All Saints, 01.11.2026

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

To wear white colour clothing, we need to be careful, and it can be challenging.

Because it is white, then any little stain or dirt is immediately visible. 

In contrast, stains or dirt on a dark coloured garment would not be that visible obvious. 

In a wedding, the bride would traditionally wear a white wedding gown. 

We can imagine how much care has to be taken to keep that wedding gown white and clean. 

Also in Church, the most basic liturgical garment is the alb, which must be white. 

It follows the biblical tradition, especially in the Old Testament, where priests wear a clean white linen garment in performing worship services. 

Also at Baptism, the newly baptized will be clothed in a white baptismal garment. 

It is to symbolize the purity and holiness of the new life that the newly baptized has put on in Jesus Christ. 

So, white colored garments is a symbol of purity and also holiness. 

It also symbolizes a belonging to God. 

It is an outward sign of an inward grace and blessing. 

But to keep a white garment clean and spotless is indeed very difficult.

Because the evil one would go all out to make us stain and soil our garment of purity and holiness. 

It is by our own sin that we will stain and soil our garment of purity and holiness. 

And we might also get used to a garment of that is stained and dirty, forgetting that we are called to be pure and holy. 

Today's feast of All Saints reminds us of our Christian identity and of our garment of purity and holiness. 

The Saints in heaven have gone through the difficult journey of keeping the garment of their Christian identity pure and holy. 

The devil had tempted them and tried to make them take off and discard their garment of their Christian identity. 

For example, St. Peter denied Jesus three times, but he repented and his garment became clean enough to be the first Pope of the Church. 

St. Paul was violently persecuting Christians, but on the road to Damascus, he fell off the horse and heard the Lord's voice. 

He took off the garment of persecution and put on the garment of salvation, and went on to become the Apostle to the Gentiles. 

St. Augustine of Hippo, who lived during the 5th century, wore a garment of sin and immorality, but by the prayers of his mother, St. Monica, he put on the garment of Christianity and led people to Christ. 

But these Saints had to keep the garment of their Christian identity pure and holy by resisting temptation and sin.

And they relied on the grace and blessing of Jesus Christ to remain faithful. 

Today's Gospel tells us the blessings that the Lord Jesus wants to bestow on us. 

To believe in those blessings is to be happy, and to be happy is to be holy.

But the world would not want to believe in those heavenly blessings. 

We believe in God's providence, and hence we being poor in spirit is our faith, but the world looks up to those who have plenty. 

In the eyes of the world, to be gentle and humble would mean being weak and being trampled upon. 

For the world, might is right. There is no place for the merciful and those who work for peace. 

And the lure of desires and luxuries often tempts us to give in to sin and immorality. 

On the garments of the Saints are their blood, sweat, and tears. 

They have fought the good fight and finished the race and kept the faith. 

The first reading tells us that their garments are washed by the blood of the Lamb and become white again. 

We also have our sweat and tears on our garments. But let us listen to this reflection often accredited to St. Mother Teresa, and it goes like this:

People are often unreasonable, 

illogical, and self-centred.

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind,

people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful,

you will win some false friends and some true enemies.

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,

people may cheat you.

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,

someone could destroy overnight.

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness,

they may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,

people will often forget tomorrow.

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,

and it may never be enough.

Give the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis 

it is between you and God ;

it was never between you and them anyway.

So, we follow the Saints to keep our garments pure and holy by being faithful to Jesus Chirst.

And we look forward with hope to the prayers of the Saints, and to join them in heaven when our garments are washed by the blood of the Lamb and become clean and white again.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 31-10-2026

Philippians 1:18-26 / Luke 14:7-11   

By and large, we have the etiquette and the decorum to be shown our seats in a function or at a dinner reception.

We certainly don't want to be embarrassed to take a seat we assumed to be ours only to be told otherwise.

Nonetheless the parable of Jesus tells us that we have this human desire to be honoured and maybe even exalted.

Because it cannot be denied that we liked to be looked up too. For some it may even be an obsession.

But for all the adulation and limelight that we might get, what and how will it matter in eternity?

In the 1st reading, we hear of St. Paul's dilemma.

He wants to be with Christ but yet he knows he had to stay on for a while in order to help the early Christians progress in their faith.

Yet St. Paul also knew that all praise and honour is to be given to God alone.

So let us be aware of our tendency to be in the limelight and receive the applause.

Yet all this does not matter in eternity. What matters then is that we continue to praise and glorify the Lord.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 30-10-2026

Philippians 1:1-11 / Luke 14:1-6   

When it comes to thinking about people, our minds have a particular orientation.

Somehow, we are more likely to remember those who have done wrong to us, those who have cheated us, those who owe us money and yet to pay it back.

Yes, these people caused us pain and anger, and the wounds are not yet healed.

And because the bitterness and the resentment against these people are still there, they are probably the people that come to our minds often, and it is not for a good reason.

But in the first reading, the people that St. Paul thinks about often are the elders and the Christian community in Philippi.

He gives thanks to God for them and he prays for them as he remembers how they have helped to spread the Good News.

But of course, St. Paul would have remembered those who had persecuted him and harmed him.

Still, the people that he thinks about are those who spread the Good News, and if he ever thinks about those who did bad things to him, he would probably pray that they will eventually hear the Good News and repent.

In the gospel, Jesus healed a man with dropsy, which is a kind of fluid retention that causes swelling in the various parts of the body.

Thoughts about those people who did wrong to us would only cause anger retention in us and cause our minds and hearts to have painful swellings.

Let us ask Jesus to heal us so that filled with His love, we will always remember the blessings of the good people around us.

And with praise and thanksgiving, we can then pray for those who have done wrong to us.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 29-10-2026

Ephesians 6:10-20 / Luke 13:31-35  

If we know it is going to rain heavily, we will bring along an umbrella or even wear a raincoat when we need to go out.

And if we know it is going to be cold, then we will wear our winter jackets and other warm clothing.

If we don’t do what is necessary, then we only have ourselves to blame for not protecting ourselves.

As we go out into the world, we are faced with many dangers as well as temptations.

The first reading tells us to grow strong in the Lord, with the strength that comes from Him.

The reading also reminds us that it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but in fact, it is against the devil’s tactics and the spiritual army of evil and darkness.

We must put on the armour of God by praying all the time and praying in the Spirit and staying alert and awake to put out the burning arrows of the evil one.

In the gospel, Herod is like a fox out to kill Jesus, while Jesus is like a mother hen who gathers her children under her wings.

Jesus wants to gather us in His arms to protect us but we must want to do so.

We cannot rely on our own strength and defenses against the foxes of the world.

If we don’t stand by Jesus, we will not stand at all.

And we also need to stand united with each other, for when two or three are united in prayer, Jesus will be there to protect us.

Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles, Wednesday, 28-10-2026

Ephesians 2:19-22 / Luke 6:12-19   

Not much is known about the two saints whose feast we celebrate today.

Simon was called Zealot probably because of his zeal for the Jewish independence before he was called by Jesus.

Jude or Thaddeus is the author of the letter in the New Testament in which he warned Christian converts against false teaching and immorality.

He is also venerated as the patron of "impossible cases"

Traditional sources had it that both of them were together in their missionary work in Persia and they were martyred.

Both of them also tell us something about the people Jesus chose to be His disciples.

Both of them, as well as the rest of the apostles, were insignificant people from insignificant backgrounds.

But both of them had  a purpose in God's plan of salvation.

Both of them became zealous for Christ and for the Kingdom and they also became channels of God's grace for those who were seeking God's love and forgiveness, or when they seek God's help when their problems in life seemed hopeless or impossible even.

We may think that we are insignificant persons and hence we think we have no purpose in God's plan of salvation.

But let us ask for the prayers of St. Simon and St. Jude that we will discover our purpose in life and also our purpose in God's plan of salvation.

We may be insignificant but it does not mean that we are impossible. Because with God, everything and everyone is possible.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 27-10-2026

Ephesians 5:21-33 / Luke 13:18-21    

In this world, the bright lights and big sounds often get the attention.

When the world wants to announce that something is happening, it will use all means to attract attention.

And indeed, bright lights and big sounds do get people’s attention.

But nature tells us something else.

Nature tells us that thunder and lighting don’t bring about growth.

Rather it is the gentle shower and warm sunlight that brings about growth for the plants and the trees.

In the gospel, Jesus tells us what is the kingdom of God is like.

It is like the little mustard seed that slowly grows into a tree.

It is also like that bit of leaven that raises the dough.

The kingdom of God is about silent and slow growth.

So is the love between husband and wife. It is a gentle and faithful love that keeps the marriage stable.

And so too is our love for God. It is in faithful and constant prayer that we express our love for God.

And it is in gentle and quiet ways that we express our love for others.

30th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 26-10-2026

Ephesians 4:32 - 5:8 / Luke 13:10-17    

If we want to see how bright the sky is on a sunny day, we have to look up.

And when we look up, we not only see the sky, we are also awed by the beauty of the white clouds in the blue sky.

And we often point to the skies and look up there when we want to indicate the dwelling place of God.

Yes, looking up is like an expression of our faith in God and that He will shower His blessings on us from the heavens.

In the gospel, there was a woman who was bent double and quite unable to stand upright, and she was in this state for eighteen years.

It was a long time to be looking at the ground with all that dirt and dust.

Jesus saw her he called her over and said, “Woman, you are rid of your infirmity” and He laid His hands on her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.

So at last, that woman can look up and see the hope of heaven and the love of God.

The first reading says this: You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light.

When we sin, we are dragged and bent over, and we see only darkness and hopelessness.

But Jesus saved us and lifted us to see light and hope.

May we in turn lift others from their burdens and darkness, and lead them to look up and see the light of God’s love.