St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Patroness of the Missions, Thursday, 01-10-2026

Isaiah 66:10-14 / Matthew 18:1-5     

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus is also known as the "Little Flower of Jesus".

St. Thérèse was declared co-patron of the missions with St. Francis Xavier in 1927.

This is quite astonishing because she was a nun in the enclosed Carmelite community of Lisieux, Normandy in France.

Unlike St. Francis Xavier who travelled far and wide to spread the Gospel and baptized many people, St. Thérèse spent all her religious life in the cloistered convent.

Though she had thoughts of going off to the mission lands, her ill health forbade her from doing so.

Nonetheless she offered prayers for the missions and also her every little act was offered to God in prayer.

In her memoir The Story of a Soul, she said that she was just a very little soul and so she could only offer God very little things.

But it was doing these very little things with great love that  that she offered it to God for the salvation of souls.

That is also precisely the message in today' s gospel - childlike humility is the way to the kingdom of God.

It is the small childlike humble heart, one that is like that of St. Thérèse, that is considered great in the eyes of God.

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 30-09-2026

Job 9:1-13, 14-16 / Luke 9:57-62    

To believe in God and to trust in Him is never an easy thing to do.

In fact, we tend to blame God when bad things happen to us and we get angry with Him when things don't go our way.

We treat God our way, and very often it is not a very nice way.

But what if God were to treat us the way we treat Him? Certainly we would shudder and tremble if God were to really do that.

That is what Job was saying in the 1st reading. He asked questions like "How can a man be in the right against God?" "Can anyone be so rash as to challenge Him for reasons?"

Job was suffering and afflicted even though he knew he had done nothing wrong. Yet he knew who he was and who God is, and hence he was almost resigned to the fact that he would have to suffer innocently.

And yet when God became man in Jesus, He did not force people to believe in Him and to trust Him unconditionally.

In fact, Jesus had to reason out with people and put across the reality of facing hardship in following Him.

Yes, believing in Jesus and trusting in Him is never an easy thing to do. We will surely get tired, disappointed, discouraged and grumble against Him and even get angry with Him.

Yet may we also persevere and persist, and keep our hand on the plough and keep going forward with Jesus. To look back may mean going nowhere.

The Holy Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Tuesday, 29-09-2026

Dan 7:9-0,13-4 / Rev 12:7-12a / John 1:47-51

As human beings, we can't avoid being influenced and maybe even affected by spiritual happenings.

We are more inclined to believe that there are evil spirits roaming around to scare the wits out of us, than to believe in angels that look like cute chubby babies with wings.

But in the spiritual world of the unseen and the invisible, if we believe in the existence of evil spirits, then all the more we too must believe in the presence of angels.

Today we celebrate the feast of three archangels : Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.

All three names end with "el", which is the old Jewish word for "God".

The name Michael means "Who can be like God?" - it is a name that has the form of a rhetoric question.

Gabriel means "the power of God". He announced the Good News of salvation to Zechariah and Mary and manifested God's saving power.

Raphael means "the healing power of God". He brought about God's healing power in the book of Tobit.

Though God is unseen, yet through these three archangels, He manifested His power and presence.

Indeed, who can be like God, who is so loving that He saved us through His Son, and forgave and healed us.

We can only be thankful to God.

26th Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 28-09-2026

Job 1:6-22 / Luke 9:46-50    

There are some things which we would certainly like to put on display.

Whether it is at home, or in school, or at the club-house, or even in the parish office, if we have any awards, or academic achievements, or medals, or trophies, we would certainly like to put them a special display.

In a way, all those items are mirrors. They show us how good we are and what we can do.

They are also indicators of how we fare with others, to see what we are and who we are in comparison with others.

In the gospel, the disciples were ranking themselves against each other, and that's when Jesus interjected.

The model of greatness which He gave them was a humble little child.

That was really a contradiction and a paradoxical model of what we are so used to when we talk about greatness.

Because we tend to associate greatness with power and might, and achievements and possessions.

But when these are taken away, is there anything else that we can be proud of or feel great about?

We can slowly understand a bit of what greatness is all about when Job in the 1st reading said this after all he had was taken away :

Naked I came from my mother's womb, naked I shall return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken back. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

26th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 27.09.2026

Ezekiel 18:25-28 / Philippians 2:1-11 / Matthew 21:28-32          

To get a good head start in life is certainly a privilege as well as an advantage. 

A good head start would probably mean having a stable family background and good upbringing. 

It would also probably mean having the intellectual capacity and ability to attain a good educational qualification. 

All these conditions would give a good head start in life. Or so it seems. 

Let us take a look at Thomas Edison, Beethoven, Albert Einstein, and Isaac Newton. 

They have renowned accomplishments and achievements in life, and we would presume that they have had a good head start. 

But that was not the case in their younger years. 

Thomas Edison was kind of deaf, and in school, his teacher called him unintelligent and unteachable. But he became a prolific inventor and the electric bulb is one of his many inventions. 

Beethoven, the great composer, had a childhood marked by severe emotional and physical abuse. 

Albert Einstein had speech delay and academic rejection, and yet he became a great scientist. 

Isaac Newton was considered a lazy and inattentive and was always at the bottom of his class. Yet, from him came the Newton's law of motion and gravity. 

These are enough examples of renowned people who didn't have a good head start, was disadvantaged, and lacking in many ways.

Yet they managed to overcome some of their early adversities, whether it was physical disabilities, poverty, trauma, or labeled as unintelligent. 

But it also cannot be denied that there are many others who could not overcome their adversities and disadvantages. 

In the Gospel, Jesus told the chief priests and the elders of the parable of the two sons. 

In answer to His question about who did the father's will, they said it was the first son. 

Then Jesus connected the parable to the conversion of the tax collectors and prostitutes, in contrast to the obstinate and stubborn attitude of the chief priests and the elders. 

The tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners did not choose to be like that in life.

They probably didn't have a good head start, and they could not overcome the adversities and disadvantages in life. 

But they responded to the message of John the Baptist, the message of repentance, and they embarked on the road of conversion. 

The chief priests and the elders would have a good head start, and life was comfortable for them. 

But they have become complacent as they were not seeing and hearing what God is showing and saying to them. 

But regardless of whether it was a tax collector, a prostitute, a sinner, a high priest, or an elder, it is tragic when one does not see or hear what God is saying and showing. 

I remember that many years ago I was going for home communion visits to an elderly couple. 

The wife shared that they had four children. The first three were bright and intelligent. They were her pride and happiness. But the fourth child, a boy, was born with Down’s Syndrome. 

The couple felt sad and angry about that fourth child. The wife also questioned God about being burdened by that fourth child and saw it as a kind of punishment. 

So, while the other three children went on to achieve much in life, that fourth child was left without much in life and was like a burden for the family. 

Eventually, the other three children got married and moved out of the home, leaving the couple with that son. 

As the couple were getting on in years, it was that fourth child who was always with them to keep them company. 

In whatever capacity he could manage, he was a help and a comfort to his parents in their old age. 

As the wife shared all that, the son was sitting beside her, and I wondered if he could comprehend what his mother shared. 

Finally, the wife said that what she thought was a burden turned out to be a blessing. 

Today's gospel parable tells us that there are many who do not have a good head start, and they also do not have that many advantages and privileges in life. 

We can be God's sign of hope for them, just as how the message of John the Baptist gave hope to the tax collectors and prostitutes. 

Let us see these people as blessings and not as burdens, for through them God will show us what is love and humility.

25th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 26-09-2026

Ecclesiastes 11:9 - 12:8 / Luke 9:43-45  

Each passing day has something to tell us, something to teach us, as well as something to reveal to us.

Each day passes into history and it will never come back again.

Whatever has happened cannot be changed, and so, regretting is futile. Still, the past is a good teacher.

And whatever is going to happen, whether for today, or for the future, is beyond our prediction or expectation.

But with each passing moment, there is a revelation.

It reveals who we are now, how we have learnt from the past, and how we are prepared for the future.

But there is also a deeper revelation. Each passing day reveals how aware are we of God’s presence.

As the first reading puts it: Yet youth, the age of dark hair, is vanity. And remember the creator in the days of your youth, before evil days come and the years approach when you say “These give me no pleasure”.

The first reading warns us that the attractions of the vanities of this world can draw us away from God and forget His goodness to us.

In the gospel, Jesus has these words to remind and prepare His disciples for what is to come: “For your part, you must have these words constantly in mind: The Son of Man is going to be handed over to the power of men.”

So, in our happy and bright moments, let us praise and thank the Lord.

In our sad and dark moments, let us stay close to the Lord.

The Lord is our hope for today and every day. May we remember this always.

25th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 25-09-2026

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 / Luke 9:18-22 

Generally speaking, it takes about 20-21 days for chicken eggs to hatch under proper incubation conditions.

And it takes about 1 to 2 weeks for a butterfly to emerge from its pupa stage.

During that period of time, there is nothing that can be done to hasten the process.

If the egg is cracked or the pupa is broken before the time is up, then the new life is terminated.

So, nature has its own time, and its own way, to bring about new life.

That also tells us that life also goes by its own time for things to happen.

The first reading has the word “time” repeat a number of times.

But that time does not stand on its own. It is a time that is set by God.

It is in God’s time that things will come to life and grow.

It is in God’s time that things will happen and His plans to be revealed.

And it was in God’s time that Jesus came into the world and in Peter, His true identity is revealed as the Christ of God.

Let us know that we cannot speed up things or determine a time line for events to happen.

Let us live and move with God’s time and then there will be life and growth.

25th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 24-09-2026

Ecclesiastes 1:2-11, Luke 9:7-9   

When we reflect on our pride and ego, the one thing that we can say is that we struggle with them.

The obvious understanding is that we try to control our pride and ego so as not to let them get into the way of our character and personality.

So we try to be humble, so as to be a pleasant person and get along well with others, and we can even get rather anxious trying to be a pleasant person.

On the other hand, it cannot be denied that there are people who are fixated or engrossed in boosting their pride and ego.

So they will seek attention and want the limelight on them.

As the first reading puts it so profoundly, pride and ego are the vanity of vanities.

It is like the rivers all go into the sea, and yet the sea is never filled, and still the rivers continue to go into the sea.

The human pride and ego are nothing new under the sun.

And yet human beings succumb to this vanity of vanities.

We seek attention only to find rejection. We seek to impress but we get depressed.

In the gospel, Herod was curious and anxious to find out who Jesus is.

In his pride and ego, he had done away with John the Baptist. And he now wants to do the same with Jesus.

Anxiety, curiosity and vanity was his obsession and he forgot how to be human.

Let us control our pride and ego, and let go of our anxiety and vanity.

Let us look at the Lord Jesus and do what He wants of us and to be who He wants us to be.

Let us live simple and humble lives and be happy with the love of the Lord.

25th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 23-09-2026

Proverbs 30:5-9 / Luke 9:1-6      

The word “enough” needs further elaboration as it can have subjective meanings.

Like for example, we may say that we do not have enough of something like manpower or finance.

And when we say that enough is enough, it may mean that we have reached the limits of our tolerance and we are going to react.

And when we say that we have more than enough, it also needs elaboration about what is being referred to.

In the first reading, book of Proverbs states that every Word of God is unalloyed.

And that Word of God teaches that two truths that applies to every situation on life.

There is no need to fear poverty or desire for riches, only enough to live life happily and to trust in God for His providence.

In the gospel, Jesus sent out His disciples and gave them power and authority over devils and to cure diseases.

And He told them to take nothing for the journey, almost nothing except whatever they had on them.

God will provide for them and they must have faith in God’s providence.

May we also have faith and trust that God will provide for us.

God will give us just enough, and that will also be our witnessing to who we believe in.

25th Week, Ordinary Time, Tuesday, 22-09-2026

Proverbs 21:1-6, 10-13 / Luke 8:19-21  

When we reflect upon nature, we may be able to see the mystery of life and what it reveals to us.

For example, when water runs down a slope, it does not flow in one straight line.

Rather, the water separates and each stream flows in a direction of its own.

Even the water seems to have some kind of life.

The first reading says that like flowing water is the heart of the king in the hand of the Lord, who turns it where He pleases.

But our human tendency is to direct the flow of water to where we want it to flow.

So we will dig drains and build ducts to direct the flow of water.

Similarly we want to direct the flow of our lives according to our own wishes.

As the first reading says, we work hard for gain, but we also want to gain quickly, but it leaves us desiring for more.

It also reminds us that the Lord weighs the heart, and to act virtuously and with justice is more pleasing to the Lord than sacrifice.

Indeed, when we turn away from sin and put our lives in the hands of God, then our hearts will be like flowing water in the hand of the Lord who turns it where He pleases.

And the Lord will also make our hearts flowing with His love to hear the poor man’s cry.

And when we call upon the Lord, He will hear our cry and quench our thirst with His living water.

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, Monday, 21-09-2026

Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 / Matthew 9:9-13  

In a job application form, as well as other application forms, it is usually a requirement for applicants to disclose any prior criminal convictions or penal offenses.

The purpose is primarily for legal, practical, and risk-management reasons.

And if an applicant has a prior criminal conviction or committed a penal offence, then there will be challenges and difficulties.

For St. Matthew, it was public knowledge that he was a tax-collector who was working for the Romans.

Needless to say, he was labelled as a traitor who betrayed his own people, and hence he was cut-off, rejected, despised and hated.

Jesus would have His reasons for calling St. Matthew to follow him, but the other disciples would certainly be suspicious of him.

St. Matthew may had had a bad start, and he had to work hard at being faithful in following Jesus.

And he may also had to make it a point to remember and record down the teachings of Jesus.

And so for the feast of St. Matthew, the gospel passage was chosen from his gospel with the message that Jesus did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.

It was a message for himself, and it is also a message for each of us.

St. Matthew started off rough and tough, but that formed him to be one of the Evangelists.

When we acknowledge that we are sinners, then God will call us to do great things for Him.

25th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 20.09.2026

Isaiah 55:6-9 / Philippians 1:20-24, 27 / Matthew 20:1-16           

The term “last minute” often evokes sudden emotions.

Because the term “last minute” is usually followed by other words like “last minute problems” or “last minute interruptions” or “last minute disruptions”. 

Such situations are certainly unpleasant surprises that immediately give rise to tension, stress, anxiety or confusion. 

This often results in strained relationships, the blame-game, and quarrels.

Simply because something bad has happened or something bad is going to happen, and so no one is happy about it.

In fact, everyone will be angry because someone or some people were irresponsible or negligent or has overlooked an important matter. 

So “last minute-whatever” are not pleasant surprises, but they might also remind us to expect the unexpected. 

In the gospel parable, there were a couple of last-minute surprises. 

In the parable, the landowner sets out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. 

There seems to be an abundance of workers as he kept hiring at the third hour, the sixth hour, and the ninth hour. 

Then at the 11th hour, the landowner found more workers standing around because no one had hired them. 

Yet, despite being the 11th hour, which means that there is only one hour of work left, the landowner still hired those workers. 

It seems like a last minute surprise, and for those workers, it was certainly a surprise. 

It was a pleasant surprise beyond their expectation. 

But for those workers who were hired at the start of the day, they grumbled because they had expected more but got the same wage as those hired at the 11th hour. 

This parable gives us an insight into the mind of God and His ways.

One of which is that length of time is irrelevant to God. 

It doesn't matter to God whether a person is a lifelong Catholic or a last-minute convert. 

God has no favourites, and He gives His blessings to those who ask for it, and to those who need it. 

And the parable also addresses our human weakness in the areas of jealousy and entitlement. 

The workers who were hired first got the same wage as those who were hired at the 11th hour. 

Instead of being thankful and grateful for their wages, they grumbled at the landowner. 

They were jealous of those last-minute workers, and they thought they should be entitled to more. 

But God's ways are not man's ways, and God's thoughts are not man's thoughts, as we heard in the first reading. 

God is truth and justice. So, all the workers were paid as agreed upon. 

The ways and the thoughts of God are not that difficult to understand, but it is man's selfish thoughts and greedy ways that cause confusion and frustration in life. 

So, while the 11th hour hiring of the workers was a pleasant surprise, the last-minute grumbling of the workers who were hired first was a sour taste of jealousy and entitlement. 

The second reading tells us this: Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the Gospel of Christ. 

In other words, never do anything that we can't offer to God. 

Once upon a time, there was a selfish man. He liked everything to be his own. He could not share his belongings with anyone, not even his friends or the poor. 

One day, the man lost a bag of thirty gold coins. He went to his friend’s house and told him how he lost his gold coins. 

His friend was a kind man. As his friend’s daughter was coming from an errand, she found that bag of thirty gold coins.

When she arrived home, she told her father what she had found. The girl’s father told her that the bag of gold coins belong to his friend and he sent for him. 

When the selfish man arrived, the father told him how his daughter had found the bag of thirty gold coins and handed it to him. 

After counting the gold coins, the man said that ten of them was missing and had been taken by the girl, as he had forty gold coins in the bag. 

He further insisted that he will recover the remaining amount from the father. But the girl’s father refused. 

The man left the bag of gold coins and went to the court and informed the judge there about what had taken place between him and the girl’s father. 

The judge sent for the girl and her father, and when they arrived asked the girl how many gold coins did she find. She replied thirty gold coins. 

The judge then asked the selfish man how many gold coins did he lose and he answered forty gold coins. 

The judge then told the man that the gold coins did not belong to him because the girl found thirty and not forty as he claimed to have lost. The judge then told the girl to take the gold coins and that if anybody is looking for them he will send for the girl. 

The judge told the man that if anybody reports that they have found forty gold coins he will send for him. 

It was then that the man confessed that he lied and that he lost thirty gold coins, but the judge did not listen to him. 

So, the ways of man may be corrupted and dishonest, but the ways of God will prevail with justice and truth. 

The thoughts of man may be slanted in selfishness and greed, but the thoughts of God are towards love and mercy. 

Let us walk in the ways of the Lord and we will understand the thoughts of God. 

Let us never do anything that we cannot offer to God. 

And at the 11th hour, or even at the last minute, God will show us His wonderful blessings when we follow His ways.

24th Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 19-09-2026

1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49 / Luke 8:4-15  

It is not exactly easy to illustrate a gospel teaching by using stories or examples.

There are times when the gospel teaching is clear-cut but to find an example or story to illustrate it requires time and reflection.

The parable of the sower and the seeds is indeed an excellent story with a divine message.

It is a story in which we are invited not only to listen to it but also to find ourselves being part of it.

It is not a story that we can listen to and go away unchallenged, unchanged and unmoved by what we heard.

Even though we may not be from an agricultural background, yet we can still understand what the parable means to us.

Because every time we read the Bible or hear the scriptures being read and shared, the Word is being sown in our hearts.

How much of God's Word will take root in our hearts and bear fruits in our lives depends on how deeply we want to reflect on the gospel parable we have just heard.

When we are able to reflect upon the truth in the parable, then we will also see the truth about ourselves and also the state of our hearts.

But the fundamental truth is this: Just as God cares about what happens to His Word, He cares more about us who hear His Word.

24th Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 18-09-2026

1 Cor 15:12-20 / Luke 8:1-3  

In life, we need to have a direction so as to keep moving forward.

And there can be a direction only when there is meaning in what we are doing here and now.

And that meaning comes from our beliefs about the present and that shapes our future.

In the first reading, St. Paul emphasized on the teaching about the Resurrection.

There were some who doubted the truth of the Resurrection.

St. Paul retorted that if there is no truth about the Resurrection, then Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, and preaching and believing about the Resurrection is useless.

Furthermore, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead, then we are still in our sins, and all who have died in their sins would have perished.

But Jesus Christ has in truth been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.

So our hope in the Risen Lord Jesus is not just in this life only, but also for an eternal future.

In the gospel, among those who followed Jesus, besides the Twelve, there were also women and others who provided for them out of their own resources.

They followed Jesus because they believed in Him, and hence they had a meaning and direction in life.

We too need to believe in the truth of the Resurrection and that Jesus is our only Saviour.

He is our hope for the present as we journey on into our eternal future.

24th Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 17-09-2026

1 Cor 15:1-11 / Luke 7:36-50

A person’s status and reputation are highly regarded in society.

So when someone with a high status and good reputation speaks, people will listen and believe in his words.

Even his simple and ordinary actions will be applauded because of his status and reputation.

In the first reading, St. Paul did not try to hide or deny his past reputation.

He admits that since he persecuted the Church of God, he hardly deserved the name apostle.

But by the grace of God, he worked hard in preaching the Good News.

And what he preached was what the other apostles preached.

And it is also by the grace of God that those who listened believed the message that he preached, despite his past reputation.

In the gospel, a woman who had a bad name in the town, come to the house of Simon the Pharisee where Jesus was having a meal.

She waited behind Jesus at His feet, weeping and her tears fell at His feet and she wiped them away with her hair, covered His feet with her kisses and anointed them with the ointment.

Her reputation and her action were enough to upset Simon the Pharisee as well as the others who were present.

But Jesus saw it as her act of repentance and forgave her many sins because of her faith.

As much as those with a high status and good reputation are credible in what they say and do, God will also speak through those who are outcasts and ostracized.

Whatever the status or reputation of a person, God looks at the person’s faith, humility and love.

May we also have the faith, the humility and the love to listen to those who are chosen by God to speak His message and carry out His works.

24th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 16-09-2026

1 Cor 12:31 - 13:13 / Luke 7:31-35   

As we set out into the world, there are many voices and many influences prompting us with directions.

These voices and influences are usually from famous and popular people.

They tell us and also show us how to be ambitious, to be successful, to be achievers, to be famous, to be popular, to be looked up by the world.

And so, to be looked up to by the world, we have to be like the world, because the world accepts its own kind.

In the first reading, St. Paul tells us to be ambitious, but it is to be ambitious for the higher gifts.

And he points us to the highest gift, which is love.

We may have eloquence, prophecy, understanding, faith and everything impressive and even impactful.

But without love, then we are nothing at all.

And when that love is from God, then there is nothing that the world can ever give us.

And there is nothing in this world that we would ever want to become.

Our ambition and our goal in life is not to become more like the world.

We are to become more like Jesus Christ, and when God’s love is in us, it will be possible.

Our Lady of Sorrows, Tuesday, 15-09-2026

Heb 5:7-9 / Jn 19:25-27 or Lk 2:33-35 

One of the profound teachings of the Church about suffering is that suffering can be redemptive.

Yesterday the Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a symbol of redemptive suffering.

Today we stood with Mary at the foot of the Cross to share in her sorrow.

Yet, because Christ redeemed the sinful world by His suffering on the cross, then Mary through her sorrow, also contributed to the redemption of the world.

On the Cross of suffering, Christ proclaimed Mary to be the Mother of the Church.

As we stand with Mary at the foot of the Cross, and as we share in her sorrow, we too become Mary's children, the sons and daughters of the Church.

As sons and daughters of the Church, we unite ourselves with Jesus and Mary in their sorrow and suffering.

And we have this great hope that when sorrow and suffering are placed in the hands of God, then there will come about a great new beginning.

On the Cross, the world began its journey of redemption and salvation.

At the foot of the Cross, the Church began its mission of being a witness of redemptive suffering.

When we place our own sorrow and suffering at the altar of God, let us be assured that God is creating a great new beginning for us.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Monday, 14-09-2026

Numbers 21:4-9 or Philippians 2:6-11 / John 3:13-17    

It is only natural that we want to avoid suffering and pain.

And when we get afflicted with illnesses and diseases, we would immediately go in search of a cure.

At the same time, we would also turn to God and pray for healing.

In the first reading, the people encountered fiery serpents and their bite caused suffering, pain and even death.

But it was their own doing as they sinned against God.

They repented and Moses interceded for the people.

But what God told Moses to do was rather astonishing and puzzling. 

God told Moses to make a figure of a bronze serpent and put it on a standard.

Anyone bitten by a fiery serpent would just have to look at it and be cured.

Strange as it may seem, it made the people look at their sins and to realise that the fiery serpents were their consequences of their sin.

That figure of the fiery serpent made them realise their sinfulness and to turn to God in repentance and to ask for forgiveness.

In the gospel, Jesus referred to that event but turned it around to show how much God loves humanity and want to save mankind.

The Cross on which Jesus gave up His life was not just a reminder of the sinfulness of humanity.

Jesus turned the Cross from being an instrument of sin and death into a means of forgiveness and salvation.

The Cross is now a sign of God’s love. When we look at the Cross it is more than just asking for forgiveness.

In the Cross, God reaches out to us with His saving love. Let us respond to God’s love by accepting suffering and pain and offer it to God with love.

24th Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 13.09.2026

Ecclesiasticus 27:30 – 28:7 / Romans 14:7-9 / Matthew 18:21-35          

By and large, we like to be neat, tidy, and clean.

And normally speaking, we don't keep or hold on to rubbish or rotting and rotten stuff.

That is a reflection of who we are, and how we want to live our lives.

And it is also said that cleanliness is next to godliness.

Because cleanliness, or neatness, is seen as an expression of a due reverence to God, who made us in His image.

On the other hand, it is also said that mess causes stress.

Yes, physical mess often directly triggers mental stress.

A messy room is like a list of chores that is not finished, which causes stress and tension in the mind.

In other words, it is like unfinished business all over the place.

Similarly, when unfinished work is piling up, the mind will be stressed.

So, cleanliness is godliness, and mess causes stress.

But besides physical and mental stress, there is also spiritual stress.

The first reading says this: "Resentment and anger, these are foul things, and both are found in the sinner."

When it comes to rubbish, rotting and rotten stuff, we would instinctively get rid of it.

But with resentment and anger, the strange thing is, as the first reading puts it, "Mere creatures of flesh, man cherishes resentment."

Resentment and anger are foul things, and they cause spiritual decay and corruption.

The result is unforgiveness.

Unforgiveness is described as drinking poison and wishing that the other party would die.

Unforgiveness is also described as holding a burning charcoal and thinking that the other party will be hurt.

In the Gospel, Peter asks Jesus if forgiving someone seven times is more than enough. 

Jesus replied with an astounding, "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times." 

And then Jesus told a parable about an unforgiving servant. 

That servant has just been forgiven for a huge, enormous debt by his master. 

Yet, that servant could not forgive a fellow servant for a small debt. 

The underlying point of the parable is that the first servant received forgiveness but did not understand that forgiveness flowed from love.

Because love and forgiveness are like two sides of the same coin. 

When we love, we will forgive, and in forgiving, we will grow deeper in love. 

There is this classic story that comes from an old traditional folktale that was set in ancient China. 

A bride by the name of Li Ling married into a household with a strict and demanding mother-in-law named Mrs. Huang. 

The mother-in-law criticized Li Ling's every action, causing intense tension and resentment. 

Unable to bear the mistreatment any longer, Li Ling went to her uncle, a wise herbalist, and she begged for a discreet poison to end the cause of her suffering, which is her mother-in-law. 

The uncle listened carefully and agreed to help, but with strict conditions. 

He gave her a mixture of slow-acting herbs, instructing her to mix a small pinch into her mother-in-law's daily tea so that no one will suspect foul play. 

To avoid suspicion after the mother-in-law's death, Li Ling was ordered to act respectfully and devotedly, and to obey her mother-in-law willingly and never to argue. 

Li Ling followed the instructions strictly. Every morning, she served the tea and treated her mother-in-law with patience, kindness and care. 

Seeing Li Ling's transformed behavior, Mrs. Huang's hostility melted away. 

She began to love Li Ling like her own daughter and even boasting to neighbours about what a wonderful daughter-in-law she had. 

Realizing how much genuine love they now shared, Li Ling was consumed by guilt. 

Desperate to save the woman she had grown to love, Li Ling rushed back to her uncle's shop, begging and weeping for an antidote to neutralize the slow poison. 

Her uncle smiled gently and told her that no antidote was needed. 

The powder he had given her was actually a blend of vitamins and nourishing tonics to improve the elder woman's health. 

The only real poison was the anger in Li Ling's heart, which she had successfully cured through kindness and patience. 

That story reminds us of that tough teaching of Jesus: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly." 

That is forgiveness, and we are reminded in the prayer, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." 

Yes, God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to love us, forgive us, save us, and to free us from sin, resentment, anger, and unforgiveness. 

Let us hear the call of love and to come out of the prison of unforgiveness. 

Let us experience the power of forgiveness in the joy of God's love.

23rd Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 12-09-2026

1 Cor 10:14-22 / Luke 6:43-49

In almost every religion, food is used in worship as a sign of communion with the deity.

That is why in the worship, some thing is offered for sacrifice.

It can be an animal, or some produce of the land, or some cooked food.

It is offered to the deity, and then the devotees partake of some of the food as a sign of communion with the deity.

Even in our Eucharist, the bread and wine are offered and through the consecration of the priest, we partake of the Body of Christ in communion.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul had to remind the Christians that they are indeed in communion with Christ as they partake of the breaking of bread in the Eucharist.

Yes, they had to be reminded because familiarity can be the death of reverence.

We too can forget that we are in communion with Christ and that Christ lives in our hearts.

From the words that come out of our hearts, we will know how aware we are of the presence of Christ in us.

As Jesus said in the gospel: For a man's words flow out of what fills his heart.

By our words, others will know whether we truly worship God or not.

23rd Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 11-09-2026

1 Cor 9:16-19, 22-27 / Luke 6:39-42   

There is a difference between choosing what we want to do and being told to do something.

When we choose what we want to do we exercise our freedom of choice to do what we like to do.

But when we are told to do something, it may not be what we want to do and that we may not even like to do it.

In the first reading, St. Paul says that he was given the duty to preach the gospel and he should be punished if he did not do it.

Yet, he willingly does it, and his reward is that he is able to offer the Good News freely and without insisting on any payment for it.

And in doing so, he also made himself a slave of anyone so as to win as many as he could, and that, for him, is his blessing.

St. Paul could do all that because he has fixed his eyes on Jesus Christ and in following Him, he was willing to do whatever Jesus is asking of him.

St. Paul’s vision is clear in that he is following his Master and Teacher Jesus Christ.

As for us, we have seen the ways of the world and we have also seen the way of Jesus Christ.

May we always choose to follow our Master and Teacher Jesus Christ, so that we too can lead others to follow Jesus Christ, and receive the blessings of the Good News of salvation.

23rd Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 10-09-2026

1 Cor 8:1-7, 11-13 / Luke 6:27-38   

Having knowledge is certainly a good thing, as it gives us awareness and understanding.

But knowledge in its extremes can be problematic.

A little bit of knowledge can lead to a narrow view and dangerously fundamentalistic.

Too much knowledge can lead to arrogance and pride.

In the first reading, St. Paul says that knowledge is the means to understand the truth of life.

And when that truth is understood with love, then a person will know the ways of God.

So knowledge of the truth, together with love, will build up those who are weak and not to cause a scandal or cause others to sin, as in the case of foods that are offered to idol.

In the gospel, Jesus gave a teaching that is difficult to understand, or to practice.

Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly.”

But it is the truth, and that truth can only be understood with love.

Jesus is the truth and He is also the love of God made flesh.

May that knowledge help us to be more compassionate and understanding to others, especially our enemies and those who treat us badly.

Our reward will be great, and we will be sons of the Most High, for He Himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

23rd Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 09-09-2026

1 Cor 7:25-31 / Luke 6:20-26

This world, undeniably, has its attractions and delights.

For those who seek it, and can afford it, the desire for pleasure and luxury has almost no limits.

We would have loved to enjoy all the good things of this world and not think too much about the future.

And then in the first reading, St. Paul tells us of this grim reminder.

He says, “Our time is growing short. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.”

He said that for his time, but it is a fact for every age in history, and it is a fact for us in this modern age.

We can become too engrossed with the attractions, delights and pleasures of this world that we forget what is temporal and what is eternal.

In the gospel, Jesus gave a teaching that makes us stop and think deeper about life.

We want to be happy in life but Jesus gives us a glimpse of eternal happiness which goes against the world’s view of happiness.

Those who are poor will be blessed, those who hungry will be satisfied and those who weep will rejoice.

Those are eternal blessings. 

It is only when we look away from the attractions, the delights and the pleasures of this world, that we will understand and inherit the eternal blessings that God wants to give us.

The Nativity of the BVM, Tuesday, 08-09-2026

Micah 5:1-4 or Romans 8:28-30 /  Matthew 1-16, 18-23

The Church celebrates the birth (or the nativity) of three persons in the liturgy: Jesus, John the Baptist and Mary.

John the Baptist pointed out Christ as the Lamb of God and prepared the way for Him.

Mary conceived Christ, the Son of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit and she brought Christ into the world in the wonderful mystery of the Incarnation (God became man).

Sources other than the Bible gave the names of Mary's parents as Joachim and Anna and the Church celebrates their feastday on the 26th July.

Also Mary's birth was termed as miraculous because her parents were childless and they prayed for a child and it was God who answered their prayers, and in a way that is more than they can expect.

Because God has a special mission for Mary in His wonderful plan of salvation. With her birth, the plan of salvation took on concrete shape towards its fulfillment.

Jesus is the Saviour, and Mary is the one who mothered the Saviour; Jesus is the fullness of the expression of God's love and in Mary, that love was made flesh.

We rejoice with Mary as the Church celebrates her birth. And yet Mary would also want us to join her to give thanks and pray for the salvation of the world.

Just as she gave birth to Jesus our Saviour, every birth of a child is God's love made flesh and the promise of salvation is renewed.

And as Mary's children, let us join her to pray for the world's conversion and salvation.

23rd Week, Ordinary Time, Monday, 07-09-2026

1 Cor 5:1-8 / Luke 6:6-11    

Small amounts or small numbers are usually deemed as negligible.

After all they don’t usually have much effect because of the small quantity.

But of course, it depends on what is the matter at hand.

Because in the case of salt, a small amount of it put into the food will change the taste.

Or in the case of yeast, a small amount of it will make the dough rise.

In the first reading, St Paul used the image of the yeast in the dough to talk about the spiritual life.

A small sin may not seem to be dangerous, but that does not mean that it is negligeable to the spiritual life.

Because when small sins are left unchecked, it could be like the yeast in the dough.

Small sins could slowly multiply and soon will manifest into big grave sins.

As in the case of the man in the withered hand in the gospel, the spiritual life can slowly wither away with small sins.

As we examine our conscience, let us take note of the small or minor sins that we commit.

Let us ask Jesus to forgive and cleanse us so that we can offer to Him a pure heart to be filled with His love.

23rd Ordinary Sunday, Year A, 06.09.2026

Ezekiel 33:7-9 / Romans 13:8-10 / Matthew 18:15-20      

God created this world and it is a beautiful creation.

This world is beautiful because God created it with His love.

And God's best and most beautiful creation is human beings.

God created human beings with the best and in the best of His love, because God created human beings in His image.

So, the world and all creation point to the creative power of God who makes all things beautiful.

But it is in human beings that God's image is reflected.

And that image is expressed in love, holiness, kindness, goodness, gentleness, compassion, forgiveness, peace, wisdom, and truth.

In other words, that image expresses all the attributes of God.

And because human beings are created in the image of God, each person has a dignity that is to be respected.

A person's dignity cannot be taken away by others because it is a God-given dignity.

But the surprising thing is that a person can disrespect and disregard his own dignity.

He does that when he commits wrongdoing and sinful acts against others.

In doing so, he also disregards and disrespects the dignity of others.

In the Gospel, Jesus said, "If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves."

Jesus continues, "If he listens to you, you have won back your brother."

The purpose of addressing the wrongdoing is to win back the other person.

It is to win him back to God so that he could see himself as being made in the image of God.

But we also have to be aware that our human nature has been disfigured and distorted by sin.

And this is where “having it out” or addressing the wrongdoing may end in accusation and confrontation.

And here is where we have to pay attention to what Jesus says at the end of the gospel passage. 

Jesus said, "I tell you solemnly, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For when two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them." 

That is a solemn promise of Jesus to us, and that promise is fulfilled when we gather in prayer. 

In prayer, God renews His image in us, the image of love, holiness, kindness, gentleness, goodness, forgiveness, compassion, patience, wisdom, and truth. 

In prayer, our human nature is recreated into the image of God, so that we can listen to the voice of God and know what His will is. 

And when we agree to ask for anything in prayer, it is not about what we want, but about what the Lord our God wants. 

Because the word "agree" in the original language has the meaning of symphony and harmony. 

So, it is not that two or three people happen to pray for the same thing. 

It is about being gathered in Christ to understand His will, and to be united in prayer so as to carry out God's will. 

In other words, we pray so that we will know what to do and to do it in God's way. 

When we address a wrongdoing in God's way, there will be love, there will be peace, there will be reconciliation. 

So, where two or three meet, Jesus will be there, and their prayer will be heard and answered. 

It is not about the power of numbers, but the power of the presence of Jesus. 

A pilgrim shared a beautiful example of this at the World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023.

About 1.5 million young people gathered for the final celebration. 

Imagine the noise! Young people were singing, talking, eating, laughing and walking around.

The scene as chaotic and full of activity.

And then the Blessed Sacrament was exposed.

And something extraordinary happened.

1.5 million young people became silent.

The enormous crowd became calm. Many knelt down in adoration. Why?

Because they knew that the One who was in their midst was more important than the one million people around them.

They had not gathered just to see the Pope.

They had not gathered just to meet other young Catholics.

They had gathered for Christ.

And when Christ became the focus, the crowd became a community of worship.

That is the power of gathering in the name Jesus.

But whether it is 1.5 million people, or 15 people, or 5 people or less, let us remember what Jesus promised.

Jesus promised that where two or three are gathered in His name in prayer, He will be there.

And when the Church, the Body of Christ, is united in prayer, then beautiful things will happen. 

Because united in prayer in the presence of Christ, there will be conversion and repentance, there will be forgiveness and healing.

And the world will be beautiful, and humanity (people) will also be beautiful.

So, let us be united in prayer, and Jesus will show us how beautiful and how powerful prayer can be.

22nd Week, Ordinary Time, Saturday, 05-09-2026

1 Corinthians 4:6-15 / Luke 6:1-5 

A maxim is a written set of principles or rules of conduct.

In the 1st reading, St. Paul stated a simple principle or rule and that is "Keep to what is written".

Most probably he was referring to the Scriptures and to the written set of teachings that were handed to the Christian community at Corinth.

He made recourse to that maxim because the Christians at Corinth were beginning to interpret the teachings to their own convenience and advantage.

What was too demanding and affected them personally they would give leeway for themselves and go with the broadest possible options.

St. Paul wanted to bring them to their senses and to help them see the truth and the reality of their spiritual deterioration.

Yet in the gospel, it was the Pharisees who were harping on keeping to the Law of the Sabbath.

But their intention was to reinforce and propagate their religious fundamentalist ideas.

But it is not a question of rigidity or laxity when it comes to religious teachings.

Jesus came to teach us the Truth so that we will have freedom when we keep to His teachings.

In Jesus, we have the Truth who will lead us to the Way of Life.

Let that be our spiritual maxim.

22nd Week, Ordinary Time, Friday, 04-09-2026

1 Cor 4:1-5 / Luke 5:33-39    

Our actions are carried out with intentions.

Our actions are visible and others can have opinions and even make judgements about it.

But our intentions are not visible to others and only we ourselves know the motives of our intentions.

We may be seen as doing a noble act or a charitable deed, but our real intentions may have vested self-interests.

In the first reading, St. Paul reminds us that people must think of us as Christ’s servants, stewards entrusted with the mysteries of God.

So what is expected of us as stewards is that we should be found worthy of what is entrusted to us by God.

It means that what we do must be done with pure intentions and what we say must be the truth.

But temptations are always lurking around and in our weakness our intentions can be flawed with hidden ulterior motives.

The first reading also tells us that God will light up all that is hidden in the dark and reveal the secret intentions of our hearts.

When we let the light of God scatter the darkness of our hearts, then we will be the clean new cloak and the new wine in the gospel parables.

And with the light of God in us, then others will know what are the intentions of our words and deeds.

22nd Week, Ordinary Time, Thursday, 03-09-2026

1 Cor 3:18-23 / Luke 5:1-11

Between professionals and amateurs, it is obvious who will do a better job.

Professionals are paid to do the job, they are trained, they have the knowledge, the skills and the tools.

On the other hand, amateurs may have some knowledge and skills, but they do things as a hobby and not as a professional job.

In the gospel, Simon Peter and his companions were fisherman, and they make a living out of it.

But on that occasion, they worked hard all night and caught nothing.

Jesus was preaching to the crowds, and then He got into Simon Peter’s boat and continued to preach from there.

When He had finished, Jesus told Simon Peter to put out into deep water for a catch.

Peter may know that Jesus was not a fisherman, and he could have ignored what Jesus said, but for whatever reason, he decided to do as Jesus says.

That miraculous catch of fish made Peter realise that there are some things that are beyond his understanding or his expertise, and he was humbled by it.

And he also came to see that Jesus has more to reveal to him, and so he decided to follow Jesus.

As the first reading tells us, there is nothing to boast about in anything human, be it knowledge, or wisdom, or expertise, or professionalism.

When we realise how limited, or even foolish, human knowledge or wisdom can be, then let us be humble and follow the ways of God.

With humility and trust, God will show us how wonderful and fruitful it can be in following His ways.

22nd Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 02-09-2026

1 Cor 3:1-9 / Luke 4:38-44

A place has a purpose. It determines the activity to do done there.

So if we go to school, it is to study and learn about the subjects taught there.

If we go to the office, it is to do the work that is required of us.

And when we go to church, it is to pray and to grow spiritually as disciples of Jesus.

But in the first reading, St. Paul pointed out to the Corinthians that despite being Christians, they were still unspiritual.

It was obvious from all the jealousy and wrangling and behaving like ordinary people.

He reminded them that they are God’s building and they should behave like Christians.

In the gospel, Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law by rebuking the fever.

And after sunset, Jesus also healed the sick and cast out devils.

So if we come to church and we are still behaving like the people of the world, then we are as unspiritual as the Christians in Corinth.

And it may be that we too have a “fever” and other types of sickness that we need to bring to Jesus for healing.

Let us follow Jesus to that lonely place and pray for healing, so that in the house of God and when we go into the world, we will truly be Christians, sharing with others the love of Jesus.