15th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 18-07-2026

Micah 2:1-5 / Matthew 12:14-21     

The existence of wickedness and evil in the world is a reality that we cannot deny.

And we also cannot deny that there are people who are just so obsessed with committing wickedness and evil.

The first reading gives us a glimpse of what is in the mind of those evil and wicked people.

They lie in bed planning mischief, seizing fields that they covet, they take over houses as well, owner and house they confiscate together, taking both man and inheritance.

But wickedness and evil do not have a free hand and to do whatever and whenever.

Because the Lord says this: Woe to those who plot evil.

Yes, the Lord restrains those who are wicked and evil because He protects the good and the upright.

In the gospel, it was the Pharisees, of all people, who began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy Him.

But Jesus did not confront them or retaliate against them.

The prophet Isaiah says this of Jesus: He will not break the crushed reed, nor put out the smouldering wick.

In the face of wickedness and evil, let us put our trust in Jesus.

He will lead the truth to victory, because in the end love and truth will prevail.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 17-07-2026

Isaiah 38:1-6, 21-22, 7-8 / Matthew 12:1-8

As we go on day by day, we may feel that life is rather routine and mundane.

We do the ordinary things like waking up, get ready for the day, take our meals and at the end of the day, we rest for the night.

But when this so-called monotony of life is broken by an unexpected mortal illness, then something that seems so abstract will become so real.

And that is, life is fading away and coming to an end, just like the sand in the hour-glass that is trickling away.

In the first reading, king Hezekiah was told to put his earthly affairs in order, for he was going to die.

King Hezekiah was a powerful king but even that could not stop death from coming to take him away.

He pleaded with God in tears, and God heard his prayer and added fifteen years to his life.

And that was because God had a purpose, that through king Hezekiah, the Assyrians will be defeated.

In the gospel, the Pharisees questioned Jesus about His disciples picking and eating corn on the sabbath.

The reply of Jesus can be summed up as this: people eat to live, and hunger is also a sign of the desire for life.

We too desire for life, but let us also hunger for God.

When we hunger for God, then we will give thanks to God for the ability to do the routine and mundane things in life.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 16-07-2026

Isaiah 26:7-9, 12, 16-19 / Matthew 11:28-30   

It can be said that human beings have a contradiction within themselves 

We want peace for ourselves, but we are prepared to fight with our enemies, thinking that by eliminating them, we will have peace.

We want to make ourselves look good and be happy, and we think that by putting others down, we will be better than them.

All this do not result in any good for ourselves or for others.

Yet, we keep fanning this contradiction within us with all sorts of warped strategies.

So what we really want is to have peace in our hearts and to live good lives.

But as the first reading tells us, the path of the upright man is straight and follows the way of the Lord.

It is only when we long for the Lord and seek Him, then we will learn the meaning of integrity and justice.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us to come to Him when we are tired and overburdened.

He will give us rest but we must turn away from our sinfulness and carry the cross of purification.

When we learn from Jesus to be gentle and humble of heart, then we will not be tired out and burdened by the contradictions of our lives.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 15-07-2026

Isaiah 10:5-7, 13-16 / Matthew 11:25-27   

In order to achieve success, power, wealth or a specific goal, a person needs to be ambitious.

With ambition and the willingness to put in effort, then goals and targets can be achieved.

But ambition without principles and discipline can be dangerous.

And ambition fanned by pride and ego can make a person think that nothing can stop him from getting what he wants.

In the first reading, the Lord used Assyria to punish His people for their sinfulness.

The Lord sent Assyria against His people who had become like a godless nation.

But ambition, pride and ego made Assyria go on destroying and cutting nations to pieces without limit.

Assyria was like an axe that claimed more credit than the man who wields it. Assyria was just over-ambitious.

So the Lord of host had to show Assyria who is the Master, and He sent a wasting sickness to Assyria’s stout warriors and burned up their wealth.

In the gospel, Jesus says that the true meaning of life is revealed to mere children.

As much as it is good to have an ambition in life, may we also be like simple and humble children.

May we listen to the Lord our God and do what He wants of us.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 14-07-2026

Isaiah 7:1-9 / Matthew 11:20-24  

It is easier to believe in things we can see and know, rather than to believe in what cannot be seen and difficult to believe.

What our senses can perceive, we are able to make an assessment and judgement.

But if our senses cannot perceive, then our knowledge is limited and uncertain.

In the first reading, the two kings of Aram and Israel joined forces to lay siege on Jerusalem.

When the news reached Jerusalem, the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees shudder in front of the wind.

They shuddered because of the imminent danger at the gates, and if the walls of the city are breached, it will be a tragedy and a disaster.

But the hearts of the king and the people shuddered because their hearts had swayed away from the Lord.

Still, the Lord did not abandon His people to the enemy and sent the prophet Isaiah to calm the heart of king Ahaz and not to fear.

The Lord will protect Jerusalem. But the Lord also gave this warning:

“If you do not stand by me, you will not stand at all”.

In the gospel, Jesus also warned the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum.

Those town are now in ruins because they rather believed in their power and wealth than in the message of repentance.

Let us heed the message of repentance and stand by the Lord.

When we stand by the Lord with faith, He will protect us and fight our battles for us.

15th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 13-07-20267

Isaiah 1:10-17 / Matthew 10:34 - 11:1    

It can be said that one of the most profound expressions of our faith is in the worship.

When we are gathered in the Eucharist, we worship God and offer prayer for ourselves, for the Church and for the world.

The worship, or the liturgy, is a formalized set of rituals to help us to encounter the presence of God and to come into communion with Him.

While there are rules and guidelines for the liturgy, it is kept simple and dignified for everyone to follow and understand.

But in the first reading, the people’s sacrifice was frowned upon by the Lord.

In the Lord’s words, He said, “I am sick of the holocausts of rams and the fat of calves. The blood of bulls and goats revolts me.”

The Lord detested the sacrifices because the people’s worship was not an expression of their faith.

Their worship became like a ritual festival with solemnity, and at the same time they were committing wickedness, injustice and oppression.

So the Lord turned away and did not listen to their multiple prayers, unless they repented.

May we not treat our worship and liturgy as a sort of ritual festivity with empty solemnity.

May our worship be a true expression of our faith done with humility and simplicity.

Then the Lord our God will listen our prayers and grant us His blessings.

15th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 11.07.2026

Isaiah 55:10-11 / Romans 8:18-23 / Matthew 13:1-23 

The present age can be called, among other things, the age of robots. 

And with each passing age, the features have become more and more fascinating and amazing. 

At present, we are already used to devices and appliances with robot technology. 

So, there is the robo-cleaner, the robo-vacuum, the robo-car, etc. 

It brings back memories of those sci-fi movies of the 80s like “RoboCop” and the Terminator movies, like “The Rise of the Machines”. 

That was like nearly 40 years ago, and it seemed like fiction and rather futuristic. 

Well, that fiction has become a fact, and that future has arrived. 

And the age of robots is already giving way to the age of humanoid robots. 

Because with the rise of artificial intelligence, the robots are not just getting intelligent, they are becoming more and more human. 

So, there are humanoid robots that can walk, run, carry loads, do housework, and even perform surgery. 

And then there are humanoid robots that can do sports like boxing and martial arts. 

So, maybe in the near future, the World Cup football games may feature 22 humanoid robot players. 

So, it seems that machines are taking over the tasks of mankind. 

If that is going to be the case, then what is left for the human race? 

In the gospel, Jesus told the parable of the Sower and the seeds. 

It is a parable that has an obvious meaning. 

But when His disciples asked Jesus why does He speak in parables, Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah: 

"You will listen and listen again and not understand, see and see again but not perceive. 

For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and be converted and healed by me." 

That quote from the prophet Isaiah is what the Lord God said about His people. 

That also makes us think about the parable that Jesus told us in the Gospel. 

What may have caught our initial attention are the seeds that fell on rich soil and bore a harvest of 100 or 60 or 30. 

But what about the other seeds? We may think, "Well, too bad, they have to be written off." 

But why did the Sower carelessly sow the seeds in places that seem to have no chance of germinating? No chance at all actually. 

The parable of the sower and the seeds makes us listen and listen again, see and see again. 

The parable makes us wonder and ponder about the reality of life and the reality of our humanity. 

As much as the seeds of the Word of God must take root in our hearts and bear fruits in our lives, that is not the only focus. 

Because if results are the only focus, then it is about productivity, efficiency, and proficiency.

In that aspect, robots and humanoid robots assisted by AI can do a much, much better job. 

But the parable reminds us of some people who are like the seeds that fell on the edge of the path and eaten up by birds. 

They exist, but they are forgotten. It is like “out of sight, out of mind”. 

And then there are some people, who are like the seeds that fell on patches of rock and among thorns. 

They dry up, they wither, they are choked by the demands of life to be economically productive and to produce a harvest. 

Theirs is the silent cry for help to those who can produce a harvest in life. 

Some need financial aid, some need respect and dignity, some just need to see the goodness of humanity. 

But all need the seeds of God's love to be sown again in their hearts so that they can have hope for the future. 

The hope of the future is not in robots or humanoids. 

The hope of the future is in us, human beings made in the image of God. 

Yes, human beings who will listen and understand, see and perceive what God is revealing to us.