holy martyrs

by

Monday, 20 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as we listened to the words of the Scriptures today, we are reminded of the great issue that is facing many of us, God’s people in this world, and that is the issue of faithlessness, infidelity and the general lack of faith and commitment that many of us have exhibited and shown in our lives. Many of us have not truly believed in the Lord wholeheartedly, and many among us are lukewarm in our faith life, not living our lives in the manner that we are expected to live them as active and committed Christians. Instead of following God and His path, we chose to follow our own paths, and in many occasions, our choice of paths and journeys lead to ruin and destruction, instead of bringing us closer to God and His salvation.

In our first reading today, we heard from the prophet Micah speaking the words of God to His people, who was ministering to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah during its later years of its existence. The prophet Micah brought the words of the Lord to His people, who have often disobeyed Him, erred in their ways and chose to worship the pagan idols and gods, persecuting His prophets and messengers sent to them to remind them of their wicked ways. Hence, Micah often spoke of the upcoming destruction of both Jerusalem and Judah, and also that of Samaria and the northern kingdom of Israel, all due to the people’s lack of faith and sins. The Lord has always been very patient with His people whom He truly loved very much, that He kept sending them His messengers and servants to help lead and guide them all to Him once again.

In today’s first reading passage, we heard the Lord admonishing His people for their sins, and reminding them at the same time of all that He had done for them, in liberating them from slavery in the days of their ancestors, all the blessings and graces that He had given them among many other things He did for them, and how they had spurned and rejected that love, preferring to live their lives in their own way, choosing to obey worldly ways and disobeying the Law and commandments that God has placed before them. At the same time, through Micah, God also told His people that He still loved them nonetheless, and was calling them towards reconciliation with Him, ever ready to welcome them all back to His loving embrace.

That was when we heard the famous phrase from the Book of the prophet Micah, ‘to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.’ That in essence, summarised what each and every one of us, as God’s beloved people, need to do in order to walk in God’s path faithfully as we have been called to do. More often than not, it was always our pride and ego which led us to disobey the Lord, His Law and commandments. That was what happened to the people of Judah and also as we heard in our Gospel passage today, to the people of the time of the Lord Jesus and His ministry. And this is why it also serves as an important reminder for all of us that we should not allow ourselves to be swayed by this same current of pride and ego, and instead trust ever more in the Lord and be humble in realising that we do not have the answer and solution to all things.

In the Gospel today, we heard how the people asked the Lord publicly for miraculous signs, which the Lord replied to with great astonishment and disbelief, because we have to understand that, as the Lord had performed many miracles and signs, throughout all the time that He was going around Galilee and all those places He had publicly shown His power and miracles. However, the people still refused to believe in Him and they would not open their hearts and minds to welcome Him. God had shown them many signs and wonders, but because the people had hardened their hearts and closed their minds against Him, that was why they lacked faith and they refused to embrace what God had constantly shown them all most tangibly through the power, miracles and the love His Son has shown them.

It was the same attitude which they had shown the Lord in the past as well. The people to whom the prophet Micah spoke to also hardened their hearts against God, and all of these were because they were too proud to admit their mistakes and imperfections. The people at the time of the Lord Jesus, particularly those belonging to the intellectual and societal elite, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, all were too proud to admit that they could have been wrong, and they constantly asked the Lord to prove Himself, because to them, they had placed themselves in that mindset, that the Lord, His actions and teachings were wrong while they were right. It is this hurdle and obstacle which kept them all away and ever further from the path towards God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if we allow ourselves to be swayed by our pride and ego, our selfish attitude and more, then it will be easy for us to fall into the wrong paths, as our predecessors had done. That is why through what we have heard in our Scripture passages today, we are all reminded to get rid from ourselves all traces of this pride and ego, this attitude which prevented us from reaching out towards the Lord and finding the path towards Him. We have to instead humble ourselves before God and before one another, and cultivate in ourselves the strong desire to love the Lord and to commit ourselves to Him. We have to open our hearts and minds to welcome the Lord into our midst, so that He may lead us all down the path of righteousness and grace, ever closer to Him with each and every steps we take.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Apollinaris, a great saint and man of God whose life and works, whose actions, words and more things about him may hopefully inspire more and more amongst us to be ever more faithful to the Lord and to be more worthy of Him. St. Apollinaris, also known as St. Apollinaris of Ravenna was the Bishop of Ravenna and one of the earliest Church fathers being according to the sacred traditions, a contemporary of the Holy Apostles. St. Apollinaris was probably also one of the disciples of the Lord, and at least was a disciple of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope. According to Church traditions and martyrology, St. Apollinaris was a dedicated bishop and servant of God, who devoted his life to the care of his flock, much like how the Lord Himself has sought His lost sheep as we heard in our Scriptures today.

Consequently, he cared for them and remained firm in his faith and dedication to God despite the challenges that he had to face throughout his ministry, amidst the many persecutions and oppressions against the early Christian communities, the Church of God by the Roman authorities. St. Apollinaris did what he could to protect those under his care, hid many of the Christians including those who have been banished, exiled and punished for their faith in God. Eventually, he himself was persecuted and martyred for everything that he had faithfully done for the Lord’s sake and in defiance against the orders from the Roman state itself, and to the very end, he remained firmly faithful, and prophesied that eventually the Church would triumph against all of its oppressors, which indeed did come true.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all hence follow the examples of St. Apollinaris of Ravenna and remind ourselves of all of his dedications and works for the glory of God and for others, just as we also recall the great love and kindness that God has shown us. Let us all remember that each one of us as Christians have important duties and responsibilities, in proclaiming the truth and Good News of God to the whole world. May the Lord continue to guide us in our path, and empower us so that we may continue to strive to do our best in faith, in persevering strongly despite the many trials and challenges we may have to face in our path. May God bless us all and our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

by

Monday, 20 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Matthew 12 : 38-42

At that time, some teachers of the Law and some Pharisees spoke up, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” Jesus answered them, “An evil and unfaithful people want a sign; but no sign will be given them except the sign of the prophet Jonah. In the same way, as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

“At the judgment, the people of Nineveh will rise with this generation, and condemn it; because they reformed their lives at the preaching of Jonah, and here, there is greater than Jonah. At the judgment, the Queen of the South will stand up and condemn you. She came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and here, there is greater than Solomon.”

by

Monday, 20 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 49 : 5-6, 8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23

I lie prostrate in the midst of lions that greedily devour people; their teeth are pointed spears and arrows; their tongues, sharpened swords. Be exalted, o God, above the heavens! Your glory be over all the earth!

Not for your sacrifices do I reprove you, for your burnt offerings are ever before Me. I need no bull from your stalls, nor he-goat from your pens.

What right have you to mouth My laws, or to talk about My covenant? You hate My commands and cast My words behind you.

Because I was silent while you did these things, you thought I was like you. But now I rebuke you and make this charge against you. Those who give with thanks offerings honour Me, but the one who walks blamelessly, I will show him the salvation of God.

by

Monday, 20 July 2026 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Micah 6 : 1-4, 6-8

Listen to what YHVH said to me, “Stand up, let the mountains hear your claim, and the hills listen to your plea.” Hear, o mountains, YHVH’s complaint! Foundations of the earth, pay attention! For YHVH has a case against His people, and will argue it with Israel.

“O My people, what have I done to you? In what way have I been a burden to you? Answer Me. I brought you out of Egypt; I rescued you from the land of bondage; I sent Moses, Aaron and Miriam to lead you.”

“What shall I bring when I come to YHVH and bow down before God the Most High? Shall I come with burnt offerings, with sacrifices of yearling calves? Will YHVH be pleased with thousands of rams, with an overabundance of oil libations? Should I offer my firstborn for my sins, the fruit of my body for my wrongdoing?”

“You have been told, o man, what is good and what YHVH requires of you : to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

by

Monday, 6 July 2026 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we recall the words of the Lord, we are reminded to turn wholeheartedly towards God and to remember just how much He has loved us, so graciously and wonderfully, and how through Him we shall receive the assurance of eternal life and true joy in His presence. The Lord has always been kind and loving towards us, and He has always reached out to us with love and patience, embracing us whenever we return to Him and wanting to be reconciled to Him. That is just how much God cares for us, when many of us simply often ignored Him and disregarded His love. This is why we are reminded today of the great miracles and wonders that He had done for His people, in gathering them back from their exile, in healing their troubles and problems, and even in raising them from the dead.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Hosea, we heard the Lord speaking to His people in the northern kingdom of Israel, who during the ministry of Hosea was on the last days of its existence, threatened from all sides by its neighbours, especially by the mighty Assyrians, who conquered many of the nations including Israel itself. Eventually the state of Israel itself was subjugated, crushed and utterly destroyed by the Assyrians, who destroyed their capital of Samaria and their other cities, carrying off their people into exile far away from their homeland in shame, a people who had once rejected the messages of the prophets and messengers that God had sent to them to remind them all. All these because they trusted more in themselves and in their pagan gods rather than in God.

In the past week, if we have been following the daily readings, we heard the readings from the prophet Amos, another prophet God sent to the land of Israel somewhat earlier than Hosea, telling them of this impending and unavoidable fate of destruction, because of their continued stubbornness and wickedness, and their refusal to repent their sinful ways. The Lord told them all that they would experience because of their pride, their lack of faith and evils, but at the same time, He also wanted to tell them that the path to His forgiveness, mercy and grace still remained open. He did not despise them but rather, He despised their sins and wicked way of life. And that was why He sent them the many reminders and help through the prophets to assist them in living their lives worthily, only for them to treat those messengers badly.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of the two great miracles that the Lord performed for those who sought His help, in which one of them was a woman who had long suffered from a bleeding problem, while the other was the daughter of a synagogue official who had become sick and eventually died while the Lord was still on His way to her house. In both cases, the woman with the bleeding issue and the synagogue official himself were seeking for the Lord, wanting for healing to come from God, because they truly believed in Him. They had their own respective faith in the Lord and turned towards Him in their hour of need. And it was by that faith that God had rescued and saved them, giving them the providence which He had assured them with.

The woman had suffered from the bleeding which according to the Law would have made her unclean and unworthy of God, and as per the Jewish customs and laws, she could not have taken part in the worship and prayers at the Temple because of her unclean nature. She tried to approach the Lord discreetly because her condition understandably most likely had caused her to be somewhat a pariah or outcast within the community, and she did not want to draw attention to herself, or to the Lord. And it was by her faith that she was healed, because she sought the Lord and entrusted herself to Him, and the Lord made known her faith to everyone, and how her faith in Him saved her. This reminds us that no sinner is beyond redemption, and we should not be ashamed to seek for the Lord.

Meanwhile, what we heard from the account of the healing and resurrection of the dead daughter of the synagogue official reminded us all that there is nothing that the Lord cannot do for us, for He is the Master of all, even over live and death. Through Him and His will alone we exist, and through His love and grace we receive the gift of eternal life and the assurance of salvation and true joy, which the Lord gave to all those who are faithful to Him. The Lord has shown His compassion and kindness to those who entrust themselves to Him, and not even death could stop Him. And through His raising of the dead daughter of the synagogue official, He showed us all that there is nothing for us to worry or be afraid about, as His followers and as we embark on His path in this life of ours in this world, even in the present day world.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of St. Maria Goretti, a renowned saint remembered for her faith in the Lord, her righteousness and steadfastness amidst the things that she had to face and endure, the trial of her faith and dedication to God. St. Maria Goretti was a young woman who was born to a family of poor farmers, and her father’s early death led to her family having to live together with another family, the Serenellis, whose son, Alessandro, attempted to rape St. Maria Goretti as he made advances upon her. St. Maria Goretti resisted Alessandro’s advances and dissuaded him from committing such a sin with her, and as a result, she was assaulted many times by Alessandro, who stabbed her many times with a knife before fleeing likely out of fear that his heinous act would be discovered.

St. Maria Goretti was found in a critical state, but just before she passed away, she told her mother and others that she forgave Alessandro and stating that she would want him to be in Heaven with her, along with her concern for her mother. This reflected what the Lord Himself had done for all of us, when He was on His Cross, praying for us and asking His Father not to hold our sins against us, those who have condemned Him to death on the Cross. Eventually, St. Maria Goretti’s assailant, Alessandro, repented from his sins and mistakes, and after having gone through the period of punishment and trial, in which time St. Maria Goretti appeared to him, Alessandro became a totally changed man, and together with the mother of St. Maria Goretti, they attended her canonisation as a saint.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us as Christians, as God’s followers and people are therefore reminded of our obligation and calling to commit ourselves to the Lord, to give our all in devotion to God, remembering just how the Lord Himself has been faithful to the Covenant He has made with us. And as part of that Covenant, all of us are called to live our lives as faithful and committed Christians, just as how St. Maria Goretti had lived, in her upholding of the sanctity of her virginity and her upright life, and how she forgave her assailant and murderer, and her prayers for him, right to the end. Can all of us do the same with our lives as well, brothers and sisters in Christ? Can we commit ourselves more wholeheartedly as how our holy predecessors had done?

May the Lord, our most loving God and Father, continue to be with us and bless us, and may He empower each and every one of us so that we may indeed live our lives most worthily, in all things and at all times. Let us all always keep in mind the great and ever generous love that God has for all of us, His beloved ones, and do our best to serve Him at all times. May all of us dedicate ourselves with ever greater commitment and faith, now and always, and be ever great role models and inspirations for our fellow Christian brothers and sisters all around us. Amen.

by

Monday, 6 July 2026 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Matthew 9 : 18-26

At that time, while Jesus was speaking to the disciples of John and the Pharisees, an official of the synagogue came up to Him, bowed before Him and said, “My daughter has just died, but come and place Your hands on her, and she will live.”

Jesus stood up and followed him with His disciples. Then a woman, who had suffered from a severe bleeding for twelve years, came up from behind and touched the edge of His cloak; for she thought, “If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus turned, saw her and said, “Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you.” And from that moment, the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the excited crowd, He said, “Get out of here! The girl is not dead. She is only sleeping!” And they laughed at Him.

But once the crowd had been turned out, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up. The news of this spread through the whole area.

by

Monday, 6 July 2026 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 144 : 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

I will praise You, day after day; and exalt Your Name forever. Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise; and His deeds are beyond measure.

Parents commend Your works to their children and tell them Your feats. They proclaim the splendour of Your majesty and recall Your wondrous works.

People will proclaim Your mighty deeds; and I will declare Your greatness. They will celebrate Your abundant kindness, and rejoice in singing of Your justice.

Compassionate and gracious is YHVH, slow to anger and abounding in love. YHVH is good to everyone; His mercy embraces all His creation.

by

Monday, 6 July 2026 : 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Hosea 2 : 16, 17b-18, 21-22

So I am going to allure her, lead her once more into the desert, where I can speak to her tenderly. There, she will answer Me, as in her youth, as when she came out of the land of Egypt.

On that day, YHVH says, “You will call Me my Husband, and never again : my Baal. You will be My spouse forever, betrothed in justice and integrity; we will be united in love and tenderness. I will espouse you in faithfulness; and you will come to know YHVH.”

by

Tuesday, 30 June 2026 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all heard the words from the Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the need for each and every one of us to put our trust and faith in the Lord our God, in Him Who is our anchor and the foundation of our lives. We should always have faith in God even during the hardest and most difficult moments, just as our predecessors whose stories we are going to discuss and elaborate in depth in a while, can show us. During difficult and challenging moments, instead of turning away from the Lord and chasing after worldly means, validation and sources of comfort, we truly should realise that none of the latter can truly bring us satisfaction, and it is in God alone is our eternal help and true joy.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Amos, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people in the northern kingdom of Israel through the prophet Amos, who came from the land of Judah and yet was sent by God to minister to His wayward ones in the northern kingdom. And as we heard from that passage today, we heard how moments of reckoning and judgment would come upon those people who had consistently hardened their hearts and minds against their Lord and God, and persecuted His many prophets, preferring to follow the wicked ways of their pagan neighbours, worshipping the false idols and gods instead of obeying and following their Lord and God.

Naturally, as we heard how punishments and harsh consequences were coming for the people of the northern kingdom, Amos himself did not have it easy and he himself faced ridicule and persecutions for his efforts and works. In one occasion, Amos was told by the King of Israel himself to go back to his own land, because he was a troublemaker and doom-bringer. Yet, Amos responded firmly with faith and testified that everything that he had been sent to do were upon the Divine commandment and will of God, Who had sent him to reveal His intentions to those wayward people, hoping that at least some of them would repent and change their way of life.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which we heard of the story of the time when the Lord and His disciples were travelling in the boat on the Lake of Galilee, and a great storm, strong waves and wind were battering on the boat, threatening to sink the boat, which terrified the disciples a lot. And the fact that at least four among those disciples were themselves fishermen used to the conditions of the storm and waves at the place where they used to work and fish gave evidence to just how powerful and fearsome that great storm must have been. And in that moment, the disciples sought the Lord and in panic pleaded with Him to help them all.

The Lord chided His disciples for their lack of faith and trust in Him, and told them that they ought to believe in Him and trust that He can provide them deliverance and help, and that they absolutely have no need to be afraid at all no matter what might happen, as the Lord was with them and never abandoned them in their time and hour of greatest need. And this is in fact also a representation of what the Church faces on daily basis and how God is always with His faithful and beloved ones, when they are all facing hardships and challenges. The Church is often represented as a boat, just our church buildings usually have the same shape and structure, a reminder to both God’s salvation in the Noah’s Ark and in this story of Jesus calming the storm.

Therefore, all of us, represented by the Apostles and the other disciples of the Lord, the Church of God, is always led and guided by the Lord Himself, Who is the Head of the Church, leading us all through the storms and hardships of this life, all the challenges, trials and tribulations with the call for all of us as Christians to continue to trust in God’s guidance, providence and reassurance. We should never abandon the Lord and His Church, and instead choosing to persevere on together with Him. In the end, we will be triumphant together with the Lord, and all of our sufferings, trials and journeys will be all worth it, because God is always with us, by our side throughout the whole journey.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, commemorating all those who have perished in the great persecutions of the Christians in Rome, at the heart of the Roman Empire, also the heart of Christendom, during the time of the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero. At that time the early Christians began to grow in number across the Roman Empire, even at the very heart of the Empire in Rome. During the reign of the Emperor Nero, it happened that a great fire broke out throughout the city of Rome, what would be known as the Great Fire of Rome, in which the Emperor laid the blame on the Christians in the city, which were therefore persecuted and arrested, and many were martyred during this intense persecution.

Yet, despite the challenges and trials, the sufferings and hardships which they had to face, those faithful Christians in Rome endured and remained firm in their faith, and most did not give up their faith, although many were thrown to the lions and to be tortured. They were blamed for crimes and faults that they themselves did not commit, and most people in fact assigned the blame to the Emperor Nero himself, who obviously sought a scapegoat for his actions. Those faithful Holy Martyrs in Rome remained firm in their conviction and dedication to God, and they became the inspiration and strength for many others who were also facing hardships and trials in life throughout the succeeding years and generations. All of us should also therefore be inspired and strengthened in the same way as well.

Let us all hence commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the service of God from now on, and let us all be reminded of God’s ever gracious love and compassion, and do our part to love the Lord as well, as part of the Covenant which He has established with us. Let us all therefore renew our commitment and faith in God, doing our very best to glorify Him by our every efforts and endeavours, our good and exemplary lives, now and always. Amen.

by

Tuesday, 30 June 2026 : 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Matthew 8 : 23-27

At that time, Jesus got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a fierce storm burst upon the lake, with waves sweeping the boat. But Jesus was asleep.

The disciples woke Him up and cried, “Lord save us! We are lost!” But Jesus answered, “Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?” Then He stood up and rebuked the wind and sea; and it became completely calm.

The disciples were astonished. They said, “What kind of Man is He? Even the winds and the sea obey Him.”