April 2, 2026 Holy Thursday – Chrism Mass Gospel: Luke 4:16-21
Today is Holy Thursday. In accordance with the Church’s tradition, our beloved Holy Father and the clergy of the Holy See will celebrate a concelebrated Mass to bless the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens, and the Sacred Chrism for the Diocese of Rome. Similarly, our diocesan bishop, together with the priests under his care, will bless these same oils for the current liturgical year during the Mass celebrated in his cathedral.
The Gospel reading for the Chrism Mass is taken from St. Luke’s account of Jesus returning to the synagogue in Nazareth, where He proclaims His messianic mission. I would like to offer some reflections on this passage. If we attend to the prophecies about the Messiah in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, we find that Isaiah indicates the Messiah is to proclaim God’s word to four groups of people: the poor, those with broken hearts, captives, and prisoners. The “poor” are not merely those of lowly status but also those marginalized and excluded for various reasons. Those with “broken hearts” are not just those distressed by trivialities of worldly life but those whose sins have grieved the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. The “captives” are not only those taken prisoner in battle but those whose souls are held captive by the devil due to human weakness. The “prisoners” are not merely those deprived of freedom by violating human laws but those whose souls are enslaved by sin, unable to draw near to God.
Today, our Lord Jesus Christ declares in His hometown synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; therefore He has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord” (cf. Lk 4:18-19). He not only acknowledges His mission but fulfills it through all He does as the Messiah, the Son of God. Our Holy Father and the clergy in communion with him faithfully follow the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, shepherding worthily the flock entrusted to their care by God. Like us, they are flesh and blood, experiencing trials and hardships. Let us, therefore, offer a prayer for all clergy:
O God, who anointed your Only Begotten Son with the Holy Spirit and made him Christ and Lord, graciously grant that, being made sharers in his consecration, we may bear witness to your Redemption in the world. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
April 1, 2026 Wednesday of Holy Week Gospel: Matthew 26:14-25
Today is Wednesday of Holy Week. The Gospel according to Saint Matthew presents us with the scene of Jesus sharing the Last Supper with His disciples. In today’s Gospel, we witness a collision of two value systems. I would like to say this: such a conflict also exists within our Church community today.
Today, among us, there are still brothers and sisters who pursue a mentality of “vested interest.” They seek to gain advantages from those in authority and use that influence to climb the ranks within the Church. They believe this maximizes their benefits and makes them highly “valuable” in the eyes of the powerful. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, stands as the ultimate representative of these self-interested believers; for he saw only thirty pieces of silver before him and sold the Lord of Life.
Also today, among the faithful who come to our parish, some hold this view: if they can hear gossip and idle talk in this parish, then it is “valuable” to them; if there is no gossip, the parish loses its appeal. They follow the values of a world that is passing away, rather than the values taught by the Word of God.
Therefore, today let us refuse to be a Judas who betrays Jesus Christ. Let us no longer follow false values and a distorted faith. Let us not remain shackled by the bonds of sin and death. Instead, relying on the help of the Word of God and guided by the Holy Spirit, let us truly break free from sin and live always in the true light of God’s Word. Perhaps we are moved at this moment to choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, making ourselves new creations in Him.
O God, who willed your Son to submit for our sake to the yoke of the Cross, so that you might drive from us the power of the enemy, grant us, your servants, to attain the grace of the resurrection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
March 31, 2026 Holy Tuesday of Holy Week Gospel: John 13:21-33, 36-38
Today is Holy Tuesday of Holy Week. The passage from the Gospel of St. John presents to us the scene of Jesus dining with His disciples. I wish to take this opportunity to offer some reflections.
When we participate in the assemblies of the People of God, God often proclaims the Gospel of the Kingdom to us through His chosen shepherds, in a language we can understand, helping us discern His will by observing their outward conduct. Yet when we rely on our own understanding of God’s will and attempt to guess it according to our own thoughts and desires—like the disciples at this dinner, who sought to know from Jesus’ lips the identity of the betrayer (cf. Jn 13:21-26)—it is because we long for a moment of peace for our restless hearts. We yearn to learn the truth about the Kingdom from those close to us, yet we are unwilling to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, discerning in our earthly lives the vocation each of us has received from God, in accordance with all that God has revealed to us.
Perhaps we find it difficult to understand why Jesus suddenly said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in Him” (cf. Jn 13:31). But as we reflect deeply on our past faith journey, we can grasp its meaning. For we have all, in the love of God, received Christian Baptism: washed clean of original sin by the water flowing from His pierced Sacred Side, anointed with the Holy Spirit, and thus made worthy to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, putting on anew the righteousness of children of God. Each time we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, we celebrate the manifestation of His glory in us—He who conquered death for us and restored our life. In this way, the glory of God is fully manifested in us, His children, who though living in this changing world have already experienced His glory. For the old self, marked by the death of sin, was buried with Christ in the waters of Baptism; when we emerged from the baptismal font, we were freed from the bondage of sin and regained the freedom of children of God.
Almighty ever-living God, grant us so to celebrate the mysteries of the Lord’s Passion that we may merit to receive your pardon. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,God, for ever and ever
全属于祢 
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