathered to listen to Him on a mountain or hill. And in these words that the Lord had spoken, He essentially assured all those who have been living their lives in the manner that God had taught them, the path of virtue and righteousness, so that they would continue to be strengthened and be willing to walk ever more faithfully in the path that God had led them through. And we ourselves are reminded that we too should follow in what the Lord Himself had taught us.

First of all, the Beatitudes began with the blessings that the Lord pronounced for those who are poor, hungry and sorrowful, because the kingdom of God would be theirs, and they would be satisfied and consoled at the time of reckoning, for the Lord is truly a loving and just God Who will not let the sufferings of His beloved people to go unanswered. God has always heard the cries of His faithful and He would not ignore their plight, no matter how difficult the challenges they might have to face. He would be with them always, giving them the strength and encouragement amidst even the darkest moments in their lives. In the end God will bring freedom and true joy to all those who have remained true in their faith in Him, and continued to strive to do their best to serve and glorify Him.

Then, we heard the Lord continuing with the blessings for those who have been hated and rejected by the community and others, those who have been persecuted because of their faith and obedience to the Lord. The Lord will rescue them and their faith and commitment in Him will be remembered, and they shall not be disappointed for having committed themselves to the Lord. The Lord is always close to those who are faithful and committed to Him, and even as they suffered in this world, God hears their pleas for help, their cries for justice and their love for Him. Each and every one of these will be remembered on the Day of Judgment, and the Lord will be with those who have held on firmly to their faith in Him, rewarding them greatly for all that they had done for His sake.

We are all therefore reminded that as Christians, each and every one of us should always be ready to carry ourselves in life, to act and behave in the manner that is truly fitting as Christians, as those who truly have faith and obedience to the Lord and His ways. We should not be easily dissuaded by the many temptations and pressures pushing us to conform to the ways of the world and abandoning the path of the Lord, as it is by our actions and deeds, grounded in our real faith in the Lord, that we are the light of inspiration for all other Christians everywhere, and also role models and examples for any other people we encounter in life. If our actions and deeds align with the Lord’s path, then we will be able to guide so many more people towards the Lord, and we will be greatly blessed and rewarded for this.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall the Beatitudes that the Lord Himself had presented and spoken to the disciples, and as we remember the words that St. Paul the Apostle spoke of to the faithful people of God in Colossae, we are all therefore reminded that we should do our best so that we may truly embody the Beatitudes in each and every moments of our lives. In all of our actions, in all of our activities and interactions with one another, we should always be truly full of faith in the Lord in the manner that the Beatitudes had described for us. May the Lord continue to strengthen and empower us all in His truth and love, encouraging us all to do our very best, to be true Christians in all things. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 9 September 2025 : 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Peter Claver, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to believe wholeheartedly in the Lord and to live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy and obedient to God and His will. Each and every one of us are reminded that we have been called by the Lord to follow Him and His ways, just as how He has called His Twelve disciples and the other disciples, to live our lives in the manner that is truly worthy of Him, to be good role models and examples for one another in how we act and carry ourselves in our various communities in this world today, in our various respective responsibilities in life, in doing what we must in each and every moments, even in the smallest things that we do.

In our first reading, today we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Colossae in Asia Minor regarding the need for the faithful to follow faithfully the true teachings of Christ in all of their actions, activities and all their interactions with one another. And because all of them have become the members of the One Church of God, with Christ as the Head of the Church, naturally all of them should follow and obey the commandments and the Law which the Lord had presented to them, doing what the Lord had told them to do through the Church and the Apostles, renewed and strengthened, and exhorted to keep from themselves all sorts of corruptions, evils and sins.

This reminder to the faithful in the city and region of Colossae was an important one because during that time, living amidst a world full of worldliness and wickedness, in the manner of how the pagans and all the other non-Christians were living in, it would have been easy for them to be tempted, swayed and coerced to go against the teachings and truths of the Lord, to return to their past, pagan way of life. It is more difficult for one to follow the path of the Lord rather than the path of worldliness, and this applies for all of us living in our world today too, as we are also faced with many distractions and temptations present all around us each day. And unless we ourselves put our efforts to live to the best of our abilities in being good role models and examples to everyone around us, and to stand up faithfully to our Christian mission and calling, then we cannot truly commit ourselves to the Lord.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus chose His Twelve disciples, the ones whom He had chosen to be His closest collaborators and as the ones whom He would entrust His missions and His Church to, as the pillars of support for His Kingdom in this world. He called all of them from various sources and origins, from different backgrounds and having different characters, some educated and some uneducated, some rich and some poor, but all were called to the same purpose and misison to serve the Kingdom of God and the ministry to which Christ has called all the Apostles and the disciples to do, to commit themselves to what He gave to them.

Through His works and efforts, the Lord and His disciples continued to proclaim the Good News that God Himself had promised to His people, showing the signs, miracles and wonders, the healing by which He had delivered to many people who had come to Him, the casting out of evil spirits and other good works which He also delegated to His disciples through the authority that He had granted to them. Such works required a lot of efforts and commitmens, and to those whom the Lord had called and chosen, He had given them the authority as well as the responsibilities to fulfil and accomplish amidst the challenges and trials that they might have to face in their works and respective ministries.

To each and every one of us therefore, in our own various responsibilities and areas in life, God has entrusted to us many things and opportunities for us to make good use of as His missionaries and disciples, in how we live our lives faithfully according to the way that He has shown us. Each and every one of us, be it the members of the clergy or the laity, all of us are called to be active in the fulfilment of the missions entrusted to us, in our respective areas, to be good role models and examples for each other in faith, and to do our best to encourage one another in how we live our lives and in how we carry out our actions, so that by our efforts and good works, we will continue to strengthen everyone around us in faith and helping each other to find our way towards the Lord.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of a faithful servant of God, namely St. Peter Claver, who was a renowned Jesuit priest and missionary from Spain, working in his ministry amongst the slaves and African Americans in the New World, as well as among the natives in that region, where his extensive works and contributions across many decades apparently reached out no less than three hundred thousand people whom be personally baptised over all those years. He travelled to many places, personally ministering to the people he was working with, especially among the slaves and the African Americans as mentioned, often on foot, and he patiently worked and championed their cause amidst the rampant abuse and maltreatment of these people, who were often at the lowest strata of the society.

St. Peter Claver tirelessly worked hard amongst the poorest, the least, those ostracised, forgotten and often manipulated by the community. He championed their rights as fellow Christians, highlighting the equality of all mankind before God, even when at that time the community at the place where St. Peter Claver ministered in was very much stratified and were full of racist and prejudiced attitudes, especially against those whom St. Peter Claver had dedicated his life in serving. But St. Peter Claver kept on doing his best and championed the rights of the less privileged and the less fortunate, much as Christ Himself had done and taught His disciples, showing all of us how we ourselves should live our lives as the true followers and disciples of the Lord, by caring for the less fortunate in our midst and by truly embodying our faith in all of our actions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples which we have heard and discussed regarding St. Peter Claver, so that we may live our own lives faithfully and courageously as active and devoted Christians, as good and faithful servants of God in all things, in how we interact with one another and in each and every things that we do, even in the smallest things that we do in life. We must not underestimate the impact of our actions, as good and faithful actions can bring so many others towards the Lord, and vice versa, that our scandalous and unfaithful actions can distance and prevent so many from reaching the Lord and His salvation, and on the Day of Judgment, we will have to account for all these before Him.

May the Lord, our most loving and compassionate God continue to strengthen us all in faith and help us to continue to walk ever more faithfully in His Presence at all times, being the worthy bearers of His Good News and truth in our community and societies today. May He bless our every efforts, good works and endeavours, so that we may always be encouraged in our journey of faith and life, in inspiring one another in faith, now and always. Amen.

by

Monday, 8 September 2025 : Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an occasion in which we celebrate the birth of Mary, the Mother of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and since we believe that Jesus is truly the Son of God and the Divine Word of God Incarnate, therefore, we mark on this day the birth of the Mother of God herself. To those who did not understand fully the importance and significance of Mary’s role in the story of our salvation, they all may indeed wonder why we spend so much time honouring her and celebrating her birthday today, but once they understand everything that happened through Mary, by her faith and obedience, then they shall appreciate why we celebrate this occasion.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Micah, we heard of the words of the Lord made through the prophet Micah sent to the people of God in the southern kingdom of Judah, in which the Lord gave His encouragement to His people, who had been waiting for a long time for the coming of the salvation and deliverance which the Lord had promised to His people. God showed that He is always true to His promises and He would never abandon those who are truly dear and beloved to Him, and He therefore told them how the Saviour would come, although it would still be in the future, and this Saviour would come in the smallest town of the tribe of Judah, in Bethlehem, which happened to be also the city where David, the famous King of Israel came from.

Through this arrangement we can see how God had prepared and planned all things, getting ready everything for our good and benefit, bringing upon us all the manifestation of His love perfectly, made evident and tangible to us through His Son, Who became incarnate in the flesh, becoming truly approachable to us, becoming for us the manifestation of God’s ever generous and enduring love, which He has lavished on us, and made truly real, and sent unto us, not through glorious appearance, but by the simple manifestation through a humble Woman in Nazareth, that of Mary, the one whom God Himself had prepared well in advance to be the one to bear the Saviour of all, the Son of God Himself. And by this great honour, of being the Mother who bore the Son of God within her, as His Mother, we honour Mary and her birthday today.

In the other first reading today, which is the second reading for the case of a Solemnity, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful in Rome, God’s grace and love had indeed been manifested in this world, from the perspective opposite to that of the prophet Micah. While the prophet Micah spoke of things that had not yet happened, a few centuries prior to the Lord’s coming, St. Paul spoke from the perspective of those who have seen, witnessed, heard and known of everything which the Lord had planned and how He had accomplished them perfectly through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of all Who had been born into this world. 

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the whole long list of the genealogy of Our Lord and Saviour Himself, listing down His descent through Joseph, His foster father, through the House of David and eventually to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the patriarchs of the people of God, the Israelites, and then further back all the way to Adam, the first man that God had created. Through this long genealogy, St. Matthew wanted to highlight that the Lord Jesus, Son of God and the Saviour of all was indeed born of the human race, born as the fulfilment of everything that God had promised to His beloved people, to Adam, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to David and all the Covenant He had made.

And all these became possible because of Mary’s role in accepting her part in the story of salvation. She has accepted what the Lord Himself has revealed to her through the Archangel Gabriel, the Good News of the long awaited salvation which had become manifested in Mary’s acceptance of her role and by the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Saviour has become manifested in the flesh in the hallowed womb of Mary. God has blessed Mary above all other children of mankind, because Mary herself would become the bearer of the Saviour, the Son of God Himself, and hence, as the bearer of the New Covenant of God, as the New Ark of the Covenant, Mary must be hallowed and set aside much as the original Ark of the Covenant had been made from the finest materials and blessed by God.

The Church believes and teaches that Mary has been conceived without the taint of original sin, in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, as this is made by the singular grace of God granted to her, nothing being impossible for God, to keep sin away from corrupting her, unlike all the other children of mankind which had been corrupted by sin due to the disobedience of our forefathers. It is unfitting for the one to bear the Lord Himself within her to be tainted and corrupted by sin, and that was why the Lord preserved Mary and set her aside in this manner. And this is why we rejoice today at her birthday celebration, marking the moment that after she had been conceived without sin in the womb of her mother, St. Anne, the bearer of the world’s salvation was finally shown to the world at last.

Our honour and respect, veneration and praise for Mary is not just based on her role as the Mother of God and the special nature of her conception, but also her total obedience to God and complete love for the Lord, which is why she is truly ‘Full of Grace’, being full of God’s grace and love. And we look up to Mary as our loving Mother and also as the perfect role model for each and every one of us to follow in becoming good and faithful disciples of our Lord. Mary’s perfect obedience and faith, her great and constant love for the Lord, and also the most wonderful love that she has shown to her Son, and which she also now shows to us all, her adopted children, are examples for us to follow so that we may also live our lives in the same way that she had lived hers with great faith.

May our Blessed and loving Mother Mary continue to show us all her love and inspire in us all a strong faith and devotion to her Son, our Lord and Saviour. May she continue to pray and intercede for us all her children, all sinners in need of God’s mercy and forgiveness. As we thank the Lord for her birthday today, let us all continue to strive to be more like her in all things, in faith, hope and love, now and always. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

by

Sunday, 7 September 2025 : Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, this Sunday all of us are reminded through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures of the need for all of us to prepare ourselves for the eternity that we are to experience after our existence in this world. Each and every one of us are reminded that we should continue to live our lives worthily in the Lord, following His Law and commandments faithfully, doing our very best so that we will always be in God’s grace and we will continue to be good role models and inspirations for our fellow brothers and sisters around us, in each and every moments of our lives. Such indeed is what we have been called to do as those whom the Lord has called and chosen, and we should indeed be responsible in embracing what the Lord has entrusted to us to do faithfully, now and always.

In our first reading passage today, taken from the Book of Wisdom, we heard the author of that Book speaking about the many limitations of our human existence, understanding, knowledge, power and capabilities. And the author wanted to highlight how impermanent and limited our human and mortal existence is, and we must realise that we should not try to grasp what is beyond our understanding and instead of worrying about what we are to face in life, and about our various considerations and concerns, we should instead put our faith and trust in the Lord, the One in Whom we should be putting our faith and trust in, doing our very best to follow Him faithfully and to allow Him to lead us into the path which He has designed for us.

That is what each and every one of us as Christians are called to do, to be those who have faith, trust and commitment to the Lord in all things, to be full of the Wisdom of God and entrusting ourselves to the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God Himself has given and entrusted to me. The Lord has not left us all without any help or guidance, as He has given us all everything that we ever needed through His gifts to us, the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom, strength and encouragement, the love and grace which He has given to us, all the encouragement and strength that He has provided for us in our journey, allowing us all to carry on the mission which He has entrusted and given to us to do.

Then, in our second reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to Philemon, we heard of the words of the Apostle St. Paul who at that time was already in the last years of his ministry, as an old man, suffering persecutions and prisons for the Lord during his missionary journeys and ministries. He was writing to Philemon, a fellow Christian, to entrust one named Onesimus to him, and this Onesimus was once Philemon’s slave, who ran away from Philemon and went to Rome, becoming a Christian in the process. Hence, St. Paul asked Philemon to take Onesimus back, but not as a slave, rather as a fellow Christian, while forgiving Onesimus from his past trespasses and mistakes. That is what St. Paul wanted to do as a legacy of his last ministry, as at that time, he was about to be martyred and he probably knew about it.

In what we have heard regarding St. Paul, Philemon and Onesimus, we are all reminded of the power of Christian love, forgiveness and compassion, in showing love and mercy to others around us, even those who have caused us hurt, difficulties and challenges. As Christians, we are always called and challenged to be magnanimous, loving, patient and caring even when we ourselves have been shown attitudes and actions that hurt us, all the wickedness and vile deeds which we may have to endure and encounter in life. Are we willing and able to forgive those who have hurt us then? Are we capable of loving others even those who have made our lives difficult? To be able to do so is the true mark of what a Christian is called to be, to be truly unconditional in our love, in all circumstances.

Lastly, from our Gospel passage this Sunday, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the account of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples, telling them all that those who follow Him ought to follow Him wholeheartedly, and should not be divided in their intention, prioritising everything else other than Him, and therefore became distracted and losing sight on what truly mattered in their lives. He also then told them a parable regarding someone who was planning to build a house, as well as a king who was planning and waging a war with another king, and in both of these occasions, the Lord highlighted how both of them would have weighed the options and considerations carefully before going ahead with whatever plans they might have, or else they would have suffered greatly from the lack of planning.

This is a reminder for each and every one of us that we are all obliged to live in the manner that Christ our Lord Himself has shown and taught us, to be ever more faithful and committed in all things, knowing well what is coming up for all of us, as we have to account for all of our actions in the end, at the time of the reckoning of our lives. In the end we will have to account for our actions and for our failures before the Lord, in what we have said, done and acted before those whom we encountered in life, especially more so to those whom the Lord had entrusted to us. That is why we need to show love constantly to our loved ones and also to all those whom we encounter in life, to be truly exemplary in all of our lives and in our every actions, even in the smallest things.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having been reminded of these words from the Sacred Scriptures, let us all therefore continue to do our best to live our lives as faithful and exemplary disciples and followers of the Lord, showing our faith not just through mere words but also real actions in even the smallest things we do in life. Let us all be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth in our society and world today, and let us be the faithful bearers of God’s truth and Good News to all those whom we encounter in life. May the Lord be with us always, and may He continue to strengthen each and every one of us in our resolve to be ever more faithful and loving towards Him, and in doing His will, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

by

Saturday, 6 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us are reminded through the readings and passages of the Sacred Scriptures of what we all need to do as Christians, that is as the disciples and followers of the Lord, our God, in doing what the Lord Himself has told us all to do, in each and every moments of our lives. All of us are reminded that we should always have a genuine and steadfast faith in God in all the things that we say and do, and we should not be easily swayed by other concerns and temptations present all around us which may be trying to lead us away from the path towards God and His salvation. We should follow only what the Lord had told us to do through His Church, and not allowing our worldly concerns and ideologies from affecting how we are to live our lives and faith.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae, we heard of the words of the Apostle reminding the faithful people of God there of what the Lord had done for their sake, in liberating them from the path of wickedness and worldliness that they had followed earlier on in their lives. Contextually, the people of Colossae had also been quite faithful to the Lord in their way of life, in obeying the Lord and His commandments according to what St. Paul and the other Christian missionaries had delivered to them. They had listened to the words of those missionaries and lived their lives in a Christian manner, and that was praised by St. Paul himself, who encouraged them to continue to be faithful to God.

St. Paul encouraged the Christians in that place to continue to have faith in the Lord and to be always filled with hope in Him. He wanted each and every one of them to stay strong amidst the challenging nature of their lives and the environment all around them. If they remained strong and committed to the Lord, in the end, their faith and commitment to God shall be rewarded and they shall enjoy the fullness of God’s promised inheritance and everything that He has desired to give to all those who have been faithful to Him. There would indeed be trials and tribulations, hardships, obstacles and challenges, but all those things should not prevent the people of God from remaining true to their faith in Him, and from continuing to hold fast and strongly to the faith that they continue to have in Him, their Lord and Master.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus debating with the Pharisees who were following Him and His disciples, and then criticised those disciples because they were picking on the grains of wheat on the field on the day of the Sabbath. For the context, the Sabbath day is the last day of the week in the Jewish calendar, the seventh day which is a day of rest, following the model of the Lord Himself Who rested on the seventh day after His labours in Creation. According to the Law of God revealed through Moses, the people of Israel ought to observe the Sabbath as a day of rest as well, dedicated to the Lord and not to be used for labour and work.

The Lord’s intentions when He made this Sabbath Law for the people was that He wanted them all to spare that time for their Lord and Master, and remembering that despite their busy schedules and activities, after all, they still have their obligation and responsibility to give their time and attention to the Lord their God. Otherwise, it is easy for them, especially when things are all good, or when they are too busy settling worldly matters for them to forget about God completely and to be ignorant of their roles and missions in life. That was why the Lord wanted all of His people to spare that day of the Sabbath to be focused on Him rather than on their various worldly dealings and concerns, their works and activities which could distract them from what they needed to do.

Unfortunately, over time, the intention and purpose of the Sabbath had been largely overlooked and forgotten. The people began to observe the Sabbath out of routine and fear of punishment rather than to truly spend quality time and to focus their attention on God. And in the case of what the Pharisees had highlighted and criticised the Lord’s disciples for, they were too focused on the fact that they broke the Law and disobeyed the commandment for anyone not to do work on that day, but overlooking the fact that they were themselves doing God’s works. And by the nature of their ministry, ever busy going from places to places and ministering to the people of God in many places, long hours and tedious works, they certainly had difficulties getting enough time to rest and eat food.

That was why the Lord quoted from the example of King David and his followers when they were in a journey fleeing and in exile because of the persecutions they faced from King Saul of Israel, and also the trials they faced in their journey. In that case, at the House of God, with the High Priest’s generosity and permission, the highly respected King David partook with his followers the Temple showbread that were supposed to be eaten only by the priests, and they had their fill and continued on their journey, which was what the Lord wanted them all to do, and because of this, we are reminded that what the Lord wanted us to know is that He does not demand blind obedience and attitudes that do not truly show genuine faith and trust in Him.

Instead, He wants each and every one of us to grow genuinely in faith in Him, and He is truly full of concern and care for each and every one of us, wanting us all to be well and happy in all things, and He wants us to love Him just in the same way that He has constantly loved us ceaselessly and consistently. And that is why God has given the best help to each and every one of us by providing His Law and commandments to help regulate and guide us in our journey through life, that we may truly find our way to Him, and that we may live our lives worthily, and be ever closer towards Him, our loving Father. He does not treat us like slaves, unlike what some people at the time of the Lord would have thought, but as His beloved children and people, and hence, we should not think that God’s Law are meant to constraint, restrict and make our lives difficult.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence continue to put our faith and trust in the Lord, to follow in the path that He has shown to each and every one of us, becoming good role models and examples in faith to each other and to be truly and genuinely faithful to God in all things despite the challenges and trials that we may be facing in life. We should not allow ourselves to be swayed and turned from the Lord because we are deluded by the thoughts thinking that God wants to control us and make our lives difficult. Instead, we should do our best to work with God and embrace His love wholeheartedly, and we should always remember all the kindness and love that He has shown us all these while. May the Lord continue to strengthen us in faith, and may we do our very best to glorify Him each day and at every moments by our lives, now and forevermore. Amen.

by

Friday, 5 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Teresa of Kolkata, Religious (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that all of us as part of the one Church of God, with Christ our Lord as the Head of the Church, all of us are called to follow the path and the ways which God Himself has shown and led us through. As Christians, all of us should align to what God has taught us to do, in His Law and commandments, being faithful and committed as ever to proclaim His truth and Good News to the world. That is what all of us are reminded today, and what we should always do our best in doing, in aligning ourselves to God’s will, obeying Him in all things and becoming good role models and inspirations to everyone around us in how we live our lives faithfully as God’s disciples and followers, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae in Asia Minor, in which the Apostle spoke to the faithful there regarding the nature of the Saviour Jesus Christ Whom St. Paul and the other Christian missionaries had been speaking and preaching about to them, and he highlighted how Jesus was not just merely a Man or a mere Prophet, or any ordinary Person, as He is none other than the Image of the Unseen God, the Firstborn of all Creation and all things, Begotten and not made, because He has existed before all ages and all time, as the Son and Word of God that had become incarnate in the flesh, becoming one like us as the Son of Man.

St. Paul introduced to the faithful in Colossae and therefore also all of us as Christians today, reminding to us the important details of what the Lord had done for our sake in sending unto us all His only Begotten Son, to be our Saviour, and in all that He had done as the One Who had established God’s Church in this world as the tangible unity of all the believers of the Lord, gathering us all together to Himself so that by this renewed unity and communion, all of us may become united in the One Church of God, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, through which all of us shall receive the assurance of salvation and eternal life which the Lord Himself has promised and reassured to us all.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord’s famous parable on the wine and the wineskin, and the old and new pieces of cloth. In that parable we heard how the Lord elaborated about how an old wineskin should not be used to store new wine and vice versa, that new wineskin be used to store old wine. In the same manner therefore, the new cloth should not be used to patch an old piece of cloth and vice versa, that an old cloth should not be used to patch a new piece of cloth. This parable may seem rather peculiar, but if we look at the deeper meaning and intention of this parable, it is actually quite clear what the Lord intended by sharing this parable.

He intended for all of us to keep in mind that if we want to follow Him, then we have to change our ways and actions in life. We cannot claim to believe in the Lord or be good and faithful Christians if we still continue to carry on our sinful, wicked and worldly way of life. That is why as Christians we have to centre our lives and existence in the Lord and make sure that everything that we say and do, in our every interactions, we should always strive to do them in the manner that have been expected of us as Christians. If we still continue to live in the manner of the world, then the incompatibility of the path of worldliness and that of the Lord’s path will likely cause frictions and problems for us. And if we do not act on this, we may end up walking down the wrong path forward in life.

That is how the parable of the new wineskin and the wine, and the old and new cloth came to use here, to remind us all that if we truly want to follow the Lord faithfully then we should strive to change our ways and to follow Him firmly and faithfully at all times. We should not allow ourselves to be swayed and pulled by the many coercions, temptations and pressures present all around us, which often seek to make and even force us to conform to the ways that the world often find to be acceptable, and yet, is not compatible with the ways of the Lord. That is why we should really discern carefully our path forward in life and do our very best so that we may always walk and progress forth ever more faithfully in the Lord’s path, in accordance to His will and guidance, at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of the renowned St. Teresa of Kolkata, also known much better by the name of Mother Teresa, the founder of the Missionaries of Charity, a religious order and congregation that is well-known for their efforts and works in caring for the needy and the poor, the sick and the dying, and especially in giving dignified treatment for those who were suffering and dying, showing them the love of God manifested and shown through the actions of St. Teresa of Kolkata and her fellow sisters and other collaborators in the Missionaries of Charity. She was born in Albania as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu to a Catholic Albanian family in the year 1910, and since young she has been fascinated and inspired to be a missionary in distant lands. This eventually led to her joining the Sisters of Loreto congregation and went to India to continue her formation.

St. Teresa of Kolkata became involved in the education of young children in Kolkata, India during her many years in the congreagtion of the Sisters of Loreto, and eventually becoming the headmistress of the mission school there. However, she was continually disturbed by the great and abject poverty which many of the people in Kolkata and other parts of India suffered from. Through this calling that she embraced wholeheartedly, she eventually decided to leave her profession as a Sister of Loreto and role in the school, founding a new congregation, the Missionaries of Charity dedicated to the care and attention towards the poor, the needy and those who were sick and dying. She gathered many other like-minded women who sought to serve the needs of the people, giving care and compassionate love for those who needed them.

She gave dignity to those who have been abandoned, neglected and ostracised, caring for them in the poorest and most despicable conditions, in the slums and in the streets. She was well-known for her outreach to everyone who were poor and suffering regardless of their religious beliefs and background. She opened and operated hospices and houses like the famous Nirmala Hriday of Kolkata, where the poor and the dying can be cared with love and given the dignity due to them as human beings. Throughout the rest of her life, St. Teresa of Kolkata continued to do her best to serve the Lord and His people, following Him to whichever path that He wanted her to go, and famously mentioning at the time when she was given the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts, that she was just ‘an instrument in the hands of the Lord.’

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the great humility and commitment which St. Teresa of Kolkata has shown us all, so that we too may live our lives worthily in the manner that God has called us to do in our own respective responsibilities and vocations, in doing our best to serve the Lord through each and every good efforts and works that we are doing in every circumstances and opportunities that we have been given, to do our best to glorify the Lord in all things, now and always. Amen.

by

Thursday, 4 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded that we should always trust in the Lord at all times, doing our best to keep our faith in God even when we are unable to see where we are going, or what the outcome we will have in the end. We need to trust in the Lord and believe in His Providence and guidance whenever He leads us down the path that He has shown us, so that we will continue to faithfully follow Him and will not be easily distracted by whatever temptations, pressures and coercions which may try to pull us away from the Lord and from His path. We should always do our best to listen to the Lord speaking to us and calling on us to follow Him, so that we may find the best and surest path to His salvation.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae, that is now part of Asia Minor, where St. Paul prayed for the faithful there in that region so that they all might remain committed and faithful to the missions and the ways which they had been walking through, and that they had been shown by the missionaries and the Apostles. The people in Colossae had been quite faithful to the Lord’s message and teachings, unlike some others around the region who had not listened to the Lord and refused to believe in the Apostles and the other missionaries. However, at that time there were indeed a lot of pressures and challenges that the faithful were facing, and in order to strengthen their resolve that was why St. Paul wrote this Epistle to them to encourage them.

At that time, the early Christians were facing oppositions and challenges firstly from the Jewish community and the members of the Jewish High Council, many of whom rejected the Lord Jesus as the Saviour or Messiah, but also persecuted openly the Apostles and the other Christians. There were indeed some members of the Jewish community who believed in the Lord and became Christians themselves, but there were many of those who were opposed to the Christian teachings and message. Then, in addition, the early Christians also faced persecutions and oppositions from the local pagans and the Roman state, for their refusal to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods and idols, and for their ideals of equality which also brought them opposition from the slaveowners, as slavery was very common at that time.

Amidst all of these, St. Paul prayed to the Lord that the faith and the good works of the Colossian Christians might be strengthened and preserved, and this is also in fact a reminder and call for us all to be faithful as well to the Lord despite the challenges and persecutions which we ourselves may be facing in our own lives. We must not be easily tempted and swayed to abandon the Lord for the more convenient ways and paths of the world, for the worldly desires, ambitions and other distractions in this world that may keep us away from being truly faithful to God. Instead, in all opportunities, we should continue to put the Lord at the centre of our lives, and in everything that we say and do in our respective lives, in each and every moments, we should always live up to our Christian faith in the most genuine way possible.

Then, from our Gospel passage today from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the miraculous occasion that happened when the Lord was at Galilee, in the beginning period of His ministry, when He encountered the fishermen working there at the Lake, that was the moment when He called His first disciples. He taught to the people there as we heard, and then we heard also how He told Simon, one of the fishermen, the one we would later know as St. Peter the Apostle, to go forth and follow His instruction in how he and the other fishermen ought to be catching the fish. Despite having captured no fish at all the entire earlier time, Simon and the other fishermen obeyed the Lord when He asked them to put out their net to the deep waters, and immediately and miraculously, they caught so many fishes.

It was at that occasion that Simon and some other fishermen, that is likely his brother Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, came to follow the Lord, leaving behind their boat and profession as fishermen, and following the Lord wholeheartedly, they became His disciples full time from that moment henceforth. This show of commitment by those whom the Lord had called and chosen as His disciples and followers is an important reminder for all of us, to whom God Himself had entrusted various responsibilities and missions in our respective areas of life, so that we may truly live our lives with great faith, with great devotion and commitment to what He has called and entrusted to all of us to do, so that we may truly be worthy of Him and that we may also be good role models and examples for our fellow brothers and sisters around us. 

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have heard from our Scripture passages today, let us all hence continue to commit ourselves to the Lord and put our trust in Him, in living our lives to the best of our abilities as Christians, even when we may be facing lots of oppositions, pressures, coercions or encountering temptations and disappointments in life. We should continue to trust in the Lord even when we may face opposition from those close to us, so that we do not end up losing faith and focus on the Lord. In the past that was what many of our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs had to go through, and they still remained true to their faith in God, trusting that the Lord would guide them to the right path.

May the Lord continue to strengthen our faith in us, and may He continue our every efforts and endeavours in life. May our faith continue to be empowered and growing through our ever stronger relationship with Him. Let us all go forth faithfully and courageously at all circumstances and opportunities, doing our best in every actions we do, to truly proclaim Him in our communities by our exemplary living and genuine faith, now and always. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 3 September 2025 : 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (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, we are reminded that each and every one of us should always continue to have faith in the Lord our Saviour, in Jesus Christ, His Son, Who has manifested for us all the great and most enduring love of God, given to us in the most tangible, approachable form in Christ Himself. We should remember how fortunate and wonderful it is for all of us to have been beloved in such a manner by our Lord, that He has done everything that He could in order to bring us all out of the darkness of sin and the threat of eternal damnation, opening for us the sure path to eternal life and salvation with Him. And this is why we also need to continue to be faithful in the Lord even amidst all the trials and challenges that we may have to face in our paths, and continue to do what God has called us all to do in our respective lives.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Colossae in Asia Minor, where Turkey is today, we heard of the words of St. Paul greeting the faithful there and praying for them for their faith in God to be strengthened. Like the faithful in the region of Thessalonica that we have heard about in the past two weeks of Epistle readings, the faithful in Colossae, the Colossian Christians were also good and worthy in their way of living their Christian faith, and St. Paul commended them for their obedience to God and for their willingness to live in the manner that has been shown them by the Apostles and the missionaries, according to the Good News or the Gospels of Christ.

This is therefore also a reminder for each and every one of us living in this world today to continue to live up to our Christian faith in the best manner possible, to be ever more faithful and dedicated at all times, in everything that we are doing in life, even to the smallest and seemingly least significant of what we are doing, so that by all these things we will continue to walk faithfully in God’s Presence and do our best to glorify Him by our lives. After all, just as it was back during the time of the Apostles and the early Church when this Epistle to the Colossians was written, all of us as Christians living today are the examples and role models for one another, in how we live our lives with faith, just as the faith of the faithful in Thessalonica and Colossae inspired the other Christians, including even St. Paul himself, in wanting to do more to glorify God.

And we must realise that as much as our actions can inspire others to follow the Lord and as much as our faith can help others to be faithful and stronger in our devotion towards God, if we are not faithful in our way of life and even worse, act in manners that are contradictory to what our faith had taught us, then we may end up pushing more and more people from God and His salvation. Yes, this is indeed true, and there had been many examples in the past throughout the history of the Church where immoral and inappropriate behaviours of the members of the Church, including even those high in the Church hierarchy, even some amongst the Popes themselves, had led to great scandal against the Church that not only besmirched the Holy Name of God and His teachings, but also caused many to leave the Church and causing divisions in the Church. That is why, it is important that we must live our lives well in accordance to the way that the Lord had taught us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the story of the time when the Lord Jesus came to visit the home of St. Peter the Apostle, then still known by his original name as Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law at that time was very sick and knowing that the Lord could miraculously heal many of those sick that had been brought to Him and having witnessed His miracles before, certainly they, especially Simon must have hoped that the Lord could also make his mother-in-law to be well again too. And the Lord did so, healing Simon’s mother-in-law and making her well again. But such deed was quickly known by everyone in the area, and very soon as we heard, many people brought to Him all their sick ones for Him to heal them all.

We then heard how the Lord Jesus then quietly slipped out of the great crowd when He was able to do so, and when the disciples came seeking for Him and asked why He had done so, He told them all that He still had a lot of responsibilities and missions to do in the other places. It was indeed easier for Him just to settle in that one place and receiving a lot of support and praise from everyone who welcomed Him and had been healed by His miracles, but the Lord had been sent to reach out to more and more people, including even those who would disagree with Him and refuse to believe in Him, and to them all, the Lord had been sent to reach out towards, and this was what He obediently do, in obeying the will of His Heavenly Father, and in this manner therefore, showing us all how we too should do the same, in obeying God’s will in all things.

Now, the Church today also celebrates the Feast of one of the most renowned saints of the Church, a great Pope and leader of the Universal Church of his time that had reformed greatly the Church especially in the Western parts of Christendom, and who was also very much involved in the efforts of evangelisation, in spreading the Word of God and the Good News to many parts of Christendom and even in the lands beyond in order to bring more and more people towards Christ and His salvation. Pope St. Gregory the Great has done many great contributions to the Church, and while he was born into a wealthy noble Roman family in the middle of the sixth century and brought up well in extensive education on philosophy, rhetorics, sciences, law and other areas, becoming a government official, eventually he chose to follow a monastic lifestyle after his father’s passing.

Eventually through his years as a monk and then rising through the Papal court as a Papal legate trusted by the Pope, involved in diplomacy and even theological disputes in which one particular episode against the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople himself gained him great renown among his supporters and notoriety amongst his critics and enemies, the future Pope St. Gregory the Great gained extensive experiences and insights from his works that would prove to be essential to the success of his many efforts and works when he was elected as Pope and successor of St. Peter the Apostle. As Pope, Pope St. Gregory the Great reformed the Papacy and the structures of the Church, making it much more efficient, and at the same time also started a great missionary drive, sending out missionaries to places like England with St. Augustine of Canterbury, to Germany and other areas where the Church had not yet taken root.

He was also known for his great works of charity and compassion for the poor and the needy, showing great love for the others that Christ Himself has advocated and taught, making good of what the Lord entrusted to His Church to do. Through his efforts and works, the once neglected almsgiving and charitable works of the Church were reformed and strengthened, and in addition, he also worked famously on reforming the Church music, creating a systematic process and development that would later on give rise to the Chant that would bear the name of its initiator, that is the Gregorian Chant. It was through his works that Pope St. Gregory the Great helped to formulate the liturgical order of the Mass in Western Christendom, which eventually evolved to the Mass as we are familiar with today, both in the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms of the Latin Rite. Pope St. Gregory the Great continued to devote himself with great enthusiasm to the end of his life, and is indeed truly a great inspiration for all of us to follow.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, just as we have heard from our Scripture readings today and discussed earlier, with what we have discussed about the life and examples of Pope St. Gregory the Great, let us therefore discern carefully our path forward in life so that we may continue to do our best for the greater glory of God and to proclaim His truth and Good News to more and more people, not just through our words but also through our genuine actions and our whole lives that are truly filled with sincere and genuine faith, through which we can then inspire many others to follow in our footsteps as well. And it is by doing all these that we can be truly faithful to the Lord, and not merely just paying lip service or being outwardly faithful but we are not truly genuinely filled with true faith in the Lord. May the Lord continue to strengthen us all and inspire us all to be ever more faithful to His cause, now and always. Amen.