St. Francis Xavier, Patron of Missions and Missionaries, Wednesday, 03-12-2025

1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-23 / Mark 16:15-20   

St. Francis Xavier, together with St. Therese, are the Patrons of the Missions and Missionaries.

But for St. Francis Xavier, to be priest was not his idea of what he wanted to be in life, much less a missionary.

He came from a noble family and he was studying at the University of Paris where he met St. Ignatius of Loyola.

St. Ignatius urged and pestered St. Francis Xavier to join him to answer the call to serve Jesus and to spread the Good News of salvation.

St. Francis Xavier finally relented, and with St. Ignatius and others, founded the Society of Jesus.

He went on as a missionary to the East, and converted thousands in India, the Malay Archipelago, and Japan.

He had intended to enter China but died before doing so.

Besides baptizing tens of thousands of people, he was known for adapting to local cultures and languages.

St. Francis Xavier’s mission was to spread Christianity, but he also focused on the well-being of the people he encountered.

Indeed, in every age and time, God calls men and women to serve Him in the mission of salvation, just like He called St. Francis Xavier.

Let us pray for those God has called that they will respond with faith and love.

Let us also ask for the prayers of St. Francis Xavier that we will also be willing to be God’s instruments in the mission of salvation.

1st Week of Advent, Tuesday, 02-12-2025

Isaiah 11:1-10 / Luke 10:21-24  

A cup that is already filled to the brim cannot be filled further.

Pouring anything into a cup that is already filled would be wasted.

So, the logical thing to do would be to empty the cup before anything else can be poured in.

Similarly, if we think we already know a lot, then we might not be that open to further knowledge.

Also, when it comes to the mysteries of God, we must remember that God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are also not our thoughts.

Even if we are learned and clever, there are also many things about God that we do not know of and that we may not really understand.

And if we are truly learned and clever, then we would also be open to how God will reveal His ways to us.

Just as God reveals His ways to open-minded children, we also need to pray that we will have the mind of a child.

Then we may be able to understand what the 1st reading is saying.

The ways of God are peace and harmony, and those who are filled with the knowledge of God will believe in it.

May we be like little children, and may God grant us the wisdom to know that His ways are higher than our ways, and that His thoughts are deeper than our thoughts.

1st Week of Advent, Monday, 01-12-2025

Isaiah 4:2-6 / Matthew 8:5-11 

To be able to get to sleep and to rest soundly is something we desire after a tiring day.

But it would not be that easy for those who are suffering from insomnia.

And it would also be not easy at all for those who are in pain.

Even though they are tired, the pain would be bothering them and keep them awake.

In the gospel, the centurion’s servant was lying paralysed and in great pain, and certainly not being able to sleep at all.

It troubled the centurion to the extent that he went to Jesus and pleaded with Him to cure his servant.

Jesus had wanted to go immediately but the centurion’s reply was surprising.

He believed that Jesus would just have to give the command and the servant would be cured.

We too need to believe that Jesus wants to cure us of our pains and illnesses.

But we need to put aside our worries and anxieties and to let our hearts rest in the healing love of Jesus.

When our hearts are at peace, our minds and our bodies will be able to rest in the healing love of Jesus.

1st Sunday of Advent, Year A, 30.11.2025

Isaiah 2:1-5 / Romans 13:11-14 / Matthew 24:37-44

Last week was a busy time for our parish. 

The feast of Christ the King is also our parish feast day, and prior to that there was the triduum. 

So, there was the preparation, and three days of prayer, and then the feast day celebrations. 

Yes, we were busy preparing, praying and then celebrating. 

And we think that with the feast day over, we can take a break and relax for a while. 

But no, there is another up and coming feast to prepare, and that is the celebration of Christmas. 

So, it seems like there is no end to the activities and the busyness of life. 

There were instances that we have been so busy that we wish we could have more time. 

But the irony is that with more time, we may find more things to do and get busier. 

On the other hand, with more time, we may end up wasting time and then leave a lot of work undone. 

But this is nothing new in the lifestyle of human beings.

In the gospel, Jesus recalls the time in Noah’s day before the flood. 

The people then were eating and drinking and busy with the cares of life. 

Even when they saw Noah building the ark, they suspected nothing till the flood came and swept all away. 

It seems that the people were so busy and interested only in the cares and concerns of life, that they have lost their spiritual sense. 

They could not sense the promptings from the Lord. 

They could not see the signs from God, nor could they hear what the Lord was saying. 

Yes, they suspected nothing, they sensed nothing, until it was too late. 

Jesus also gave another example of a householder keeping watch over his house. 

That householder would have stayed awake if he had known at what time of the night the burglar would come. 

This weekend, we enter into the season of Advent. 

The season of Advent calls us to slow down, or even to stop and look at the signs and to sense the promptings from God. 

We already noticed the signs of the celebration of Christmas. 

But let us enter into the season of Advent, which is a time of quiet, a time of stillness, a time of waiting, a time of praying. 

But the season of Advent comes at an inconvenient time, a busy time, a time where there are so many things to do. 

But Jesus tells us not to be like the people in Noah’s day when they suspected nothing. 

Or what if that householder did not know when the burglar would come. 

Whatever it is, the consequences will be terrible, if we see nothing, and know nothing of what the Lord God is showing us and saying to us. 

As we begin the season of Advent let us take time to be still and to be quiet. 

And let us embark on some spiritual exercises that may not burn calories but will make us ready. 

The 2nd reading tells us to arm ourselves and to appear in the light. 

And the 1st reading tells us to walk in the light of the Lord. 

So, let us begin with walking, which may sound easy, but wait till we hear how we should walk, and we begin with walking away.

At times, walking away has nothing to do with weakness and everything to do with strength. 

We walk away not because we want others to see our worth and our value, but because we see our own worth and value in God’s love for us. 

We walk away from disputes and quarrels that cannot be resolved without love. 

We walk away from pleasing people to pleasing God. 

Let us walk away from the busyness of life into the stillness of the light of the Holy Spirit. 

And let us walk with the Holy Spirit in this season of Advent to see the signs and the wonders that God is showing us.

34th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 29-11-2025

Daniel 7:15-27 / Luke 21:34-36  

There is one theme that often appears in movies and novels.

That theme is about the battle between good and evil.

So, there is the main plot and also other sub-plots that will make the story more interesting.

As the story unfolds, the evil will get the upper hand over the good.

But in the end, it is the good that will triumph over the evil, and evil would be eliminated or destroyed.

That is also the theme of the 1st reading as evil seems be overpowering the saints of God.

But at the end of the 1st reading, the power of evil is stripped and utterly destroyed.

Also, God is triumphant, and His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty and every empire will serve and obey Him.

But to believe that good will triumph over evil, then we must keep our faith in God and trust in Him.

Jesus warns us with these words: Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life.

Let us stay wake with faith, praying at all times for the strength to face the temptations of the evil one, and to have the confidence that Jesus will save us and we will be victorious over evil.

34th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 28-11-2025

Daniel 7:2-14 / Luke 21:29-33 

Some people have an extraordinary calling in life.

They are given gifts that have a particular purpose, and these gifts are to be used for the good of humanity.

In the 1st reading, the prophet Daniel had visions that indicated what was to come.

At first, he had the vision of turmoil and chaos and scenes of violence.

But as he continued to watch and gazed into the visions of the night, he saw something glorious.

There was a figure and on him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and his rule shall never pass away or destroyed.

That vision was a prophecy, that in the midst of violence and turmoil and distress, God will be victorious in the end.

We may not have visions but we understand the prophecy that points to the eternal kingship of God.

Still, we are able to see the signs of God’s kingdom in the world of nature.

In the gospel, Jesus used the example of the fig tree that is budding, and that is a sign that summer is near.

As we see the life and growth around us, let us also know that God is revealing His kingdom and His kingship to us.

And may God’s Word also grow deeper into our hearts and may we bear fruits for the Kingdom of God and for the good of humanity.

34th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 276-11-2025

Daniel 6:12-28 / Luke 21:20-28   

A peaceful world is what we long for, hope for and pray for.

Although there are some moments of peace, but more often it is distress and tribulation.

And that makes us wonder if all our longing, hoping and praying are going anymore.

And it also makes us wonder if we can continue to believe in God.

In the 1st reading, some wicked people have ganged up against Daniel and they wanted him dead.

They used the king’s edict against him and so, even the king was unable to help Daniel.

When Daniel was thrown into the pit of lions, that would be another case of wickedness overpowering goodness.

But wickedness and evil cannot overcome goodness and justice, because God will always have the last say.

And when Daniel was pulled out of the pit unharmed, it was the pagan king who testified to the goodness and the saving love of God when he said:

He is the living God, he endures for ever, his sovereignty will never be destroyed and his kingship never end.

He saves, sets free, and works signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth, he saved Daniel from the power of the lions.

If a pagan king can testify to the saving love of God, then all the more we must believe Jesus when He says: 

When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high, because your liberation is near at hand.

Evil and wickedness can never have the last say.

God will always have the last word, and it is His saving Word. 

When darkness and wickedness seem to rule the earth, let us stand erect and hold our heads high, because God will free us and save us and work signs and wonder in the heavens and on earth.