3rd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 22-04-2026

Acts 8:1-8 / John 6:35-40   

There is no doubt that life is difficult and it has its troubles.

And the difficulties can be anything from frustrations with others to serious troubles that erupt into violence between groups of people.

Even if we have faith in God, when these difficulties and troubles occur, we will question God as to why such things happen.

And if things happen for a reason, then we will surely want to know what is that reason.

In the 1st reading, a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and Saul then worked for the total destruction of the Church.

In the face of such violence and hostility, the early Church would have asked why this was happening and why isn’t God protecting them.

But the amazing thing was that those who have escaped went from place to place preaching the Good News.

And with that began the missionary activity of the early Church.

So a crisis was turned into an opportunity, and with the grace of God, the early disciples worked miracles, and cured the sick and cast out evil spirits.

And there was even great rejoicing at the proclamation of the Good News.

And all this is possible because the early Church believed that Jesus is the Bread of life, and that He will sustain them and help them to overcome all difficulties and troubles.

We too share that same belief as the early Church, and may we also see the miracles that God will work for us when we meet with difficulties and troubles.

3rd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 21-04-2026

Acts 7:51 - 8:1 / John 6:30-35   

Everyday we use a lot of words, and we may wonder what effects do they have.

Words can be powerless, but they can also be powerful.

When someone uses a lot of words but if they are pointless or unclear, disorganized, illogical, or difficult to understand, then those words are powerless and meaningless.

But words can be powerful when they evoke or bring about a feeling, memory, image, or reaction and even an action.

In the 1st reading, when Stephen spoke to the people, the elders and the scribes, his words were sharp but truthful, and it brought about a hostile reaction.

The listeners were infuriated and they ground their teeth at him.

What Stephen said was inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the people were so angered by it that they decided to kill him so as to silence him forever.

Such is the power of words and it cost Stephen his life.

In the gospel, Jesus said that He is the Bread of Life, and whoever comes to Him will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Him will never thirst.

Those are powerful words of truth and we must decide what our response will be.

We can be indifferent to it or even ignore it.

But when we believe in the words of Jesus, we will be filled with life and love.

And our words will also be words of truth that will echo the Word of God.

3rd Week of Easter, Monday, 20-04-2026

Acts 6:8-15 / John 6:22-29  

When nature takes its course, it will show us marvels as well as surprises.

An example would be planting a seed. The seed germinates and grows in harmony with the course of nature.

The beauty of this world follows a course of nature that is beautiful as well as mysterious.

And when our lives are in harmony with the course of nature, then we can find directions and meaning.

The deacon Stephen had the responsibility of distributing food to the poor of the community.

But in the 1st reading, Stephen seemed to have a further calling.

He was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people.

Some might say that Stephen should just do what he was called to do.

But the ways of God are mysterious, and when Stephen hear the call, he let nature take its course and went along God’s ways.

In the gospel, Jesus told the people that they were looking for Him not because they have seen and understood the signs but because they had all the bread they wanted to eat.

The people were just interested in having bread to eat, but they don’t seem to understand the sign of the miracle of the loaves.

God is calling us to reflect further about the course of life that we are in by reflecting on the signs of life.

Those signs point to the ways of God.

When we go along the ways of God, we will be in harmony with the course of life and with our calling.

3rd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 19.04.2026

Acts 2:14, 22-28 / 1 Peter 1:17-21 / Luke 24:13-35  

There was a popular song in the early 1980s that was played over the radio almost every day. 

It was a high energy disco-type of dance song, and it was heard in every discotheque during that era. 

Most of us would have heard of that song. The title is “One-way ticket”. 

At that time, the lyrics of songs were not that easily available. 

What mattered was the upbeat music, and the people of that era just like to hear it and dance to it. 

But when we look at the lyrics, it is actually quite a sad song about heartbreak and the loneliness and turmoil after that. 

Well, the lyrics say it all: “one-way ticket to the blues, gonna take a trip to lonesome town, gonna stay at heartbreak hotel”. 

But the 1980s version of that song was so upbeat, so energetic that we just want to get up and dance, and never mind what the song is about. 

In the gospel, the two disciples of Jesus were on their way to a village called Emmaus, which was 7 miles from Jerusalem. 

As they walked along, they talked about all that had happened. 

But it was a sad and disappointed journey to Emmaus. It was like a one-way ticket. 

Even when Jesus came to walk along with them, they could not recognise Him. 

Maybe their sadness and disappointment were so deep that all they could see was hopelessness and darkness. 

As they walked along, they shared with Jesus how they had placed all the hope in Him. 

But with His death on the Cross, their hopes were shattered, to the point that there were not even broken pieces to pick up. 

So, their journey to Emmaus was like a one-way ticket to a lonesome town and to stay at some heartbreak hotel. 

Beyond Emmaus, they seem to have no further plans other than to go away as far as possible from Jerusalem. 

As they talked about their disappointment, sadness and hopelessness, Jesus listened, but He did not remain silent. 

He spoke to them about the full message of the prophets, that the Christ should suffer and so enter into His glory. 

And starting from Moses and going through all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the passages in the Scriptures that were about the Christ. 

Meanwhile, as Jesus spoke, something was happening in the hearts of the two disciples. 

Their hearts began to burn as Jesus explained the Scriptures to them. 

And then at the breaking of bread, their eyes were opened, and they recognised Jesus. 

They immediately set out and returned to Jerusalem, and told the disciples about what had happened on the road to Emmaus, and how they recognised Jesus at the breaking of bread. 

So, in short, it was a story of brokenness and hopelessness turning into hopefulness and gladness. 

It was not a one-way ticket into terminal disappointment, but a return ticket into gladness and consolation. 

All that is possible because the God we believe in will not let hopelessness be a one-way ticket into desolation. 

The God we believe in is the God of the Resurrection. 

He raises those who are bowed down, and He lifts up the lowly. 

We may feel that our lives and our faith are like mundane, going flat, and sliding down a one- way journey into desolation. 

But let us keep doing that little bit to keep that little flame of our faith alive by coming regularly for Mass. 

One day, our ears will be opened to listen to the voice of God in the Scriptures. 

One day our eyes will be opened and our hearts will burn, and we will tell others how we have experienced Jesus in our disappointment and desolation. 

But most of all, may we recognise Jesus at the Mass where bread is broken. 

Yes, the Bread of Life is broken, so that hearts that are broken will come back to life and will burn with love.

2nd Week of Easter, Saturday, 18-04-2026

Acts 6:1-7 / John 6:16-21  

It is generally presumed that the simple and humble jobs can be done by anyone.

Ordinary, simple and humble jobs may not require much skills and knowledge.

So a simple task like serving food may seem easy.

A person serving food just needs to observe hygiene practices and get the orders correct.

That is as simple as it can be to any ordinary person.

But in the 1st reading, a simple task like distributing food to the widows became a big issue.

It was a big enough issue for the apostles to call for a full meeting of the disciples to address the matter.

So, the apostles were to focus on prayer and preaching the Word of God.

The disciples were to select seven men to take charge of the distribution of food.

But it was not just any seven men. Those seven men had to be of good reputation, filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom.

That was certainly quite a strict requirement for a seemingly simple task.

But it goes to show that even simple tasks cannot be taken for granted.

In the case of the early Church, it involves integrity, responsibility, justice and equality.

And God’s love, care and providence is expressed in that simple task of food distribution.

May we remember that simple tasks are also equally important tasks.

It is in doing the simple and humble tasks that we give glory to God.

2nd Week of Easter, Friday, 17-04-2026

Acts 5:34-42 / John 6:1-15   

In this fast-moving world, speed and efficiency are highly regarded for decision and action.

For those who can think quickly and act fast, they are looked upon as highly effective and efficient people.

To wait and see and think might seem to be too slow and opportunities are missed.

But to wait and see and think is the characteristic of those who are wise.

In the 1st reading, those in power felt the threat from the lowly and simple apostles.

So the fastest solution to the problem would be to eliminate them totally by putting them to death.

All this while, the Pharisee Gamaliel, a doctor of the Law and respected by the people, was looking, listening and thinking.

Then he decided to speak up and he truly spoke words of wisdom.

He gave examples of how there were two movements but they eventually died out.

He also said that if what the apostles were doing is of human origin, it will break up on its own accord.

But if it does in fact come from God, then in going against them would be like going against God.

So, in every plan or project, let us pray to the Lord and wait and see.

And God will show us how to carry it out according to His will.

2nd Week of Easter, Thursday, 16-04-2026

Acts 5:27-33 / John 3:31-36   

In life, there are times when we never ever thought we would do something or say something that would surprise others, and even more, surprise ourselves.

But somehow we ended up doing that something or saying that something that we did not plan or intended to.

Even for Pope Leo XIV, he once thought that the late Pope Francis would never appoint him to be a bishop.

That was because he had a small disagreement with Pope Francis and he left it at that.

So, he probably never thought he would be a bishop, or even a Cardinal, and much less a Pope.

So, when God wants His will to be carried out, He will move people and also put words into their mouths.

In the 1st reading, when the apostles were interrogated by the high priest about their preaching of Jesus, Peter replied:

“Obedience to God comes before obedience to men”.

Peter and the apostles were not doing something of their own accord, but under the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

They had to carry out the will of God, even though it meant being interrogated and persecuted.

In everything that we do or say, let us discern and pray to see what God wants of us.

If it is from God, then nothing can stop it, even if we try to avoid or resist it.

2nd Week of Easter, Wednesday, 15-04-2026

Acts 5:17-26 / John 3:16-21   

It can be difficult to understand why there are bad and wicked people in this world.

Even though there is nothing done to offend them, they go around causing trouble for others.

And when our tolerance for these people crosses the limit, we will be tempted to confront them and even try to teach them a lesson.

But we must remember that evil begets evil, and also he who uses the sword will also eventually come under the sword.

In the 1st reading, those in power used force on the apostles and had them imprisoned.

But those in power were of high standing and yet they dealt harshly and heavily on the apostles who were simple and humble people.

But God is always on the side of the simple, the humble and the lowly people.

That night, the angel of the Lord freed the apostles and told them to go to the Temple and continue to preach.

When those in power heard that the apostles were not in prison but were preaching in the Temple, they should have sensed that something mysterious had happened.

Still, they would not accept it. As the gospel puts it, the light shines into the world but the bad and the wicked prefer the darkness to the light.

But the light of God will shine and it will shine through us.

Let us not fight evil with evil, but let the light of Christ shine through us.

The light and the love of God will prevail over the darkness and evil.

2nd Week of Easter, Tuesday, 14-04-2026

Acts 4:32-37 / John 3:7-15      

When we take things for granted, it means that we don’t notice them anymore and they don’t interest us anymore.

When we take things for granted, we will also miss out on the wonderful and the beautiful.

Take the wind for example. We may not think and wonder too much about it.

We can’t see it but when it is present, we will feel it and the coolness it brings.

And when it is absent, we will just turn on the fan or the aircon, and we don’t think too much about it.

But where does the wind come from, and how is it made or created?

And what directs to the wind to go here or there?

Science may have the answers, but still the wind remains a mystery.

In the gospel, Jesus used the example of the wind to express the nature of the Spirit.

When the 1st reading recalled the wonderful unity of the early Christian community, that also expresses the workings of the Holy Spirit.

So, when we see something wonderful or beautiful, let us not pass it by.

God is telling us something, and the winds of prayer will help us understand the mystery of life and the mystery of God.

2nd Week of Easter, Monday, 13-04-2026

Acts 4:23-31 / John 3:1-8   

Whenever a problem arises, the immediate reaction would be to think of a solution.

In thinking of a solution, there can be several options.

Of course, the main consideration is to solve the problem as quickly as possible.

And the best solution would be to eliminate the problem once and for all.

So, human logic and reasoning will be used to think of the best solution.

In the 1st reading, the chief priests and the elders had warned Peter and John not to proclaim and teach in the name of Jesus.

They could not think of a way to punish them, since all the people were giving glory to God.

On the other hand, when Peter and John went back to the community, they did not discuss how to resist or retaliate against the chief priests and elders.

Instead the community prayed and gave praise to God for protecting them against persecutions.

They also prayed that the Lord God will stretch out His hand to heal and to work miracles and marvels for them.

What we must learn from this is that whenever we face challenges and difficulties, or struggles and troubles, let us first turn to the Lord in prayer.

And since we have been re-born in the Spirit, then we must turn to God in prayer.

God will show us the solution to our problems, and it will be a wonderful and marvellous blessed solution.

2nd Sunday of Easter, Year A, 12.04.2025

Acts 2:42-47 / 1 Peter 1:3-9 / John 20:19-31  

One of the challenges that we face in the morning is waking up. 

In the morning, the bed is like a big magnet and our body is fighting the magnetic pull of the bed. 

And if we didn't have a good night’s sleep, or running under the weather, then we are really like stuck to the bed. 

So even if the alarm clock is ringing on and on, we will tell ourselves, just another 5 or 10 minutes, and then we will over-sleep and run late. 

And talking about alarm clocks, there is this joke about a husband and wife having a cold war. 

However, the husband had an early morning flight to catch the next day, but he didn’t want to talk to his wife and tell her about it. 

So, he wrote a note and stuck it on her bedside table with this message, “Wake me up at 7:00 am”. 

The next morning, he happened to open his eyes and he glanced at the clock, and it was already 8:30 am. 

And there was a note stuck next to the clock that is written by his wife, and it read, “Wake up, wake up, it is already 7:00 am”. 

So, the moral of the joke is that it is not worth having cold wars, because we will not gain anything and we will also be late for everything. 

Not only alarm clocks may not be able to wake us up. 

What we see around us, and what others say, may not wake us up either. 

Especially when the issue is inconvenient, troublesome or burdensome to us. 

We would ignore or resist, or look away and don’t want to hear about what really matters. 

In the gospel, the risen Lord Jesus appeared to the disciples, and they were filled with joy when they saw the Lord. 

But Thomas was not with them when Jesus came. 

When the disciples told him that they had seen the Risen Lord, he was skeptical, to say the least.

And Thomas also made a very bold demand, and it is this: Unless I see the holes that the nails made in His hands, and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into His side, I refuse to believe. 

For Thomas, seeing is not enough, he wants to touch the wounds of Jesus. 

Maybe the death of Jesus on the Cross had broken the faith of Thomas, such that his faith also crumpled and withered away. 

Maybe that is why Thomas made such a bold and challenging demand. 

More than just doubting what the disciples said, Thomas wants the truth, and he even wants to touch the truth. 

God is truth and God is life. 

When Thomas was with the disciples, Jesus appeared again. 

Jesus not only wanted Thomas to see and to touch the truth, He also came to give a wake-up call to the faith of Thomas. 

From a crumpled and withered faith, Thomas woke up and declared: My Lord and my God. 

Yes, God is truth and God is life. 

But when it comes to the truth, we can ignore it or reject it, we can doubt it or disregard it. 

But along with truth is also life, and the Lord of life will give us a wake-up call so that we will wake up to life, and the truth will also set us free. 

And God is giving us a wake-up call through Pope Leo XIV. 

The Pope called for a worldwide vigil of prayer for peace on the 11th of April. 

We cannot ignore that call for prayer for peace. 

To ignore is to disregard and even to doubt the horrors and the tragedies of war and violence. 

But the truth is that blood is shed, and innocent lives are lost, and children and the defenceless are in danger. 

When the world is not at peace, we won’t be at peace. 

When blood is shed, we must pray, because only God can stop the violence and the bloodshed. 

Let us heed the call to prayer because we must wake up to life, and the truth will also set us free, free to believe in the love of God, and to pray for the power of God to overcome war and violence and bloodshed.

Saturday within Octave of Easter, 11-04-2026

Acts 4:13-21 / Mark 16:9-15  

Waking up in the morning can be like fighting magnetic forces.

The bed is like a big magnet pulling us in and not letting go of us.

More so if we didn’t sleep well and are running under the weather.

So, we will want to give ourselves just 5 or 10 more minutes, and then we oversleep.

The alarm might just go on and on, but somehow we don’t seem to hear a thing.

In a sense, the disciples in the gospel were like in a morning wake-up call.

For whatever reason, they just don’t want to wake up to the reality that Jesus has risen.

Witnesses might say all they want about having encountered the Risen Lord, but still it would be more comfortable and even safer to shut their ears and sleep on.

In the end, Jesus had to show Himself and this time the disciples had to wake up.

They were reproached for refusing to believe those who had seen the Risen Lord Jesus.

But when the disciples finally woke up, then it was time to get moving and working.

We see that in the 1st reading when Peter and John were interrogated by the rulers, elders and scribes.

And when those in power wanted Peter and John to stop proclaiming Jesus, Peter and John retorted:

You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God.

So the next time we hear the alarm going off, God is calling out to us to get up.

Yes, let us rise from our slumber and go forth to do what God wants of us.

Friday within Octave of Easter, 10-04-2026

Acts 4:1-12 / John 21:1-14   

The mystery of the Incarnation is a deep belief of our faith.

We believe that God became man in Jesus Christ and lived as a human being.

Jesus was like us in all aspects as a human being except that He did not sin.

And even after He rose from the dead, He did not distance from His disciples.

In the gospel, when Peter and the rest of the disciples were kind of lost in life, they went back to what they were familiar with, and that is fishing.

Maybe the disciples wanted to go back to their previous ordinary way of life.

Yet, in the ordinary, Jesus showed Himself again to His disciples.

They had caught nothing until Jesus appeared and told them where to catch the fish.

Then they remembered that once upon a time they too had a miraculous catch of fish when Jesus was around.

And now, this Jesus who rose from the dead, is with them, but they were still trying to come to terms that this Risen Jesus is still so near with them.

Indeed, the Risen Lord Jesus is always so near to us and He is always with us.

Let us call out to Him when we are lost in life and finding life boring and without direction.

Jesus our Risen Lord will show us the way, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Thursday within Octave of Easter, 09-04-2026

Acts 3:11-26 / Luke 24:35-48   

Normally speaking, when everything is under control, we would be able to think calmly and clearly.

But life is not always calm and under our control.

When something unexpected happens, chaos explodes and we may not think calmly and clearly.

Even what we are supposed to know and remember can just be a black-out for us.

For example, when the fire alarm goes off, the sharp ringing is enough to throw us off-balance, as calm turns to chaos.

For the disciples in the gospel, as they shared their encounters of the Risen Lord, they were also not sure if they were seeing visions or suffering from the trauma of the deep shock of seeing Jesus dead on the Cross.

And in all this chaos and fear, Jesus comes to them and His first words to them are “Peace be with you”.

Jesus came to calm their fears and to give them the peace that would heal their broken minds and hearts.

Life is rough and we get injured with bruises and cuts here and there.

And when life becomes chaotic, then our minds and hearts can get broken and cracked.

But the Risen Lord Jesus comes to give us a peace that the world cannot give.

His peace will calm and heal our minds and hearts.

And when we become calm and peaceful again, let us also share this peace of Jesus with others.

Wednesday within Octave of Easter, 08-04-2026

Acts 3:1-10 / Luke 24:13-35    

As we journey along in life, we gain many things at the beginning.

From infancy to early adulthood, it was quite a growth in almost every aspects of life.

We gain knowledge, we grow physically, we build relationships and, of course, we also work for our financial security.

But in the later part of life, we begin to lose bit by bit.

Our health slowly weakens, some of our loved ones and friends pass on, and we are also worried if we will lose our financial security.

As for the two disciples of Jesus, it seems that they have lost their inspiration and motivation.

They had put their hope in Jesus, but that hope was shattered on the Cross.

Their hope was shattered, but they did not know that Jesus rose from the dead.

And He came along to journey with them in their desolation, and at the breaking of bread, He re-ignited their hope and consolation.

In life we gain and we lose, but Jesus will always stay with us.

And in life, we may not have silver or gold to give to others.

But like Peter who shared with the crippled man the healing power of the love of Jesus, we too can do that.

And that is also our mission, because there is nothing that we can give or share with others, except the presence and love of Jesus.

Tuesday within Octave of Easter, 07-04-2026

Acts 2:36-41 / John 20:11-18   

In Church, we see many signs of the presence of God.

There is the Blessed Sacrament in the Adoration Room, the Crucifix, holy pictures and statues, among many others.

We also hear God speaking to us in the reading of the Scriptures at Mass and at prayer.

But when God speaks to us in a personal way, how would we know it?

In the 1st reading, Peter spoke to the Jews in these words: The whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.

Those words are the truth, but they may not seem to be that moving or inspiring or motivating.

Yet, when the people heard this, they were cut to the heart.

And that is because God used the simple and straight-forward words of Peter to speak to the people.

Similarly in the gospel, the Risen Lord Jesus called out to Mary by her name, and she knew then it was Jesus.

And from her heart, Mary responded in Hebrew, a language that is close to her heart.

God speaks to us in simple and ordinary ways, and when we hear the voice of the Lord, we will respond like Mary and the people.

And when we hear the voice of the Lord, let us respond with all our heart and be ready to do His will.

Monday within Easter Octave, 06-04-2026

Acts 2:14, 22-33 / Matthew 28:8-15  

Two persons looking at the same thing will have different opinions.

That is simply because they have different perceptions.

Individual perceptions are shaped and influenced by a person’s knowledge, presumptions, preferences and other factors.

In the gospel, two groups of people encountered the same phenomenon.

The women, as well as the soldiers, saw the angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled away the stone at the tomb and sat on it.

The soldiers were so shaken, so frightened of him, that they were like dead men.

But the angel spoke and he told the women that Jesus had risen from the dead.

The women went quickly away from the tomb and ran to tell the disciples, and they also met Jesus along the way.

The soldiers, however, went to tell the chief priests about what happened.

The soldiers eventually succumbed to a lie, because there it was too risky to admit the truth.

But the truth is the truth even if no one believes in it.

And a lie is a lie even if everyone believes in it.

May Jesus who is the Truth deepen our faith in His Resurrection.

And the Truth will set us free from whatever presumptions or preferences to succumbing to falsehood.

Easter Sunday, Year A, 05.04.2026

Acts 10:34, 37-43 / Colossians 3:1-4 or 1 Cor 5:6-8 / John 20:1-9 

The past three days were days that was filled with prayer as we came for Mass. 

On Thursday morning, there was the Chrism Mass at our parish. 

At the Chrism Mass, the Archbishop and the priests of the Archdiocese gathered for the renewal of priestly promises and the blessing of the Holy Oils. 

Then in the evening was the Mass of the Lord’s Supper followed by Holy Hour. 

On Good Friday, there was the recalling of the suffering and death of Jesus and the veneration of the Holy Cross. 

Last evening, was the Easter vigil where we witnessed 28 adults being baptised and joining our parish family. 

In all these Masses and moments of prayer, God is calling out to us, the Church, and telling us this: 

Through the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is sending His blessings on us, on the Church and on the world. 

That was also the message at the beginning of Lent, and that is also the message as we begin Easter. 

As we reflect and meditate on the suffering and death of Jesus on the Cross, God is telling us that our sins are forgiven and we are saved from the snares of the devil and the fires of hell. 

As we reflect and meditate on the Resurrection of Jesus, God is telling us that He wants to restore us back into the image of Christ, which is an image of love.

Later, we will renew our baptismal promises, where we declare that we reject the devil, and profess our faith in God. 

We will also be sprinkled with Holy Water as a reminder of our baptism in Christ. 

God is calling us out of the empty tombs of our sinfulness to rise with Jesus to a new life of holiness. 

Yes, we will still have our resentment and frustrations, our anger and greed, our desires and fantasies, our unfaithfulness and our weakness. 

The devil will use all that to draw us back into the tomb of sin and to die there in the darkness. 

But God is calling out to us through the Resurrection of Jesus, and to follow the light of life. 

As the 2nd reading, (Colossians 3:1-4) say:

Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, and not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. 

To die to sin is to come back to life and to be truly human, and to be restored back into the image of love, which is the image of Christ. 

A child was asked, “Do you like to come to church?” 

She answered “Yes.” When asked why, she replied, “Because the aunties and uncles in church talk to me and they are nice to me.” 

That is as basic as being human can be, and that is to be childlike, to be kind and gentle, to be loving and welcoming.

To be truly human, we don’t look at the things of earth, but we look at the things of above, where Christ is sitting at God’s right hand. 

And as we look at Jesus Christ our Risen Lord, let us ask Him for His blessings, so that we can be truly human and be an image of love to others.

Good Friday, 03-04-2026

Isaiah 52:13 – 53:12 / Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 

Good Friday is that one day in the calendar of the Church that does not have Mass. 

Instead, it is a service. 

And this Good Friday service is also different from what we are familiar with. 

There are the readings, with a particularly long gospel reading. 

And then there is the Solemn Intercessions, where prayers are offered for various intentions. 

Following that is the unveiling of the Cross. 

The Cross with the crucified Christ is unveiled in three movements. 

When the Cross is fully unveiled, we are called to look at the crucified Christ, and ponder. 

As we look at the Cross, let the Cross speak to us. 

Let the Cross tell us that Jesus was crucified on it because He willingly died for our sins to save us. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the crucified Christ is also the forgiveness of the sins of the world. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the suffering and the crucified Christ, we see the horrors and tragedies of war and violence. 

Let the Cross tell us that in the suffering and crucified Christ, is also the sufferings of the innocent, the defenceless, the children, the weak and the poor. 

Yes, the Cross tells us of suffering and bloodshed, of respect and dignity being disregarded and trampled upon. 

But it is also this Cross of suffering and pain that we will come forward to venerate. 

We want to tell Jesus that we will carry our cross and follow Him and to pray for peace. 

We want to believe in the power of prayer and in the power of the Cross. 

Jesus turned the Cross of suffering, pain and death and turned it into the Cross of redemption and salvation. 

So, let us embrace the Cross, and also embrace the crucified Christ. 

The crucified Christ will save us from our sins. 

The crucified Christ will also save the world and grant us peace.

Holy Thursday 2026

Exodus 12:1-8, 11-14 / 1 Cor 11:23-26 / John 13:11-15

This morning at the Chrism Mass, the Archbishop blessed the three Holy Oils.

They are the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of the Catechumen and the Oil of the Holy Chrism.

All the three Oils are essential to the ministry of the priests.

Before blessing the Oils, the Archbishop presided over the Renewal of Priestly Promises.

The first promise is a reminder of priesthood and the promises the priests made at their ordination.

The second promise is to be more united and conformed to the Lord Jesus and the sacred duties to the Church.

The last promise is to be faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, in the Holy Eucharist, and other liturgical rites.

Having renewed their priestly promises, the priests go back to their parishes, and in the evening, they exercise their priesthood with the celebration of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, or, the Eucharist.

In the celebration of the Eucharist is expressed all promises that the priests renewed at the Chrism Mass.

The “Washing of Feet” is a symbolic expression of the ministry and service of the priest.

The other pastoral ministries include visiting the sick, teaching the Catechumens and baptizing them, spiritual formation of the Christian people, building communities of faith, restoring and reconciling strained or broken relationships, and many others.

It is the priest who leads the People of God in the ministry and service to God and to His People.

So the priest celebrates the Eucharist, and he also forms the People of God into a Eucharistic people.

More than just washing feet, a Eucharistic people go to the lowly, the poor, the rejected, the disregarded, the needy and those who can’t help themselves.

To wash their feet would mean to restore their respect and dignity, and doing it with simplicity, humility and charity.

This is also what the Eucharist means and expresses.

May the partaking of the Eucharist make us become what the Eucharist means.