Mass Reflection: Sunday - 22nd February 2026

 

GN 2:7-9; 3:1-7; PS 51:3-6,12-13,17; ROM 5:12-19 or 5:12, 17-19; MT 4:1-11

As we enter the season of Lent, the Church invites us into 40 days of intentional reflection, repentance, and renewal. These readings remind us that Lent is not simply about giving something up, but about making room for God. For Christian stewards, this season calls us to look honestly at how we are using the time entrusted to us and whether our daily choices reflect trust in the Lord.

Our first reading from Genesis takes us back to the beginning and reveals the goodness of God’s original design. Out of love, God formed humanity, breathed life into us, and placed Adam and Eve in a garden rich with beauty and abundance. Their life with God was marked by trust, gratitude, and attentiveness to His presence. Time itself was a gift — ordered around relationship with the Creator.

That harmony was disrupted when doubt entered their hearts. Tempted by the serpent, Adam and Eve questioned God’s goodness and turned their attention away from Him. In that moment, they chose their own judgment over God’s word. This same temptation remains familiar to us. When our time becomes filled with distractions, busyness, or self-reliance, it becomes easier to lose sight of God’s presence and purposes in our lives.

In our second reading, St. Paul reminds us that God did not abandon humanity to this broken pattern. While disobedience led to sin and separation, obedience leads to restoration. Through Jesus Christ — the new Adam — God offers mercy, healing, and new life. Conversion is possible because grace is given. Lent invites us to slow down long enough to receive that grace and allow it to reshape how we live.

The Gospel then shows us what faithful stewardship looks like in practice. Jesus enters the desert, fasts for 40 days, and confronts temptation directly. He does not rush past this time of testing or seek to escape it. Instead, He remains rooted in Scripture and attentive to the Father’s will. By giving time to prayer, silence, and trust, Jesus reveals that spiritual strength grows where time is intentionally placed in God’s hands.

Lent invites us to follow this same path. It is a season to examine whether our schedules leave room for prayer, Scripture, and quiet attentiveness to God. This may require setting aside certain distractions or habits so that time can be reclaimed for what matters most. When we intentionally place God at the center of our days, gratitude deepens, trust grows, and stewardship becomes a way of life.

By embracing these 40 days with purpose, we prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter renewed, restored, and ready to live more fully as disciples of Christ.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 22nd February 2026

First reading

Genesis 2:7-9,3:1-7

The Creation, and the sin of our first parents

    The Lord God fashioned man of dust from the soil. Then he breathed into his nostrils a breath of life, and thus man became a living being.

    The Lord God planted a garden in Eden which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. The Lord God caused to spring up from the soil every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to eat, with the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the garden.

    Now the serpent was the most subtle of all the wild beasts that the Lord God had made. It asked the woman, ‘Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?’ The woman answered the serpent, ‘We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, “You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death.”’ Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘No! You will not die! God knows in fact that on the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good and evil.’ The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was desirable for the knowledge that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She gave some also to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

The Word of The Lord

________

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 50(51):3-6,12-14,17

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

    In your compassion blot out my offence.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

    and cleanse me from my sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

My offences truly I know them;

    my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

    what is evil in your sight I have done.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

    put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

    nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me again the joy of your help;

    with a spirit of fervour sustain me,

O Lord, open my lips

    and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

________

Second reading

Romans 5:12,17-19 ·

However great the number of sins committed, grace was even greater

Sin entered the world through one man, and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned. If it is certain that death reigned over everyone as the consequence of one man’s fall, it is even more certain that one man, Jesus Christ, will cause everyone to reign in life who receives the free gift that he does not deserve, of being made righteous. Again, as one man’s fall brought condemnation on everyone, so the good act of one man brings everyone life and makes them justified. As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

The Word of The Lord 

________

Gospel Acclamation

Mt4:4

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Man does not live on bread alone,

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

________

Gospel

Matthew 4:1-11

The temptation in the wilderness

Jesus was led by the Spirit out into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, after which he was very hungry, and the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to turn into loaves.’ But he replied, ‘Scripture says:

Man does not live on bread alone

but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

The devil then took him to the holy city and made him stand on the parapet of the Temple. ‘If you are the Son of God’ he said ‘throw yourself down; for scripture says:

He will put you in his angels’ charge,

and they will support you on their hands

in case you hurt your foot against a stone.’

Jesus said to him, ‘Scripture also says:

You must not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Next, taking him to a very high mountain, the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendour. ‘I will give you all these’ he said, ‘if you fall at my feet and worship me.’ Then Jesus replied, ‘Be off, Satan! For scripture says:

You must worship the Lord your God,

and serve him alone.’

Then the devil left him, and angels appeared and looked after him.

The Gospel of The Lord 

Mass Reading : Wednesday - 18th February 2026

First reading
Joel 2:12-18
Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn

‘Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks –
come back to me with all your heart,
fasting, weeping, mourning.’
Let your hearts be broken, not your garments torn,
turn to the Lord your God again,
for he is all tenderness and compassion,
slow to anger, rich in graciousness,
and ready to relent.
Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent,
will not leave a blessing as he passes,
oblation and libation
for the Lord your God?

Sound the trumpet in Zion!
Order a fast,
proclaim a solemn assembly,
call the people together,
summon the community,
assemble the elders,
gather the children,
even the infants at the breast.
Let the bridegroom leave his bedroom
and the bride her alcove.
Between vestibule and altar let the priests,
the ministers of the Lord, lament.
Let them say,
‘Spare your people, Lord!
Do not make your heritage a thing of shame,
a byword for the nations.
Why should it be said among the nations,
“Where is their God?”’

Then the Lord, jealous on behalf of his land,
took pity on his people.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 50(51):3-6,12-14,17

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
    In your compassion blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
    and cleanse me from my sin.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

My offences truly I know them;
    my sin is always before me
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
    what is evil in your sight I have done.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

A pure heart create for me, O God,
    put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
    nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Give me again the joy of your help;
    with a spirit of fervour sustain me,
O Lord, open my lips
    and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we have sinned.

________

Second reading
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2
Be reconciled to God

    We are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God. As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received. For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation I came to your help. Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Ps50:12,14

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

A pure heart create for me, O God,
and give me again the joy of your help.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Or:
cf.Ps94:8

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

Harden not your hearts today,
but listen to the voice of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!

________

Gospel
Matthew 6:1-6,16-18
Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing; your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

    ‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

    ‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 15th February 2026

 

SIR 15:15-20; PS 119:1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34; 1 COR 2:6-10; MT 5:17-37 OR 5:20-22A, 27-28, 33-34A, 37


Today’s readings challenge us to reflect on the true state of our hearts as it relates to stewardship. Do we think of stewardship as something we take care of once a year, simply a matter of ticking off boxes on a commitment card — or do we choose to embrace it as a spirituality and a way of life that allows us to grow in conformity to Christ every day?

Our first reading, from the Book of Sirach, teaches that our good God has given us freedom to make this choice: “If you choose you can keep the commandments.” “Before man are life and death, good and evil, whichever he chooses shall be given him.” What great dignity the Father bestows on us. He does not force us to commit to Him — rather, He allows us the freedom to choose Him, even though He emphatically does not want us to reject Him through selfishness and sin. We read at the end of this passage, “No one does he command to act unjustly, to none does he give license to sin.”

Our second reading, from Corinthians, reminds us of the great joy that will be ours if we do choose to commit to God by the way we live our lives. “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard … what God has prepared for those who love him.” Our Heavenly Father is more eager than we can comprehend to fill us with His grace and blessings. But we must choose Him. How do we do this? By keeping His commandments as our first reading instructs — by putting the teachings of our Lord and the Church into practice every day.

The concept of stewardship helps us live out the fundamental choice to put God first. Stewardship is not meant to be a mere external exercise in which we participate on an occasional basis. It is meant to be embraced as a way of life — a life that involves a continuous conversion of heart.

In our Gospel passage from Matthew, Jesus illustrates the difference between an external observance of the law and a true conversion of heart. He says to His disciples, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and Pharisees were the spiritual heavyweights of their day. They checked all the boxes when it came to the proper exercise of the religious practices required of them. Yet our Lord says it wasn’t enough.

Why? They did not allow those practices to penetrate their hearts and change them internally. Jesus explains with a further illustration, saying, “You have heard that it was said … you shall not kill … But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment.” Our Lord is asking us not only for exterior acts, but for a true change of heart. In stewardship terms, that means seeing everything as a gift from Him, to be used for His glory and the good of others.

In the week ahead, let us examine the state of our hearts and ask ourselves whether stewardship has truly become a way of life for us. Only then will we experience its true depth and heart-changing possibilities. The choice is ours.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 15th February 2026

First reading
Ecclesiasticus 15:16-21
God predestined wisdom to be for our glory before the ages began

If you wish, you can keep the commandments,
    to behave faithfully is within your power.
He has set fire and water before you;
    put out your hand to whichever you prefer.
Man has life and death before him;
    whichever a man likes better will be given him.
For vast is the wisdom of the Lord;
    he is almighty and all-seeing.
His eyes are on those who fear him,
    he notes every action of man.
He never commanded anyone to be godless,
    he has given no one permission to sin.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 118(119):1-2,4-5,17-18,33-34

They are happy who follow God’s law!

They are happy whose life is blameless,
    who follow God’s law!
They are happy who do his will,
    seeking him with all their hearts.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

You have laid down your precepts
    to be obeyed with care.
May my footsteps be firm
    to obey your statutes.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

Bless your servant and I shall live
    and obey your word.
Open my eyes that I may see
    the wonders of your law.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

Teach me the demands of your statutes
    and I will keep them to the end.
Train me to observe your law,
    to keep it with my heart.

They are happy who follow God’s law!

________

Second reading
1 Corinthians 2:6-10
God predestined wisdom to be for our glory before the ages began

    We have a wisdom to offer those who have reached maturity: not a philosophy of our age, it is true, still less of the masters of our age, which are coming to their end. The hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries is the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began. It is a wisdom that none of the masters of this age have ever known, or they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory; we teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the mind of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him.

    These are the very things that God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit reaches the depths of everything, even the depths of God.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
1S3:9,Jn6:68

Alleluia, alleluia!

Speak, Lord, your servant is listening:
you have the message of eternal life.

Alleluia!

Or:
Mt11:25

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessed are you, Father, 
Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom
to mere children.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 5:17-37
You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors; but I say this to you

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. I tell you solemnly, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, shall disappear from the Law until its purpose is achieved. Therefore, the man who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of heaven; but the man who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven.

    ‘For I tell you, if your virtue goes no deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

    ‘You have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court. But I say this to you: anyone who is angry with his brother will answer for it before the court; if a man calls his brother “Fool” he will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and if a man calls him “Renegade” he will answer for it in hell fire. So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering. Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison. I tell you solemnly, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.

    ‘You have learnt how it was said: You must not commit adultery. But I say this to you: if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye should cause you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand should cause you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of you than to have your whole body go to hell.

    ‘It has also been said: Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal. But I say this to you: everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of fornication, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

    ‘Again, you have learnt how it was said to our ancestors: You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord. But I say this to you: do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God’s throne; or by the earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great king. Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black. All you need say is “Yes” if you mean yes, “No” if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 08th February 2026

 

IS 58: 7-10; PS 112:4-9; 1 COR 2:1-5; MT 5:13-16

Today’s readings serve as both encouragement and clear direction for us as Christian stewards. They leave little doubt about what matters most to God and how He intends for us to use the gifts He has placed in our care.

In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah delivers unmistakable instruction: “Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; clothe the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own.”

There is no room for hesitation here. Care for our brothers and sisters in need is not optional — it is a core responsibility of the Christian steward. These commands also require action — to share, to shelter, to clothe, and to remain faithful even within the challenges of family life.

At the same time, Isaiah reminds us of God’s generosity when we live this way. “Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed… Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer… Then light shall rise for you in the darkness.” God calls us to serve others because He created us for this very purpose. When we give ourselves away, we discover who we are meant to be. God’s grace increases within us, and His joy and peace take deeper root in our hearts. This is the beauty of a stewardship way of life.

In the second reading, St. Paul reassures us that we need not rely on our own abilities to answer this call. It is the Lord who works through us when we step forward in faith. Paul admits, “I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom… I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling… so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.”

Our weaknesses are no obstacle to God. In fact, He often uses them to reveal His glory when we are willing to cooperate with His grace. This should encourage us when we feel unqualified or unsure.

The Gospel then sends us out with a clear mission. Jesus calls His disciples — and us — the “salt of the earth” and the “light of the world.” But salt loses its purpose if it grows stale, and light cannot shine if it is hidden. Our faith must be lived openly. We are called to act so that others may see how we serve, how we care for the vulnerable, how we prioritize our families, and above all, how we love God — and through our witness, give glory to Him.

This is the stewardship way of life. Let us live it with conviction.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 08th February 2026

First reading
Isaiah 58:7-10
Then will your light shine like the dawn

Thus says the Lord:

Share your bread with the hungry,
and shelter the homeless poor,
clothe the man you see to be naked
and do not turn from your own kin.
Then will your light shine like the dawn
and your wound be quickly healed over.

Your integrity will go before you
and the glory of the Lord behind you.
Cry, and the Lord will answer;
call, and he will say, ‘I am here.’

If you do away with the yoke,
the clenched fist, the wicked word,
if you give your bread to the hungry,
and relief to the oppressed,
your light will rise in the darkness,
and your shadows become like noon.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 111(112):4-9

The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright.

He is a light in the darkness for the upright:
    he is generous, merciful and just.
The good man takes pity and lends,
    he conducts his affairs with honour.

The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright.

The just man will never waver:
    he will be remembered for ever.
He has no fear of evil news;
    with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.

The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright.

With a steadfast heart he will not fear;
open-handed, he gives to the poor;
    his justice stands firm for ever.
    His head will be raised in glory.

The good man is a light in the darkness for the upright.

________

Second reading
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
The only knowledge I claimed was of the crucified Christ

    When I came to you, brothers, it was not with any show of oratory or philosophy, but simply to tell you what God had guaranteed. During my stay with you, the only knowledge I claimed to have was about Jesus, and only about him as the crucified Christ. Far from relying on any power of my own, I came among you in great ‘fear and trembling’ and in my speeches and the sermons that I gave, there were none of the arguments that belong to philosophy; only a demonstration of the power of the Spirit. And I did this so that your faith should not depend on human philosophy but on the power of God.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn8:12

Alleluia, alleluia!

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
anyone who follows me will have the light of life.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 5:13-16
Your light must shine in the sight of men

    Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if salt becomes tasteless, what can make it salty again? It is good for nothing, and can only be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men.

    ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill-top cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp to put it under a tub; they put it on the lamp-stand where it shines for everyone in the house. In the same way your light must shine in the sight of men, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord.