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.

Wednesday of Holy Week, 01-04-2026

Isaiah 50:4-9 / Matthew 26:14-25  

A “wake-up call” can have two meanings.

The obvious literal meaning is a phone call made at a prearranged time to wake someone up.

But that term “wake-up call” is also often understood as an incident or sign that alerts people to an unsatisfactory situation and prompts them to remedy it.

In that second meaning, it can be that after many signs and incidents, the last one had the effect of waking up that person to the situation.

But it does not mean that the earlier ones had no effect.

Yet, it may also mean that many signs and incidents were given, but they were not heeded.

In the gospel, Judas Iscariot offered to betray Jesus to the chief priest for thirty silver pieces, which at that time, was the price of a slave.

When Jesus and His disciples were at the sacred Passover meal, He told them solemnly that one of them was to betray Him.

He even hinted that the one who dipped his hand into the dish with Him will betray Him.

Jesus even said sharply that it would be better for the betrayer to had never been born.

Yet, Judas did not heed the signs, he did not heed the wake-up calls, and by his own words, he brought judgement to himself.

God will always give us signs, those wake-up calls, to alert us to turn away from sin and from tragedy unto ourselves.

May we heed those signs, those calls from God, and come back to God and to be loved and protected by Him.

Tuesday of Holy Week, 31-03-2026

Isaiah 49:1-6 / John 13:21-33, 36-38   

It can be said that the influence and success of a person are expressed as his life comes to an end.

Because all that a person strived for, laboured for, fought for, sacrificed for, will be a testimony for that person at the end of his days.

And even if he has passed on, then there can be a legacy that he leaves behind. 

In the gospel, Jesus was at supper with His disciples.

But He was troubled in spirit and He declared that one of His disciples, one of them who was at the table, will betray Him.

Jesus came to proclaim the Good News of salvation and to bear witness to the love of God in person.

But as He prepares for the final chapter of His mission, it seems that nothing is going for Him.

He faced rejection and persecution from His own people.

And now He faced betrayal and also desertion from His own disciples.

It was like how the prophet Isaiah said in the 1st reading: I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing.

But even in the darkness of the situation, Jesus said: Now has the Son of Man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified.

So even if we think that we are a failure, and that we have worked hard and yet there is nothing to show, let us put our lives in the hands of Jesus.

Let us learn from Him to do what God wants of us and to glorify God always.

When we do that, then God will bless us and happy are we when we just want to be servants of God.

Monday of Holy Week, 30-03-2026

Isaiah 42:1-7 / John 12:1-11   

The things of this world are attractive and, undeniably, we desire for them.

From luxury items to property, from sporty cars to gadgets, they catch our eye and our attention.

They may be on our wish list and we dream of having them.

But when we get life all mixed up, then things become all important.

We will end up loving things and using people to get those things.

In the gospel, the initial point of attention was the costly pound of pure nard.

Mary brought it in and anointed the feet of Jesus, and then wiping His feet with her hair.

That act would raise questions, but the first question was about the cost of ointment and why it was wasted on the feet.

But what Jesus said brought the important things of life into perspective.

People are much more important than things or money.

So, we must love people and use things or money to help them in their need.

As we begin Holy Week, let us remember the great commandment of love.

May we live out that love for God and for others as this week unfolds.

Palm-Passion Sunday, Year A, 29.03.2026

Isaiah 50:4-7 / Philippians 2:6-11 / Matthew 26:14 – 27:66

Today, as we come from Mass, we received palm branches. 

At the beginning of the Mass, we held up and waved the palm branches happily, as the priests sprinkles Holy Water to bless them. 

The palm branches are a symbol of the triumphant entry of Jesus into the holy city of Jerusalem. 

It is also a symbol of our welcoming Jesus into our hearts. 

So, it was a joyful and a happy mood, until we heard the readings, especially the long gospel reading. 

The mood and the atmosphere became solemn and heavy. 

We hear of betrayals and denials, of promises  made but broken later. 

We hear Jesus, in the depths of prayer and submitting to the Father’s will. 

We hear of accusations, of suffering, crucifixion and death. 

But we also hear of mercy and forgiveness as a repentant criminal was promised with entry into eternity. 

Yes, Palm Sunday moved into Passion Sunday, into the suffering and death of Jesus. 

This coming week is called Holy Week, and we journey with Jesus into His suffering and death on the Cross. 

We stay with Jesus and see His heart of mercy and compassion. 

We await with the hope of His Resurrection, when we hear once again the Good News of our salvation. 

Yes, by His suffering and death, Jesus saved us from our sins. 

As we stay with Jesus in prayer, let us also reflect about our lives and the experiences of pain and suffering, of rejection and disappointment and frustration. 

With Jesus, let us accept God’s will, let us carry the Cross with love, so as to receive the gift of salvation from Jesus.

5th Week of Lent, Saturday, 28-03-2026

Ezekiel 37:21-28 / John 11:45-56  

Whenever we think of a good time to embark on a project or an event, there will be several factors that we will consider.

We will think of a good place, and gather the right people, to get started on it.

In other words, when we think that we have the right place and the right people all lined up, then that will be the right time.

When Jesus came into the world, it may seemed to be a wrong time.

The Jewish people were at one of their lowest points in their history, as their land was conquered and occupied by the Romans.

The Roman empire was the most powerful nation at that time and they controlled everything.

As much as the Jewish people were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah, that Messiah would have a lot of resistance and opposition if he were to come at that time.

So, when Jesus came into the world, it was like the wrong time, because His people were under occupation, and with no power and might.

Yet, that was the time that God sent His Son into the world.

Jesus met with rejection, resistance and opposition from even His own people.

So when Caiaphas made that statement that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed, he thought of it as an elimination of a threat.

But because he spoke as high priest, it was a prophecy that fulfilled the plan of God.

So it is not about a good time or the right time or the best time.

It is about the appointed time, it is about God’s time, and in that time, things will happen in God’s way.

Let us pray that we will be able to recognize God’s time, and when it is God’s time, let us also follow God’s ways.

5th Week of Lent, Friday, 27-03-2026

Jeremiah 20:10-13 / John 10:31-42   

The test of time often reveals the true nature of things as well as the true nature of people.

So, what may look good and impressive at the beginning may not be so after a period of time.

And what started off with bright lights and big sounds may slowly taper off.

On the other hand, there may be some that start slow and seem to take their time.

One example is plants and trees. They take time to grow, but when they are matured, they are beautiful and also bear fruits.

A person’s work is the expression of his personality and character.

For Jesus, His work and His ministry expresses His nature as well as His relationship with God.

As Christians, we share in the nature of Jesus, and what we do expresses our faith and our relationship with Jesus.

May we always be united with Jesus, and in His time and in His way, we will bear fruits, fruits that will last, fruits that will glorify God, fruits that will be for the good of others.