17th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 31-07-2026

Jeremiah 26:1-9 / Matthew 13:54-58 

There are two things in life that give us some kind of security and stability.

And that is routine and familiarity.

To do the same thing day in day out might sound boring.

But it does give us the peace of mind that everything is stable and secure.

However, if our routine and familiarity is shaken, then we will become irritated and annoyed.

In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah preached God's call to repentance at the Temple.

But the priests and people threaten to execute him for speaking hard truths.

Because they thought that the Temple will keep them safe and they can continue with their familiar rituals and practices.

They did not think, nor believe, that God would ever let the Temple be destroyed.

In the gospel, it was the people’s familiarity with Jesus that made them question His background.

Jesus did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.

So when our routine and familiarity is shaken and disturbed, let us not get irritated and annoyed.

Let us reflect and ponder, and see if there is a meaning and a message for us.

It is in listening to God and doing what He wants of us that will keep us safe and secure.

17th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 30-07-2026

Jeremiah 18:1-6 / Matthew 13:47-53

Strength and hardness are qualities that are highly regarded.

So metals like titanium is known for its high strength, low density, and strong resistance to rust.

But if it is subjected to oxygen contamination, or low temperatures, or improper alloying, then it can become brittle and break easily.

Similarly clay vessels are hard and durable, but they can also be easily broken.

In the first reading, God told Jeremiah to go down to the potter’s house and to observe what the potter is doing.

Whenever the vessel came out wrong, the potter could start afresh while the clay is still soft.

It was a reminder to the people that God can do whatever He wanted to them if they did wrong.

But the other message is also that if the people were soft like the clay in the potter’s hand, then God can form them with love and faithfulness.

In the gospel parable of the dragnet, it is a reminder for us that this world has many types of people, just as there are many types of fish.

We may be affected by some people’s unkind actions and we can succumb to the hardening of our heart against these people.

But let us remember that all judgement belongs to the Lord our God.

Let our hearts be soft like the clay in the potter’s hand and God will shape us into a beautiful creation.

Sts. Martha, Mary and Lazarus, Wednesday, 29-07-2026

1 John 4:7-16 / John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42  

Whenever we talk about St. Martha, the image of an active and work-oriented as well as task-oriented person comes to mind.

That may be because of that occasion (Luke 10:38-42)when she invited Jesus to her home and she was caught up with all the serving.

And then she complained to Jesus about getting her sister Mary to help her with the work.

But Jesus told her that she worried and fret about so many things and yet only one was important, and Mary had chosen the better part.

Martha must have remembered what Jesus said to her, and so despite the sadness and grief over her brother's death, she knew that only Jesus could comfort her.

And true to her personality, she made the move to go out and meet Jesus and to express her faith in Jesus.

But on this occasion, she also made a profound proclamation.

Martha proclaimed Jesus to be Christ, the Son of God.

Only St. Peter had made that similar proclamation.

Hence, St. Martha, despite her active and work-oriented and task-oriented personality, came to slowly recognize who Jesus is.

St. Martha is an example for us of someone who is active and busy but yet took the time to reflect and to discover who Jesus is.

Like St. Martha we may also have very active lives and busy with a lot of things.

But let us not forget the one important thing - prayer!

And that is what St. Martha’s sister, St. Mary, reminds us of. She gives us this example of sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to Him. Prayer is about listening to the Lord.

It is in prayer that we will attain the peace to know that Jesus is truly the Son of God, our Saviour.

When we have that peace, we won’t worry and fret about the unnecessary.

17th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 28-07-2026

Jeremiah 14:17-22 / Matthew 13:36-43   

Nobody likes to be punished, even if they deserve it.

And there is also the question of the value of punishment on those who are guilty.

Other than feeling the pain of the wrong that was done, the other thing could be that it would act as a deterrent.

In the first reading, the people of God were severely punished for their sinfulness and unfaithfulness to the Lord.

But it also must be said that they were given warning after warning, and prophets were sent to them to call for repentence.

But they did not heed the warnings and even persecuted and killed the prophets.

So God had to punish them severely enough to wake them up from their sinful stupidity.

But in the same first reading, God also expressed His pain over seeing His people being punished.

It is similar to the pain of a parent who had to punish his stubborn and rebellious child to wake him up.

In the gospel is the familiar parable of the wheat and the darnel, and also the obvious meaning of the judgement at the end of the world.

Yes, the subjects of the evil one must face their punishment.

But a thought would be how did they become subjects of the evil one?

At the end of the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah cried out for the sinful people:

O our God, you are our hope.

If we are Christian and virtuous enough, let us pray for those who are under the bondage of the evil one.

It is with our hope in the Lord our God that those subjects of the evil one will be converted and saved.

17th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 27-07-2026

Jeremiah 13:1-11 / Matthew 13:31-35

Whatever that is told to us, we want it to be as clear, as specific, and maybe as detailed as possible.

Although we have the ability to reflect and ponder and maybe even imagine, but we think that it is too troublesome.

It is more effective and more efficient to just have the gist of it in as short a time as possible.

Well, in the first reading, the message was as clear as the sun in the eyes and even too detailed.

Images of the loin cloth around the waist and the spoilt loin cloth left almost nothing to imagination.

So, the message is clear and do not need any further elaboration, i.e. just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, the House of Judah must cling to the Lord God.

Because the people refused to listen to God’s Word, they follow the dictates of their own hard hearts, and they even followed alien gods and served them and worshipped them.

And so obviously, there will be punishment and that is obvious.

In the gospel, Jesus spoke to the people in parables.

Indeed, He would never speak to them except in parables.

As we listen to those parables, as much as they have an obvious meaning, there is also a message.

But we need to ponder, meditate and reflect on the parables before we can understand the message.

When we understand the message, then we have heard the voice of the Lord speaking to us.

And we will want to cling to the Lord our God and walk by His ways.

17th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 26.07.2026

1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 / Romans 8:28-30 / Matthew 13:44-52

To go shopping can be a relaxing experience.

It is a form of retail therapy from the stress of life.

To do that, we would usually go to the shopping centres or shopping malls where it is more comfortable and more organized.

We will take our time to walk around and do window shopping.

Along the way, there may be something that will catch our attention and we might consider buying it.

But we don't usually have much time for casual window shopping.

Often, it is shopping with a purpose and with a limited time, and we may already have a shopping list in our minds or in our hands.

But that does not mean that we will always get whatever we want.

On a good shopping day, we will be able to find what we are looking for.

So, we will be able to get our favourite drinks, our favourite snacks, and maybe even get it at a discounted price.

But there are days when we can go from shop to shop and whatever we want is not available or out of stock.

We get this frustrated feeling that we have wasted our time and energy.

Even with online shopping, we may not get what we want and have to settle for a substitute or an alternative.

So, shopping can be relaxing and even enjoyable, but it can also be tiring and frustrating when we cannot get what we are looking for. 

In the Gospel, Jesus told two parables that give an idea of what the Kingdom of God is like. 

One is about a treasure hidden in a field which someone has found. 

He hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns, and buys the field. 

Another is about a merchant looking for fine pearls. 

When he finds one of great value, he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it. 

So, it can be said that for those two characters in the parables, it was a good shopping experience of finding what they are looking for. 

But as with every parable, there is also a spiritual dimension, as well as a mystery that reveals who God is. 

The parables did not say how that person found the treasure in the field. 

And neither does it say how the merchant found that pearl of great value. 

Here is where we go back to the first reading and recall the dialogue between God and king Solomon. 

The Lord God asked king Solomon what he wanted, and king Solomon asked for this. 

King Solomon knew that he was young and unskilled in leadership, and he had to govern God's people. 

So, king Solomon asked for this: He asked for a heart of understanding. 

He asked for a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil. 

In other words, king Solomon asked God to grant him wisdom. 

It is a wisdom that understands the ways of God and to discern the revelations of God. 

It is wisdom that enables a person to pray and discern before getting into action. 

And it is with wisdom that we can understand the meaning of the parables. 

It is through the revelation of God that the man found the treasure hidden in the field. 

It is through discernment that the merchant found the pearl of great value. 

It is with the Spirit of wisdom that we will understand what God is revealing to us and how to walk in His ways. 

And this Spirit of wisdom will show us how God is speaking to us. 

God speaks to us in many ways and especially through nature. 

And one example is the trees. The trees don't talk, but they tell us this. 

Their roots teach us what holding on looks like, and their leaves teach us how to let go. 

May the Spirit of wisdom help us to let go of the things of earth and hold on to God above. 

When we hold on to God alone, then we already have what we are looking and longing for. 

St. James, Apostle, Saturday, 25-07-2026

2 Cor 4:7-15 / Matthew 20:20-28

There is a popular pilgrimage in Europe that is known as the Compostela.

It is a traditional pilgrimage to the grave of St. James and it is known as the "Way of St. James".

According to legend, the remains of St. James are held in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia (Spain), and St. James is also the patron saint of Spain.

And according to the local tradition, St. James went as far as Spain to preach the gospel, and there he had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary and then he returned to Judea where shortly after he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa in the start of the persecution of the Church.

Hence he was the first of the apostles to be martyred and the first of the apostles to offer his life in witnessing to Christ.

Yes, St. James drank the cup that his Master drank and like his Master, he also offered his life as a ransom for many.

This feast of St. James also reminds us that our life is a pilgrimage on earth in a journey towards our eternal home in heaven.

In this pilgrimage we understand what St. Paul said in the 1st reading - We are only earthenware jars that hold the treasures of God.

Like St. James, let us pour out our life in service of God and others, so that, as the 1st reading puts it - the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be to the glory of God.