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.