5th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 12-02-2026

1 Kings 11:4-13 / Mark 7:24-30   

The gift of faith is a beautiful and also a powerful gift.

With faith, we will know who God is and His great love for us.

With faith, we will also see the wonders that God will work for us, especially in our time of need.

King Solomon knew who God is and he was also given the gift of wisdom.

But despite being blessed abundantly by God, king Solomon got swayed by his foreign wives.

He even worshipped their gods and offered sacrifice to those idols.

He lost his faith in God, and probably his wisdom too, and it had tragic consequences in the breaking up of the kingdom.

But in the gospel, it was a Syrophoenician woman who came up to Jesus and begged Jesus to deliver her daughter from an unclean spirit.

Even though Jesus tested her faith, that woman was steadfast and firm in her conviction that Jesus was the one who could cast out the evil from her daughter.

So it can be said that from the one who was expected to be faithful to God, that person did not live up to the faith.

From someone who did not belong to God’s chosen people, she had that sense of faith.

May we not take our faith for granted or we will lose it.

May our faith lead us to depend on God’s providence, and let us also share our faith with those who want to know more about Jesus.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 11.02.2026

 1 Kings 10:1-10 / Mark 7:14-23     

The average IQ (intellectual quotient) of a person is around 100. 

That means a person of average IQ would be able to do problem-solving, be logical, have a good memory, and able to comprehend situations. 

King Solomon would have all that. But when the Lord God asked him what he wanted as a king, Solomon asked for wisdom.  

And the Lord God granted him such a wisdom that no man ever had before. 

Even the queen of Sheba was left breathless and overawed by king Solomon’s wisdom. 

Indeed, a wise person will be known by his words and actions. 

His life would also express goodness, simplicity and humility. 

For king Solomon, he used the God-given wisdom for the glory of God and for the good of the people.

The opposite of wisdom is foolishness. 

A person may have an average IQ, but if he is foolish, then his life is a mess.

In the gospel, Jesus says what will come out of a foolish man: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly.

Those are signs of a dark foolishness that will eventually lead to self-destruction.  

Let us choose to walk in the ways of the Lord, and let us also ask the Lord to grant us the wisdom to do what is right and good.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 10-02-2026

1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 / Mark 7:1-13   

In our conversations with others, it can be anything from casual to formal.

When we are socializing with our friends, we talk casually.

At work, especially at meetings, we will certainly talk formally.

But whether casually or formally, we also need to ask ourselves if we are sincere and honest in our conversations.

Depending on who we are talking with, we will either be guarded with our words or we are quite careless.

But in the 1st reading, king Solomon was offering a prayer to the Lord God.

He was humble with his words, and he was also sincere and honest before the Lord God.

As he ended off his prayer, he implored the Lord God to hear his prayer and he also prayed for forgiveness.

In the gospel, the Pharisees questioned Jesus about His disciples not respecting the tradition of the elders by eating food with unclean hands.

Jesus replied with a quote from the prophet Isaiah about people offering only lip-service but their hearts were far from the Lord.

That makes us reflect on our words, especially our prayer, and also our actions.

When we are sincere and honest in our prayer to God, then our actions will be sincere and honest.

And let us also remember that when we come before the Lord God, we must acknowledge that we are sinners and we can only beg for mercy and forgiveness.

5th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 09-02-2026

1 Kings 8:1-7, 9-13 / Mark 6:53-56   

In this world, what is visible is what we often call the visible reality.

But there is also what is invisible to the naked eye.

With visual aids like microscopes and other devices, these so-called invisible objects can then be seen.

And then there is the other world, the spiritual world, which is often invisible because it does not have form and matter.

There are times when the spiritual world would manifest itself, and then we can see it, although it is not a permanent feature.

In the 1st reading, king Solomon and all Israel offered a great sacrifice to the Lord God in the Temple.

The priests brought in the ark of the covenant which contains the two tablets of the Law.

The Lord God accepted the sacrifice and manifested His presence as a cloud and that the Temple is His dwelling place.

In the gospel, Jesus and His disciples came to land at Gennesaret.

No sooner had they stepped out of the boat than people recognized Jesus and brought to Him the sick and those who suffered from illness.

Even touching His cloak brought about a cure from the sickness.

Although we may not be able to see the spiritual realities, but like the people of Gennesaret,  may we have faith in the divine presence,

And Jesus will affirm our faith by answering our prayers and granting our needs.

5th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 08.02.2026

Isaiah 58:7-10 / 1 Cor 2:1-5 / Matthew 5:13-16  

When it comes to preferences, we are certainly inclined to go for what is real. 

Because when we say that something is real, some thoughts will immediately come to mind. 

When we say that something is real, it means that it is authentic, it is genuine. 

So, more than just saying that it is real Chinese food, we may say that it is authentic Cantonese cuisine, or authentic Hakka cuisine, or authentic Teochew cuisine. 

When we say that something is real, it is not just a slogan, like a brand of soft drink is called “the real thing”. 

To be real is also to be truthful, to be honest, and to be sincere. 

But as much as we are inclined to go for what is real, we often settle for less. 

In that less can be anything from the substitute to the artificial. 

The attraction here is that the substitute, or the artificial, can seem to be better than the real, or the genuine or the authentic. 

So, the substitute like the artificial sweetener can give the benefits of a sweet taste without all those health concerns. 

But the word artificial has taken on a more extensive role in the development of consumer and industrial electronics. 

Because artificial intelligence is inserted into home appliances like the vacuum cleaner, washing machine, cooker, air con and almost everything we can think of. 

In the area of industrial electronics and manufacturing, artificial intelligence is not just found in robotics, but it has also given rise to humanoids. 

So, all those robots in the movies of the past like Star Wars and Terminator are becoming a reality. 

But it is a reality that is showing concerns about the future of humanity and about humanness. 

In the gospel, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. 

Salt and light are realities as well as everyday examples that we can immediately relate with. 

Salt gives taste to the food. The uniqueness of salt is that we can’t see it but we can taste it. 

And of course, too much salt will also ruin the taste of the food. 

So, when Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth, we are also reminded our presence should be pleasant and peaceful for others. 

Similarly, light scatters the darkness, and gives out a warm and welcoming glow. 

But when the light is too bright, it will cause a blinding effect on others. 

So, when Jesus calls us the light of the world, we will remember that instead of complaining about the darkness, let us be the light that shines brightly and warmly to bring about sight and comfort. 

But there are also such things as artificial salt and artificial light. 

Artificial salt, like that of the artificial sugar, gives taste without those health concerns. 

Artificial light, like torchlights, can be very useful in dark and hidden corners that are devoid of natural light. 

But, Jesus calls us to be like the real salt and the real light. 

To be like real salt, let us first taste our own words. 

As it is said, may our words always be sweet, in case we ever have to eat them. 

But more than just sweet and tasteful words, let us also remember that others can also taste the real meaning of our words. 

So, we have to be honest and sincere in our words, words that will encourage and affirm others. 

And of course, if we have nothing good to say then let us be silent, so as not to be distasteful with our words. 

To be the light, we need to remember that we are not the source of the light. 

We are called to reflect the true light which is Jesus Christ. 

Jesus shines His light on us, so that we will reflect His light to others. 

Just as the light does not argue or fight with the darkness, may we also not get distracted or disturbed by the wickedness and the evil that we see around us. 

Like the moon that reflects the light, let us just keep shining in the dark. 

And when we speak, may we give others a sweet taste on the Good News of salvation, so that they too would want to give a good taste and a warm and comforting light to the world.

4th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 07-02-2026

1 Kings 3:4-13 / Mark 6:30-34  

When we think about what are our basic needs, then it will surely come down to food, clothing and shelter.

That is essentially what we need to go on day to day.

When these needs are available and secured, we will begin to look at other needs.

Depending on what is our state of life and our direction in life, we will then determine our needs.

It may be emotional needs, like look for a life-partner and starting a family.

It may be intellectual needs, like going for further studies to achieve our ambition.

In the 1st reading, the Lord God asked Solomon what he wanted in life.

Solomon chose to ask for wisdom so that he will be able to govern God’s people.

God granted Solomon his request and other blessings besides.

In the gospel, Jesus and His disciples wanted to go off to a lonely place to rest and to be by themselves.

But the people kept following them, and when Jesus stepped ashore, He took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Although the people did not say what they wanted from Jesus, they are already saying something by following Jesus.

More than anything else, they wanted to hear the Word of life and the Word of love from Jesus.

The people showed us what it is that we really need, and that is life and love.

And they also showed us that Jesus can give us these two gifts.

Let us follow the people by listening to Jesus, and then we will have life and love.

4th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 06-02-2026

Ecclesiasticus 47:2-11 / Mark 6:14-29   

Most of us may think that we are just ordinary people living ordinary lives.

Some of us may even think that our lives are so ordinary and simple that we won’t leave any impression in this world.

On the other hand, public figures like leaders, may wonder about what kind of legacy they will leave behind.

But it is not about what impressions they want to leave behind after they have passed on.

Rather, it is what people will think of them and how they will be remembered in the minds of people.

The 1 reading recalls the life of David, the great king of Israel.

David was remembered by how he defeated Goliath and won glory for God and for Israel.

Although David had sinned, he was repentant and God took away his sin.

On the other hand, king Herod was remembered as the man who gave in to the request of a dancing girl and ordered the execution of John the Baptist.

That also makes us think about not just what we leave behind after we have passed on.

We also need to think about what we leave in the minds and hearts of others.

May we leave in others experiences of God’s love and how we shared God’s love with them.