Saints

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Monday, 16 October 2023 : 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Hedwig, Religious, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Religious and Holy Virgins)

Romans 1 : 1-7

From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, an Apostle, called and set apart for God’s Good News, the very promises He foretold through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures, regarding His Son, Who was born in the flesh a descendant of David, and has been recognised as the Son of God, endowed with Power, upon rising from the dead, through the Holy Spirit.

Through Him, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and for the sake of His Name, we received grace, and mission in all the nations, for them to accept the faith. All of you, the elected of Christ, are part of them, you, the beloved God in Rome, called to be holy : May God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, give you grace and peace.

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Saturday, 14 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that as God’s faithful people, His followers and disciples, each and every one of us are part of His flock and kingdom, His family and inheritance. Each and every one of us should always heed His words, listen to Him speaking in our hearts and minds, and allow Him to lead and guide us in our path and journey throughout life. We must trust in the Lord and we must do what He has commanded and taught us to do, so that in all of our actions, words and deeds, we will always be full of love for God, righteous and virtuous in our works and way of life, and we may indeed be the shining beacons of God’s light and truth, His Good News at all times, being good inspirations to one another.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Joel, we are reminded of God’s love and grace, His providence and kindness to His beloved people, that despite of their many sins and wickedness, which had brought them down and made them to suffer condemnation and humiliations, but God did not wish for them to remain in that despicable state caused by their own folly and disobedience. The Lord has always patiently reached out to them, gave them His help and assistance, and sent His prophets and messengers to lead and guide them down the right path. He has always pointed them all to the right path, and has called on all of them to follow this same path. Those who are willing to listen to His words and obey His commandments will be vindicated, found worthy and will receive the inheritance promised to them, to live with God in glory and true joy in the end.

The Lord promised all of His people that they would no longer be despondent or afflicted, and that they would once again enjoy the favour of His love and compassion, as He has always intended them to be. God has always loved all of the ones that are precious to Him, and He does not want any of them to fall into their fallen state due to their unwillingness to obey His Law and commandments, and by their abandonment of His tenets and precepts, in favour of following and worshipping pagan idols and false gods, that had brought about ruin upon themselves, and which they had ben chastised for. God reminded all of His beloved ones that in the end, His love for them will triumph, and if they side with Him, then they all shall share in His most wonderful love.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the very simple reminder from the Lord, as He responded to one of those who told Him that His mother and relatives are truly blessed, and especially so, His mother who has given birth and raised Him. To this statement, the Lord responded by saying that all those who listen to the Lord and follow Him, obeying His will and commandments, doing what they are all supposed to do in their lives, all are bound to be blessed, and will be the benefactors of everything which God has promised His faithful ones. He was not saying this out of disrespect of His mother, but in fact, the Lord was pointing at the perfect example of Mary herself, who as the most faithful and committed servant of God, together with the other saints of God, are great role models for us to follow.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of one of the holy saints, whose faith and devotion to God, and whose commitment and actions should inspire us all in our own lives, in how we ourselves can become good and committed disciples of the Lord, in all of our actions and works. Pope St. Callistus I was the Pope and leader of the Universal Church, as the Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Christ, successor of St. Peter the Apostle, during a difficult time in the Church’s history, as at that time, persecutions were rampant against the Church and Christians throughout the Roman Empire. Oppression and sufferings were often part of life for many of the Lord’s faithful people, who had to endure those sufferings simply because of their faith in God.

Amidst all of these, Pope St. Callistus I, who was a deacon and assistant to the Pope St. Zephyrinus, in managing the catacombs of the city of Rome, serving the needs of the people of God in the Diocese of Rome, and then eventually becoming the successor of the same Pope St. Zephyrinus, he had involved himself with many of the works and the service for the sake of God’s people, caring for both of their physical and spiritual needs. The Lord has called Pope St. Callistus I to be His Vicar, and he carried out his duties most diligently, in embracing all of the people of God, including those who have lapsed from the faith and fallen into sin. At that time, this matter of welcoming and allowing lapsed Christians who have given in to the pressure to worship pagan gods and idols, either by choice or not, had caused great divisions and disagreements in the Church.

This division and disagreement had led to one of the first schisms in the Church, as St. Hippolytus, a popular priest and preacher who disagreed with the practice of readmitting lapsed Christians without proper penance and consequences, was elected as a rival Pope to Pope St. Callistus I, becoming the first antipope. Pope St. Callistus I was determined to bridge the differences and worked hard to lead the people of God amidst the turbulent times, beset from all directions, both from outside and within, in the many persecutions and challenges that the faithful people of God were facing daily, and in the disagreements that turned fellow Christians against each other. Pope St. Callistus I patiently led the Church throughout all of that, and remained firm in his faith and conviction in dedicating himself and the Church to God. In the end, he was martyred for his faith, during one of those persecutions, but his efforts helped the Church to remain strong throughout the challenging years.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore follow in the good examples and in the inspiring actions of Pope St. Callistus I, and let us walk ever more faithfully in the path which God has set before us, in all that He has shown and taught us to do. Pope St. Callistus I has shown all of us what it truly means for us to be good and devout Christians, as God’s followers and disciples. We must always do whatever we can, in all the opportunities given to us so that our every words, actions and deeds truly show this commitment and faith in the Lord. May God continue to guide us all and strengthen each one of us in our courage and resolve to live our lives faithfully in Him, and to embrace once again the fullness of His love and mercy. Let us stay away from the path of sin and evil, and instead, strive to live our lives fully and worthily as good Christians from now on. Amen.

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Saturday, 14 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Luke 11 : 27-28

At that time, as Jesus was speaking, a woman spoke from the crowd and said to Him, “Blessed is the one who gave You birth and nursed You!”

Jesus replied, “Truly blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it as well.”

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Saturday, 14 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 96 : 1-2, 5-6, 11-12

YHVH reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. Clouds and darkness surround Him; justice and right, are His throne.

The mountains melt like wax before YHVH, the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory.

He sheds light upon the upright, and gladness upon the just. Rejoice in YHVH, you, who are blameless; and give praise to His holy Name.

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Saturday, 14 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Joel 4 : 12-21

Rise up, o people, and come to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, nations. Bring a sickle for the harvest is ripe; come and tread, for the wine press is full, and the vats overflow; so great is their wickedness! Multitudes and more multitudes in the Valley of Verdict! The day of YHVH is near in the Valley of Verdict! The sun and the moon become dark, the stars lose their radiance.

YHVH roars from Zion and raises His voice from Jerusalem; heaven and earth are shaken. Indeed, YHVH is a refuge for His people, a stronghold for the Israelites. You will know that I am YHVH, your God, dwelling on Zion, My holy mountain. Jerusalem will be a holy place; and foreigners will never pass through there again.

On that day, the mountains shall drip wine and the hills flow with milk; all the streams of Judah will run with water; and a fountain will spring from the house of YHVH, and water the valley of Shittim. On the other hand, Egypt will be devastated; and Edom will become a deserted wasteland, because they committed violence against Judah and shed innocent blood in their country.

But Judah will be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem through all generations. And I shall avenge their blood and not leave it unpunished, for YHVH dwells in Zion.

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Wednesday, 11 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, Pope (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are reminded of God’s great love and mercy to all of us, His beloved people, as He has always reached out to us, patiently leading and guiding all of us towards Himself, and He has never given up on us, no matter how much we have rebelled against Him and disobeyed Him, as He constantly still tried to reach out to us, loving us, caring for us and giving us help along the way so that hopefully we may be able to find our way towards Him. As our loving Father and Creator, God wants us to experience His love and kindness, just as He is also stern and serious whenever He disciplines us as we erred and made mistakes along our journey in life. In the end, those who have constantly rejected the Lord and refused His mercy and love, had condemned themselves by their stubbornness and actions.

In our first reading today, we heard the continuation of the story from the Book of Jonah in which the prophet Jonah was unhappy because everything that he had worked in going forth all the way to Nineveh, the capital and great city of the Assyrian Empire, and proclaiming its destruction and downfall, did not happen because the Lord took pity on the people of Nineveh on the account of their repentance and regret over their many sins and wickedness, and their very much public show of regret and remorse over their many sins. For the mighty and proud Assyrian Empire, which had boasted over its many achievements and power, in conquering and ruling over many cities and nations, this was indeed extraordinary and unheard of, that a whole city and its people humbled themselves before God.

The Lord wanted Jonah to understand that He never actually intended or desired the destruction of any one of us. This is because each and every one of us mankind are dear to Him, and He does not want any one of us to be lost to Him forever, unless if it is by their own choice and conscious decision that they constantly and repeatedly rejected His ever persistent and enduring offer of love, kindness, compassion and mercy. Yet, Jonah was being selfish at that time, because he was complaining to the Lord about the great heat when a castor oil plant that shaded him died, and yet, he wanted the destruction of the whole entire city of Nineveh, and its a hundred and twenty thousand people according to the Scriptures, just because it was kind of a vindication of his efforts and works in answering God’s call.

Initially, Jonah refused to do what the Lord had called and entrusted to him to do, trying to flee from the Lord, and then later on, when the Lord brought a great storm that threatened to sink his ship, he eventually continued to carry out his mission as intended. He might have felt that he was entitled to see the destruction of Nineveh as after all, that was the message that God had intended and assigned him to deliver to that city and its people. However, he was essentially making a presumption that God desired the destruction of the people of Nineveh, and assumed that he knew of what God truly wanted, when that was not the case. But what God truly wanted from all of us, even the worst among sinners, is for us to be fully reconciled and reunited with Him, by embracing the rich forgiveness that He has offered us.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the account from the Gospel of St. Luke regarding the time when the disciples of the Lord asked Him about how they ought to pray to the Lord, and then the Lord taught them all how to pray with the prayer which we all certainly know really well, that is the Pater Noster, also known as the ‘Our Father’ and as the Lord’s Prayer. Through that prayer, the Lord highlighted to us what it truly means for us to pray to God, to seek the Lord, our loving Father, and to commit ourselves to Him in prayer, and in communicating with Him, speaking and spending time with Him, asking Him for His blessing, guidance and help in all of our lives. The Lord’s Prayer is truly an example and inspiration through which all of us should follow, in committing ourselves to a life of prayer and devotion to God.

Why is that so, brothers and sisters? That is because the Lord’s Prayer is the example and the perfect prayer that we all should emulate in how we ourselves pray to the Lord. In our prayers, we should not be full of self-praise and full of litany of requests, or even demands, in asking the Lord to do things for us. Prayer is not meant for us to demand that the Lord does things for our sake, or that we ask Him to intervene for us, when we are in need and then ignore Him at other times and moments. Prayer is in fact the means through which we come to communicate with God and as we ought to do so with reverence and sincerity, and with genuine love and desire to seek the Lord. Like we heard in the Lord’s Prayer, prayer is not about us, but in fact, is about us seeking to glorify God and to thank Him for everything that He has done for us, and is a reminder for us to always listen to God and obey Him at all times.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Pope St. John XXIII, one of the more recent Popes who have lived and reigned as the Pope, Supreme Pontiff and Vicar of Christ in the middle of the twentieth century, leading the Church through rapidly changing and turbulent times, and was especially well-known for his contributions in convoking the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, also known as the Vatican II Council. Through his examples, Pope St. John XXIII should indeed be a great role model and inspiration for all of us in how we all should live our lives as true and genuine Christians, in all the things that we say and do in life. He was born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in a poor family of Bergamo in northern part of Italy today. Despite having been born into a poor family, the young Angelo Roncalli was brought up well in the faith by his devout parents.

Eventually the young future Pope St. John XXIII entered the seminary and after a period in formation, was ordained as a priest, in which he then experienced firsthand the challenges of the people and the workers then, under the tutelage of his mentor, Bishop Giocomo Radini-Tedeschi, the then Bishop of Bergamo, who was a champion of the rights of the workers at the time, and impacted the young Angelo Roncalli greatly, as he was Bishop Radini-Tedeschi’s secretary then, until the latter passed away. Then, the young priest experienced the ministry among the trenches and warfare during the First World War before being appointed as the Apostolic Delegate and representative of the Pope to Bulgaria, and ordained as a bishop in the years following the war.

The experiences of the earlier days Pope St. John XXIII in his years as Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria, and then Greece and Turkey, and finally Apostolic Nuncio to France greatly expanded his horizons and views of the world, its divergent and great variety of peoples and groups, and in his ability to negotiate and work with various parties and collaborators of the works of faith. In Bulgaria, he was instrumental in making bridges and connections with the separated brethren from the Orthodox Church, while during his tenure in France, he helped to repair the often tense relationship between the Church and the state. As Patriarch of Venice for several years, he would continue to do what he has always passionately and courageously done since his youth and earlier days as a priest, that is dedicating himself to his flock and all those who had been entrusted to him.

As Pope, Pope St. John XXIII devoted himself to many great works and efforts, in leading a reform to the Church, by convoking and announcing the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican as mentioned, helping to bring the Church, its practices and beliefs more up-to-date in responding to the challenges and the difficulties faced by the faithful due to the rapidly changing world and conditions. He was also instrumental in his efforts to bring about peace between the feuding superpowers in the Cold War, namely the United States of America and the Soviet Union, particularly during the intense crisis in Cuba that almost led the world to nuclear war and total destruction, publishing his Papal Encyclical, Pacem in Terris or ‘Peace on Earth’, calling upon peace between peoples and nations. To the very end of his life, Pope St. John XXIII continued to labour greatly for the Lord’s sake.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have all been reminded by the inspiring examples set by Pope St. John XXIII, in his life and ministry, let us all therefore strive to do our best in our own lives, in our every words, actions and deeds so that we may indeed be great role models of our Christian faith and virtues, and be the shining beacons of God’s light, truth and love. Let us all obey the Lord ever more faithfully in all of our lives and actions, entrusting ourselves to His will. May all of us continue to bear the Good News and love of God ever more faithfully in our lives, and strive to be ever more faithful in all the things we do in life, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Wednesday, 11 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, Pope (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Luke 11 : 1-4

At that time, Jesus was praying in a certain place; and when He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught His disciples.”

And Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this : Father, may Your Name be held holy, may Your kingdom come; give us, each day, the kind of bread we need, and forgive us our sins; for we also forgive all who do us wrong; and do not bring us to the test.”

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Wednesday, 11 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, Pope (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Psalm 85 : 3-4, 5-6, 9-10

Have mercy on me, o YHVH, for I cry to You all day. Bring joy to the soul of Your servant; for You, o YHVH, I lift up my soul.

You are good and forgiving, o YHVH, caring for those who call on You. Listen, o YHVH, to my prayer, hear the voice of my pleading.

All the nations You have made will come; they will worship before You, o YHVH, and bring glory to Your Name. For You are great, and wonderful are Your deeds; You alone, are God.

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Wednesday, 11 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. John XXIII, Pope (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Popes)

Jonah 4 : 1-11

But Jonah was greatly displeased at this, and he was indignant. He prayed to YHVH and said, “O YHVH, is this not what I said when I was yet in my own country? This is why I fled to Tarshish. I knew that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and full of love, and You relent from imposing terrible punishment. I beseech You now, YHVH, to take my life, for now it is better for me to die than to live.”

But YHVH replied, “What right have you to be angry?” Jonah then left the city. He went to a place east of it, built himself a shelter and sat under its shade to wait and see what would happen to Nineveh. Then YHVH God provided a castor-oil plant and made it grow up over Jonah to give shade over his head and to ease his discomfort. Jonah was very happy about the plant.

But the next day, at dawn, God sent a worm which attacked the plant and made it wither. When the sun rose, God sent a scorching east wind; the sun blazed down upon Jonah’s head, and he grew faint. His death wish returned and he said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

Then God asked Jonah, “Do you have a right to be angry about the castor-oil plant?” Jonah answered, “I am right to be angry enough to wish to die.” YHVH said, “You are concerned about a plant which cost you no labour to make it grow. Overnight it sprang up, and overnight it perished. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot distinguish right from left and they have many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned for such a great city?”

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Monday, 9 October 2023 : 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Denis, Bishop and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs, and St. John Leonardi, Priest (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Priests)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord, we are all called and reminded to be loving and kind towards our fellow brethren, as each and every one of us as Christians have to emulate the Lord’s ways and His loving examples, His Law and commandments, in all of our way of life, words, actions and deeds. All of us must do what the Lord has called all of us to do, in our best way, in whatever ways He has taught and entrusted to us, as the ones whom He had called, chosen and revealed His intentions and ways to, in all of our actions and ways throughout this world. All of us should not be ignorant or idle in what we are expected to do, in reaching out to our fellow brothers and sisters, with great love and compassion.

In our first reading, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jonah about the calling and mission which God had entrusted to Jonah, as God told Jonah to go forth to the great city of Nineveh, which was then the capital and great city of the mighty and powerful Assyrian Empire. Contextually, by that time, the Assyrians had rose to power and conquered many nations, and the prophet Jonah lived and was called by God during this period of the Assyrians’ rise to power, about seven or eight centuries before the birth of Christ. At that time, the Assyrians were known for their power, but they had also risen to power amidst a lot of bloodshed and evil deeds, destroying many people and cities, killing countless thousands, tens of thousands and more during their many wars and conquests.

Hence, the Lord was sending Jonah to the people and city of Nineveh, to the Assyrians, their king and nobles in order to warn them of their impending destruction because of their own evil and wicked deeds. The Lord is Lord and God over all the whole world, and not only over the Israelites, His chosen people, only. Hence, just as the Israelites had suffered the consequences of their disobedience, sins and wickedness, thus, the Assyrians would also face similar consequences, just as how the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in the ancient past, according to the Scriptures, were destroyed by God when their wickedness were truly great and vile. That was how most of the people during the time of Noah were destroyed by the Great Flood, save for that of Noah and his own family, the only ones that remained righteous among mankind.

All these reminded us first of all that God wants us all, His creation, to be truly virtuous, good and free from sin and evil. Sin comes from our disobedience against God, His will, Law and commandments, and through sin, corruption and wickedness come into us, and we will have to face the consequences for sins and all the evils and wicked deeds we have done in our lives. But, just as we have heard how God sent His prophet Jonah to the people of Nineveh, and how He has also sent many other prophets like Isaiah, Elisha, Isaiah and others to His people in both the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, to point out to them their sins and wickedness, and to help guide them to the right path, we can see that God truly loves us all, and what He despises is not us, but rather our sins and wickedness.

This is also where, the contrast between the attitude of the people of Nineveh and those of God’s chosen people, the Israelites can be clearly seen. The people of Nineveh, if we read on further in the accounts from the Book of the prophet Jonah, actually listened to the Lord and heeded Jonah’s warning and proclamation of their doom with repentance and true regret for their wickedness and sins, as the whole entire city, from the king right to the lowest among the people all publicly showed their repentance, wearing sackcloth and declaring fasting and regret over their sins. On the contrary, the people of Israel kept on hardening their hearts and refusing to believe in God, despite repeated reminders, omens and all the punishments that they had all suffered.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the famous parable of the Good Samaritan being told by the Lord to His disciples and followers. The Good Samaritan refers to the Samaritan who bothered to stop by a Jew who was assaulted by robbers on his way to Jericho, when a Levite and a priest each refused to help the injured man. Back then, the Samaritans were hated and despised by the Jewish people, and they were seen by the latter as those who had adopted the heretical and mistaken beliefs incompatible to the version of faith held and preserved by the Jewish people and elders. This came about because the Samaritans were descended from the mixture of the people living in the northern regions of the northern kingdom of Israel, that had been destroyed by the same Assyrians mentioned earlier, and intermingled with the foreigners and other peoples brought in by the Assyrians.

As such, the disagreements and the misunderstandings that existed between both peoples led to the bitter divisions and prejudices between both communities. The Samaritans were despised and hated by the Jews, and were treated no better than pagans and foreigners, or even worse than those, even when the Samaritans actually worshipped the same Lord and God as the Jewish people. But as we heard from the parable, the despised and hated Samaritan was the one who actually had pity on the injured Jewish man, while ironically the Levite and the priest, who were both highly respected and esteemed among the Jewish community, did not even stop to help their own fellow countrymen, as they would have been expected to. They did not even show any care or even bothered to stop.

On the contrary, the Good Samaritan not only stopped by and helped the injured man, but he even took good care of him and paid all the expenses for the injured man and told the innkeeper to settle everything for him, to make sure that he fully recovered, and paid for everything with bonus added. He truly had gone the extra mile with his care and compassion, and through this story, we are all first of all reminded that we must not be prejudiced or biased against anyone simply because of their backgrounds or due to our preconceived notions or often flawed understanding of others. We must always remember that each and every one of us are equally beloved by God, and that everyone has the opportunity and the potential to be like the saints, to be reconciled fully with God and to be filled once again with God’s grace.

What matters now is for us to embrace God’s call and answer Him with faith. We should not be like Jonah, who ignored the Lord’s call and even tried to flee from the Lord, in ignoring the mission which God has entrusted to him. Neither should we be like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan, who have ignored the pleas and the need of the injured man. Instead, we should enthusiastically and courageously answer God’s call with dedication, just as what the Good Samaritan himself had done. We should always carry ourselves with commitment and faith, and with the genuine desire to love the Lord as well as our fellow brothers and sisters, all around us. Thus, we should also be inspired by the great examples set by our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs, so that we too can live lives that are truly worthy of God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Denis and his companions in martyrdom, as well as that of St. John Leonardi, a devout man of God and priest, the founder of the Order of Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca. First of all, St. Denis was the Bishop of Paris during the middle of the third century, in which he was remembered for his most miraculous martyrdom among with many others, who were oppressed and martyred during the intense persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Decius. St. Denis was arrested and tortured after his efforts in converting many pagans made many pagan priests and officials to be afraid of them, and he and others were brought to a hill where they were executed, with St. Denis being beheaded. However, miraculously, St. Denis still continued to preach while his head had been severed from his body, walking for a few miles before he finally died at the site where a great Basilica in his honour stands now. Not few were converted to the faith by this miraculous occasion.

St. John Leonardi meanwhile was a priest in what is now Italy, who answered God’s call for him to be a priest, and to serve among the people of God, ministering to their spiritual needs, while spreading the devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the popular Forty Hours devotion, which were instrumental in checking the growth of the heresy of Protestant reformation at that time. He helped spreading the reforms of the Council of Trent, and established the aforementioned Order of Clerks Regular of the Mother of God of Lucca. He did not have it easy as he encountered opposition and challenges from those who were politically motivated back then in opposing the establishment of the new religious order, known well as the Lucca Fathers. Nevertheless, St. John Leonardi continued to do his best in doing God’s work among His people.

May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in all things, so that we may be inspired and encouraged to follow in the footsteps of our holy predecessors, the saints and martyrs, particularly those of St. Denis and his companions in holy martyrdom, and also the commitment and faith shown by St. John Leonardi. Let us all continue to strengthen and deepen our faith in each and every opportunities provided for us, and draw ever closer to the Lord, now and always. Amen.