Feast of St. Philip Minh

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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.

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Monday, 19 June 2023 : 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 we heard the message from the Scriptures reminding us of the things that we have to do as Christians, in all the actions we carry out in life, in everything that we say and speak of, and in our every interactions and works throughout our lives. Each and every one of us as Christians are expected to carry out the Law and the commandments of God, and walk in the path that the Lord has shown us all, and do whatever He has commanded us to do. All of us should be good role models and inspirations to one another, and we should do our part in showing our faith through our actions, works, words and deeds, and be genuine Christians in all things, and not just in name only.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle that St. Paul wrote to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, in which the Apostle exhorted all the faithful people of God there to do what is right in all of their actions and in following the examples of the ministers of God, all the Apostles, disciples and the many missionaries who have worked among them tirelessly in proclaiming the Good News of God, His ways and His teachings. St. Paul reminded all of them to remain committed to God and to do what is right and just in accordance with the Law and commandments of God, so that their lives might truly inspire many others to follow their examples, much as how the Apostles and the missionaries themselves have inspired them in their faith.

St. Paul also highlighted the difficulties and the many hardships that the faithful might have to endure in the midst of their lives as Christians, because inevitably, there would be those who refused to believe in God and in His truth, and therefore, chose to persecute, oppress and made the lives of the faithful Christians, the people of God to be difficult. As the Apostle St. Paul himself had experienced, as were those other missionaries, they could face tribulations and trials, even imprisonment and hardships, challenges to their lives and their works and ministry, but despite all of those things, the Lord would always be with them, guiding them and strengthening them, and through their exemplary lives and help for one another, they persevered in the faith. Hence, the others should also follow their examples as well.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the Lord Jesus saying to His disciples what it truly means to be His disciples and followers. He told them the famous adages or sayings, that ‘eye for an eye’ and ‘tooth for a tooth’, which actually came from the old Jewish laws, practices and customs, which were meant to keep the people in check, after their many and frequent acts of disobedience against God and the Law. Those things meant that for whatever wrongdoings or faults that any one of the people had committed, an equivalent or similarly punitive consequence must be meted. However, this was not the true intention of the Lord and the Law that He has provided to His people, as it was actually meant to help them to discipline themselves and to discourage them from committing sins against Him.

Unfortunately, that has led to people being rather rigid and legalistic in how they viewed the Law and in how they fulfilled the conditions and the precepts of the Law. They viewed the Law and the commandments of God, or being a faithful follower of the Lord means that they ought to obey all those laws and precepts, but in many cases, they forgot the true importance and the purpose of the Law as the Lord has intended it. They ended up focusing on all the details and all the cumbersome additions of the rules and regulations, rituals and the practices, which often deviated and distracted the people from realising the true intention and purpose of the Law. This is where the Lord reminded all of us through His disciples and Church, that each and every one of us have been called and taught to live our lives worthily, by loving Him and one another wholeheartedly and sincerely.

That is why, each and every one of us are reminded that our every words, actions and deeds have to be good and righteous, worthy of God and show our Christian faith and truth at all times. It means that in how we interact with each other, we should love one another tenderly and genuinely, caring for all those around us with compassion and care. We should also do what the Lord has taught and told us to do, so that in all of our actions, interactions and dealings, our every deeds will shine with the light and truth of God’s glory. The Lord has called us to be His disciples and also missionaries to spread His Good News to the nations, and it is by living our lives in the way that the Lord has commanded us, that we become good role models and inspirations to others around us so that they too may live their lives in accordance to God’s ways.

Today, 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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Monday, 19 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 5 : 38-42

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “You have heard, that it was said : An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you this : do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer the other. If someone sues you in court for your shirt, give him your coat as well.”

“If someone forces you to go one mile, go two miles with him. Give when asked, and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

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Monday, 19 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 97 : 1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

Sing to YHVH a new song, for He has done wonders; His right hand, His holy arm, has won victory for Him.

YHVH has shown His salvation, revealing His justice to the nations. He has not forgotten His love, nor His faithfulness to Israel.

The farthest ends of the earth all have seen God’s saving power. All you, lands, make a joyful noise to YHVH, break into song and sing praise.

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Monday, 19 June 2023 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Corinthians 6 : 1-10

Being God’s helpers, we beg you : let it not be in vain, that you received this grace of God. Scripture says : At the favourable time I listened to you, on the day of salvation I helped you. This is the favourable time, this is the day of salvation.

We are concerned, not to give anyone an occasion to stumble or criticise our mission. Instead, we prove, we are true ministers of God, in every way, by our endurance in so many trials, in hardships, afflictions, floggings, imprisonment, riots, fatigue, sleepless nights and days of hunger.

People can notice, in our upright life, knowledge, patience and kindness, action of the Holy Spirit, sincere love, words of truth, and power of God. So we fight with the weapons of justice, to attack, as well as to defend. Sometimes, we are honoured, at other times, insulted; we receive criticism as well as praise. We are regarded as liars, although we speak the truth; as unknown, though we are well known; as dead, and yet we live.

Punishments come upon us, but we have not, as yet, been put to death. We appear to be afflicted, yet always joyful; we seem to be poor, but we enrich many; we have nothing, but we possess everything!

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Saturday, 19 June 2021 : 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, the words of the Lord which reminded us of the need for us to trust in the Lord and to put our faith in Him, and not to worry about too many things, and not to be tempted by worldly temptations and desires, by all sorts of things that we are often tempted with, that we ended up losing our way and fall into the trap of sin.

In our first reading today, we heard the words of St. Paul in his Epistle to the Church and the faithful in the city of Corinth, in which the Apostle spoke about his own experiences in ministering to the faithful and in proclaiming the truth of God and His Good News to the people, in how he encountered wonderful things and visions, signs and omens throughout his ministry, and that if he needed to boast, then he ought to boast of all the wonders that he had seen and witnessed, and not of himself.

And St. Paul also reminded the faithful that they should not allow themselves to be swayed by their pride and their ambitions, their desires and other considerations, lest they fall into sin. He reminded the faithful that the flesh is weak, and is always full of temptations by Satan, which he mentioned in our first reading passage today as a thorn in his flesh, which St. Paul instead used as a reminder for himself not to be swayed by worldly desires and temptations.

Then in our Gospel passage today, we heard the Lord speaking to His disciples first of all that they ought to make a stand and choose firmly between serving and following God or that of money, and they cannot serve both God and money, for sooner or later they will love one more than the other and despise the other one. He also reminded them all not to worry about their lives, or of any other worldly concerns and desires, for the Lord shall provide all that they need.

This is addressed to all of us, His beloved ones, who have often strayed from His path because we are too distracted by our personal ambitions and desires, our various preoccupations and all the temptations of worldly pleasures and achievements surrounding us. All these are serious obstacles that can prevent us from reaching the Lord and His salvation, and will cause us to end up falling deeper and further into the path of sin.

That is why, all of us today are called to reflect on our lives and our attitudes towards our faith, and whether we have been faithful to the Lord and trust Him with our lives and existence, or whether we have instead depended on our own strength and worldly means so far in life? We should not allow ourselves be deluded by the lies and deceptions of the devil who want to mislead us down the path of indulgence in our desires and all the concerns we have, in worldly things and matters.

Remember, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all called to turn towards the Lord wholeheartedly, and we should focus ourselves on Him and not on the false treasures and false leads we have in life. We should learn to resist the many temptations present all around us that we do not end up walking down the wrong path. And today therefore, we should look upon the examples of St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the saints whose memories we venerate and celebrate today.

St. Philip Minh is one of the many martyrs of the faith in Vietnam, who went through the period of harsh persecution from the state and the government, as the Vietnamese state at that time were highly suspicious of the Christian faith and its missionaries, and all those who were suspected and found to be Christians had to endure great difficulties and trials, as they were tortured and treated with worst sufferings to induce them to give up their faith.

Despite all these, St. Philip Minh and his fellow companions in martyrdom did not give up their faith and remained faithful to the end. They chose to remain true to their faith despite the sufferings that they had to face. They would rather remain firm in their belief in God rather than to give it up for the false assurances of worldly pleasures and satisfaction, one that does not last. They chose instead the promise and assurance of eternal glory and true joy with God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we all willing to follow the examples of those holy saints and martyrs, our holy predecessors, in how they lived their lives, so that we too may be exemplary in our own way of life and that we may become inspiration to our fellow brethren? Let us all help one another to grow ever closer to God and to learn to trust Him more and more, dedicating ourselves to Him wholeheartedly, from now on. May the Lord be with us all and may He strengthen each and every one of us in faith, always. Amen.

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Saturday, 19 June 2021 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 6 : 24-34

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “No one can serve two masters, for he will either hate one and love the other; or he will be loyal to the first and look down on the second. You cannot, at the same time, serve God and money.”

Therefore, I tell you, not to be worried about food and drink for yourself, or about clothes for your body. Is not life more important than food; and is not the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest, and do not store food in barns; and yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more worthy than they are?”

“Can any of you add a day to your life by worrying about it? Why are you so worried about your clothes? Look at how the flowers in the fields grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, that not even Solomon, in all his glory, was clothed like one of these. If God so clothes the grass in the field, which blooms today and is to be burnt in an oven tomorrow, how much more will He clothe you? What little faith you have!”

“Do not worry, and say : What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? or : What shall we wear? The pagans busy themselves with such things; but your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart, first, on the kingdom and righteousness of God; and all these things will also be given to you. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”