19 June 2024

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Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 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 all of us heard from the Sacred Scriptures of the need for each and every one of us to listen to the Lord and embrace God’s calling in our lives. Each and every one of us have been given the mission and the various responsibilities depending on what the Lord had led us through, the paths He has shown us into, and everything that He has presented to us. The Lord has called us all to go forth to the people of all the nations, to proclaim His truth and love, His Good News and salvation, to bring more and more people ever closer to Him and to embrace all of us once again, delivering us from the destruction and darkness due to our sins.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Second Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, of the moment when the prophet Elijah, who had spent a long time in arduous works among the people of the northern kingdom of Israel, was taken up into Heaven on a great flaming chariot, and then Elisha began his own ministry as the successor of Elijah among the Israelites. We heard how Elijah and Elisha obeyed God’s call and commands, and how God worked His miracles and signs through those two great prophets, if we were to read the rest of the story of their works in the Book of Kings and elsewhere. God had called them to do His will, and they dedicated themselves wholeheartedly and completely to His cause.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples from the Gospel of St. Matthew regarding how they should not make a show of their faith and piety, to seek fame and glory for the good and faithful things they carried out, or else, they might be tempted by the temptations of pride and ego, of desires, greed and ambition, all of which might mislead them into the path of evil and sin. This is why each and every one of us are reminded today to keep away from these temptations and to remind ourselves that everything that we say and do, we should always centre and focus them upon the Lord, lest we may be swayed and tempted to think that everything are due to our own greatness and power.

As Christians, it is imperative that our lives are always centred and focused on the Lord, and that in everything that we say and do, we will always obey God’s will, His Law and commandments. The prophets like Elijah and Elisha, and the disciples of the Lord all have given us great examples of how they all did everything for the greater glory of God, and truly have great and genuine faith in the Lord, and not merely making appearances or show of faith. All of us therefore should do the same as well in our own lives. We should always remind ourselves that we exist for the Lord, and everything we carry out in life should always be pleasing to Him, and in accordance with His will.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Philip Minh and his companions in holy martyrdom, recalling all their great deeds and works, and all their faith and perseverance amidst the many trials and challenges that they would have to endure in the midst of their respective lives and ministries, living at a time when being a Christian can truly be dangerous and life-threatening. They were all living, ministering and working in the region of Vietnam during the past two and three centuries when the then government was hostile to the Christian faith and teachings, and saw the efforts and works of Christian missionaries with great suspicion and hostility.

St. Philip Minh himself was born in Vietnam and went on to be formed as a seminarian at the College General in Penang for a number of years before being ordained as a Catholic priest and returning to Vietnam to proclaim the Good News and salvation in God to his fellow countrymen. Together with other, mostly French missionaries from the same congregation he belonged to, the Paris Foreign Missions Society or the M.E.P., their works and ministry managed to spread the Christian faith and truth to more and more people, but this was met with great hostility and opposition, oppressions and persecutions from the government that viewed the missionaries and the Christian faith as dangerous foreign influences.

Thus, St. Philip Minh and the other missionaries faced a lot of hardships throughout their ministry, facing challenges one after another, obstacles and eventually arrest and tortures, which the authorities placed upon the local Christians to force them to recant their faith, and to punish the foreign missionaries and the local priests alike for having preached the Gospels and the Christian teachings in Vietnam. But none of these could dissuade or discourage the faithful and courageous missionaries and servants of God, who continued to labour hard for the sake of the Lord, and remained faithful to the very end. St. Philip Minh himself was beheaded for his faith in the Lord, along with his many companions in martyrdom, throughout the difficult decades and centuries when Christianity was harshly persecuted, but their examples and faith continued to inspire many throughout history.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the examples and inspirations from the great life and works of our holy predecessors, the prophets Elijah and Elisha, as well as the great and holy martyrs, St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, let us all therefore as the holy and beloved children of God, as His disciples and followers, continue to strive and do our best in our respective lives to do what we can to glorify the Lord by our lives, and to put Him first and foremost in all things, and to carry out His will and commands in our world today, in whatever that He has called us to do, and whatever He has entrusted to us. May the Lord continue to bless us in everything we say and do, and be with us all His Church, now and always. Amen.

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Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 6 : 1-6, 16-18

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.”

“If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.”

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father Who is with you in secret; and your Father Who sees what is kept secret will reward you. When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so that people can see they are fasting. I tell you this : they have already been paid in full.”

“When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father Who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.”

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Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 30 : 20, 21, 24

How great is the goodness which You have stored for those who fear You, which You show, for all to see, in those who take refuge in You!

In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from human wiles; You keep them in Your dwelling, safe from the intrigues of wagging tongues.

Love the Lord, all you His saints! The Lord preserves His faithful, but He fully requites the arrogant.

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Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Kings 2 : 1, 6-14

YHVH took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. It happened this way : Elijah and Elisha had left Gilgal, and Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, I beg you, for YHVH is only sending me to the Jordan.” But Elisha answered, “I swear by YHVH and by your life that I will never leave you.” And as they went on their way, fifty fellow prophets of Jericho followed them at a certain distance.

When Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan, Elijah took his mantle, rolled it, and struck the water with it. The water parted to both sides and they crossed over on dry ground. After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “What shall I do for you before I am taken away from you? Ask me.”

Elisha said, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.” Elijah answered, “Your request is most difficult. Yet if you see me while I am being taken from you, then you shall have it. But if not, you shall not have it.”

As they were talking on the way, a chariot of fire with horses of fire stood between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw him and cried out, “Father, my father, chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” When Elisha lost sight of him, he took hold of his own clothes and tore them. He then picked up the mantle which had fallen from Elijah and returned to the banks of the Jordan.

He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and asked, “Where is the YHVH, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water again, it divided and Elisha crossed over.