"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

1st Reading                Deuteronomy 6: 2-6 Psalm                          18: 2-3a. 3bc-4. 47 and 51ab (R. 2) R//: "I love you, Lord, my strength"  2nd Reading             Hebrews 7: 23-28 Gospel                        Mark 12: 28b-34 MANAGE YOUR GIFTS WITH WISDOM TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM  Beloved, today, the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) is also the first Sunday of November (2024). We ask the Lord to keep us under the shadow of his wings and continue to shield us from the darts of our salvation's enemies. Traditionally, in the Catholic Church, November is dedicated to praying for the faithful departed, especially souls in Purgatory. This is inspired by the Commemoration of All Souls on November 2. Our belief in the resurrection will be strengthened if we pay particular a...

1st Reading             Jeremiah 31: 7-9 Psalm                       126: 1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 (R. cf. 3) R//: The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy 2nd Reading         Hebrews 5: 1-6 Gospel                    Mark 10: 46-52 THE LORD PREPARES A ROAD FOR YOU People of God, today is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). We are just 3 weeks away from the end of the liturgical year. We shall realise that our readings will start focusing on the end of certain things. Today is also the last Sunday of October (2024). We shall bring our community and ecclesial praying of the Holy Rosary to an end. Let us, however, endeavour to continue praying it individually to deepen our Christian lives and continually unite ourselves to Mary, the Mother of our Blessed Lord. The first reading is from Jeremiah 31: 7-9. Let us ke...

1st Reading            Isaiah 53: 10-11 Psalm                       33: 4-5. 18-19. 20 and 22 (R. cf. 22) R//: May your merciful love be upon us, as we hope in you, O Lord 2nd Reading         Hebrews 4: 14-16 Gospel                    Mark 10: 35-45 BE PART OF THE 'MANY' Beloved, we usher ourselves into the 29th Week in Ordinary Time (Year B) with reflection on the existential problems regarding human suffering. We shall attempt to unpack the Word of God for this Sunday and shall realise that God takes delight in redeeming us from life's troubles and changing scenes. Indeed, the humiliated will be elevated and vindicated, and the weak will be made strong and great. The first reading is from Isaiah 53: 10-11. This is a very brief but condensed passage. We are reading from the part of Isaiah called Second Isaiah (or Deutero-Isaiah) (Isa...

1st Reading           Wisdom 7:7-11 Psalm                      90: 12-13, 14-15, 16-17 (R. cf. 14) R//: "Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy" 2nd Reading        Hebrews 4: 12-13 Gospel                    Mark 10: 17-30  LASTING WEALTH COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD Dear friends, today is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B). As a reminder, we are gradually getting closer to the end of the liturgical year. The Word of God for this Sunday deals with the question of authentic wealth. Let us take a quick dive. The first reading is from Wisdom 7:7-11. The central discussion in the Book is Wisdom. Let us remind ourselves that the Book of Wisdom has a very high Greek context and that is both an opportunity and a challenge to the practice of the Jewish faith, particularly for those Jews in the Greek territory. Additional...

1st Reading                Genesis 2: 18-24 Psalm                           Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5, 6 (R. cf. 5)  R//: "May the Lord bless us all the days of our lives" 2nd Reading            Hebrews 2: 9-11 Gospel                         Mark 10: 2-16 SAME DIGNITY, FITTING HELPER, INDISSOLUBLE MARRIAGE Beloved, we usher ourselves into the new month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary. The month is all about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the woman whose "Yes" undid the "No" of Eve. She is the New Eve because Eve's disobedience, her "No" closed the doors of paradise, but Mary's "Yes" (Lk. 1: 38) opened the doors of Heaven, giving birth to Christ and giving hope to all creation. In this gracious month, we ask God, through Mary's help, to renew us by His Grace so that we may merit what prayer doe...

1st Reading                Numbers 11: 25-29 Psalm                           19: 7. 9. 11-12. 13 (R. 8ab) R//: "The precepts of the Lord are right; they gladden the heart 2nd Reading             James 5: 1-6 Gospel                        Mark 9: 38-43. 45. 47-48. SHARED LEADERSHIP IN AMPLIFYING GOD'S VOICE Beloved, today is the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B) and the last Sunday of September. Indeed, Ebenezer, "thus far the Lord has helped us" (1 Sam. 7: 12). The Word of God for this Sunday shifts our focus to two significant aspects of leadership — decentralising power and sharing of burdens. Let us quickly dive into the readings. The first reading is from Numbers 11: 25-29. To understand the designated passage, we need only to take the whole of chapter 11 into consideration. The Israelit...

1st Reading                Wisdom 2: 12. 17-20 Psalm                           54: 3-4. 5. 6 & 8 (R. cf. 6b) R//: "Behold, the Lord is the upholder of my life" 2nd Reading              James 3: 16-4: 3 Gospel                        Mark 9: 30-37 SERVICE AND MEANS TO AUTHORITY REDEFINED Dear friends, today is the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), and gradually, we shall soon be drawing the curtain down on the Liturgical Year. Our lives as Christians have been met with insults and humiliation, and we are torn between two extremes — neglecting our good ways for which we are despised or stay true to our Christian principles and values.  The first reading is from Wisdom 2: 12. 17-20. The Book of Wisdom is a Deuterocanonical book (or Apocrypha called by Protestants). It is found in ...