3rd Week of Advent, Monday, 15-12-2025

Numbers 24:2-7, 15-17 / Matthew 21:23-27   

Respect cannot be demanded. Respect is always earned.

Similarly, when it comes to authority, the one who does not have it cannot demand for it.

And the one who has authority would not flaunt it.

In the 1st reading, the pagan prophet Balaam was bribed by the enemies of Israel to put a curse on them.

But he couldn’t do it as his authority is only valid for what God wants him to do.

So instead of cursing Israel, Balaam ended up blessing Israel.

In the gospel, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Jesus and they questioned His authority.

But their question revealed their silent acknowledgement of the authority of Jesus.

Furthermore, they also cannot answer the question from Jesus about the authority of John the Baptist.

The God that we believe in has absolute authority over all creation and over us as His people.

May we always do what is right, just and loving, and others will see the power of the love of God in us.

3rd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 14.12.2025

Isaiah 35:1-6, 10 / James 5:7-10 / Matthew 11:2-11

In life, we have our expectations, but we also have to expect surprises. 

In other words, it comes back to that saying, “expect the unexpected”. 

And the unexpected will certainly be a surprise. 

The following conversation between a man and God may give us an idea of what an unexpected surprise is. 

Once, a man asked God, “What is a million years to You?” God replied, “Well, it is just a minute.” 

The man asked God again, “What is $1,000,000 to You?” God replied, “Oh, it is just one cent.”

So the man said to God, “Then, can You give me one cent?” God replied, “Sure, just wait a minute.” 

To believe in God is to expect the unexpected, and also to be surprised. 

Simply because God’s ways are not man’s ways, and God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts. 

And if we think that those who have a strong faith in God will be prepared for the unexpected, then we might just be surprised. 

In the gospel, John the Baptist was in prison, and he had heard what Jesus was doing, and he sent his disciples to Jesus with this question: 

Are you the one who is to come, or have we to wait for someone else? 

John the Baptist had foretold that there is someone more powerful who is coming after him. 

That someone will baptise with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 

John the Baptist had expected that someone to bring about judgement and to reward the just and punish the wicked. 

John the Baptist had expected Jesus to be the one, but now he wasn't sure, he has his doubts. 

Jesus preached about love and forgiveness, He healed the sick, the blind, the lame, the deaf and the lepers. 

That was not what John Baptist expected, so he had his doubts about Jesus, and he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the one. 

What Jesus did was not what John the Baptist expected, and he was surprised, and that surprise became a doubt. 

John the Baptist had to ask the question, and Jesus gave him a reply to think about. 

In life, we too have our questions when the unexpected surprises us. 

We have our questions when people do not respond as expected to our need for help, and we get disappointed. 

The following story has a lesson for all of us.

A mouse, looking through a hole in the wall, sees the farmer and his wife open a package. He was terrified to see that it was a mousetrap. 

He ran to the barn to warn everyone, “There is a mousetrap at home!”

The chicken says: "Excuse me, Mr. Mouse, I understand that it is a big problem for you, but it does not hurt me at all."

So, the mouse went to the sheep and he says the same thing. But the sheep replied, "Excuse me, Mr. Mouse, but I don't think I can help you."

The mouse went to the cow and she said: "But am I in danger? I don’t think so!"

The mouse returned to the house, worried and dejected to face the farmer's mousetrap.

That night a loud noise was heard like that of the mousetrap catching its victim, and the farmer’s wife ran to see what was caught.

In the dark she did not see that the mousetrap caught the tail of a venomous snake.

The speedy snake bit the woman, and the farmer immediately took her to the hospital, but she came back with a high fever.

The farmer wanted to comfort her with a nutritious soup, and so he grabbed the knife and went to find the main ingredient: the chicken. 

But the woman did not get better, so friends and neighbours went to visit her, and the farmer slaughtered the sheep to feed them. 

The woman did not get better and she died. And in the end, the husband sold the cow to the slaughterhouse to cover the funeral expenses.

So, when we say it is not our problem, we might just end up with a bigger problem for ourselves. 

Let us look at Jesus who took the problem of our sins on Himself. 

On the Cross, Jesus bore the punishment of our sins and saved us. 

So, when someone comes to us with their problems, let us bear the burden with them, and be a part of their solution. 

May we follow Jesus by showing compassion to others, and may we too receive compassion in our time of need. 

2nd Week of Advent, Saturday, 13-12-2025

Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4, 9-11 / Matthew 17:10-13   

Among the prophets of the Old Testament, one that was truly impressive and worked mighty deeds was the prophet Elijah, and the 1st reading makes a special mention of him.

Indeed he "arose like a fire, his word flaring like a torch" and he worked many miracles, the most famous of which was when he called down fire from heaven at Mt. Carmel to consume the sacrifice to show the mighty power of God (1 Kings 18:20-39)

But all that was to turn the people back to God and to restore Israel as the people of God.

Yet people can just be interested in the dramatic and the spectacular and fail to see the meaning of the message behind it.

We too are easily attracted by the dramatic and the spectacular and the extraordinary and look for signs and wonders.

We may even expect that God would reveal Himself in some kind of dramatic and spectacular and awesome signs.

But as Jesus said in the gospel, Elijah came in the person of John the Baptist, and God came to visit His people in the Word made flesh.

But John the Baptist and Jesus were just too ordinary, and hence they did not fit into people's expectations of how God would reveal Himself.

The season of Advent is to prepare us to encounter and experience God in the ordinary.

We need to quieten our hearts in prayer and to experience God in the ordinary.

When Jesus came into this world at the first Christmas, it was just another ordinary day.

When He comes to us today and even at Christmas, it will also be in an ordinary way. Let us be prepared.

2nd Week of Advent, Friday, 12-12-2025

Isaiah 48:17-19 / Matthew 11:16-19   

Those who are brave and adventurous will go to a foreign place alone for the first time.

When they reached their destination, they would wander off on their own and explore that new place.

But for most of us, we would rather be safe than to be brave.

If we are going to a foreign place for the first time, we certainly won’t want to go alone.

And we would also try to find out as many facts as possible about that place.

In our journey of life, we won’t go through it alone.

In the 1st reading, the Lord, the Holy One of Israel says this to His people:

I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you. I lead you in the way you must go.

God is also assuring us of His help, His protection and His guidance as we face the struggles and troubles of life.

But we must be alert to God’s commandments and our happiness would flow like the waters of a river.

During this season of Advent, let us go back to the basics and fundamentals of our faith.

Let us go back to prayer and reflecting on the Word of God.

When we do what God wants of us, He will be with us always, to bless and guide us, to protect us from danger and evil.

2nd Week of Advent, Thursday, 11-12-2025

Isaiah 41:13-20 / Matthew 11:11-15   

Every now and then, we hear this question “May I help you?” or “How can I help you?”

Usually, it is from a service personnel or a sales representative, and probably that is what they were trained to do when interacting with a customer.

But when it comes to a critical matter, and when we do really need help, then those questions can be consoling.

Especially so when the one asking the question is sincere and has the ability to offer us some solution.

In the 1st reading, God was addressing His people who had gone through a devastating and humiliating time.

God says this: I, the Lord, your God, I am holding you by the hand. I tell you, “Do not be afraid, I will help you.”

That was indeed a great consolation for the People of God, especially in that time of distress.

As we reflect on those words of God, we will also realise that we all need help from God.

We need help to repent of our sins and to turn away from sin.

We need help to live the life of holiness and grow in the virtues of kindness, gentleness, compassion and humility.

God will help us when we stretch out our hands and our hearts to Him.

And may we also stretch out our hands to those who come to us for help.

2nd Week of Advent, Wednesday, 10-12-2025

Isaiah 40:25-31 / Matthew 11:28-30   

One of the most inconvenient things that can happen is a power blackout.

If it happens during the daytime, at least we could see what is around.

We only have to bear with appliances and devices that cannot work without power.

But when the blackout happens at night, then the lights and everything else won’t work without electricity.

It literally means that we are powerless, and we are down to a standstill.

In such a situation, we will understand that we are quite helpless and we can feel that our abilities are so limited.

It is like our strength is all gone and it is so difficult to get back to normalcy.

It is like what the 1st reading says, even “young men grow tired and weary, and youths stumble.

But the 1st reading also says that the Lord is an everlasting God, He does not grow tired or weary.

And those who hope in the Lord renew their strength, they put out wings like eagles, they run and do not weary, walk and never tire.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us to come to Him and He will give us rest, and He will renew our hope.

It is in prayer that we will find strength and keep our hope alive.

And we will also remember to charge our emergency batteries and keep going in a power blackout.

2nd Week of Advent, Tuesday, 09-12-2025

Isaiah 40:1-11 / Matthew 18:12-14   

The season of Advent is a time of prayer and a time of waiting in hope.

It is a time of prayer for us to reflect about our human condition and who we are before God.

As we reflect on our weak and sinful human condition, the 1st reading gives us this stark reminder:

All flesh is grass and its beauty like the wild flower’s. 

The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on them.

But the Word of God remains forever.

We are reminded that we are really nothing before God.

Yet, God does not see us as nothing. We are the beauty of His creation.

The 1st reading also tells us that God is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breasts and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

Such is God’s great love for us and His love is shown when He sent His only Son to save us.

And Jesus tells us in the gospel that God does not want any one of His creation to be lost.

So our prayer is a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s great love for us.

And we pray with hope that those who have gone astray will be brought back by the love of God.

And it is only when we truly repent of our sins that we will be able to help others to repent and return back to God.

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Monday, 08-12-2025

Genesis3:9-15, 20 / Ephesians 1:3-6, 11-12 / Luke 1:26-38  

To be able to succeed in any task or mission, there must be adequate preparation.

The bigger the task or the mission, the more detailed will be the preparation.

In the 1st reading, Adam and Eve were tempted and they fell into sin.

From that moment, sin entered into humanity and it is called “original sin”.

But God did not allow sin to destroy His creation and so He made preparations to save the human race.

And this mission of salvation would involve human beings.

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was conceived without original sin.

It is because God freed her from the stain of original sin that Mary was able to say “yes” to the mission of salvation.

And it is through her that God became man in Jesus Christ.

Reflecting of the God’s plan of salvation, we will realise that it is because of God’s great love for us.

Let us like Mary, say “yes” to God’s love and to the salvation that Jesus won for us on the Cross.

May we do God’s will and may we also love as God loves us.

2nd Sunday of Advent, Year A, 07.12.2025

Isaiah 11:1-10 / Romans 15:4-9 / Matthew 3:1-12

It is said that life is like a toilet paper roll. As it comes closer to the end, it runs out faster and faster. 

The same can be said about time. We are already one week into December, and in less than three weeks’ time, it will be Christmas. 

It seems that as we come to the last month of the year, time is really rolling and flying. 

Time is not only rolling and flying, there are also many things happening. 

People are going off for holidays, schedules are changed here in there. Christmas decorations must be put up quickly at home, in the office and also in church. 

Of course, when it comes to Christmas decorations, the must-have item is the Nativity Scene, because that is what Christmas is about. 

Then the rest are things like the Christmas tree, fairy lights, Santa Claus and reindeers and whatever. 

But no Christmas decoration would ever have a figure or a picture of John the Baptist. 

Anyway, why should John the Baptist appear in the Nativity Scene or in any Christmas decorations. 

With that kind of attire, and that kind of diet, John the Baptist is just so out of place in this festive season. 

But on this 2nd Sunday of Advent, the gospel brings in John the Baptist. 

He preached in the wilderness of Judaea, and this was his message: Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is close at hand. 

His message is straight and direct, and the prophet Isaiah spoke of him as a voice crying out in the wilderness, “Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.” 

His message was also accompanied by a baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

But John the Baptist had tough words for those who take repentance and the baptism lightly. 

John the Baptist says this: Even now, the axe is laid to the roots of the trees, so that any tree that fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. 

Yes, tough words that are accompanied by an uncomfortable image of the axe at the roots. 

If John the Baptists were to come and take a look around, he might take that axe and cut down a few things. 

We like our Christmas decorations to be nice and pretty. 

But John the Baptist will remind us that this is still the season of Advent, and he will take down those things that will distract us from the spirit of preparation and repentance. 

And going down to the root of the matter, John the Baptist wants us to remember this:

Our lives are rooted in Jesus Christ, and when we are rooted in Christ, then we will bear fruits for Christ. 

But along the way, our roots have gone to look for the waters of worldly pleasure and sensual desires. 

Slowly we begin to drink in the contaminated waters of addiction to porn and immorality, and living by the ways of the world. 

We slowly forget about the clean waters of our baptism, and walking in the straight ways of the Lord.

John the Baptist wants to give us an Advent present, and that present is an axe.

With that axe, we need to look at the roots of our lives that have gone the wrong way. 

Let us start by looking at those roots that have made us produce bad and rotten fruits. 

Let us get down to looking at the behaviours and the attitudes of our lives. 

Behaviours and attitudes like: jumping to conclusion, passing the buck, throwing our weight around, making mountains out of molehills, blowing our own trumpet, adding fuel to fire, pushing the blame. 

Let us cut off all the crooked and twisted attitudes and behaviours of our lives. 

Then the roots of our lives will thirst for the living water of Jesus Christ, and we will bear fruits of love for Jesus and for others. 

Then we will learn how to swallow our pride, , walk away from gossips and bickering, speak the truth, pick up the pieces of our disappointments and frustrations and giving them to Jesus, take responsibility, live with honesty and sincerity.

When we are rooted in Jesus Christ, we will see the straight path and walk towards Jesus Christ, from this Advent to Christmas, and always. 

1st Week of Advent, Saturday, 06-12-2025

Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 / Matthew 9:35 - 10:1, 6-8  

The question of the connection between illness and sin is an age-old question.

Despite being a long-standing question, there is no obvious answer to it.

On the one hand, those who commit wickedness will pay for their sins by being afflicted with illness or disease.

But on the other hand, in the face of innocent suffering, what explanation can there be.

In the gospel, Jesus summoned His twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness.

It is the love of God for all peoples that is the foundation of the ministry of Jesus and the mission of the disciples.

So for sinners, God’s love reaches out to them that they may come to their senses and repent and be healed of the affliction of their sins.

For the innocent, God’s love comes to strengthen them to bear witness to God even in the midst of suffering and illness.

Regardless of whether it is the sinner or the innocent, Jesus feels sorry for them because they are harassed and dejected by the sufferings and afflictions of life.

We pray for them that when they have experienced the healing love of God, they will become labourers of love in the Lord’s harvest.

1st Week of Advent, Friday, 05-12-2025

Isaiah 29:17-24 / Matthew 9:27-31   

We ask questions for various reasons.

One is to get an answer or a clarification.

Another is to see what is another person’s understanding and conviction.

In the gospel, Jesus asked the two blind men a simple question: Do you believe I can do this?

When the two blind men replied that they do, Jesus touched their eyes saying, “Your faith deserves it, so let this be done for you.”

That would also make us think about our faith in prayer.

When we pray for an intention or a need, do we believe that Jesus will answer our prayer?

Especially when we face the wickedness from evil-doers, and we pray desperately for help.

In the 1st reading, God says this: for tyrants shall be no more, and scoffers vanish, and all be destroyed who are disposed to do evil:

Those who gossip to incriminate others, those who try at the gate to trip the arbitrator, and get the upright man’s case dismissed for groundless reasons.

God will not let evil overcome us when we stay faithful to Him.

Let us believe that God will protect us from evil, and we will see the powerful justice of God.

1st Week of Advent, Thursday, 03-12-2025

Isaiah 26:1-6 / Matthew 7:21, 24-27   

In our modern fast-paced world, to have to wait is considered a waste of time or unproductive time.

So, the solution to waiting time is to have instant products and instant responses.

With that, the waiting time is reduced to seconds or minutes.

but when the waiting time is increased to hours, or days, or weeks, or months, then we will get flustered, frustrated and irritated.

But for the people of God in the Old Testament, they had waited and waited for the coming of the Messiah.

They had to dig deep into their hope that the promise of God to send the Messiah will be fulfilled.

So, the 1st reading urges the people to keep the hope alive with these words: Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord is an everlasting Rock.

Jesus is that everlasting Rock that came down from heaven to give us hope.

As we face the struggles and troubles of life, we pray and wait for God’s saving help.

When we build our faith in Jesus the Rock of our salvation, we will not wait in vain.

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.

34th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 26-11-2025

Daniel 5:1-6, 13-14, 16-17, 23-28 / Luke 21:12-19  

One of the ways to say that the problem or the issue is so obvious is to say that “the writing is on the wall.”

And that phrase is taken from the account in the 1st reading.

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for his noblemen, a thousand of them.

As they feasted, king Belshazzar ordered that the gold and silver vessels which were looted from the sanctuary in Jerusalem be used in the banquet.

Now, those were sacred vessels that were used in the Temple for rituals and serving offerings, and symbolised the holiness and the majesty of God.

But king Belshazzar had no regard for the sacredness of those vessels and so he, his noblemen, his wives and singing women drank out of them.

What happened next was frightening, to say the least.

A human hand appeared, and began writing on the wall, and the king could see the hand as it wrote, and he turned pale.

The prophet Daniel was brought in to interpret the writing on the wall.

It spelt judgement for king Belshazzar for having defiled the Lord of heaven and abusing the sacred vessels, and he died that very night.

In the gospel, Jesus said something that was also frightening and terrifying.

He spoke of persecutions and suffering and even death.

But Jesus also said something that is not written on walls but on the pages of the Bible and on the hearts of His disciples.

He said to us: Your endurance will win you your lives.

May those words be written in our hearts and may those words give us courage to hold on to our faith in times of trials and tribulations.

34th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 25-11-2025

Daniel 2:31-45 / Luke 21:5-11   

If we were ever granted the opportunity to have a glimpse of the future, would we want to take it up?

It would just be a glimpse of one event after event, with no words or comments.

As much as we would be curious to have a look into the future, will we be able to handle what comes along with it?

Probably we would have to think about the anxiety and the stress of knowing too much of the future.

In the 1st reading, king Nebuchadnezzar had a vision which he wasn’t able to interpret or understand.

He may have been curious about the future but that vision made him anxious.

And with Daniel’s interpretation of the vision, king Nebuchadnezzar’s anxiety about the future could have increased.

In the gospel, the people also asked Jesus about the future, when they questioned Him about what is going to happen in the future and when will it happen.

Jesus told them to take care not to be deceived.

As we reflect deeper on what Jesus said, we may realise that we are curious and maybe even anxious about the future.

But may we also realise that we should reflect on the present and how we are living our lives now.

When we have grip on the present, and know Jesus is with us here and now, then we will be at peace with the future.

34th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 24-11-2025

Daniel 1:1-6, 8-20 / Luke 21:1-4 

It is difficult to understand what faith is really about.

Because faith is intangible, so it cannot be measured or weighed, nor can a number or quantity be put to it.

Faith is like a tea bag. We will only know how strong it is when it is put into hot water.

Then we will know how strong it is.

In the 1st reading, the four young boys had to turn to their faith in God when they were put into a situation.

They were given food that would defile them so they had to find a way out.

They pleaded with the chief eunuch to put them on a vegetable and water diet for ten days to see how their condition turned out.

And because they were faithful, God helped them out of that situation.

In the gospel, Jesus noticed a poverty-stricken widow offering her two coins, which was all she had to live on.

Although she was not put to the test, the widow’s faith was expressed in her total offering to God.

When we say that we have faith in God, let us also express our faith in our sharing and generosity.

That will also strengthen our faith when it is put to the test.

Christ the King, Year C, 23.11.2025

2 Samuel 5:1-3 / Colossians 1:11-20 / Luke 23:35-43  

The need for attention is a need of every person. 

Every person needs attention for various reasons. 

Basically, we will call for attention because of some need. 

For example, when we are in a restaurant and we are ready to order our food, we will call for the attention of the waiter. 

For babies, when they are in need, whether they are hungry or the diapers need to be changed, they will cry out for attention. 

Even a seemingly ordinary action like pressing the bell in the bus, calls for the attention of the bus captain to let him know that we need to alight at the next bus stop. 

So, everyone calls out for attention because of a need. 

Children will try to get the attention of their parents by doing something or saying something because they need to know that their parents care for them. 

Workers will try to get the attention of their boss or superiors by being impressive in every possible way for job security and stability.

And in the competition for love, boy will try to impress the girl and get her attention, or it can also be the other way around. 

Whatever it is, the reality is that as human beings, we need the attention from others. 

We need attention to impress others and to prove ourselves. 

On the higher and noble levels of life, we call for attention to direct others to safety or away from danger, or to make an important announcement. 

Today, as we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, the gospel passage brings us back to the scene of the crucifixion. 

We may wonder, why is it that on such a grand and joyous feast, the gospel passage is about pain, suffering and death. 

The gospel passage states that fact. 

But not all facts tell the truth. 

The people stood there, but they were looking at Jesus as if they were watching a spectacle, and no response were required from them. 

The leaders jeered at Jesus saying, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ of God.”

The soldiers also mocked Jesus as they said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 

And above Jesus there was an inscription: This is the King of the Jews. 

Even one of the condemned criminals hanging there abused Jesus saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself, and us as well.” 

Those were the facts at the scene of the crucifixion. 

But the irony is that those facts point to the truth, a rather mysterious truth. 

Because, all that was said by the leaders, by the soldiers, by that condemned criminal, all that pointed to the truth. 

And that truth was stated silently but profoundly in that inscription: This is the King of the Jews. 

And the King of the Jews didn’t need to prove Himself, or call for the people’s attention to acknowledge Him as the king.

By the fact that Jesus was on the Cross, He was already above the rest and they were looking up at Him. 

At the foot of the Cross, there was so much noise – the noise of jeering, insulting and mocking. 

All were trying to call attention to themselves by trying to put down Jesus.

There was so much of jeering and mocking, but only one person was praying. 

And his prayer is simply this: Jesus, remember Me when you come into your Kingdom.” 

And that simple and humble prayer brought out the divine promise of salvation. 

Although nailed to the Cross, Jesus made this divine promise: Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise. 

That is the promise of the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 

It is the promise made to that repentant criminal, and it is a promise made to all of us who believe in Jesus as our Lord and our King. 

That promise is renewed whenever we pray the prayer that is on the prayer card, which is also our parish prayer. 

That promise is renewed when we write our prayers and petitions in the petition forms, as we put our trust in Jesus, our Lord and our King. 

As we call out to Jesus, He turns His attention to each of us, and He says: Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with Me, because I love you, and I want you to be with Me forever. 

That is the promise of Jesus to us, and let us believe in that promise. 

Because it is the truth and the promise is made by Jesus Christ, our Lord and our King.    

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 22-11-2025

1 Maccabees 6:1-13 / Luke 20:27-40  

We have heard of this word "retribution". We may even have used it before when we see someone getting his dues for the evil he had done.

In casual terms, we would say: What goes around, come around.

That seemed to be the case in the 1st reading.

King Antiochus fell into deep depression and melancholy when everything around him fell apart.

Then he remembered the wrong he had done to the Jews and he was convinced that that was why misfortune had overwhelmed him.

But that was not his greatest tragedy. What was really tragic for him was that in his heyday he had what he wanted and he never thought of a beyond, an afterlife.

He had enjoyed life, and now he was afraid of death. Because he does not know what awaits for him beyond death.

Our central belief is in the resurrection and in eternal life. It is not just a religious precept or a profound concept.

Because justice cries out for the resurrection and for eternal life.

For all the injustice and the victory of evil over good that we see happening in this world, our answer cannot be just in retribution.

We believe that God does not abandon or forget the poor, the suffering, the oppressed, and those that injustice and evil have hammered down.

God's justice will prevail. It will prevail and for eternity. That will certainly happen in the resurrection and in eternal life.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Friday, 21-11-2025

Zechariah 2:14-17 / Matthew 12:46-50  

The feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an event that is not recorded in the gospels.

But it is found in an extra-biblical source called the Infancy Narrative of James.

According to that text, Mary's parents, Joachim and Anne had been childless, but then they received a heavenly message that they would have a child.

In thanksgiving, they brought the child Mary to the Temple to consecrate her to the Lord.

It was believed that Mary remained in the Temple to be formed and prepared for her role as the Mother of God.

The focus of this feast is to show that even in her childhood Mary was completely dedicated to God. It is from this account that arose the feast of Mary's Presentation.

A further reflection on this feast would also make us think about the environment at home and the formation that we are giving our children and our family members.

The Christian home is to be a sanctuary of prayer where the members can grow in holiness and in the ways of the Lord.

When our will is nothing less than to do the will of God, then together with Mary, we will present our lives as an offering that is pleasing to God.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 20-11-2025

1 Maccabees 2:15-29 / Luke 19:41-44   

When faced with a threat or a danger, there are usually two options to consider.

It is either we fight or we take flight.

Both options require courage and wisdom.

In the 1st reading, Mattathias and his family were faced with a difficult situation.

They were told that if they renounced their faith and obeyed the king’s commissioners, they would be rewarded.

Mattathias declared that he and his family will remain faithful to the covenant of his ancestors.

He also fought and killed the king’s commissioners who were sent to enforce the king’s orders.

He had the courage to fight for his faith, but he also had the wisdom to take flight and escape into the hills.

Those who had the courage and wisdom also followed him, leaving all their possessions behind in the town.

In the gospel, Jesus warned of an impending mortal danger.

For those who heeded the signs and recognized their opportunity when God offered it, they would have saved themselves.

May we too have the wisdom to heed the signs from God and recognize the opportunity when God offered it.

May we also have the courage to leave the unnecessary behind and walk towards salvation.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 19-11-2025

2 Maccabees 7:1, 20-31 / Luke 19:11-28  

There is a word for someone who has lost his or her spouse, and that is widow or widower.

There is a word for someone who has lost his or her parents, and that is orphan.

But for a parent to lose their child or children, there is no word for it.

There is no word for it because the pain of losing a child or children is beyond words.

In the 1st reading, the mother of seven sons saw all her sons died in one day.

Their deaths were also horrible and gruesome; they were tortured to death.

The mother was the last to die, after her sons.

Still, the pain and grief of seeing her sons go before her cannot be described or put into words.

But there is a word that would make us feel for that mother and her sons, and that world is “humanness”.

In our humanness, we are able to feel, to love, to understand, to be kind and gentle, to be reliable and responsible.

The parable in the gospel makes us think about our life and our response to God’s love for us.

Jesus came to show us how to be truly human and how to respond to God’s love.

May we remember that we are made in God’s image and to be truly human is our calling.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 18-11-2025

2 Maccabees 6:18-31 / Luke 19:1-10   

As we grow with age, we also will have more life experiences.

And from the experiences of life, we also gain some wisdom about life.

But it is when we learn from our experiences of life that we may also become wiser.

in the 1st reading, the 90-year-old Eleazar found himself in a difficult situation.

As a teacher of the law, he was made to eat something forbidden, so that the rest of the people will give in since Eleazar had done so.

Eleazar could have followed the suggestion of pretending to eat the forbidden food so as to save his life.

But his years of life experiences has taught him that honour and integrity cannot be traded away easily for some temporary gain.

So he rather die with honour than live on with shame. 

He lost his life, but he gained the respect of the people.

In the gospel, the moment of reckoning for Zacchaeus came when Jesus looked up and called him down because He wants to stay at his house.

All his years of life’s experiences had made Zacchaeus wise enough to embrace salvation.

May we too continue to reflect on life’s experiences in our prayer.

May we see in those experiences the hand of Jesus leading us in wisdom and salvation.

33rd Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 17-11-2025

1 Maccabees 1:10-15, 41-43, 54-57, 62-64 / Luke 18:35-43   

By and large, we would prefer to live ordinary and quiet lives.

Never mind if life is rather routine and mundane.

We would rather be in a nice quiet place and live our lives peacefully.

We don’t see ourselves as leading any radical change, nor be the voice of the minority or majority.

But at times, we may have to shout in order to be heard.

Like how that blind man in the gospel called and shouted for Jesus.

The people around him scolded him and told him to keep quiet.

But that blind man shouted all the louder until Jesus stopped and asked the people to bring the blind man over to Him.

The 1st reading told of a dreadful wrath that came upon the people of Israel.

The voice of faith and prayer was suppressed by the threat of death.

As for us, we may not need to shout out our prayers in order for God to hear us.

God will listen to the prayers of the poor, the simple and the humble.

So, whether we softly offer up our prayer, or say it aloud, let us trust that the Lord our God will listen and answer to our prayer whenever we are in need.

33rd Sunday, OT, Year C, 16.11.2025

Malachi 3:19-20 / 2 Thess 3:7-12 / Luke 21:5-19

In almost every kind of sport, strength and stamina are required. 

Strength and stamina can only be achieved in one way, and that is by pushing the body, and the mind, when tiredness and fatigue set in. 

Strength and stamina cannot be developed if we were to stop the moment we feel tired. 

Of course, we need to stop when we feel exhausted, otherwise we might injure the body. 

So, strength and stamina can be built and developed progressively and gradually. 

In a way, it is like boiling water. The fire isn’t turned off just when the water is getting warm. 

The fire is kept burning as the water gets warmer and warmer until the water reaches boiling point. 

So it is with strength and stamina. We keep going when we are tired in order to increase strength and stamina, but at the same time being careful not to over-exert. 

But all this requires time, because nothing happens quickly or instantly. 

In fact, nature teaches us that growth and development requires time. 

And nature also teaches us that growth and development comes about through challenges and difficulties. 

Listening to the gospel passage can be rather challenging, difficult and even disturbing. 

At first, Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple, which was the most holy place for the People of God. 

Then, He talks about the chaos of war and calamities. 

And then, He talks about violence and persecution, but He also assures His protection to those who are faithful to Him. 

And finally, Jesus urges us to have endurance so as to overcome the turmoil and tribulation. 

But what Jesus said about the destruction of the Temple will leave a graphic image in our minds: Not a single stone will be left on another; everything will be destroyed. 

The Temple was like a fortified city with high and thick walls. To breach a fortified city, the walls must first be broken through and then the destruction will begin. 

The walls of the Temple brings to mind the tale of two walls. 

The first is the walls of Jericho, the first city that blocked the Israelites when they entered into the Promised Land. 

The fortified walls of Jericho were high and mighty, almost impossible to breach and break-through. 

The Israelites turned to God for help, and they were told to march around the city for seven days. 

Then on the seventh day, they were to blow trumpets and horns and God will make the way. 

As much as it sounded nothing like a battle plan, the people obeyed. 

And on the 7th day when the trumpets and horns were sounded, the mighty walls of Jericho simply crumbled and the city of Jericho was taken. 

So, it can be said that the walls of Jericho fell by faith and not by force. 

Marching on in faith and prayer requires endurance, but that will bring about the awesome power of God.

That is the first of the tale of the two walls.

The second is the Western Wall, or the Wailing Wall, which is a surviving remnant of the Temple of Jerusalem, that was destroyed by the Romans in 70AD.

A Jewish legend has it that when the Temple was being built, the work was divided among different sectors of the population. 

The building of the Western Wall fell to the poor, and they worked hard to construct it, as they could not afford to hire labourers to do their work for them.

When the enemy destroyed the Temple, the angels descended from on high and spread their wings over the Wall, because God said: "This Wall, the work of the poor, shall never be destroyed."

The tale of these two walls tells us this. In the case of the walls of Jericho, it was by the simple act of faith and not by might of force that brought down the walls of Jericho. 

As for the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall, it can be said that the simple and humble prayer of the poor will endure. 

In life, there will be chaos, but with faith in God, out of chaos will come forth creation. 

In life, there will be tribulation, but every tribulation has a revelation. 

That revelation for us is that endurance will prevail over the chaos and turmoil. 

The walls of pride and might will be broken down. 

But the simple and humble prayer of those who endure in their faith in God will go up to heaven and bring forth God’s salvation.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 15-11-2025

Wisdom 18:14-16; 19:6-9 / Luke 18:1-8  

In life, we will face disappointments and failures.

Disappointments and failures dishearten us and make us want to give us our goals and objectives.

But if we can see the purpose and meaning of our goals and objectives, we would push on.

In the gospel, Jesus told a parable about an unjust judge and a persistent widow.

The unjust judge had neither fear of God nor respect for men.

The widow wanted justice against her enemy and she kept pestering that judge to give her justice and her rights.

In the end, the judge relented from the widow’s persistence and gave her what she wanted.

Yes, persistence will prevail over reluctance and indifference.

So, we must persist in our faith and persevere in the face of disappointments and failures.

But the parable also tells us something about the nature of God.

God persist in His love for us because He wants to save us.

We are weak and feeble and when we think that God does not answer our prayers, we may be reluctant to keep praying and become indifferent in our faith.

But God will keep prompting us and nudging us and keep calling out to us.

May we see the signs that God is showing us, may we listen to His promptings.

When we keep our hearts open to God, we will receive God’s answer to our prayers and receive His blessings.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 14-11-2025

Wisdom 13:1-9 / Luke 17:26-37  

The purpose of religion is not to prove the existence of God.

The primary purpose of religion is to state that there is a God, and religion helps believers to come to know God.

In Christianity, we come to believe in God because it was God who revealed Himself to us.

We believe that God created everything, and through creation, God continues to reveal His presence among us.

So, we know God from what He has revealed to us, and also that all creation points to the existence and the presence of God.

The 1st reading tells us that human beings can be so attracted to the beauty and wonders of this world that they make creatures and creation into gods that they worship.

As for us Christians, there is a weakness and a failing to be aware of.

We can be so caught up with the busyness of life and the things of this world that we can forget about God.

We can even neglect our duty to God and forget about prayer and be numbed to His promptings in our life.

As Jesus says in the gospel, during Noah’s day and during Lot’s day, people were so caught up with the things of life that they didn’t see what God is showing them or hear what God is saying to them.

May we always remember the teachings of our faith and be faithful in prayer.

Let us read the Bible so that we will hear the voice of the Lord God and be able to see what He is showing us.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 13-11-2025

Wisdom 7:22 - 8:1 / Luke 17:20-25 

We have our expectations in life.

We try to manage our expectations so that we will not be faced with too many disappointments.

But we will wish that we can know something about the future so that we can be prepared for what will happen.

So we will plan for the future and then wait to see how life will turn out.

But our faith will tell us that the present and the future lie in the hands of God.

In the gospel, the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God will come about.

For the Pharisee, and the people in general, the kingdom of God means freedom from oppression and independence as a nation.

But what Jesus told them is beyond their expectations.

Jesus told them that the kingdom of God is already here among them, but they need to be wise enough to recognize it.

As for Jesus, He knows that He must suffer grievously in order to bring the kingdom of God to fulfilment.

As for us, let us ask God to grant us the Wisdom who will lead us to truth and love.

Where is there is truth and love, there the kingdom of God will be.

When we live our lives in truth and love, there will be peace and joy in our lives.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 12-11-2025

Wisdom 6:1-11 / Luke 17:11-19 

Illnesses and diseases are the realities of human life.

They do not respect personages or titles or status.

We do not deny that some of the illnesses or diseases are of our own doing.

Unhealthy lifestyles like excessive eating and unhealthy habits can contribute to the rise of illness and diseases.

In the biblical times, illness and disease were thought of as punishments from God, and there are also traces of such thinking in our modern times.

When the ten lepers approached Jesus, they saw Him as someone sent by God and that He can heal their leprosy.

When Jesus saw them and heard their pleas, He told them to go and show themselves to the priests.

So if those ten lepers had the thinking that the leprosy is a punishment from God, then Jesus is also telling them that God has forgiven them and God will heal their disease.

And indeed as they went on their way, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

But only one, the foreigner, a Samaritan, came back to Jesus to give thanks.

And even Jesus wondered why only one came back to give thanks.

That reminds us that when we are afflicted with illness and disease, we turn desperately to God for help and healing.

But with a thankful and grateful heart, we will also know how much God loves us and cares for us.

May our faith in God lead us to always give thanks to God, for in thanking God, we will also be filled with the saving love of God.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 11-11-2025

Wisdom 2:23 - 3:9 / Luke 17:7-10  

Human beings have the tendency to be ambitious.

They desire to be better than the rest and to even rise above the rest.

In other words, human beings want to be masters instead of being servants.

They want to be served and not to serve.

But when God created man, God made him in the image of His own image.

God even entrusted man to be the master of all creation.

Yet, as the 1st reading tells us, it was the devil’s envy that brought about the fall of man.

In the gospel, Jesus reminds us that we are merely servants and we have a duty to fulfil.

But beyond that, we are also called to serve, just as our Master Jesus came to serve and not to be served.

May our service to others express the love of God for them.

And by our service, may we also discover our dignity in Jesus, that we too serve just as Jesus our Master came to serve.

32nd Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 10-11-2025

Wisdom 1:1-7 / Luke 17:1-6 

When there is an obstacle in our path, there can be two possible options.

One is to find a way around the obstacle, if there is a way around it.

But the obstacle can be turned into an opportunity of learning to overcome the obstacle.

But an obstacle often poses a challenge to our abilities to overcome it.

More so if the obstacle is a difficult person and our patience and tolerance are tested to the limits.

In the gospel, Jesus gave an example of a person who does something wrong to us.

Jesus teaches us to forgive and keep forgiving, but we will wonder if any good can come out of that.

Here is where faith comes in. Jesus says that if our faith were the size of a mustard seed, we would be able to even uproot mulberry trees.

The 1st reading tells us to have the Spirit of wisdom when faced with people who are obstacles in our path.

Wisdom teaches us to pray with faith and trust in the ways of the Lord.

With the Spirit of wisdom, with faith and with prayer, obstacles will be turned into opportunities of learning the ways of the Lord.

Dedication of Lateran Basilica, 09.11.2025

Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 / 1 Cor 3:9-11, 16-17 / John 2:13-22

Today, the Church celebrates the dedication of the Lateran Basilica. 

Officially it is called the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, and it is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. 

It is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, and so it is the official Church of the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome. 

Built in the year 324AD, it is the oldest church in the West, and it is considered the mother and the head of all the churches of Rome and of the world. 

In celebrating the dedication, we also celebrate the deep spiritual aspects of our faith. 

We celebrate unity, that we belong to the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 

We believe that through the Church, God is offering the world the gift of forgiveness and salvation. 

We also profess that the Church is human and divine. 

We are the living members of the Church, the Body of Christ, and Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. 

In the gospel, Jesus drove out all those merchants and money changers and said: Take all these out of here and stop turning my Father's house into a market. 

When the people challenged Him to justify what He did, Jesus said: Destroy this sanctuary and in three days I will raise it up. 

The people didn’t understand that Jesus was referring to the sanctuary that is His Body. 

So, the Church, the living Body of Christ, is holy, and the Church building is also holy.

The Church is the House of God, and a House of prayer. 

So, the building is sacred and it stands on holy ground. 

In this sacred building, worship is offered, prayer is heard and answered, and God’s love flows like the healing waters described in the 1st reading. 

The Church, the House of God, is like the Temple described in the 1st reading, where the waters of God’s healing love flow into the hearts of all believers. 

It is the waters of God’s love that brings about life, that brings about healing and forgiveness, that makes us bear fruits of love for others and for the glory of God. 

The celebration of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica also reminds us that we all have a spiritual home. 

So, the Church is the House of God, as well as our spiritual home, and we have come home to be with God. 

So, if Pope Leo XIV is asked where is his spiritual home, he will say that it is the Lateran Basilica. 

And if we were asked where is our spiritual home, we will say that it is the Church of Christ the King. 

Yes, here we are at home with our King and our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Here at home, we receive blessings from Jesus, we receive forgiveness for our sins, we are healed and strengthened with Holy Communion. 

Here at home, in the House of God, we offer worship and prayer, and we believe that our prayers will be heard and answered. 

And we go forth from the House of God with the mission of calling others to come back home. 

No matter how far they have gone, no matter what they have done wrong, no matter how angry or disappointed they are with the Church, God is calling them to come back home and to talk to God. 

And we are to be the voice of God to call them home. 

The feast of Christ the King will be in two weeks’ time. 

Before that, there will be a triduum, the three days of prayer in preparation for the feast day. 

Let us take some prayer cards and petition forms and ask others to come to the triduum to offer up their prayers to God. 

Everyone, whether young or old, everyone has a need, everyone has a prayer, and everyone needs to come home and to know that their prayers are heard. 

Let these prayer cards and petition forms be like God’s invitation. 

Regardless of how near or how far we are from God, let us come home to the House of God.

Let us come home and receive love, forgiveness, healing, and to let God make His home in our hearts.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 08-11-2025

Romans 16:3-9, 16, 22-27 / Luke 16:9-15  

The reality of death happens everyday. Not one day has passed where there are no obituaries in the newspapers.

Yet, because it happens so frequently, we have become immune to it, we are not that affected by it anymore, unless it happens to our close ones.

As it is, most of us believe that we will see tomorrow, that we won't die so soon.

There is a poster in the office of a hospice and it reads like this : We are not here to add days to our life, but life to our days.

Indeed, it is so true. Our days are limited and we should really live out those days fully.

Not just enjoying life, but to discover in this life, what eternity is all about, and to discover in this life what really has eternal value.

In the secular sense, it may be seen as a choice of value. But in the spiritual sense, it is about the choice of masters.

So the question from today's gospel is this : Who is the master in charge of my life?

If money is my master, then I will be dishonest, I will cheat, i will lie, I scheme and do anything and everything just to have money for my security. But of course in doing so, I might still exist but I am spiritually dead.

On the other hand, when I choose Jesus to be my Master, then I also will choose to be loving, to be forgiving, to be compassionate, to be honest.

Life for me might be difficult and I might seem to be like a loser, but I will be at peace with God and with the people around me.

So life essentially is a series of choices.

Life is not lost by dying.

Life is lost, minute by minute

day by day

in all those unloving, uncaring and unforgiving ways.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 07-11-2025

Romans 15:14-21 / Luke 16:1-8  

We cannot deny that one of the top priorities in life is our security.

By security, it means material and financial security, which is expressed in a comfortable home and a healthy bank account.

It also means emotional and physiological, and that is expressed in being at peace with others and having a stable reward job.

But life has its bumps and we get shaken up here and there, and sink into the darkness of the potholes of life.

We begin to lose our sense of security and we may even resort to whatever means to stay afloat.

That dishonest steward in the gospel parable resorted to dishonest means to ensure his security.

We will also be tempted to do the same when our security is threatened.

But we need to remember that what we have and made us feel secure is given to us by the Lord.

When we get shaken and trip over the bumps and potholes of life, we must turn back to the Lord Jesus.

It is only in Jesus that we will be safe and secure.

Jesus is also the light who will lead us out of the darkness of fear so that we can live as children of the light.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 06-11-2025

Romans 14:7-12 / Luke 18:1-10  

In life, we see and hear a lot of things about situations and about persons.

Some of the things that we see and hear may be factual or they may be just opinions and interpretations.

Even if what we see and hear are factual, it does not mean that it is the truth.

Because not all facts tell the truth.

In the gospel, the Pharisees and the scribes saw the tax collectors and sinners seeking the company of Jesus to hear what He had to say.

What the Pharisees and scribes saw was a fact, and their interpretation was that Jesus welcomes sinners and even eats with them.

That interpretation formed their conclusion that Jesus was also a sinner, just like those tax collectors and sinners.

And here is where Jesus connected the fact to the truth, and that is the tax collectors and sinners were seeking repentance and conversion.

They came to Jesus to look for hope in order to change their lives.

The 1st reading also teaches us that we should never pass judgement on another or treat him with contempt.

Because we may know all the facts, but we may not know what is the truth of the facts.

The fundamental truth of our faith is that Jesus is our Saviour.

Let us ask Him for forgiveness and healing and we will come to know the truth of life.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 05-11-2025

Romans 13:8-10 / Luke 14:25-33  

A young plant asked a big tree: How did you grow to become so tall and strong.

The big tree gave just a one-word answer: Storms.

When we were young, we were brought up in a loving environment.

We experienced love and we had an idealistic view about a world of loving people.

And then the storms of life came.

It was people who brought about those storms in our lives.

We encountered people who were unloving, unkind and unforgiving.

The storms of life shook our understanding of love and tested our roots of love.

But there were also loving people who came along our way and they helped us to believe in love.

We also came to know Jesus who showed us God’s love and taught us to love our neighbour as ourselves.

The 1st reading also tells us that love is the answer to every one of the commandments of God.

So, if we really want to follow Jesus, we must believe in love and walk the way of love.

There will still be storms, but with Jesus, those storms will make us strong.

And we will also tell others that love is the answer to every storm in life.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 04-11-2025

Romans 12:5-16 / Luke 14:15-24  

To always tell the truth is difficult, because there are many factors to consider.

To always live the truth is also difficult, because we cannot say that our motives and purposes are always noble.

Whether in words or in deeds, we are always tempted with motives or interests that are self-centred or for self-gain.

It is like those who were invited for the banquet in the gospel parable, they made up excuses for not going.

But excuses being excuses, they are not the truth.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul says this: Do not let your love be a pretence, but sincerely prefer good to evil.

St. Paul also teaches us this: Bless those who persecute you. Never curse them, bless them. Rejoice with those who rejoice and be sad with those in sorrow. Treat everyone with equal kindness. Never be condescending but make real friends with the poor.

The truth of life is that when we are honest and sincere in our words and actions, God will bless us.

And when others are not honest and sincere to us, or when they do wicked things to us, let us pray for them.

Let us ask God to bless them, and we will inherit a blessing for ourselves.

31st Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 03-11-2025

Romans 11:29-36 / Luke 14:12-14   

Human beings have a nature which is generally call the human nature.

When we think about our human nature, we will think about how our lives have been and what we have been doing.

Because human nature is generally understood as the general psychological characteristics, feelings, and behavioural traits of humankind.

So, we will come to see that at times we can be kind, gentle, compassionate and generous.

But at other times, we can be proud, conceited, selfish, stingy and other behaviours and actions that are embarrassing.

When God created us, He created us in love and with love.

Our human nature is to reflect the divine nature of God.

When sin came in and our human nature was wounded and hence our human nature became prone to sin.

Jesus came to save us and to restore our human nature with love so that we can reflect the divine nature of God.

As the 1st reading tells us: God never takes back His gifts or revokes His choice.

So, as much as our wounded human nature makes us inclined to be selfish and to do things with a vested or ulterior motive, God's healing love prompts us to be generous and to help the poor and needy.

Let us be open to the love of God which will heal our wounded human nature.

Then we will be truly human and reflect the goodness of God in our lives.

All Souls 02.11.2025

Isaiah 25:6-9 / Romans 5:5-11 / John 7:11-17

There are two important days in our life. 

One is, of course, our birthday, the day that we came into this world. 

That day appears in all our personal documents, and we also celebrate that day in various ways. 

The other day that is important is the day that we leave this world. 

For all of us here, we do not know when that day will be. 

And because we don’t know when that day will be, it leaves us rather curious and also anxious. 

Today we remember and we also pray for the faithful departed. 

We also remember especially our departed loved ones, and we pray that they will rest in peace. 

When we visit them at the cemetery or in the columbium, we see the date of their birth, as well as the date that they left this world. 

Between those two dates, they were with us, and they have left fond and warm memories in our hearts. 

We remember what they said to us, what they did for us, how they have loved us, and how they have helped us become better persons. 

Yes, on this day, we remember our departed loved ones and we pray for them. 

And on this day, our faith also leads us to think about the other world. 

Those who have died have left us and left this world. 

They have passed on from this world to the next world, or, to the other world. 

For them, life is changed, not ended. 

For them, life is changed and changed forever because they have gone back to the Lord. 

And God has prepared for them an eternal home so that they can rest eternally in His presence. 

The 1st reading gives this image of a mountain where the Lord has prepared a banquet of rich food. 

The departed have gone up to that mountain of the Lord, where He will wipe away the tears from every cheek. 

So, we believe that the departed have gone back home to be with God forever. 

It is with this belief that we remember our departed loved ones with love. 

Our faith and our hope tells us that God has prepared a place for each of us in our eternal home. 

So, although we do not know when will be the day that we will have to leave this world, let us not be too curious or be too anxious about it. 

When that day comes for us to leave this world, let us believe that we will pass on from this world to the next world, where God is waiting for us. 

As for the departed, we remember them and we also miss them, and we will also grieve as we mourn for them. 

The deeper the relationship we had with them, the deeper will be the grief and with tears. 

But the Lord Jesus will console us just as He consoled the widow who lost her son. 

The departed will not come back to life in this world. 

But the goodness of their lives will continue in our lives as we remember them. 

And our hope is that we will meet them again in the homeland in heaven.

In that heavenly homeland, we will see the God in whom we hoped for salvation. 

Yes, we will be reunited with our departed loved ones, and we will exalt and rejoice in God who saves us. 

That is our faith, that is our hope, as we remember and pray for the departed on this All Souls Day.

All Saints, 01.11.2025

Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3 / Matthew 5:1-12

One of our core beliefs is that there is a heaven, and we should want to go there. 

There is also a hell, but we certainly don’t want to consider that as an eternal option. 

So, whether it is heaven or hell, the reality is that it is about an eternity. 

As Christians, we not only believe that there is heaven, but we also want to be there for eternity. 

God promised heaven to be eternal reward for those who are faithful to Him. 

So then, what is life on earth all about? 

Life on earth can be said to be a preparation for the life in heaven. 

So, when we live a good life, a life that is pleasing to God, then the promise of heaven will be fulfilled for us. 

But we know that it is so difficult to live a good life on earth. 

Because we face anxieties and worries, we face challenges and difficulties, we face struggles and troubles. 

Yes, life is difficult and so we look for ways and means to be comfortable and happy. 

We desire for life to be smooth and easy. 

And here is where the devil comes in. 

The devil tempts us to desire for wealth so that we can enjoy the luxuries of life. 

We are tempted with power, to be on top of others, so that others will be at our service. 

We are tempted to have the most of life here on earth, and we slowly forget about heaven. 

All that seems to be the temptations that Jesus Himself faced. 

Jesus overcame the temptations of the devil and He makes us think about the promise of heaven. 

Jesus came to make us think about life and who we really are. 

Jesus makes us think about dying to sin, to carry the cross and to remember the promise of God’s blessings. 

In the gospel, Jesus teaches us about the true blessings in life. 

He tells us that it is a blessing to trust in the providence of God, especially when we are poor. 

He tells us that to be truly human is to be gentle, to be merciful, to be righteous and to be pure in heart. 

He tells us that we will be blessed when we are at peace with God and with others. 

And when we follow Jesus and walk the way of the cross and enter by the narrow door, God will bless us. 

The Saints did that and God blessed them with the eternal reward of heaven. 

Let us also ask the Saints to pray for us, that we keep our hearts focused on heaven and on the promises of God. 

When we do what God wants of us and live the life that Jesus is teaching us, our reward will be great in heaven. 

That is what we believe in, that is also our hope, as we celebrate the feast of All Saints.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 31-10-2025

Romans 9:1-5 / Luke 14:1-6  

A telescope, as we know, gives an enlarged view of a distant object.

But that depends on which end of the telescope we are looking through.

Because looking through the wrong end would greatly reduce the size of the object.

Hence, the two different ends of the telescope give two completely opposite views of reality.

In the gospel, the Pharisees seemed to have looked through the wrong end of the telescope and they only saw a narrow, restrictive picture of reality.

They were like saying: To heal is to work, and to work is to violate the Sabbath. See for yourself, look through our telescope!

But when Jesus offers them a view from the other end of the same telescope, they were reluctant to see it; they were silent, because for them there was only one way of looking through the telescope, there was only one way of looking at things and it was their way.

So we can imagine how frustrated and annoyed Jesus was with the Pharisees, to say the least.

Surely Jesus was anguished to see their obstinacy.

St. Paul, in the 1st reading shared the similar sentiments as Jesus, and he said that his sorrow was so great and his mental anguish so endless over his people's rejection of Christ.

Indeed, our obstinacy can cause frustration and anguish and even sorrow in others.

All because we stubbornly refuse to look at things from another point of view.

We only have to let go and ask God to help us see wider and clearer; then we will become wiser.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 30-10-2025

Romans 8:31-39 / Luke 13:31-35  

In life, we will meet all kinds and all types of people.

Some are kind, gentle and helpful.

Some are difficult to relate with, and we rather avoid them.

And then there are some whom we can’t be sure about.

Because sometimes they are for us and other times they seem to be against us.

In the gospel, some Pharisees came to warn Jesus about the evil intentions of Herod.

It seems that those Pharisee meant well by warning Jesus.

But we can’t be sure about their intentions, and neither does Jesus get disturbed by what they said.

In life, people can be quite unpredictable, in that we cannot be certain about what their intentions are.

As for us, the 1st reading tells us that if God is for us, who can be against us.

And it goes on to say that nothing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let us put our faith and trust in our Lord Jesus, and He will show us who are those that we can trust.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 29-10-2025

Romans 8:26-30 / Luke 13:22-30  

There is no doubt that we are influenced by the people around us.

So, with the people that we spend a considerable amount of time with, their words and behaviour will also influence our words and behaviour.

So obviously, we need to choose our friends and who we want to be friends with.

But there are also some people who wish to be acquainted with influential or famous people.

They do so for vested interests and maybe even for ulterior motives.

Jesus was a well-known figure and noted for His authoritative teachings and wonderful miracles.

Naturally, some people would want to be associated with Him for personal gains.

Probably these are the people who ate and drank in His company, and even followed Him in His ministry.

But they only wanted to make use of Jesus for their own interest and motives.

We need to remember that it was Jesus who chose and called us to follow Him.

As the 1st reading says: those that God has called according to His purpose, they are the ones God chose specially to become true images of His Son.

Let us respond to God’s call by drawing close to Jesus and listening deeply to His Word.

May His Word be our word, and may we also reflect the loving actions of Jesus.

Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles, Tuesday, 28-10-2025

Ephesians 2:19-22 / Luke 6:12-19   

The feast of St. Simon and St. Jude is celebrated on the same day probably because they both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia where it is said they had both been sent.

But nothing certain is known about them besides the fact that they were called as Apostles by Jesus.

The letter of Jude which forms part of the New Testament is accredited to St. Jude, in which he encouraged the early Christian community to be firm in the faith.

Like most of the other apostles, St. Simon and St. Jude were literally unknowns and could be said to be very ordinary and simple people.

Yet God chose them to be instruments of the proclamation of the Good News and to be the foundations of His Church.

Both also suffered martyrdom. St. Simon is often represented in art with a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom.

As for St. Jude, nearly every image depicts him wearing either a medallion or a portrait with an image of Jesus.

St. Jude is also the patron saint for those in a desperate and urgent need, and many have benefitted from his intercession.

As we celebrate the feast of St. Simon and St. Jude, let us also ask for their prayers that we live out the Good News of salvation in our simple and ordinary lives.

And may we always carry the image of Jesus in our hearts and be a witness to His love in our lives.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 27-10-2025

Romans 8:12-17 / Luke 13:10-17    

The importance of physical appearance cannot be denied.

With that being said, then image grooming is a big business.

But does the external appearance reflect the internal spiritual state of the heart?

In the gospel, the woman was double bent for eighteen years and that left her enfeebled and unable to stand upright.

Jesus saw that woman, He also saw more than just her state of infirmity.

Jesus saw the state of her heart, her heart that is calling out for healing and freedom.

And when Jesus healed that woman of her infirmity, she straightened up at once and she glorified God.

God created us and He also sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts to make us the temples of God’s glory.

As the 1st reading says, it is by the Spirit that we put an end to the misdeeds of our bodies.

And everyone moved by the Spirit is a child of God, and the Spirit also makes us cry out “Abba, Father”.

When we live and move with the Spirit, then our external appearance will also reflect the love and the glory of God.