Mary Mother of God, Thursday, 01-01-2026

Number 6:22-27 / Galatians 4:4-7 / Luke 2:16-21

We began the new year with anticipation as well as with a celebration. 

Some would stay up for the countdown from last year to welcome the new year. 

Some would rather sleep from last year to this year, so as to begin the new year early and bright. 

Regardless of how we welcomed and began the new year, we want to have a good start. 

For us Catholics, a good start to the new year would be that we come for Mass. 

We come for Mass to give thanks to God for bringing us to this new year. 

We come for Mass to also pray for blessings for the year ahead. 

We ask the Lord our God to protect and guard us from evil, from danger and from harm. 

We ask the Lord our God for guidance and wisdom to carry out His will for us. 

We ask the Lord our God to strengthen our faith in the face of challenges and difficulties that will come our way. 

Today is also the 8th day of the Christmas Octave. 

On this day, the Church dedicates it to Mary under the title Mary, Mother of God. 

So, we also begin this new year invoking Mary’s intercession for her motherly care for us. 

Mary is the Mother of God, she is also the Mother of the Church, she is also the Mother of all who are united in her Son Jesus Christ. 

The gospel tells us that eight days after His birth, Jesus was circumcised, and His parents gave Him the name Jesus. 

The name “Jesus” means “God saves” or “God is salvation”. 

Indeed, the greatest blessing from God is the gift of Jesus our Saviour. 

At every Mass, we celebrate and give thanks for God’s saving love for us. 

We began the new year by coming for Mass and praying for God’s blessings. 

Let us also begin every day by coming for Mass and praying for God’s blessings on us, on our family and our loved ones, on our Church, and also on the world.

As we begin the new year with God’s blessings, let us also begin each new day by coming for Mass and invoking God’s blessings on us and on our world.

Seventh Day Within The Octave of Christmas, Wednesday, 31-12-2025

1 John 2:18-21 / John 1:1-18   

As we come to the last day of the year, we will be reminiscing on how the year 2025 has been for us.

There are happy and sad moments, we made some new friends and we also said goodbye to some friends, there were some good memories as well as some experiences that we are still trying to understand.

Whatever it might be, the year will pass on as the times of our lives.

But it was not just times and moments and experiences that we have gathered for the year.

It is also a time to think about how God was present in our lives throughout the year.

The 1st reading reminds us that we have been anointed by the Holy One and we have received blessings from God.

These blessings enlighten us on how God has come into our lives at every moment so that we can live in truth and love.

The gospel brings us back to the beginnings of our faith.

We believe that the Word was with God and the Word was God.

As we prepare to welcome the new year, let us also welcome Jesus, the Word of God made flesh and dwells with us.

With Jesus, may the moments of this year be enlightening moments about how we should live our lives in truth and love.

With Jesus, may the moments of the new year be moments of God’s grace and blessings.

Sixth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, Tuesday, 30-12-2025

1 John 2:12-17 / Luke 2:36-40    

We know that everything happens for a reason, and that everything happens in God’s plan.

Most of us live ordinary lives, we have our daily routines, we have our usual rituals and nothing spectacular happens in our lives.

But that does not mean that God does not have a plan for us.

At the appointed time, with the right people, and at the right place, then God’s plan unfolds.

For the prophetess Anna, she had seen quite a bit of life in her 84 years.

She was married for seven years before becoming a widow.

She stayed in the Temple serving God night and day with fasting and prayer.

It was quite a simple and ordinary life until that moment of the appointed time.’

She came by just when the parents brought Jesus to the Temple, and she began to praise God and spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem. 

It was her prophetic moment and her life was fulfilled with that.

We too have a purpose and mission in life.

When the appointed time comes for us, let us do what God is asking of us, and with that our lives will be fulfilled.

Fifth Day Within The Octave of Christmas, Monday, 29-12-2025

1 John 2:3-11 / Luke 2:22-35  

As each day comes and goes, we will say that time is passing by.

For those who are busy with tight schedules and deadlines to meet, time is passing by too quickly.

For those who are in the senior years, time may be passing by a bit slower.

But whether time is passing by quickly or slowly, there is one thing that we need to be aware of.

As each day passes with time, we need to know that we are towards God.

The day will come when we will close our eyes on this world and then we open our eyes again and see God face to face.

When will that day be, we won’t know. But God will reveal that our time is coming in subtle and quiet ways.

For Simeon, who lived an upright and devout life, he was blessed by the Holy Spirit, and he was prompted by the Holy Spirit to go the Temple.

There he saw the baby Jesus, the promise that God has prepared for those who are faithful to Him.

Simeon knew then what his eyes longed to see and he was prepared to go in peace.

But Simeon still had one more thing to do, and that is to prepare Mary for the pain that will come her way.

What God did for Simeon, He will also do for us.

God will reveal His plan for us, and He will also prompt us what to do and what to say.

May we be faithful to God till the end of our days by living upright and devout lives.

Then we will also see God in the people around us, and finally see God face to face in eternity.

Holy Family, Year A, 28.12.2025

 Ecclesiasticus 3:2-6, 12-14 / Colossians 3:12-21 / Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

The usage of words presumes that they are used correctly and the meaning is clear. 

So, in a discussion or in a deliberation, words are used to express ideas and concepts. 

When the ideas are understood, and the concepts are clear, then the discussion or the deliberation will be fruitful. 

But there are times when words are joined awkwardly and the meaning can be rather humorous. 

Like for example, we have heard of this phrase “unexpected emergency”. But thinking about it deeper, all emergencies are unexpected; there is no planning for an emergency to happen. So, in short, there is no need to have an “unexpected” before emergency. 

The same can be said about “final outcome”. Is there like a “non-final outcome”? 

Or, how about “extra bonus”. Bonus, by definition is already something extra. 

Other phrases that have this redundant repetition are phrases like “new innovation” and “repeat again”. 

We have used these phrases, but they are understandable when used casually. 

Today, we come across the term that has a profound and unique meaning, and that is “Holy Family”. 

The word, “family”, is understandable in logical and conceptual terms. 

But the word “family” also touches on the emotional, because it is a reality in our lives; we all come from a family; we all have a family. 

And with the word “holy” before “family”, then our attention is turned to the family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. 

Much has been said about the holiness of that family that is expressed in kindness, gentleness, compassion, understanding, patience and unity. 

But we would shy away from using the word “holy” for our families. 

Although we strive to be like the Holy Family, we cannot deny that it is indeed challenging and difficult. 

On the other hand, we have seen and heard of broken families, dysfunctional families and other negative adjectives that come before the word “family”. 

Still, when it comes to our families, we hope that we will at least be a happy family, living simply with charity, and striving for harmony and unity. 

In other words, deep within, we want our families to be like the Holy Family, especially in times of trials and tribulations. 

In the gospel, we heard of how the Holy Family endured challenges and difficulties. 

But they were able to journey on because of their faith in God and their love for each other. 

Every family will have to face their moments of crisis. 

A crisis can be a source of division resulting in hurt, bitterness and resentment. 

Or, a crisis can be an opportunity of discovery and the renewal of faith and love, as well as the strengthening of the emotional bonds that are deep within our humanity. 

There is this story, or practice, among the nomadic communities in the Gobi desert of Mongolia. 

When Mongolian camels reject their newborns, the herders do not respond with force or other means of control. 

Instead, they turn to an ancient ritual rooted in patience, empathy and sound. 

For generations, those nomadic communities have practiced khöölökh, which is a soft repetitive, coaxing song, sung directly to the distressed camel. 

Accompanied at times by the low tones of a horse head fiddle, the song is meant to calm the mother camel and re-awaken her maternal bonds with her calf. 

As the melody continues, the camel often becomes still, and tears begin to form in her eyes. 

Eventually, she lowers her head and allows the baby camel to nurse and accept it as her own. 

Across the harsh grasslands where survival depends on livestock, the practice of khöölökh has saved countless newborns. 

It stands as a reminder that some of the oldest knowledge systems recognise a truth that modern societies often forget. 

The truth is that emotional and family bonds are not repaired through force or control. 

But it is through the means of a soft song and mellow music that the powerful emotions of love are awakened, and that will bring about healing and bonding. 

And we have that means. The soft, repetitive sounds of family prayer and hymns will awaken and renew the powerful human family emotions of love, that will lead us to desire for peace and harmony, kindness and forgiveness, understanding and patience towards our family members. 

When families are united in faith and love, the parish community and the Church will also be united in faith in love. 

May the prayers of Jesus, Mary and Joseph be heard in our families, in our parish and in the Church, so that the world will be awaken by love, a love that will bring about God’s blessings of peace to the world. 

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, Saturday, 27-12-2025

1 John 1:1-4 / John 20:2-8  

To write a biography about someone’s life would require that the writer know that person personally.

The writer would also understand that person well enough and also had a deep relationship with that person.

St. John was called by Jesus, together with his brother St. James, to be his apostles.

Being one of the early disciples and staying close to Jesus all time, he would have known Jesus well enough and understands Jesus too.

With all that knowledge about Jesus and with that relationship, St. John wrote the gospel and also the letters that were accredited to him.

While the rest of the apostles were martyred, St. John lived through persecutions and exiles to tell the story about Jesus.

St. John in his gospel account, tells us that Jesus is the Word of God, that He is God from the beginning.

The message in the gospel and the letters is that God is love, and that Jesus is image of God’s love and that He came to the world to save sinners.

St. John wants to share that message with us and also calling us to share his relationship with Jesus.

Let us ponder about St. John’s message of love and may we enter into a relationship with Jesus.

Like St. John, we are also called to follow Jesus as His disciples and to tell the story of God’s saving love for the world.

St. Stephen, the First Martyr, Friday, 26-12-2025

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 / Matthew 10:17-22   

The festive celebrations of Christmas may have tapered off but actually the Christmas season has just begun.

But the odd thing is that the Christmas season begins with the martyrdom of St. Stephen.

The tenderness of the birth of Jesus was like broken and shattered by the violent death of St. Stephen.

We may wonder why the Church would place birth and death almost like next to each other.

But upon deeper reflection, we can also see that when Jesus came into this world, He also faced rejection and even hostility.

The martyrdom of St. Stephen was also a manifestation of the rejection and hostility at the love of God.

St. Stephen preached about the saving love of God but the people didn’t want to hear anything about it because of their pride and ego.

And that pride and ego exploded into violence when they silenced St. Stephen with stones.

But with his last breath, St. Stephen forgave his enemies and accepted his death.

So even in martyrdom and in death, the tender love of God still prevails.

That love would later bear fruit in the conversion of St. Paul who was there and approved of the killing of St. Stephen.

So whether it is the birth of Jesus or the martyrdom of St. Stephen, it is about God’s love.

Let us believe in God’s love and live by God’s love till our last breath.

Christmas, 25.12.2025

Even before Christmas Day has arrived, we have already kind of celebrated Christmas. 

For the past two weeks or so, it was one Christmas party after another. 

So, we have already eaten the turkey and all the things that are stuffed in it. 

The fridge still has some remnants of the log-cake, and maybe a few more uneaten ones. 

Next to the log-cakes are also pieces of the honey-baked ham. 

So, it is the usual festive foods that we are looking at. 

The presents may also have been given out and exchanged. 

So yes, the celebrations have begun even before Christmas Day has arrived. 

So, now that Christmas Day is here, it is to eat up whatever that is left and to open those presents. 

In a way, it can be a good thing, because having already done all that, it leaves us to focus on what Christmas is really about. 

As we come for Mass, we also go back in time to Bethlehem. 

Bethlehem means “the house of bread”, but we are not looking for bread. 

We come to the animal shed, and we look at that manger, which is the feeding trough of the animals. 

And lying there, wrapped in swaddling clothes, is a newborn child. 

The setting is rather difficult to comprehend, or to understand. 

How can a baby be born in such a place? 

And also among those animals? 

But we look, we ponder and we wonder. 

We are told that this is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Word made flesh.

He was not born in a palace, or in a clean and decent place.

And because there was no room at the inn, so He was born in a resting place for animals and laid in a manger. 

Yes, that is God became man, the Saviour, and He went through all that just to be with us. 

Jesus came into the world to show us how much God loves us. 

But the world was not prepared to welcome Him.

But that did not stop Jesus from coming into the world. 

And Jesus wants us to learn this lesson from Him. 

In life we will face the closed door, or many closed doors. 

It is like there is no room at the inn. 

But Jesus tells us that when life shuts the door, then open it again. 

That is how the door works. Doors can be shut; they can also be opened. 

Jesus found an open door in the hearts of Mary and Joseph. 

May Jesus also find an open door in our hearts. 

And as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may we open the doors of our hearts to peace and reconciliation, to kindness and forgiveness.

And may closed doors be opened to let hope enter, so that there will be room for God’s love to come into the world.

Advent, 24th December 2025, Wednesday

2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 / Luke 1:67-79  

When there is silence, it can have many meanings.

It can be tensed up moment before the chaos.

It can be an act of defiance against the loud and aggressive party.

Or it can be golden moment where much is learned an treasured.

For Zechariah, he had been struck dumb since that moment when the angel appeared to him to tell him that he will have a son.

He didn’t believe in it and he had been silent since then.

And since then, Zechariah had been reflecting on what was happening.

At least he understood the power of God over the impossibilities put up by human reasoning.

When his son John the Baptist was born and Zechariah wrote that his name is John, his power of speech returned.

Not only did the power of speech returned, Zechariah was also filled with power of the Holy Spirit.

As he opened his mouth, Zechariah blessed and praise God for His love and mercy, and the signs and wonders from God.

The waiting time of Advent is about to be over.

Before we rush into the Christmas celebrations, let us spend a moment in silence.

In that silence, let us wonder at the birth of our Lord and Saviour, and may we make a home for Him in our hearts.

Advent, 23rd December 2025, Tuesday

Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24 / Luke 1:57-66  

As the feast of Christmas comes just around the corner, the season of Advent still has many lessons of faith for us.

The season of Advent is a season of the mystery of the ways of God.

There is the Annunciation in which Mary was told that God chose her to bear His only Son.

Before that, the conception of John the Baptist was announced to Zechariah but he didn’t believe it and he was struck dumb.

All the happenings in the season in Advent are just beyond human reasoning and human understanding.

But the plan of salvation and God becoming man in Jesus Christ, is in the first place truly beyond reasoning and understanding.

Today’s gospel passage is another instance where the ways of God are so unexpected and interesting.

Elizabeth wanted her child to be named John, but the relatives objected.

They then asked Zachariah and he wrote on a tablet that the child’s name is John, and then Zachariah got back his power of speech.

Even though the season has only a couple of days left, God will still reveal His mysterious ways to us.

May we be about to understand and comprehend in our human ways the love that God has for us in sending us His Son to save us.

Advent, 22nd December 2025, Monday

1 Samuel 1:24-28 / Luke 1:46-56  

To give up something precious is never easy as far as human beings are concerned.

More so, if it is something that we have worked hard for.

It may be our savings, or our resources, our projects.

Those are the expressions of our achievements and our abilities.

But those are our external possessions, and though they are valuable to us, we may still be able to give them up, though not so easily.

But for Hannah in the 1st reading, she was giving up her only son, Samuel.

Hannah prayed for a child and God blessed her with Samuel.

But she knew that the gift of Samuel will be for God’s purpose and not for her to keep or possess.

Hence, she says: Now I make him over to the Lord for the whole of his life. He is made over to the Lord.

Certainly, it was not easy for Hannah to let go of Samuel, but she did so because she understood that God had a greater purpose for Samuel.

In the gospel, we see two expectant mothers rejoicing over the gifts of life in their wombs.

But both also knew that the time will come when they have to let go of their sons for God’s purposes.

As we reflect upon these two readings, let us also remember that our lives are not for our own purposes but for God’s plan.

Let us put our lives into God’s hands and we will find the true meaning and purpose of our lives.

4th Sunday of Advent, Year A, 21.12.2025

Isaiah 7:10-14 / Romans 1:1-7 / Matthew 1:18-25

There is a game quiz that tests our knowledge of song titles or movie titles. 

In this game quiz, a word is given, and with a time limit, the contestant or contestants have to give the song titles or movie titles that has that word. 

So, let’s say that the word is “love”, and in 30 seconds, we have to name as many song titles as we can with the word “love” in it. 

Some of the song titles can be oldies like “Love me tender”, or from the pop era it will be “Endless love”. 

So, let’s say now the word is “dream” or “dreaming”. Let us think of some songs with the word “dream” or “dreaming” in it. 

Probably, the first song to come to mind during this season will be “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas”. 

From the 60s it may be this: All I have to do is dream.

Other songs from the 70s will be “I like dreaming”. 

Or from the 80s it will be “Sweet dreams are made of this”. 

Each generation will have their songs about dreams or dreaming. 

And each of us will also have our dreams about who we want to be, and what we want in life. 

To dream is to be able to imagine what kind of future we want for ourselves and how to achieve it. 

For Mary and Joseph, they too had their dreams about life. 

And their dreams became more distinct and directional when they were betrothed to each other. 

Mary would have thought of becoming a loving and caring wife and a devoted mother. 

Joseph would have thought of being a faithful husband and providing for the future family. 

They were not just in their own personal dreams. They had each other in their dreams. 

And then their dreams began to change when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to tell her that God had plans for her. 

Mary said “yes” and she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. All this is beyond reasoning and understanding. 

When Joseph found out that Mary was with child, we can imagine his reaction, which could be rather unpleasant. 

But still, being a man of honour, he wanted to spare Mary the publicity and decided to divorce her informally.

He had decided to do this when he had a dream, in which God spoke to him and told him to take Mary home to be his wife. 

It is a life changing dream, and Joseph could have rejected it. 

After all, his original dreams about the future with Mary and having a family seemed to have crumbled, and it is understandable that Joseph was confused and disappointed, to say the least. 

For Mary and Joseph, God entered into their dreams and their lives are going to be changed forever. 

But God was not just a dream, God became a reality in the child that Mary conceived, and Joseph is to name him Jesus. 

In the 1st reading, the prophet Isaiah told king Ahaz that God will give him a sign, although king Ahaz didn’t want that sign because he had no faith and trust in God.

Nonetheless the sign was given. A maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will name Immanuel, a name which means God-is-with-us. 

That prophecy is fulfilled in the gospel, when the angel told Joseph to name the child “Jesus”, the name which means “God saves” or “God is salvation”. 

So, in Jesus, the hopes and dreams of the people of God in the Old Testament and the New Testament is fulfilled. 

And Jesus came to be with us, and He wants to be in our dreams. 

We may be dreaming of a white Christmas, but it is not about snow or with everything nice and bright. 

Jesus wants to be in our Christmas dream, so then we will dream about the true meaning of Christmas. 

We dream about peace to people of goodwill, and joy to a world that have seen sadness, pain and suffering. 

There’s this song from the early 80s and the lyrics are worth reflecting. The title is “I have a dream” and it goes like this:

I Have a Dream, a song to sing

To help me cope, with anything

If you see the wonder, of a fairy tale

You can take the future, even if you fail

I believe in angels

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels

When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream, I Have a Dream

Let us dream, and may Jesus come into our dreams. 

When Jesus is in our dreams then … 

we will sing the songs we want to sing, 

we will forget about that perfect rendering,

because there is a crack in everything, 

but that is how the light shines in. 

May the light of Christ shine into our dreams, and may we dream of a truly blessed Christmas for us and for the world.

Advent, 20th December 2025, Saturday

Isaiah 7:10-14 / Luke 1:26-38  

The Bible is divided into two sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The Old Testament prophesied about the coming of the Messiah or the Saviour.

The New Testament tells us how this promise of God is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.

In the 1st reading, the prophet spoke of a sign from God:

The maiden will give birth to a son whom she will call Emmanuel, a name which means “God-is-with-us”.

That name Emmanuel not only comforts the People of God in their distress, it also assures them that God is still with them and has not abandoned them.

The gospel account is about the Annunciation, which is the moment in which the promise of God is about to be fulfilled.

The angel Gabriel told Mary that she is to conceive and bear a son, and she must name him Jesus.

The name Jesus means “God saves” or “God is salvation”.

Indeed Jesus fulfilled the prophesies of the Old Testament and even going beyond.

He is God became man, He is the God-is-with-us, and He is the God who saves His people from their sins.

And like Mary, Jesus also wants to make His home in our hearts and in our lives.

Let us like Mary, say “yes” to Jesus, and everything will be possible because God is with us and His love has saved us.

Advent, 19th December 2025, Friday

Judges 13:2-7, 24-25 / Luke 1:5-25   

In life, we need to have purpose and meaning as we journey along.

There can be a sustained purpose and meaning when there are faith and hope.

Faith tells us that God loves us, and hope tells us that God’s love is an everlasting love for us.

So, when we believe in God’s promises, we will keep on believing and wait for its fulfilment.

For Zachariah, he had believed in God’s love for him and his wife Elizabeth.

He had hoped for a child, but as he and Elizabeth advanced in age, the hope was dimming.

He only hung on to his faith that God will keep him and Elizabeth together even though they were childless.

So, when the angel Gabriel told him that Elizabeth will bear a son, he thought it was impossible.

Maybe a dimmed hope and a jaded faith led Zachariah to this thinking.

We too had our faith and hope tested. 

And especially over a long period of time, our faith is jaded and our hope is dimmed.

But let us hang on to our faith and keep believing in God’s love for us.

And let us also keep hoping that the promises of God will be fulfilled in God’s time and in God’s way.

Advent, 18th December 2025, Thursday

Jeremiah 23:5-8 / Matthew 1:18-24     

As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, we are also wishing that Christmas will be nice and pretty.

And in many ways, we also wish that life is nice and pretty.

But the fact is that life is not a bed of roses, because there are the thorns that come with the roses.

That is the harsh reality of life, and that is also the harsh reality that Mary and Joseph faced in the gospel.

To follow the plan of God and to do God’s will was certainly not a bed of roses for them.

Mary accepted the call to bear the Son of God and she immediately faced an uncertain and even dangerous future.

Joseph could not understand what happened, but he wanted to do an honourable deed by intending to divorce Mary informally.

So, it can be said that when the Son of God was to come into this world, it wasn’t a nice and pretty welcome.

But out of this messy situation, God’s will prevailed and His plan of salvation continued.

Yes, God wanted to be with us and loved us so much that He sent His only Son into this messy and broken world.

And because God wanted to be with us and to love us, let us entrust ourselves to God’s will and to carry out His plan in our lives.

And God will show us how He will make a way for us.

Advent, 17 December 2025, Wednesday

Genesis 49:2, 8-10 / Matthew 1:1-17   

Today makes the beginning of a deeper journey into the Advent season.

The nine days before Christmas is a time to enter into the mystery of the Incarnation, the Word made flesh.

The gospel passage is about the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

It begins with Abraham and ends with Joseph, the husband of Mary, of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

In short, the genealogy recalls the people in the history of salvation whom God calls to fulfil His plan.

In that list of people, it was like a tapestry of characters, with some who were faithful, and yet there were others who make us wonder why they were even mentioned.

But the genealogy shows us that God can make it straight even when the line is crooked.

It also shows that God came into humanity in all its weakness and brokenness, so as to seek and save what was lost.

But even that does not fully explain the great mystery of the Incarnation, and why God chose to become man in the person of Jesus Christ.

As we enter deeper into the season of Advent, let us also be filled with the spirit of Advent and give thanks to God for His great saving love for us.

3rd Week of Advent, Tuesday, 16-12-2025

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 / Matthew 21:28-32   

It takes a lifetime to build a good reputation, and it only takes a moment to destroy it.

In order to have a good reputation, we must be consistent in honesty, integrity and being trustworthy.

And this is not only in our personal life, but also in our work and in other business interactions.

But a good reputation can be rather fragile and difficult to maintain.

Just one bad action or decision can bring down a good reputation and that failing will be remembered for a long time.

It is like not being careful in watching our step and stepping on a banana peel or an oily patch and then go tumbling down.

Though we have only ourselves to blame, yet we must also be aware that we are prone to weakness and fall into sin.

In the gospel, Jesus rebuked the chief priests and elders for not heeding the message of repentance.

Even the sinners like the tax collectors and prostitutes believe the message of John the Baptist and doing something about their lives.

Let us not be too sure of ourselves and think we can be good always.

Let us remember that pride comes before the fall.

And when we fall, let us remember the love of God and ask for forgiveness.

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.