Category: Feasts and Solemnities

“I WILL BE WITH YOU… DO NOT FEAR, YOU SHALL NOT DIE” (Judges 6:16, 23)

⏰Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time 2 (22 Aug. 2023 – Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary) 📖Judges 6:11-24; Ps 85:9, 11-12, 13-14 (R.v.9b); Matt 19:23-30 🎤”I WILL BE WITH YOU… DO NOT FEAR, YOU SHALL NOT DIE” (Judges 6:16, 23) Beloved in Christ, in the Queenship of Mary, we celebrate her privileged connection with Jesus who is the King of Kings. Such honour is not an invention of man but a setting by God whose angel delivered the message to Mary, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God” (Luke...

“…AND HIS MOTHER KEPT ALL THESE THINGS IN HER HEART” (Luke 2:51)

⏰Saturday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time 2 (25 June 2022 – Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary) 📖Lam 2:2, 10-14, 18-19; Ps 74:1-2, 3-4, 5-7, 20-21 (R.v.19b); Luke 2:41-51 🎤”…AND HIS MOTHER KEPT ALL THESE THINGS IN HER HEART” (Luke 2:51) What is that seemingly hopeless situation you have found yourself in? Is it something that has defiled possible solutions? I’m sure it wouldn’t be worse than the conditions in which the Israelites found themselves while in exile as the book of the Lamentation shows. If the Lord could deliver them from such pain and misery, how...

JESUS IS EVER PRESENT WITH US

⏰Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – Year C (26 May 2022) 📖Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (R.v.6); Eph 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53 🎤JESUS IS EVER PRESENT WITH US May the grace of Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Since the time Jesus began his earthly life, a lot of miracles, signs and wonders accompanied his actions. Now, he is prepared to return back to the Father from who he had come. His impending departure was very disheartening to his disciples. Hence, he decided to explain to...

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CARRIERS OF JOY AND LOVE

⏰Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (31 May 2021) 📖Zeph 3:14-18a; Isa 12:2-3, 4bcde, 5-6 (R.v.6b); Luke 1:39-56 The Prophet Zephaniah prophesied, “Shout for joy O daughter of Zion, sing joyfully… The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst” (Zeph 3:14ff). Mary was carrying this King of Israel in her womb and so became a source of joy to all who encountered her. Today, the Catholic Church commemorates her visit to Elizabeth (cf. Luke 1:39-56) and we see her bringing this joy into the household of Zechariah that even the child in Elizabeth’s womb slept...

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JESUS IS EVER PRESENT WITH US

⏰Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – Year B (13 May 2021) 📖Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (R.v.6); Eph 1:17-23; Mark 16:15-20 May the grace of Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Since the time Jesus began his earthly life, a lot of miracles, signs and wonders accompanied his actions. Now, he is prepared to return back to the Father from who he had come. His impending departure was very disheartening to his disciples. Hence, he decided to explain to them the meaning of his departure....

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O LORD, INCREASE MY FAITH

⏰Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time 1 (28 Jan 2017 – Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas) ????Heb 11:1-2, 8-19; Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75 (R.v.68); Mark 4:35-41 O LORD, INCREASE MY FAITH We all indeed need an increase in faith. We need to possess that kind of faith that moves mountain (cf. Matt 17:20). Heb 11:1 says that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it, the men of old received divine approval.” Abraham was an example of this. He hoped against hope. Even when they were almost passed child...

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BE HUMAN! BE HOLY!!

⏰THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS (01 November 2020) 📖Rev 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 (R.v.6a); 1 John 3:1-3; Matt 5:1-12a 🎤BE HUMAN! BE HOLY!! Back in our seminary days, this is a day to remember and anticipate, not just for the beautiful Latin chants but also for the beautiful liturgy that reminds us what we are called to do, “You must be holy because I, the LORD, am holy” (Lev 20:26). There is that prayerful hymn that we normally took: “O when the saints, go marching in (2x); O Lord I want to be in that number. O when...

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HUMANITY REUNITES WITH DIVINITY

⏰Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord – Year A (21 May 2020) 📖Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9 (R.v.6); Eph 1:17-23; Matt 28:16-20 🎤HUMANITY REUNITES WITH DIVINITY May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you always. Jesus has ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-11), yet he is ever present to and with us. We believe so because he said so (Matt 28:20) and no lie is ever found in his mouth since he the truth par excellence (John 14:6). The truth that we celebrate today is...

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“GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD, HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER” (Ps 118:1)

⏰SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY YEAR A) 📖Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 118:2-4, 22-24, 25-27a (R.v.1); Rev 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19; John 20:19-31 🎤”GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD, HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER” (Ps 118:1) Dearly beloved in Christ, in the midst of the challenges of the present time, we celebrate today, the Feast of the Divine Mercy. Through this celebration, we get the reassurance that God, in his infinite mercy, will not abandon us to our fate but will come to our aid to rescue us all. Amen. As we prayerfully await the reign of that mercy...