Martyrs

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Thursday, 19 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, 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 to be firmly rooted in faith and to be truly committed to God, so that we do not easily fall into the false paths due to the temptations of worldly vices and falsehoods spread by those who seek our downfall and destruction. Each and every one of us as Christians are always called to remain vigilant against all those false teachings and to remain rooted firmly in God, and the best way for us all to do this is by doing what the Lord Jesus had taught us, His disciples to do, that is to pray to our Heavenly Father and to constantly communicate with Him so that we may truly realise what He wants us all to do in our lives.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful people of God in the region of Corinth, warning them of the temptations of Satan and all those seeking to mislead them all into the wrong paths, mentioning how there were others who taught differently from the way that St. Paul had already taught to the faithful there. This highlighted the reality of the earliest days of the Church, in those days when there was not yet any united doctrine or organised Church organisation in the manner that we are all familiar with these days. There were still preachers and charismatic teachers of the faith going around then spreading the teachings that might not have been in accordance to what the Lord had revealed to His Apostles and the Church.

That in itself might not have been wicked or negative in intention, as some of those preachers, one of which was the charismatic Jewish preacher named Apollos, or St. Apollos was in fact a believer of Christ, and yet, he had not yet received the full instruction of faith and the Holy Spirit yet, and hence, that was why what he taught and spoke to the people were somewhat different from what St. Paul and the other Apostles had taught and spoken to the faithful. However, there were indeed many other false teachers and preachers, whose heretical ideas and thoughts brought harm to the souls of many of the faithful, many of whom were ensnared by those wrong and perverted teachings and ways, leading to quite a number among them to be swayed by the tempting words and falsehoods.

This was what St. Paul had told the faithful in Corinth in order to remind and warn them so that they do not end up falling into temptations and all the falsehoods present all around them in the world. He was also sharing how while he was not among the members of the Twelve, which he probably jokingly mentioned as being ‘super-Apostles’, being those who were closest to the Lord and were present during His ministry unlike that of St. Paul, but whatever he had taught the faithful in Corinth and elsewhere, all that he had laboured for, all that he had shared to them were all the same as what the rest of the Apostles had taught as well. Essentially, he was telling them all that what he and the other Apostles have brought to them were the authentic and genuine expressions and details of their Christian faith, and they should remain rooted in that teaching, and not in the falsehoods.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the Lord Jesus telling His disciples of how they ought to pray to their Father, not in the manner of the pagans and all those who usually use a lot of words in their prayers, a lot of actions and gestures, and yet, they did not truly pray in the right sense. That was why the Lord Jesus taught the disciples on how they ought to pray to their Father in Heaven, just as Jesus Himself frequently spent time in prayer and silent time with the Father. And that was how God wants us all to pray as well, in spending good, quality and committed time with Him as much as we are able to, in communicating actively with Him, in listening to Him just as we also speak to Him, as how we should in a proper communication.

In communicating with the Lord through prayer, all of us are taught and reminded by Our Lord Jesus Himself that first of all, we should not seek to impose on the Lord what we want, unlike how we normally conduct our prayers. If we do so, then we may end up not praying in the right manner. And this is what we all need to realise, as first of all we have to realise that the Lord is all holy and powerful, and we ought to thank Him first for every blessings that He has bestowed on us each day, even when we may not even realise it at all. Every breath we take and every moment that we are alive, each one of these are reminders for us of just how blessed we all are, and how fortunate for us to have the Lord our God, Who truly loves us all and Who has always been so generous with us.

And that is why we should always be grateful and thankful to God, and remember to ask Him to show us all His kindness and mercy, in giving us all that we need. The Lord knows all that we need, and we do not really actually need to tell Him what is in our hearts and minds, as God Who is all-knowing knows everything that we are, and all that are in our hearts and minds. Yet, at the same time, He also wants us all to call on Him, to come and ask Him for His Divine favours, and most importantly, He wants us to communicate with Him and to trust in Him instead of doing things with our own strength and power. Truly, with God, everything is possible and we can indeed do all things in Him Who strengthens and supports us. And this is why we need a good, prayerful relationship with God at all times.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam. At that time, the Christian faith had just begun to spread to the land and region of Vietnam through the works of missionaries, particularly those from France, belonging mostly to the Society of the Paris Foreign Mission, also known as the Société des Missions Etrangères de Paris. These foreign missionaries went to distant lands to proclaim the Good News of the Lord and the Christian faith, and in this particular case, they came with the French to serve as missionaries to the land of Vietnam. However, due to their links with the French and their ulterior motives in coming to Vietnam, therefore the Christian missionaries and also the local converts were seen with great suspicion by the Vietnamese government then.

Gradually, persecutions continued to increase against the Christian missionaries and the local converts alike, as Christianity was seen as a foreign influence and possibly dangerous supporters of the French colonial power, and hence ought to be removed and eliminated. St. Philip Minh was one of these Catholic converts, who went to join the seminary in College General in Penang for a few years before he was ordained as a priest, with the intention of continuing the work of mission in Vietnam, to proclaim the Good News of God to more and more of his fellow countrymen. However, the Vietnam that he returned to had become even more hostile to the Christian faith, and eventually, he himself was seized and arrested, and martyred for his faith together with many other missionaries and fellow converts over the many decades of persecution.

Yet, despite all these sufferings and hardships, those Catholics who were persecuted for their faith, just as their predecessors in the early Church had suffered, remained firmly faithful to the Lord, and they remained strong in their conviction to follow Him because they have strong connection and attunement to God, which is what we are again being reminded of today. Let us all therefore continue to deepen our prayer life and to spend all the time to glorify Him through our every words, actions and deeds, in continuing to communicate with our loving God and Father at all times. May the Lord continue to love each and every one of us, and may all of us grow ever stronger in our love and faith in Him. Amen.

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Thursday, 19 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 6 : 7-15

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do; for they believe that, the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask Him.”

“This, then, is how you should pray : Our Father in heaven, holy be Your Name, Your kingdom, come, Your will be done on earth, as in heaven. Give us today, our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive those who are in debt to us. Do not bring us to the test, but deliver us from the evil one.”

“If you forgive others their wrongdoings, your Father in heaven will also forgive yours. If you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive you.”

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Thursday, 19 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 110 : 1-2, 3-4, 7-8

Alleluia! I thank YHVH with all my heart in the council of the just, in the assembly. The works of YHVH are great and pondered by all who delight in them.

Glorious and majestic are His deeds, His righteousness endures forever. He lets us remember His wondrous deeds; YHVH is merciful and kind.

The works of His hands are faithful and just, trustworthy are all His precepts, ordained to last forever, bearers of truth and uprightness.

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Thursday, 19 June 2025 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Corinthians 11 : 1-11

May you bear with me in some little foolishness! But surely you will. I confess that I share the jealousy of God for you, for I have promised you, in marriage, to Christ, the only Spouse; to present you to Him, as a pure virgin. And this is my fear : the serpent that seduced Eve, with cunning, could also corrupt your minds, and divert you from Christian sincerity.

Someone, now, comes, and preaches another Jesus, different from the One we preach, or you are offered a different spirit from the One you have received, with a different gospel from the one you have accepted – and you agree! I do not see how I am inferior to those super Apostles. Does my speaking leave much to be desired? Perhaps, but not my knowledge, as I have abundantly shown to you in every way.

Perhaps my fault was, that I humbled myself, in order to uplift you, or that, I gave you the Gospel free of charge. I called upon the services of other churches, and served you with the support I received from them. When I was with you, although I was in need, I did not become a burden to anyone. The friends from Macedonia gave me what I needed. I have taken care, not to be a burden to you in anything, and I will continue to do so.

By the truth of Christ within me, I will let no one in the land of Achaia stop this boasting of mine. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows that I do!

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Thursday, 5 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop 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 of the need for all of us to continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord, to be united to Him and to be united with one another, with our fellow brothers and sisters. That is because if we are united with God and are united with our fellow brethren, united in our purpose and faith, then we will be strong against all the challenges and trials that we may have to face in life, and we will not be easily swayed by the temptations, pressures and coercions around us. We have to be resilient and faithful, trusting in the Lord and His Providence, while also praying for one another and helping each other in our journey towards God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the moment when St. Paul faced the whole Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council, consisting of the members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the two most influential groups within the Jewish community at that time. The Pharisees were those religious and intellectual elites of the community, who were highly educated and knowledgeable about the Torah and the saying of the prophets, and who also espoused a rather strict interpretation of the Law of God, enforcing it upon the people of God. In contrast, the Sadducees were the ones who were influential in worldly ways, the opposite of the Pharisees in nature, as they upheld worldly influences more, and their members included the chief priests and the High Priest, those who have been given worldly importance and power.

And it was against these two groups that St. Paul was facing, with both groups fully intent on bringing about condemnation and punishment upon the faithful servant of God. St. Paul himself was a former Pharisee, as early in his youth, as Saul, he was a very ardent and zealous young Pharisee, dedicating himself and his works to try and destroy the early Church, arresting and persecuting Christians in various places, using even violent and harsh methods in doing so. But he was converted to the true faith in the Lord after the encounter which he had on the way to Damascus, and thereafter becoming a great champion and defender of the Christian faith and truth. St. Paul, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, knew of the division between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who were fielding a lot of accusations against him.

Hence, as we heard, he was speaking about how he did believe what the Pharisees were believing, in matters such as the resurrection and other beliefs which the Sadducees were very loathful against, and as we heard, a great argument immediately broke out in the place where St. Paul was to be judged by the Sanhedrin. This proves to all of us that as united as the Pharisees and the Sadducees among the Sanhedrin were in their desire to stamp out the Christian faith and the efforts of St. Paul, but in the face of the Wisdom and truth of the Lord, their facade of unity came apart, and they ended up fighting each other and continuing their old bickering and disagreements rather than to do what they had originally intended to do.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the continuation of the prayer that the Lord Jesus prayed on behalf of His disciples and followers, directed to His heavenly Father, which took place not long before He was to embark on His last mission, the moment of His Passion, His path of suffering and the Cross, and His ultimate sacrifice on that same Cross, to die for the sins of the whole world. He prayed for the unity of all those who have followed Him and became His disciples, so that they would truly be one in unity just as He Himself and the Father are One, the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. With the same unity therefore, the Lord wanted His faithful ones in His Church to have, to be truly united in the one Body of all believers, the Body of Christ, the Church of God.

This is the prayer that the Lord Jesus offered to His Father, the prayer which He has prayed for all of us His faithful ones, for the unity of our purpose and our existence as those who have followed Him and entrusted ourselves to Him, so that we will not be divided one against another anymore. As we heard from our first reading passage today, we can see what happens when people were not united in their purpose and action, as what happened in the bickering between the Pharisees and the Sadducees in the Sanhedrin. They ended up quarrelling and fighting each other, and being distracted and misguided in their ways and path, instead of doing what the Lord had entrusted to them and wanted them to do. As Christians, we should not end up doing the same against one another, against our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Instead, as Christians, unity should always be an important priority for us, and we should always strive for unity in our actions and purpose, remaining firmly united in the Lord, in remaining as a united body of believers, and not to stray from God and be divided against each other. In the past history of the Church, there had been quite a number of occasions when this unity had been threatened and harmed, and led to the divisions and bitter tears and break in the unity of the Body of Christ, the Church of God. And all these divisions bring about difficulties and obstacles in the many good things that the Church could have done together, in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel, and in doing what the Lord has commanded us to do. If only we have stayed united in the Lord, there could have been so many more great things we can do together instead of by ourselves, or worse still, us working against each other.

One of the main reason of this division is pride and stubbornness, our prideful attitude and stubbornness in refusing to listen to the Lord and to one another. It is when we stop to listen actively and properly to one another that we end up being divided against each other. As our Pope, Pope Leo XIV himself said that, ‘We have to know how to listen, not to judge, and not to shut doors as if we hold all the truth and no one else has anything else to offer.’ This attitude of thinking that we know it better than others and thinking that we are superior than another is what often led to bitter divisions in the Church, harming many souls and all those who have been caught in the division. Who ultimately benefits from all these? It is Satan, the evil one, the orchestrator of division.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Boniface, a great and holy man of God, a devoted bishop and martyr, who was known particularly for his great commitment to the works of mission, in evangelising to the pagans and to all those who have not yet known God. St. Boniface is also known as the Apostle to the Germans for his great contributions in the area of evangelisation and mission amongst the pagan German peoples at the time. St. Boniface was known for his missionary zeal and efforts in introducing Christ to the people in Germania, especially the northern parts where pagan worship was still commonplace. In one often known story, St. Boniface chopped down a sacred oak that was held sacred to Odin, the chief god of the Norse and Germanic paganism, and the people there expected that St. Boniface would be struck down from doing so. But when he remained unharmed, many were convinced and became Christians.

St. Boniface himself tirelessly went to do many works and efforts to build up the Church in the areas that he has visited, planting the firm foundation for the Church in those areas, and as bishop, he established the Church and its various institutions among the new communities that he had helped establish by his courageous missionary zeal and works. And in the midst of one of these many missionary works and journeys, St. Boniface and his entourage was beset by Frisian bandits, who attacked him and killed him, and hence, he died a martyr for the faith, thinking that the items that they had been holding and carrying were precious treasures and wealth. Instead, they were in fact the Scriptures and other holy books of the faith. To the very end, St. Boniface carried out his mission with faith, and many people were inspired by his dedication and example long after his martyrdom.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to do our best in our own lives, to strive for unity in the Church, by first maintaining unity among ourselves, among our fellow brothers and sisters. Let us always be ready to listen to one another and to understand each other, instead of being so ready to judge and point fingers to others, or to disagree without first trying to listen and empathise to another. Let us also continue to pray for one another and support each other in our journey together towards God. Let us continue to be united as one Church in our mission to proclaim the Lord, His Good News and truth to all the people of all the nations. Amen.

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Thursday, 5 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop 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 of the need for all of us to continue to put our trust and faith in the Lord, to be united to Him and to be united with one another, with our fellow brothers and sisters. That is because if we are united with God and are united with our fellow brethren, united in our purpose and faith, then we will be strong against all the challenges and trials that we may have to face in life, and we will not be easily swayed by the temptations, pressures and coercions around us. We have to be resilient and faithful, trusting in the Lord and His Providence, while also praying for one another and helping each other in our journey towards God.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Acts of the Apostles of the moment when St. Paul faced the whole Sanhedrin or the Jewish High Council, consisting of the members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, the two most influential groups within the Jewish community at that time. The Pharisees were those religious and intellectual elites of the community, who were highly educated and knowledgeable about the Torah and the saying of the prophets, and who also espoused a rather strict interpretation of the Law of God, enforcing it upon the people of God. In contrast, the Sadducees were the ones who were influential in worldly ways, the opposite of the Pharisees in nature, as they upheld worldly influences more, and their members included the chief priests and the High Priest, those who have been given worldly importance and power.

And it was against these two groups that St. Paul was facing, with both groups fully intent on bringing about condemnation and punishment upon the faithful servant of God. St. Paul himself was a former Pharisee, as early in his youth, as Saul, he was a very ardent and zealous young Pharisee, dedicating himself and his works to try and destroy the early Church, arresting and persecuting Christians in various places, using even violent and harsh methods in doing so. But he was converted to the true faith in the Lord after the encounter which he had on the way to Damascus, and thereafter becoming a great champion and defender of the Christian faith and truth. St. Paul, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, knew of the division between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who were fielding a lot of accusations against him.

Hence, as we heard, he was speaking about how he did believe what the Pharisees were believing, in matters such as the resurrection and other beliefs which the Sadducees were very loathful against, and as we heard, a great argument immediately broke out in the place where St. Paul was to be judged by the Sanhedrin. This proves to all of us that as united as the Pharisees and the Sadducees among the Sanhedrin were in their desire to stamp out the Christian faith and the efforts of St. Paul, but in the face of the Wisdom and truth of the Lord, their facade of unity came apart, and they ended up fighting each other and continuing their old bickering and disagreements rather than to do what they had originally intended to do.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard the continuation of the prayer that the Lord Jesus prayed on behalf of His disciples and followers, directed to His heavenly Father, which took place not long before He was to embark on His last mission, the moment of His Passion, His path of suffering and the Cross, and His ultimate sacrifice on that same Cross, to die for the sins of the whole world. He prayed for the unity of all those who have followed Him and became His disciples, so that they would truly be one in unity just as He Himself and the Father are One, the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. With the same unity therefore, the Lord wanted His faithful ones in His Church to have, to be truly united in the one Body of all believers, the Body of Christ, the Church of God.

This is the prayer that the Lord Jesus offered to His Father, the prayer which He has prayed for all of us His faithful ones, for the unity of our purpose and our existence as those who have followed Him and entrusted ourselves to Him, so that we will not be divided one against another anymore. As we heard from our first reading passage today, we can see what happens when people were not united in their purpose and action, as what happened in the bickering between the Pharisees and the Sadducees in the Sanhedrin. They ended up quarrelling and fighting each other, and being distracted and misguided in their ways and path, instead of doing what the Lord had entrusted to them and wanted them to do. As Christians, we should not end up doing the same against one another, against our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Instead, as Christians, unity should always be an important priority for us, and we should always strive for unity in our actions and purpose, remaining firmly united in the Lord, in remaining as a united body of believers, and not to stray from God and be divided against each other. In the past history of the Church, there had been quite a number of occasions when this unity had been threatened and harmed, and led to the divisions and bitter tears and break in the unity of the Body of Christ, the Church of God. And all these divisions bring about difficulties and obstacles in the many good things that the Church could have done together, in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel, and in doing what the Lord has commanded us to do. If only we have stayed united in the Lord, there could have been so many more great things we can do together instead of by ourselves, or worse still, us working against each other.

One of the main reason of this division is pride and stubbornness, our prideful attitude and stubbornness in refusing to listen to the Lord and to one another. It is when we stop to listen actively and properly to one another that we end up being divided against each other. As our Pope, Pope Leo XIV himself said that, ‘We have to know how to listen, not to judge, and not to shut doors as if we hold all the truth and no one else has anything else to offer.’ This attitude of thinking that we know it better than others and thinking that we are superior than another is what often led to bitter divisions in the Church, harming many souls and all those who have been caught in the division. Who ultimately benefits from all these? It is Satan, the evil one, the orchestrator of division.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Boniface, a great and holy man of God, a devoted bishop and martyr, who was known particularly for his great commitment to the works of mission, in evangelising to the pagans and to all those who have not yet known God. St. Boniface is also known as the Apostle to the Germans for his great contributions in the area of evangelisation and mission amongst the pagan German peoples at the time. St. Boniface was known for his missionary zeal and efforts in introducing Christ to the people in Germania, especially the northern parts where pagan worship was still commonplace. In one often known story, St. Boniface chopped down a sacred oak that was held sacred to Odin, the chief god of the Norse and Germanic paganism, and the people there expected that St. Boniface would be struck down from doing so. But when he remained unharmed, many were convinced and became Christians.

St. Boniface himself tirelessly went to do many works and efforts to build up the Church in the areas that he has visited, planting the firm foundation for the Church in those areas, and as bishop, he established the Church and its various institutions among the new communities that he had helped establish by his courageous missionary zeal and works. And in the midst of one of these many missionary works and journeys, St. Boniface and his entourage was beset by Frisian bandits, who attacked him and killed him, and hence, he died a martyr for the faith, thinking that the items that they had been holding and carrying were precious treasures and wealth. Instead, they were in fact the Scriptures and other holy books of the faith. To the very end, St. Boniface carried out his mission with faith, and many people were inspired by his dedication and example long after his martyrdom.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to do our best in our own lives, to strive for unity in the Church, by first maintaining unity among ourselves, among our fellow brothers and sisters. Let us always be ready to listen to one another and to understand each other, instead of being so ready to judge and point fingers to others, or to disagree without first trying to listen and empathise to another. Let us also continue to pray for one another and support each other in our journey together towards God. Let us continue to be united as one Church in our mission to proclaim the Lord, His Good News and truth to all the people of all the nations. Amen.

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Thursday, 5 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 17 : 20-26

At that time, Jesus prayed to God His Father, “I pray not only for these, but also for those who through their word will believe in Me. May they all be one, as You Father are in Me and I am in You. May they be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”

“I have given them the glory You have given Me, that they may be one as We are One : I in them and You in Me. Thus they shall reach perfection in unity; and the world shall know that You have sent Me, and that I have loved them, just as You loved Me.”

“Father, since You have given them to Me, I want them to be with Me where I am, and see the glory You gave Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world has not known You, but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent Me.”

“As I revealed Your Name to them, so will I continue to reveal it, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and also may be in them.”

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Thursday, 5 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 15 : 1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11

Keep me safe, o God, for in You I take refuge. I say to the Lord, “O Lord, my inheritance and my cup, my chosen portion – hold secure my lot.”

I bless the Lord Who counsels me; even at night my inmost self instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; for with Him at my right hand, I will never be shaken.

My heart, therefore, exults, my soul rejoices; my body too will rest assured. For You will not abandon my soul to the grave, nor will You suffer Your Holy One to see decay in the land of the dead.

You will show me the path of life, in Your presence the fullness of joy, at Your right hand happiness forever.

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Thursday, 5 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 22 : 30 and Acts 23 : 6-11

The next day the commander wanted to know for certain the charges the Jews were making against Paul. So he released him from prison and called together the High Priest and the whole Council; and they brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Paul knew that part of the Council were Sadducees and others Pharisees; so he spoke out in the Council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee. It is for the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial here.”

At these words, an argument broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the whole assembly was divided. For the Sadducees claim that there is neither resurrection, nor Angels nor spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all these things.

Then the shouting grew louder, and some teachers of the Law of the Pharisee party protested, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Maybe a spirit or an Angel has spoken to him.” With this the argument became so violent that the commander feared that Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He therefore ordered the soldiers to go down and rescue him from their midst and take him back to the fortress.

That night the Lord stood by Paul and said, “Courage! As you have borne witness to Me here in Jerusalem, so must you do in Rome.”

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Tuesday, 3 June 2025 : 7th Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga 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 Lord through the Sacred Scriptures we are reminded of the need for all of us to continue to have faith in God and to put our trust and faith in Him, dedicating our efforts and attention towards Him, even in our most difficult and darkest moments. We must always have hope in the Lord, believing that with His light, hope and encouragement, with His guidance and strength, all of us can overcome the many challenges, trials and difficulties that we have to face in our journey each and every day. We should not turn away from the Lord when things does not go according to our plans, but instead we should listen to the Lord speaking to us and guiding us in our path, so that we may find the best way that the Lord wants to guide us through in our lives.

In our first reading today, we heard of the time when St. Paul the Apostle went to Ephesus during one of his last missionary journeys, and at that time he was heading towards Jerusalem from his ministry throughout various cities and places across the Mediterranean. St. Paul was responding to the Lord’s call, as He sent him to the last mission of his life, to go and face the members of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem that sought to prosecute him for his beliefs and works in propagating Christ’s truth and Good News among the people of God. He could have chosen to remain far from Jerusalem and avoid prosecution and avoid facing his opponents, but he entrusted fully in God’s plan and providence, and listened to His words calling on him to follow Him wherever He would lead him to.

Therefore, fully knowing of what he would likely have to endure in that final part of his journey, all the persecutions, hardships and more that he might have to go through, St. Paul was making a farewell speech to the elders and the faithful people of God in Ephesus, telling them that the Lord has always been with him in all of his works and endeavours, and they should also continue to have faith in the Lord despite all the challenges, trials and difficulties that they may have to encounter in life because of their Christian faith. This is also therefore a reminder for all of us to keep our faith and trust in God despite the obstacles and hardships we may be facing, and to keep on that strong relationship and connection with God at all times.

Then from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the prayer which the Lord Jesus made to His heavenly Father, asking Him to watch over His beloved disciples and followers at the time when many of them would be tested for their faith in Him, and would be scattered by what would soon happen to all of them. At that time, this prayer was made by the Lord just shortly before the commencement of His Passion, that is the moment of His ultimate suffering and leading to His death on the Cross. As we all know, when that happened, the Lord suffered greatly, betrayed by one of His own closest disciples, one of the Twelve, and all the other disciples were scattered when that happened, fearing for their lives and all.

Therefore, the Lord Jesus prayed for His disciples and followers, praying that the Father would strengthen each and every one of them in the upcoming struggles and hardships that they would all face, not only during the time and moment of His Passion, His suffering and death, but in fact also referring to what they all would have to suffer and face in continuing to do their works in ministering to the faithful and to the others, in their works of evangelisation and in their various ministries among the world. Just as the Lord Himself has been hated and persecuted by the world, therefore, the disciples would also face similar persecutions, rejections and hardships in their various journeys, and they would need the strength and courage from God to be able to continue onwards, and hence the Lord was praying for them.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important that we should also do the same in our own respective lives, that is in how we pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in faith, so that they may all be strengthened and encouraged despite the challenges, difficulties and obstacles that we may have to face in the midst of living our lives faithfully in God. We should also continue to show and give our support to everyone around us who are in need of our help and support. We should show the love of God generously to our brethren through our own love for one another, and this is indeed what we have been reminded to do each day as Christians, as those whom the Lord Himself has called and chosen to be His own people.

Today the Church also marks the occasion of the Feast of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, who were martyred in what is today Uganda, also known as the Holy Martyrs of Uganda. St. Charles Lwanga was the chief of the royal pages of the Kingdom of Buganda, which today still exists as a major part of the country of Uganda. At that time most of the kingdom was still practicing pagan beliefs, and the king and his court were living in a state of great sin. But when the Christian missionaries came to Uganda and began proclaiming the Good News of Christ and the salvation in God, some among the people, including that of St. Charles Lwanga were touched by their message of hope and righteousness, and eventually chose to be baptised as Catholics.

However, the king of Buganda began to see the growing number of converts within his domain as a threat to his power and to the community, and hence, he began to carry out systematic persecutions against Christians in his kingdom. Many among the faithful, both the foreign missionaries and the local converts alike were persecuted and not few were martyred among the missionaries for their great zeal and commitment to God, and also among the local converts for refusing to recant and abandon their faith in God. St. Charles Lwanga protected some of those Christian converts using his position, and his examples touched many others who therefore also chose to accept the Lord as their Saviour as well. In the end, St. Charles Lwanga himself and several others were martyred by burning on a stake, at the site where now the great Basilica of the Holy Martyrs of Uganda in Namugongo is standing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through what we have heard and reflected from the passages of the Sacred Scriptures and from the life and examples of St. Charles Lwanga and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Uganda, let us all therefore do our very best to be faithful and committed disciples of the Lord at all times, in doing His will and in being courageous and strong in proclaiming our faith and belief in the Lord in every opportunities. Let us all not be easily distracted or discouraged by the many pressures, temptations and other obstacles around us, but instead we should continue to commit ourselves to the Lord, doing our very best at glorifying Him by our lives and actions, in everything that we say and do, at all times. May the Lord be with us always, and may He strengthen our resolve to live our lives well in accordance to His will, to proclaim His truth and Good News to all the nations. Amen.