Martyrs

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Saturday, 13 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded as always throughout this Advent season, as we continue to approach the coming of the joyful season and time of Christmas that we are all called to put our trust and faith always in the Lord, in His Providence and in everything that He has given and reassured us with, particularly through Him sending His Son unto us all for our salvation. And that is why as we continue to prepare ourselves for the celebration of Christmas, we should do our best in preparing ourselves so that we may be truly ready to celebrate it with great understanding and appreciation of what it is that we truly celebrate in this great celebration of Christmas.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard from this prophet of the prophecy of the coming of the prophet Elijah, the prophet whom God had sent earlier on, prior to the time of the ministry of the prophet Jesus son of Sirach, to the people of Israel in the northern kingdom, performing many miracles and signs, showing the power of God against those people who had hardened their hearts and minds, rebelling and sinning against Him. We heard of the exploits and works of the prophet Elijah, who had to brave the many oppositions, challenges and trials alone as the prophet of God, sent to be the one to guide God’s people back to the right path. He had to face opposition from kings and rulers, the powerful and the mighty, having to endure exiles and other torments, but he remained steadfast in performing his missions and works.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, related to our first reading today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples detailing about the prophet Elijah and everything that had to happen before everything that God had planned for the salvation of the world would be accomplished. First we must also understand the context of what the Lord had said to His disciples, otherwise we may easily be confused because the prophet Elijah was a figure in the Old Testament about a few centuries before the coming of Christ, and yet, why Elijah was mentioned in that particular interaction. This was because there was a popular belief among the Israelites and their descendants that one day the prophet Elijah would return once again from Heaven to herald the coming of the Lord’s salvation.

The prophet Elijah was taken up into Heaven in a flaming chariot and is one of those mentioned in the Old Testament to have not suffered death, but was taken up directly into Heaven by the will and power of God. Hence, it became a popular belief and also through the prophecies and messages from the other prophets, that the prophet Elijah would come back one day to mark the coming of God’s salvation. And indeed, throughout the history of the Church and from these words mentioned about the topic in the Gospels, St. John the Baptist was often compared to the prophet Elijah in their missions, activities, actions and others. It was said that either the prophet Elijah was sent again into this world and born as St. John the Baptist, or that he was sent with the spirit of the prophet Elijah. Either way, the coming of St. John the Baptist marks the coming of the Messiah as prophesied.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day the Church also happens to be the Feast of St. Lucy, also known as St. Lucia of Syracuse, whose holiness, piety and devotion to God were known far and wide, and inspired many people throughout the ages. St. Lucy was born in Syracuse as a Roman citizen, and dedicated herself to a life of holy virginity, and as a Christian, she lived in a dangerous time because it was during the time of the great persecutions by the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his co-rulers, who launched systematic and intense series of persecutions against the Church and the faithful people of God. St. Lucy’s family was bereft of her father in her early age, and as her mother was afflicted with bleeding issue, not aware of St. Lucy’s vow of virginity, arranged her to be married to a wealthy pagan nobleman.

Through the intercession of another Syracusian saint, St. Agatha, St. Lucy’s mother was healed from her illness, and with the persuasion from St. Lucy herself, they distributed much of their riches to the poor, which was therefore reported by St. Lucy’s betrothed pagan nobleman to the Roman authorities. The Roman governor, one named Paschasius, ordered her to burn offerings and sacrifices to the pagan idols, knowing that St. Lucy was a Christian, which was rejected by the courageous young woman. Therefore, the governor ordered her to be defiled in a brothel, but could not get this done, by Divine intervention, which protected St. Lucy. Eventually, after further sufferings and persecutions, St. Lucy was martyred by a sword that was thrust into her throat. Her examples and faith inspired countless others long after her martyrdom, right up to this day.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore as we have just heard from the life and experiences of St. Lucy, or Santa Lucia, we are reminded that each and every one of us as Christians may also encounter challenges, trials and hardships in our lives, if we continue to walk faithfully in the path that the Lord has set before us. However, this should not dissuade or prevent us from doing our very best to live our lives truly worthily in all that we do for the greater glory of God. Each and every one of us should always strive to be good examples and inspirations in each and every one of our works, efforts and contributions, no matter how small, so that we may indeed be the shining beacons of our Christian faith, beliefs and life, becoming the ones to help and lead others towards God and His salvation.

May the Lord therefore continue to inspire and strengthen us all so that by the good examples and inspiration He has given us particularly through the courage and faith that St. Lucy had shown in her defence of her faith and martyrdom, all of us may continue to live our lives ever more worthily of the Lord, and that we may continue to do our best so that in all the things we do and as we prepare for the upcoming joyful celebrations of Christmas, we will always keep in mind that we always celebrate it with the focus on Christ, Our Lord and Saviour, Whose coming into this world is the very reason why we even celebrate Christmas at all. And not only that, but we should also continue to put the Lord at the heart and centre of everything we do in life. May all of us have a blessed and fruitful Advent. Amen.

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Saturday, 13 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 17 : 10-13

At that time, the disciples of Jesus asked Him, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus answered, “So it is : first comes Elijah; and he will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come; and they did not recognise him; and they treated him as they pleased. And they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”

Then the disciples understood that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist.

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Saturday, 13 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16, 18-19

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o YHVH of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

But lay Your hand on Your instrument, on the Son of Man, Whom You make strong for Yourself. Then, we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name.

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Saturday, 13 December 2025 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Sirach 48 : 1-4, 9-11

Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, his words a burning torch. He brought a famine on the people and in his zealous love had them reduced in number. Speaking in the Name of the Lord he closed down the heavens, and on three occasions called down fire.

How marvellous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal? You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses. It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live.

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Tuesday, 25 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all gather together and listen to the words of the Lord contained within the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that we should trust in the Lord and put our faith in His power and providence. We should not seek to put more and more emphasis and focus on worldly matters, ambitions and desires, as what many people all around us may be seeking and craving for. As Christians, in fact, we have to continue to do what is right and just in accordance to the ways of the Lord, aligned with His teachings and ways. We have to do our best to be good inspiration, strength and hope for all those whom we encounter in each and every moments of our lives, that we may lead one another towards the Lord, His salvation and righteousness.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel, in which we are told about the moment when the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar experienced a particular vision in his dreams, and he became restless after seeing that vision of a great statue made of different composite parts and materials, which was then crushed by a great rock that smashed the whole statue to pieces. This was the moment that Daniel came to prominence within the Babylonian king’s court as no one but him was able to tell the king exactly what he has dreamt about. The king asked of all the wise people in his court, all of his servants to tell him both of what he had dreamt and its meaning, and none but Daniel could do so. Only Daniel was given the Wisdom from God to reveal the king’s dream and vision to everyone and to unveil what that vision truly meant.

Through the great Wisdom of God and His guidance, Daniel revealed to king Nebuchadnezzar the meaning of his dreams, showing him that his kingdom itself, no matter how grand and glorious at that time, having ruled over many lands in Mesopotamia and the Levant, and having conquered many countries, fabulous and rich beyond measure, was ultimately going to be replaced by other powers and kingdoms, foretelling what would happen in the future, in the next few centuries as shown by the vision of the statue with its many parts. That statue and its parts actually represent the future kingdoms and powers that would rise up from the time of Babylon onwards, the Empires of Media and Persia, followed by the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great which was fragmented and divided among his successors, and finally the Roman Empire that became the regional superpower at that time.

Then, that huge Rock which came to crush and destroy the statue actually represents the Lord Himself Whose coming into this world in the Person of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour marked the departure from the dominion of the world to the true dominion of God, Who has finally come at last to restore all things to Himself and through His own actions and works, in fulfilling everything that He has promised to His beloved people from the very beginning of time. Therefore, although no one likely realised it at that time, what Daniel had done was in fact prophesying and foretelling of the coming of the Messiah or the Saviour that God has promised, foretelling His arrival after those great Empires has risen and fallen, and unlike those earthly realms and powers that did not last, the dominion of God is everlasting.

We are reminded that if we put our trust in earthly things we are likely going to be disappointed and dismayed because no matter what, none of those will last forever and none of them will endure. Those who put their faith and trust in the Lord will be firmly reassured because in God alone there is constant and steady reassurance. Those who truly have faith and hope in the Lord will know that with God we can all be strong even in the midst of the greatest challenges and trials in life. We must learn to trust in the Lord and His guidance, in all the providence that He is showing us, in all that He has given and blessed us with, the opportunities and wisdom which He has granted to us. We should never take all these for granted, and we should learn to trust in God guiding all of us in our journey and path in life, knowing that with His guidance everything will be all well and good. 

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus was telling those who admired the grandeur and majesty of the great Temple of God in Jerusalem, the one vastly enlarged by King Herod the Great, that the magnificent edifice would not last long and soon the time would come that it would be torn down and destroyed. Everything did indeed come true a few decades later when the Romans came to besiege Jerusalem during the first Jewish-Roman War about three decades after the Resurrection of the Lord. The conflicts and the violence that followed eventually led to the ransack and the destruction of the great Temple, of which nothing was left save that of the fragments of the walls of its once great compound, what is known today as the Western Wall or the Wailing Wall. It is again another reminder of how trusting in worldly power and grandeur is impermanent unlike trusting in God.

The Lord also told His disciples to be careful and not to be deceived by those who claimed to know of the exact time and the signs which accompanied those claims, all the wars, conflicts and other things that people often associated with the apocalyptic moments and end of times predictions. The Lord warned His disciples and followers, and hence all of us that we should not easily give in to the allure and temptations, pressures and coercions of the false prophets and leaders who could then mislead and bring many of us into the wrong paths in life, when we do not discern carefully our path forward, in what we have been truly called to do by God. This can even happen when those leaders manipulate us into thinking of our calling and mission in a certain way, but not allowing us to discern our paths properly, as is unfortunately common today, especially in our Catholic youth communities.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great martyr and servant of God, a great woman whose faith and dedication to Him served as great inspirations and strength for many Christians during and even long after her time. According to Church tradition, St. Catherine of Alexandria was the daughter of the Roman governor of Alexandria, who lived during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian and his successors. At that time, Christians were treated with disdain and contempt, and a particularly intense and bitter persecution was carried out against them. Many Christians had to suffer and die amidst that brutal persecution, and many of them had to choose between remaining faithful in God and suffer, or to betray and abandon the Lord and live.

St. Catherine of Alexandria courageously went to the Emperor himself, the Emperor Maxentius who ruled in Rome and Italy, during one of these episodes of brutal persecutions, rebuking him for his actions and evil deeds. St. Catherine won over the fifty over philosophers that the Emperor set up against her to debate her on her faith and other matters, so much so that some of them converted to the Christian faith and were martyred. St. Catherine also convinced many others to become Christians, including even the Emperor’s own wife, when they visited her during her time in prison. The Lord Himself visited her, and Angels tended her wounds during her incarceration and period of suffering. The Emperor, who grew increasingly desperate in trying to subdue St. Catherine, tried to woo her by proposing marriage to her, which was also rejected by the saint. In the end, she was martyred by beheading, after other methods had failed.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we remember the dedication and commitment which St. Catherine of Alexandria has shown in her life, in what she has committed to the Lord, and as we reflect upon what we have heard from the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded that all of us should always put our focus and emphasis in life on God and not on all the various temptations, desires and pleasures of the world, all of which are ultimately fleeting and temporary in nature. We should not spend so much time and effort to seek and gather for ourselves all those worldly wealth, desires and ambitions to the point that we forget the main reason why we exist in this world, that is to glorify God and make our lives truly worthy of Him in all of our every actions, words and deeds, in our every interactions with one another.

May the Lord continue to strengthen us all in our efforts and endeavours to continue to be good role models and inspirations for one another in faith so that by each and every one of our actions, words and deeds, we may truly be the shining examples of our genuine faith in God. May all of us help one another to draw ever closer to the Lord our God, and encourage each other to remain firm and strong in our faith, now and always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 25 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Luke 21 : 5-11

At that time, while some people were talking about the Temple, remarking that it was adorned with fine stonework and rich gifts, Jesus said to them, “The days will come when there shall not be left one stone upon another of all that you now admire; all will be torn down.” And they asked Him, “Master, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?”

Jesus said, “Take care not to be deceived, for many will come in My Name, saying, ‘I am He; the time is near at hand!’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and troubled times, do not be frightened; for all these things must happen first, even though the end is not so soon.”

And Jesus said, “Nations will fight each other and kingdom will oppose kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and plagues; in many places strange and terrifying signs from heaven will be seen.”

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Tuesday, 25 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Daniel 3 : 57, 58, 59, 60, 61

All the works of the Lord, bless Him, praise Him, exalt Him forever.

Angels of the Lord, bless Him, praise and glorify Him forever.

Heavens, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him forever.

All the waters above the heavens, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him forever.

All the powers of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him forever.

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Tuesday, 25 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Daniel 2 : 31-45

Daniel said to king Nebuchadnezzar, “In your vision you saw a statue – very large, very bright; terrible to look at. Its head was of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. As you watched, a rock cut from a mountain, but not by human hands, struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay; smashing them.”

“All at once the iron, clay, bronze, silver and gold crumbled into pieces, as fine as chaff on the threshing floor in summer. The wind swept them off and not a trace was left. But the rock that struck the statue became a great mountain that filled the whole earth.”

“That was the dream. Now the interpretation. You, o king, are king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given dominion, strength, power and glory, and into whose hand He has placed humankind, the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, making you ruler over them. You are that head of gold.”

“After you, another kingdom, inferior to yours, will rise. Then a third kingdom, of bronze, will rule the whole world. Last shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron; and just as iron breaks and crushes everything else, so will it break and smash all the others.”

“The partly-clay and partly-iron feet and toes mean that it will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of the iron, just as you saw iron mixed with clay. And as the toes were partly iron and partly clay, the kingdom will be partly strong and partly weak. Just as you saw the iron mixed with baked clay, the people will be a mixture but will not remain united, any more than iron mixes with clay.”

“In the time of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, never to be destroyed or delivered up to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and put an end to them; and it will endure forever. This is the meaning of your vision of a rock cut from a mountain not by human hands; the rock, which struck the statue and broke into pieces the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold. The great God has shown the king what will happen in the future. The dream is true and its interpretation reliable.”

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Monday, 24 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to be humble and obedient to God’s will, to put our faith and trust in Him always, generously giving ourselves to Him, our Lord and Master, dedicating each and every moments of our lives for the greater glory of God. We should always strive to walk in the path and ways of the Lord even if it is difficult for us to do so because it is against what the world believes and practices, all because if we continue to do what is right and just according to God’s ways, it may be difficult and challenging for us. And yet, if we trust in the Lord and continue to have hope and faith in Him, we will realise that even the hardest of challenges and difficulties can be overcome.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Daniel, we heard of the moment when the King of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, attacked the kingdom of Judah, where the remnants of God’s people still lived at that time, capturing and bringing quite a number of them to Babylon as tributes and servants, including those of Daniel himself and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were taught about the Babylonian culture, languages and ways, and as we heard, they were also forced to partake in the food and drinks provided by the king, which according to the customs of the Israelites at that time, were considered as unclean. Daniel and his three companions resolved to try their best to remain firmly faithful despite being in a rather difficult situation.

We heard then how the Lord provided for them, that when they requested to eat just the food and items that were clean and acceptable for them to eat, they still ended up healthier and better than those who have shared the sumptuous food and drink from the table of the king. They also grew greatly in wisdom and stature among men, and they became respected figures and advisers in the king’s court. Essentially what we heard is how God was always with those who remain faithful to Him even in most difficult moments and even as they encountered the most challenging trials and hardships in life. This is why we are also reminded that we should not allow those challenges and difficulties from preventing us to continue to work hard and strive to be ever faithful to the Lord, even in times of distress. We should continue to trust and hope in the Lord, at all times.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus Himself speaking and teaching to His disciples with the encounter and example of the faith of an old widow who went to the Temple and gave from her own poverty an offering of two small copper coins, while others were giving a lot larger offerings and some even making a show of their offerings. Here we must understand that the Lord did not make a point on comparisons between our actions and neither did He seek to be prejudiced against the rich and those who have more wealth and possessions. The Lord is not opposed to the rich and wealthy, but rather, the point that He wants to deliver across to us is that when we give, we ought to give generously from our hearts and not to count the cost.

Those who have been given more can give more if they so wish, and even those who are poor can also give from their poverty just as the old widow had done. What matters is that we truly give from the heart and not being insincere in giving. We should always strive to share whatever blessings and good things which God has given to us so that many people may benefit from our exemplary and faithful actions, words and deeds, filled with the most generous and compassionate love of God. Each and every one of us are called to contribute to the works and missions of the Lord through His Church in whatever way we can and in even the smallest and seemingly least significant things that we do in our lives. We should not think that our contributions are too small or that it is insignificant. The Lord treasures us and our efforts, even to the smallest details.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of great saints, holy martyrs of the Faith, whose examples and determination should serve as great inspirations for all of us, in how we ourselves should live our lives with faith. St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, are the ones who have devotedly committed themselves to God despite the many oppositions against them, from the state which was then very violently against the Christian faith, and from the community. At that time, Vietnam, which was ruled by an Emperor and his bureaucratic court, saw the burgeoning Christian mission in their country as a threat to themselves, and to their officially Confucian state religion. As such, the state persecuted Christians very severely, both the foreign missionaries and the local converts.

St. Andrew Dung-Lac was a convert to the faith, and became one of the first local priests to be ordained. According to the traditions and missionary accounts, he and many other Christian converts were persecuted and arrested, and having kept close to their faith and refusing to abandon the Lord, or betray their commitment to Him, they were put to death, and hence became great martyrs of the Church. Their examples, courage and devotion to God, despite the many trials, sufferings and challenges that they had to face amidst their ministry should be great sources of strength and encouragement for us, in how we ought to be ever strong and courageous in committing ourselves to the service of God, and in living our lives as genuine Christians in all things.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we heard from the examples and the lives of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and the many other martyrs of the faith in Vietnam, and also from what we have discussed earlier in our Scripture passages today, let us all therefore remind ourselves of the reality of being faithful Christians, that is all those who are faithful and committed to God. We should always strive to do our best in glorifying God by our lives, in doing what we can so that our actions and deeds, our every words and interactions may always inspire others to come to know the Lord and to believe in Him, like what St. Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions in martyrdom had done. May God bless us always in everything we do, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 24 November 2025 : 34th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 21 : 1-4

At that time, Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury of the Temple. He also saw a poor widow, who dropped in two small coins. And He said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them. For all of them gave an offering from their plenty; but she, out of her poverty, gave all she had to live on.”