Martyrs

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 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 listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to seek the true treasures of our lives, that we cannot find in the world, but in the Lord alone. Through our Scripture passages today, we are reminded that each one of us are called to be righteous and just, and to be good disciples and followers of our Lord, in all the things we say and do in life. We should learn from the past examples highlighted in the Scriptures that we may learn more about how not to live our lives in a sinful manner. If we allow ourselves to be swayed by the temptations and pressured present all around us, then it is likely that we will falter and fall into the path of wickedness like how Queen Athaliah had done as described by our Scriptures today.

In our first reading today, taken from the Second Book of Kings, we heard of the story of the usurpation of queen Athaliah of Judah, the daughter of king Ahab of Israel and queen Jezebel, who seized power unlawfully from the House of David, after her son, king Ahaziah of Judah was killed by the actions of Jehu, the one that God had appointed to be king over Israel. The death of Ahaziah prompted Athaliah to attempt seizing power for herself, and she initiated a great purge and elimination of all the heirs of Ahaziah and his relatives, so that she could secure herself in her position of power as the reigning queen of Judah. She thought that by her machinations and efforts, she had managed to gain the dominion over her kingdom, but she was mistaken.

This is because God had intervened and helped the House of David from extermination as He Himself had promised to David that his house would endure and would sit on the throne of Israel forever. He rescued the son of Ahaziah, Joash, who was then hidden with the help of Ahaziah’s sister, from the sight and knowledge of queen Athaliah. Athaliah was likely driven by greed and desire for power, which became her undoing as she committed great sins of murder and others in order to secure for herself the rulership and dominion over the kingdom of Judah. She would do everything in order to secure the rulership and glory for herself, and was not hesitant to destroy everyone and everything that were in her path.

That was what eventually led to her downfall, as Athaliah ruled Judah illegally and unlawfully, and continuing to promote the pagan worship of Baal and other idols. The time of reckoning and retribution finally came upon Athaliah when the forces loyal to the House of David, including the High Priest, Jehoiada, launched a counter-coup to restore Joash, the descendant and heir of David to his rightful throne. Athaliah was deposed and later on was executed, a justified end to her unlawful rule and the consequence of her crimes. This reminds us that there is nothing that can escape God’s attention and that God will always be just and caring towards His people, especially to those who have always kept their faith and trust in Him.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the Lord Jesus speaking to His disciples with regards to finding the treasures that are not of this world. He told them all not to seek the treasures of this world, but to seek rather the true treasures that can be found in the Lord alone. The Lord told His disciples not to seek and store up treasures of this world that can be destroyed by earthly means, and do not last. Instead, the true heavenly treasures that He wanted them all to seek, last for an eternity, and one that will not be lost from them, for those treasures will always be theirs, by God’s assurance. We are reminded that it is much better indeed to put our efforts and trust to seek for the true joy and glory that can be found in the Lord alone, things that will not be found elsewhere or in this world.

This is related to what we heard in our first reading today. The example of what happened to Athaliah, her usurpation, reign and ultimate end are reminders for us not to be swayed and blinded by the pursuits for worldly glory and power. It was her greed and desire for power and glory that led her to her ultimate undoing, and those had also led her to committing sins and wicked deeds, in murdering the innocent children of the House of David. Her desire for power blinded her to reason and made her to be paranoid and afraid of losing her influence and hold onto the matters of the world, which led her to the heinous acts. This is something that we ourselves may end of committing if we continue to walk down this path of wickedness and worldly ambitions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is also a reminder for each one of us that we have to be vigilant against the temptations of our desires, of the many vices and other things that can lead us away from the Lord and His path. These temptations are plenty all around us, and if we are not careful, we may end up being dragged in ever deeper and deeper into the path of darkness and sin, like what Athaliah and many others of our predecessors had experienced. The Lord had reminded us of all these, so that by these reminders we may be more vigilant and have the opportunity to turn away from the often steep and slippery path of sin and darkness. The Lord wants us all to live according to what He had taught us to do, and not in following the whims of our desires and wants.

Today, as we reflect on these words and reminders from the Sacred Scriptures, the Church also marks the commemoration of the memories and the lives of those holy predecessors of ours, who have suffered greatly and perished during an episode of intense persecution of Christians in what is today Vietnam. Today is the Feast of St. Philip Minh and his companions, who have endured intense oppression for being Christians, in their dedication and commitment to God as Christians. The state and the governmental apparatus back then viewed all Christians and their faith, as well as the missionaries who came to Vietnam to preach the Good News of God with great suspicion and fear, considering them as agents of foreign powers and as threat to their existence and sovereignty. Therefore, in consideration of all these, that was why St. Philip Minh and others faced those bitter experiences and hardships. Yet, they all faced those sufferings and hardships with faith and courage, not giving in to those who seek to destroy them or force them to abandon their faith in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the examples of St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, that we may also aspire and strive to do what we can so that our lives and actions are true reflection of our Christian faith, so that we ourselves may inspire many others around us by our good examples and way of life. May the Lord, our most loving God and Master continue to help and guide us all in our journey throughout our lives, and may He empower all of us to continue living our lives with dedication and commitment, and doing our very best to be the true and shining beacons of His light and truth, His Good News and love, now and always, forevermore. May God bless us in our every good works and endeavours, in all things. Amen.

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 6 : 19-23

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples and to the people, “Do not store up treasures for yourself here, on earth, where moth and rust destroy it; and where thieves can steal it. Store up treasures for yourself with God, where no moth or rust can destroy it, nor thief come and steal it.

For where your treasures are, there, also, will your heart be. The lamp of the body is the eye; if your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light. If your eyes are diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 131 : 11, 12, 13-14, 17-18

YHVH swore to David a promise, and He will remain true to it : “I will keep your descendants on your throne.”

“If your sons keep My Covenant and the decrees I have taught them; their sons, too, will sit forever upon your throne.”

For YHVH has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling : “This is My resting place forever; this I prefer; here, will I dwell.”

From here, a Saviour shall come forth, a Son of David; here, shall shine forever, the lamp of My Anointed. In shame will I clothe His enemies, but upon His head a crown shall shine.

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Friday, 19 June 2026 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Kings 11 : 1-4, 9-18, 20

When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son had died, she was determined to wipe out all the descendants of the king. But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, her nephew, and brought him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed, and put him with his wet nurse in the bedroom.

Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that the boy was saved. And Joash remained hidden in the house of YHVH for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land. In the seventh year, Jehoiada the chief priest, summoned the officers of the royal guard and of the Carites to the house of YHVH. After concluding a pact with them under oath, he showed them the king’s son.

The commanders of the guards did what Jehoiada the priest had told them to do; and they showed up with all their men, those who were to go off duty on the Sabbath as well as those who were to come on duty on that day. Jehoiada entrusted to the officers the spears and shields of king David which were in the house of YHVH. And then the guards stood from the southern corner of the house to the north, surrounding the altar and the house of YHVH.

Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the king’s son, crowned him and put the bracelets on him, then proclaimed and consecrated him king. All clapped their hands, shouting and crying out, “Long live the king!” When Athaliah heard the noise of the people, she approached the crowd surrounding the house of YHVH.

The king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the officers and the trumpeters were with him. The people were filled with joy and they were blowing trumpets. On seeing this, Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason, treason!”

Jehoiada the priest commanded the officers, “Surround her and bring her out to the courtyard, and kill anyone who tries to defend her.” He gave this order, because he thought, “She should not die in the house of YHVH.” They brought her out, and when they reached the palace of the king, by the horses’ entrance, there, they killed her.

Jehoiada made a Covenant between YHVH and the king and the people so they would be the people of YHVH. All the citizens went to the temple of Baal and destroyed it. They broke the altars and the images into pieces, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before his altar. Then Jehoiada, the priest, posted guards over the house of YHVH.

All the citizens were happy and the city was at peace. Now regarding Athaliah, she had died by the sword in the king’s palace.

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Friday, 5 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Scripture readings which we have heard. We are reminded that the Scriptures are the representation of the Word of God, and while not directly written by God Himself, they were written by the ones whom God had inspired through His Wisdom and the Holy Spirit in order to reveal the truth to the world, the truth which He has wanted to present to all of His beloved people. And through the Scriptures, we are led and guided through the right path and journey so that despite all the distractions, temptations and all the things that have threatened to keep us away from the Lord, we may still end up enduring and persevering through the difficult journey of faith and life with God as our strong anchor.

In our first reading today, we are reminded from the continuation of the Epistle that St. Paul the Apostle wrote to his protege, St. Timothy, one of the earliest leaders and bishops of the Church, where he reminded the latter of the great power of the Scriptures, the Word of God and what the Word of God can do in guiding and helping the faithful people of God to steer their path well in life, to help them to remain steady amidst all the darkness of this world, and so that they will be able to help others to remain faithful and steady in their own journey, by having the Word of God, as it is revealed through the Scriptures to guide them and keep them focused on the path of truth and righteousness of God. That is why it is important for us to have regular access and contact with the Scriptures, and keeping them around in our daily lives.

However, we also should take note that it is easy for us to be distracted and even misunderstand the true meaning of the Scriptures especially if we only try to understand them superficially and literally. There are so many people who have misinterpreted the Scriptures and even misused them for their own selfish gains and benefits, because they chose to follow those words without properly understanding and appreciating the context, the nuances and the historical background of every single moments those Scriptural accounts were written. This is why we are reminded that in order to fully understand and use the Scriptures, we have to first understand of why and how it was written, the context, the intended audience and all the nuances behind every Scripture passages, or else, it may easily lead us to misinterpret and misquote the Scriptures.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist where the Lord Jesus spoke to the teachers of the Law who questioned Him and wondered at His teachings and identity, of how His coming into this world as the promised Saviour or Messiah had been foretold by the prophets and especially so as highlighted in today’s passage, by the much respected King David of Israel, the wonderful and faithful King of Israel, whose faith in God was truly exemplary and whose reign ushered a golden age for Israel and the people of God at that time. The Lord Jesus spoke of how David had received some foresight and knowledge from the Lord of the coming salvation and fulfilment of God’s promise.

And He also pointed out the peculiarity of what David himself had spoken, in saying that the One Who was to come into this world, the prophesied Son of David, to be born into his own family and lineage, was one and the same as the Lord his God, the One Whom He glorified and worshipped, and he called this Saviour, his own descendant, ‘Lord’. This revelation showed that Jesus, as the One Whom God had promised to send into our midst as the Saviour of all, born into the House of David and fulfilment of all the prophecies of the prophets, was not merely just a Man or a mere Prophet, but is also none other than God Himself incarnate in the flesh, the Son and Word of God Incarnate, taking up our human existence and nature to make God’s Love tangible and approachable to us, so that through Him, all may be saved.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Boniface, a great bishop and martyr who had dedicated his life and all of his works for the greater glory of God. He was an English Benedictine monk who was especially remembered for his efforts in evangelising amongst the Germanic people in the northern parts of what is Germany today, proclaiming the Good News and salvation of God to many of the people there who still believed in pagan and false gods and beliefs. He was born in England to a rather prominent family and then against the wishes of his father, learnt theology and eventually became a monk and priest. St. Boniface was then appointed as a missionary to the region in northern part of Germany and what is today Netherlands known as Frisia. In his mission to Frisia, the Pope appointed him as a missionary bishop to establish the Church in that region and to convert the people there to the true faith.

In a story still well-remembered to this day, St. Boniface once persuaded many among the pagans as he chopped a great oak tree held sacred by the German pagans, who revered the tree and the spirits. Miraculously a great wind blew upon the oak tree and the whole tree fell down to the ground. Having witnessed the miracle and the fact how St. Boniface was not struck down by their gods and deities for such a supposedly sacrilegious act, many among the pagans believed in God and gave themselves to be baptised by St. Boniface and other missionaries. He went on to establish many churches and institutions in his mission areas, and continued to labour for the good of the Lord and His Church until eventually he was martyred when he and his entourage was beset by a group of Frisian bandits during his last missionary trip to the region.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore remember what we have just discussed and pondered about earlier on. Let us remember to put ourselves firmly in the path of the Lord by keeping ourselves immersed in the Scriptures by our regular appreciation and use of its words, but at the same time also understanding its context, meaning and purpose so that we may truly understand God’s will and intentions for each and every one of us instead of having blind obedience and shallow faith. We are reminded that through the Scriptures and the Wisdom that God has given us all through His Church and the Holy Spirit, we will be strengthened and encouraged, just as He had once inspired St. Boniface in all of the efforts that he had shown in devoting his life to the conversion of souls and the salvation of many.

We are reminded that although persecutions, hardships and challenges may be part of our journey and lives as Christians, but we are never alone in these struggles and trials, because God Himself is always by our side, providing for us and strengthening us all throughout our journey. We must never forget that He is always with us and that we are never alone, no matter what. We should indeed thank Him and appreciate everything that the Lord Himself had done for our sake, as He has always supported us through whatever challenges that we may face, so that even if we have to endure difficulties and hardships for a while, but in the end, we know and we can be sure that we will ultimately be triumphant with God in the end.

May the Lord continue to provide for us and strengthen us all in our resolve to live our lives ever more faithfully in His Presence. May He continue to bless our every efforts and good works, so that we may continue to proclaim His truth and Good News, as well as manifesting His love through each and every one of our own actions and efforts in this world. May He help us to understand fully and correctly His intentions for us through careful and guided understanding of the Scriptures, the Word of God manifested in this world. May God be with us always, His Church and His beloved ones, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 5 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 12 : 35-37

At that time, as Jesus was teaching in the Temple, He said, “The teachers of the Law say that the Messiah is the Son of David. How can that be? For David himself, inspired by the Holy Spirit, declared : The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet!'”

“If David himself calls Him Lord, in what way can He be his Son?” Many people came to Jesus, and listened to Him gladly.

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Friday, 5 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 118 : 157, 160, 161, 165, 166, 168

Many foes persecute me, but I have not turned away from Your Law.

The essence of Your word is truth, everlasting are Your just ordinances.

Rulers persecute me for no cause; yet, my heart stands in awe of Your words.

Lovers of Your Law have found great peace; nothing can make them stumble, not even distress.

O YHVH, I wait for Your salvation, and I keep Your commands in faith.

I obey Your precepts and Your decrees; my ways are always before You.

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Friday, 5 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Timothy 3 : 10-17

You, instead, have closely followed my teaching, my way of life, my projects, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions and sufferings. You know what happened to me at Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. How many trials I had to bear! Yet, the Lord rescued me from them all. All who want to serve God, in Christ Jesus, will be persecuted; while evil persons and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

As for you, continue with what you have learnt, and what has been entrusted to you, knowing from whom you received it. Besides, you have known the Scriptures from childhood; they will give you the wisdom that leads to salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God, and is useful for teaching, refuting error, for correcting and training in Christian life. Through Scripture, the man of God is made expert and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

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Wednesday, 3 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures in our passages today, we are all reminded that we should always be courageous and strong in persisting in faith, in doing our best to live our lives in accordance with God’s Law and commandments, in being good role models and examples to everyone around us, so that we may indeed inspire others and be the good examples to help everyone to know what they all need to do in order to be truly faithful and dedicated to God at all times. We are reminded that God is also always by our side, and that we should continue to live our lives in testifying the truth about the Good News and the salvation which He has brought into our midst, in all of our actions each day and at every moments.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard of the words of the Apostle reminding his protege, St. Timothy of the gift of the Holy Spirit and the various other gifts that the Lord has granted to all of them, the spirit of strength, love and good judgment, all of which had been given to them so that they all might go forth and courageously proclaim the truth and Good News of God in all circumstances, even through all the challenging moments and occasions. He encouraged his protege and indirectly many other missionaries of the Lord and messengers of the Good News to remain strong and steady in their commitment to be the bearers of God’s light and truth in a world filled with darkness and sin, so that by their works and ministry, they may bring about God’s salvation to many more people.

St. Paul exhorted St. Timothy to pass on the flame which had been given to him, a reference of the Holy Spirit, reminding him and the other missionaries of the Lord, the bishops, priests, deacons and the ministers of the Gospel to continue to go forth spreading the gifts of the Holy Spirit through the whole world by calling many more people to come to the Lord and to be baptised in the Name of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit just as He has commanded all of them to do. And in order to fulfil all these, it was often necessary that those who walk in the path of the Lord had to suffer and endure difficulties, challenges and trials. But St. Paul reminded them all of the power of God’s providence and guidance, and how through His works made evident by their hands, they would indeed do great and wonderful things beyond imagination.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard of the confrontation between the Lord Jesus and the Sadducees who opposed Him, all those who were doubtful and refusing to believe in the teachings and doctrine of the resurrection from the dead. For the context, the Sadducees were historically the ones who held the reins of power and many of them were belonging to the priestly caste and they were the ones from which the chief priests were chosen from. We may find it quite strange and contradictory that the priests and chief priests were the ones who were most militant in their opposition and refusal to believe in the teachings and beliefs like the resurrection from the dead and the afterlife, or in any other spiritual matter. But this can be better understood from the context of how they were steeply involved in worldly matters and livelihood, in the governance of the people and the Temple.

As such, many among them likely developed strong attachments to the world and to all the privileges that they have enjoyed in life. Therefore, this is why many if not most of them believed that this life in this world was the only one that they would have and which they ought to enjoy, rejecting any notion of the afterlife or another existence which to them is a separation from all the joy, pleasures and the good things which they had been enjoying in life. That was why the Lord showed them all when those Sadducees asked using the example of a woman who had married seven brothers as her husbands, of whose man that she would belong to as wife, that the eternal life that is to come is not like that of this world, and is truly beyond all of those worldly ambitions, desires and pursuits. It is an important reminder for all of us not to seek for things of this world that do not last, but instead we must focus on the Lord and His promise of everlasting life.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Charles Lwanga and his holy companions in martyrdom, collectively known as the Holy Ugandan Martyrs. They all dedicated themselves to the Lord, missionaries, local priests and faithful laymen and laywomen alike, who were persecuted for their faith in God, and remained firmly resolute and committed in their faith in God to the very end, despite the temptations, coercions and threats that they were facing. Back then, St. Charles Lwanga himself was the chief page and an important servant of the King of the Kingdom of Buganda in what is today Uganda. He encountered the Christian faith through the missionaries who proclaimed the Lord and His Good News among the people there in that region. Back then, the King was a great pedophile who preyed on the young pages of the kingdom, and the opposition from Christian missionaries against such practices caused the king to conduct massacres against them.

St. Charles Lwanga himself was convinced of the truth that the Lord had delivered through the Catholic missionaries, the White Fathers who were there, and St. Charles Lwanga along with many others among Buganda’s court members and servants were also baptised together as Christians. St. Charles Lwanga also protected the pages, the young boys under his care from the king’s perverted and wicked actions. It was then that the king and those among his courtiers that had become Christians came to a point of contention, as the former condemned some of them to death, which led to St. Charles Lwanga and the other servants to stand up for their faith publicly, and they were therefore led to be martyred by being burnt alive. At the site where he and others were martyred now stands the great Basilica of the Holy Ugandan Martyrs at Namugongo, where the relics of those faithful martyrs are enshrined. Their fidelity and commitment to God served as great examples and inspirations to all of us Christians in how we ourselves should live up to our Christian calling and mission in our lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore reflect on these words of the Scriptures that we have heard and received, and also on the lives of our holy predecessors, particularly those of the Holy Martyrs of Uganda, in their most courageous defence of their faith and commitment to the Lord’s truth and righteousness. Are we willing and able to commit ourselves in the same way as well, brethren? Are we willing and able to carry our own crosses in life, in following the Lord ever more faithfully in each and every passing moments? Let us all discern our path forward well and carefully so that we may continue to inspire many others to walk in God’s Presence and to be steadfast in our obedience and commitment to Him.

May the Lord our most loving God and Father continue to guide and strengthen us all in our respective journeys in life. May He empower each and every one of us in living our lives virtuously, in proclaiming His truth and Good News at all times, doing our very best to glorify Him by our lives. May He lead us all into the everlasting life of true happiness and joy that He has promised and reassured all of us with, and strengthen us ever always in our faith. Amen.

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Wednesday, 3 June 2026 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 12 : 18-27

At that time, the Sadducees also came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned Him in this way, “Master, in the Scriptures Moses gave us this law : if anyone dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must take the woman, and with her have a baby, who will be considered the child of his deceased brother.”

“Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. The second took the wife, and he also died leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third. In fact, all seven brothers died, leaving no children. Last of all the women died. Now, in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For all seven brothers had her as wife.”

Jesus replied, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry, but are like the Angels in heaven. Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never had thoughts about the burning bush in the book of Moses?”

“God said to Moses : I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is the God not of the dead but of the living. You are totally wrong.”