Martyrs

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Friday, 26 December 2025 : Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we come to this day after the Christmas Day, we celebrate together as the Church the Feast of St. Stephen, the Protomartyr or the very first Martyr of the Church. This means that St. Stephen the first one to die for his faith in God, in giving his life for the sake of the glory of God and in the midst of his mission. We may wonder why just immediately right after the most joyful celebration of Christmas Day we suddenly enter into this sombre occasion of the memory of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, but in truth, this celebration of St. Stephen and his martyrdom is an important reminder for all of us what Christmas is truly all about. St. Stephen reminds us all that Christmas is about celebrating the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who brought into our midst the truth about the love of God for each one of us, and which truth is the reason why St. Stephen died courageously in defending that truth and Good News from those who tried to silence him and the Church.

Contextually, back then, when St. Stephen began his ministry as one of the first seven Deacons appointed to minister to the Church and to the people of God, it was still not long after the suffering, crucifixion and the death of the Lord Jesus on the Cross, as well as His Resurrection from the dead on the third day after the Crucifixion. The Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council which members were mostly opposed to the Lord and His teachings, tried to hide the truth by spreading lies and falsehoods, bribing the Roman soldiers sent to guard the tomb to speak up with the false words that the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord had come to steal His Body from the tomb while the soldiers were sleeping. They tried to hide the truth of the Lord’s words, how everything happened just as He had predicted it, and hence, showing that what they had done in trying to persecute the Lord and His ministry, had been flawed and mistaken in the first place.

Yet, the High Priest and the other chief priests, many of the most influential members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees both continued to maintain their lies and attempted to silence the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord, persecuting the Church and arresting all those who professed to believe in the Lord and His Good News. The Sanhedrin commanded them all to stay silent and not to speak or teach anymore in the Name of the Lord, but they could not silence the courageous and most faithful servants of God. Those servants, including that of St. Stephen, the Apostles and the many disciples and followers of the Lord chose to continue to proclaim the Lord and His truth, the words of wisdom and the salvation that He has promised to all of us, even when they face a certainty of oppression, suffering and even death at the hands of their enemies.

That was how St. Stephen ended up facing his martyrdom, just as we heard in our first reading passage today. St. Stephen had been most vocal and active in his ministry among the people, distributing the goods to the faithful. That made him marked and targeted by his enemies who then plotted against him and tried to destroy him, just as we heard. They made false statements and accusations, but all of those could not hold against the wisdom of God found in St. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit and the gifts that the Spirit bestowed on him. That was also the moment when St. Stephen courageously defended his faith before the whole assembly of the Sanhedrin and their supporters, sharing the wisdom and truth of God to dispel the falsehoods and lies they had spread.

That was exactly how the Lord Himself had predicted would happen to His disciples as we heard in our Gospel passage today, and how He told them all that they had no need to be afraid because God and His Holy Spirit would always be with them, and the Wisdom of God would guide and strengthen them against their enemies and all those who plotted against them. St. Stephen showed great courage despite facing certainty of suffering and death, and did what he could to defend his faith and the truth of God, proclaiming the words of truth before everyone and still hoping that they would finally listen to reason and turn away from their wicked ways. Although many of those people continued to harden their hearts and minds, and stoned St. Stephen to death, the servant of God died in peace knowing that he had done what he could for the Lord and His people.

The death of St. Stephen, his suffering and everything that he had to endure for the sake of the Lord all are reminders for us that this Christmas we are all called to be the witnesses of the Lord and proclaim His truth in our own communities, as those who have seen and received the fullness of truth just as St. Stephen had, through the gift and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and through the teachings of the Church. Christmas is not just a time of great rejoicing and celebrations, but also a time for us to remember that Christ is the Love of God personified and manifested in the flesh, Who has come down into our midst to dwell among us and to gather us all into His presence and embrace once again. It is this same truth which St. Stephen had suffered and died from, defending it from all those who rejected the Lord as their Saviour.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all consider carefully as we progress through this Christmas season that we do not end up forgetting the real reason why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Christmas is celebrated because we truly honour the Lord Who has come into our midst, reaching out to us sinners, as we see the love which He has for all of us, manifested in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, born that day in Bethlehem in Judea, fulfilling all the promises which God has made to us. And it is imperative that we stand by Him and His truth, and make Him the centre of our celebrations so that not only we rejoice in His coming, but more and more people may come to see the truth and love of God and therefore come to believe in Him as well. That is what St. Stephen had done, in reminding everyone, including all of us, of the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is truly about a celebration of the love of God which has allowed us all to have hope today, because without God and His love, there can be no hope for us, and we would have been doomed to eternal damnation because of our disobedience and multitudes of sins. It was by the suffering, death and ultimately, the Resurrection of the Lord, our Saviour that we have received healing and rejuvenation, hope and new strength, which He has provided us through His coming into this world, His actions and providence by His ministry in the world, as He came offering us this new hope and the light that He delivers unto us all, and by which we have seen the Light of His salvation. And because God has loved us so much that He was even willing to suffer and die for our sake, should we not then love Him in the same way as well?

Christ’s love is what encouraged and strengthened St. Stephen, that guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, he chose to stand by his faith in God. Let us all therefore be inspired in the same way by the love of Our Lord and Saviour, which He has shown us from His Cross, and also by the courage of St. Stephen, holy martyr and most devout servant of God. May the Lord bless us all and may He grant us His strength to persevere against all the challenges and trials we may have to face in life, because of His love and truth. Amen.

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Friday, 26 December 2025 : Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we come to this day after the Christmas Day, we celebrate together as the Church the Feast of St. Stephen, the Protomartyr or the very first Martyr of the Church. This means that St. Stephen the first one to die for his faith in God, in giving his life for the sake of the glory of God and in the midst of his mission. We may wonder why just immediately right after the most joyful celebration of Christmas Day we suddenly enter into this sombre occasion of the memory of the martyrdom of St. Stephen, but in truth, this celebration of St. Stephen and his martyrdom is an important reminder for all of us what Christmas is truly all about. St. Stephen reminds us all that Christmas is about celebrating the coming of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who brought into our midst the truth about the love of God for each one of us, and which truth is the reason why St. Stephen died courageously in defending that truth and Good News from those who tried to silence him and the Church.

Contextually, back then, when St. Stephen began his ministry as one of the first seven Deacons appointed to minister to the Church and to the people of God, it was still not long after the suffering, crucifixion and the death of the Lord Jesus on the Cross, as well as His Resurrection from the dead on the third day after the Crucifixion. The Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council which members were mostly opposed to the Lord and His teachings, tried to hide the truth by spreading lies and falsehoods, bribing the Roman soldiers sent to guard the tomb to speak up with the false words that the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord had come to steal His Body from the tomb while the soldiers were sleeping. They tried to hide the truth of the Lord’s words, how everything happened just as He had predicted it, and hence, showing that what they had done in trying to persecute the Lord and His ministry, had been flawed and mistaken in the first place.

Yet, the High Priest and the other chief priests, many of the most influential members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees both continued to maintain their lies and attempted to silence the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord, persecuting the Church and arresting all those who professed to believe in the Lord and His Good News. The Sanhedrin commanded them all to stay silent and not to speak or teach anymore in the Name of the Lord, but they could not silence the courageous and most faithful servants of God. Those servants, including that of St. Stephen, the Apostles and the many disciples and followers of the Lord chose to continue to proclaim the Lord and His truth, the words of wisdom and the salvation that He has promised to all of us, even when they face a certainty of oppression, suffering and even death at the hands of their enemies.

That was how St. Stephen ended up facing his martyrdom, just as we heard in our first reading passage today. St. Stephen had been most vocal and active in his ministry among the people, distributing the goods to the faithful. That made him marked and targeted by his enemies who then plotted against him and tried to destroy him, just as we heard. They made false statements and accusations, but all of those could not hold against the wisdom of God found in St. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit and the gifts that the Spirit bestowed on him. That was also the moment when St. Stephen courageously defended his faith before the whole assembly of the Sanhedrin and their supporters, sharing the wisdom and truth of God to dispel the falsehoods and lies they had spread.

That was exactly how the Lord Himself had predicted would happen to His disciples as we heard in our Gospel passage today, and how He told them all that they had no need to be afraid because God and His Holy Spirit would always be with them, and the Wisdom of God would guide and strengthen them against their enemies and all those who plotted against them. St. Stephen showed great courage despite facing certainty of suffering and death, and did what he could to defend his faith and the truth of God, proclaiming the words of truth before everyone and still hoping that they would finally listen to reason and turn away from their wicked ways. Although many of those people continued to harden their hearts and minds, and stoned St. Stephen to death, the servant of God died in peace knowing that he had done what he could for the Lord and His people.

The death of St. Stephen, his suffering and everything that he had to endure for the sake of the Lord all are reminders for us that this Christmas we are all called to be the witnesses of the Lord and proclaim His truth in our own communities, as those who have seen and received the fullness of truth just as St. Stephen had, through the gift and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, and through the teachings of the Church. Christmas is not just a time of great rejoicing and celebrations, but also a time for us to remember that Christ is the Love of God personified and manifested in the flesh, Who has come down into our midst to dwell among us and to gather us all into His presence and embrace once again. It is this same truth which St. Stephen had suffered and died from, defending it from all those who rejected the Lord as their Saviour.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all consider carefully as we progress through this Christmas season that we do not end up forgetting the real reason why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. Christmas is celebrated because we truly honour the Lord Who has come into our midst, reaching out to us sinners, as we see the love which He has for all of us, manifested in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, born that day in Bethlehem in Judea, fulfilling all the promises which God has made to us. And it is imperative that we stand by Him and His truth, and make Him the centre of our celebrations so that not only we rejoice in His coming, but more and more people may come to see the truth and love of God and therefore come to believe in Him as well. That is what St. Stephen had done, in reminding everyone, including all of us, of the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas is truly about a celebration of the love of God which has allowed us all to have hope today, because without God and His love, there can be no hope for us, and we would have been doomed to eternal damnation because of our disobedience and multitudes of sins. It was by the suffering, death and ultimately, the Resurrection of the Lord, our Saviour that we have received healing and rejuvenation, hope and new strength, which He has provided us through His coming into this world, His actions and providence by His ministry in the world, as He came offering us this new hope and the light that He delivers unto us all, and by which we have seen the Light of His salvation. And because God has loved us so much that He was even willing to suffer and die for our sake, should we not then love Him in the same way as well?

Christ’s love is what encouraged and strengthened St. Stephen, that guided by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, he chose to stand by his faith in God. Let us all therefore be inspired in the same way by the love of Our Lord and Saviour, which He has shown us from His Cross, and also by the courage of St. Stephen, holy martyr and most devout servant of God. May the Lord bless us all and may He grant us His strength to persevere against all the challenges and trials we may have to face in life, because of His love and truth. Amen.

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Friday, 26 December 2025 : Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 10 : 17-22

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Be on your guard with people, for they will hand you over to their courts, and they will flog you in their synagogues. You will be brought to trial before rulers and kings because of Me, so you may witness to them and the pagans.”

“But when you are arrested, do not worry about what you are to say, or how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it is not you who will speak, but the Spirit of your Father in you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn again parents and have them put to death.”

“Everyone will hate you because of Me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.”

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Friday, 26 December 2025 : Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 30 : 3cd-4, 6 and 8ab, 16bc and 17

Be a Rock of refuge for me, a Fortress for my safety. For You are my Rock and my Stronghold, lead me for Your Name’s sake.

Into Your hands I commend my spirit; You have redeemed me, o Lord, faithful God. I will rejoice and be glad in Your love, for You have seen my affliction.

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, from those after my skin. Make Your face shine upon Your servant; save me in Your love.

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Friday, 26 December 2025 : Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 6 : 8-10 and Acts 7 : 54-59

Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. Some persons then came forward, who belonged to the so-called Synagogue of Freedmen from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia and Asia. They argued with Stephen but they could not match the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.

When the Council heard the reproach Stephen made against them, they were enraged and they gnashed their teeth against him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand, so he declared : “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.”

But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands and rushed together upon him. They brought him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying : “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

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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.