2nd Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 23-01-2026

1 Samuel 24:3-21 / Mark 3:13-19   

In life there are two values that point to who we are and who others are to us.

These two values are dignity and respect.

When we are aware of our own dignity, we will respect ourselves.

And we will respect the dignity of others.

And we will also respect all the principles that govern the dignity of others.

In the 1st reading, David had the opportunity to kill Saul for unjustly persecuting him.

But David only cut off the border of the cloak of Saul and went off.

David cut off the border of Saul’s robe to serve as undeniable proof that he had the opportunity to kill Saul but chose not to.

In doing so, David proved his innocence, respect for God's anointed leader, and refusal to take the throne by force. 

This act highlighted his submission to God’s timing rather than his own.

In the gospel, Jesus appointed His twelve Apostles.

In doing so, Jesus respected their dignity, and they were to be His companions.

He would teach them about the dignity of every human person.

He would send them out to preach, and with power to restore the dignity of those who suffer injustice and persecution.

May we also recognize our own dignity as children of God.

May we also respect the dignity of others by letting them know they too are loved by God.

2nd Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 22-01-2026

1 Samuel 18:6-9,; 19:1-7 / Mark 3:7-12   

Power and strength are often exhibited by the exertion of speed and force.

So how a task is accomplished is often measured by how fast it is done and how much power is used to do it.

Power and strength, as well as speed, are impressive as well as attractive to those who desire for it.

In the 1st reading, that was a great admiration for David for leading the Israelites into victory over the Philistines.

That made Saul jealous. He was jealous because he thought that he had the power and might to lead the Israelites in victory over the enemy.

Instead it was a young man with no military experience who defeated the enemy and won the admiration.

So Saul wanted to use his power and might to kill David.

That is the madness and the insanity of jealousy.

In the gospel, Jesus used His power to cure the sick and to cast out evil spirits from those who were possessed.

True power is in the curing and healing of those who are sick and suffering.

May we understand that true power and strength lies in gentleness and kindness, compassion and patience.

That is what the world wants to see in us who call ourselves Christians.

2nd Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 221-01-2026

1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 / Mark 3:3:1-6   

It is always a good practice to be prepared for the unexpected.

And it is even necessary to be prepared for emergencies.

Because what can go wrong can go wrong, or even will go wrong.

We may say that we have faith in God, but God also wants us to use our intelligence and our sense of the situation to be prepared.

In the 1st reading, David offered to go and fight the giant Goliath.

Saul was against it but David said that God will rescue him from the power of that Philistine Goliath, and so Saul agreed and gave him God’s blessings.

David took his staff in his hand, picked up five smooth stones, and with his sling in his hand, went to meet Goliath.

David believed that just with one stone, God will help him defeat Goliath.

But David was also prepared for unexpected and unforeseen dangers.

Also the number “5” in the Bible stands for divine grace, goodness, and favour.

And with sling in hand, David killed Goliath with just one stone, and showed the awesome power of God.

In the gospel, Jesus healed the man with the withered hand.

That also tells us that by the work of our hands, we give glory to God.

Let us also carefully discern what tasks we want to pick up with our hands.

May what we do give glory to God, and may what we do also be for the good of others.

2nd Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 20-01-2-26

1 Samuel 16:1-13 / Mark 2:23-28   

In the animal world, there is a head or the leader of the herd or the troop.

There is one primary requisite to be in that prime position.

And that is size, and with it comes strength. 

So the head or leader of the herd or troop is usually the biggest and strongest male.

In the human family structure, the first-born male has a prime status and a privilege.

In the 1st reading, the God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse’s home.

From among Jesse’s sons, God had chosen for Himself a king.

Samuel had thought that it was the eldest son or even the tallest and best-looking son.

But in the end, it was the youngest son, David that God has chosen to be the next king.

And from what God said to Samuel, we learn this important spiritual truth:

God does not see as man sees. Man looks at appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Yes, the Lord looks at our hearts and He knows our thoughts.

Let us keep our hearts clean and we will see what God wants us to see, and also to know the thoughts of God.

2nd Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 19-01-2026

1 Samuel 15:16-23 / Mark 2:18-22   

To be pragmatic is to look at things and situations sensibly and realistically in a way that is based on practical rather than theoretical considerations.

And pragmatic views and solutions are easily and readily acceptable because the results are appealing and achievable.

Also to be pragmatic is to act immediately on the opportunities and to “strike while the iron is hot”.

In the 1st reading, Saul was being pragmatic about the booty from his victory over the Amalekites.

Instead of eliminating everything from the king right down to the livestock, which was the practice of that time, Saul kept the best sheep and oxen.

His intention was to offer it as a sacrifice to God.

But Samuel pointed out to Saul with these words:

“Is the pleasure of the Lord in holocausts and sacrifices,

or in obedience to the voice of the Lord?

Yes, obedience is better than sacrifice,

Submissiveness better than the fat of rams.

Rebellion is a sin of sorcery,

presumption a crime of teraphim.”

Those were hard and sharp words that will remind us of this:

That God’s ways are not man’s ways

God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts.

Instead of being only sensible and practical, let us listen to what the Lord God has to say.

Let us believe that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and when we obey the voice of the Lord, we will be blessed abundantly.

2nd Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 18.01.2026

Isaiah 4:3, 5-6 / 1 Cor 1:1-3 / John 1:29-34

There are many sayings that we have heard and remembered. 

Some are famous and popular sayings, and we remember them because they are like the wisdom sayings of life. 

For example, we will surely know this saying: “Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.”

That is like the cycle of life, sometimes up, sometimes down. 

Another one is this: “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” That tells us that appearance is only skin deep. There is more to discover when we go deeper. 

And there is this one that states a principle of life: “Honesty is the best policy.” That saying is practical and undeniable. 

Those sayings are short, but they express the truths of life, and they also guide us through life. 

Although actions speak louder than words, yet words are also necessary as they form our thoughts, and our thoughts are then expressed in our actions. 

So yes, actions speak louder than words, yet, what we say, we must do, and that will show the integrity of our words and actions. 

The gospel passage features John the Baptist, and what he says about Jesus. 

John the Baptist is often called the greatest of the prophets, because it was he who pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God. 

But John the Baptist tells us something interesting. 

He didn’t know that Jesus is the Lamb of God. 

He was sent by God to baptise for the forgiveness of sins. 

And God said this to him: The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is going to baptise with the Holy Spirit. 

And when John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit coming down on Jesus after His baptism, then he knew that Jesus is the Lamb of God. 

That was the testimony of John the Baptist, and it also signalled that his mission would soon be over. 

As we listen to the testimony of John the Baptist, we will remember two of his most profound sayings. 

When Jesus began his mission, the disciples of John the Baptist were feeling concerned that John the Baptist was becoming irrelevant and being pushed out of the scene. 

But John the Baptist said this: A man can only lay claim to what is given to him from above. 

John the Baptist knew what he was called to do.

And with the appearance of Jesus, John the Baptist knew that his mission was over, and he had to let go of the attention, and move out of the scene. 

And with that, John the Baptist also made this astonishing profound 6-worded statement: He must increase, I must decrease. 

John the Baptist was the greatest of all the prophets. 

He laid claim to the power given to him by God to accomplish his mission. 

He was the bright light until Jesus the true light appeared. 

With that, John the Baptist knew that Jesus must increase, and he must decrease. 

Those two sayings of John the Baptist are also the foundations of our Christian life. 

They are also the foundations of our relationship with Jesus and with others. 

It is said that human beings long for acknowledgment and appreciation. 

It is like there is a hole in the heart that needs to be filled. 

So, we may look for attention, for praise and compliments, so as to fill that hole in the heart. 

We want to excel, to prove our capabilities, and also, we want to be in the spotlight and in the limelight. 

And yet, even when we have all that, we don’t seem to be contented, to be satisfied, to be happy. 

That is the human tendency that had afflicted famous figures like Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Napoleon Bonaparte, right down to ordinary people. 

But then that hole in the heart cannot be filled by worldly achievements and accomplishments. 

It can only be filled by knowing what God has given us and what He wants us to do. 

Whether it is a glorious achievement of making a discovery or invention, or a simple task of caring and serving the poor and the sick, when the task is over and the time is up, let us like John the Baptist, graciously step aside. 

We need to know when to step aside, so that Jesus can increase, and we must decrease.

When we decrease, then the hole in the heart will also decrease, and then our hearts will finally be at rest in the loving heart of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

1st Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 17-01-2026

1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1 / Mark 2:13-17  

We have heard and read about some people who made a drastic career change in mid-life.

They may be professionals earning a high salary, and yet they made a career switch to something that is totally different from what they were doing.

They may even be executives or directors and they switched to become a chef, or an artist or a musician, and we wonder why.

In the gospel, Levi was a tax-collector and he was sitting in the customs house doing his usual thing.

How he ended up being a tax-collector was not told to us, but he was not really happy because he was scorned and despised by his own people.

So when Jesus called him, Levi decided to leave the security of his job and followed Jesus.

The time has come for Levi to find meaning and fulfillment for his life and he knew it when Jesus called him.

Any change in life would require us to consider many factors like job security and financial stability.

But if it is Jesus calling us to follow Him, then we need to ask ourselves what is it that we are really for in life.

Jesus calls us to a life of happiness, peace and joy.

When we hear His voice, may we also know that when we follow Jesus, we will be blessed abundantly and He will also take care of us.