Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Psalm 87 : 10bc-11, 12-13, 14-15
Spreading out my hands to You, I call upon You every day, o Lord. Are Your wonders meant for the dead? Will ghosts rise to give You thanks?
Is Your live and faithfulness remembered among those gone to the netherworld? Are Your wonders known in the dark, Your salvation in the land of oblivion?
But to You, o Lord, I cry for help; every morning I pray to You. O Lord, why do You reject me, why do You hide Your face?
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Job 9 : 1-12, 14-16
Then Job answered, “Very well I know that it is so. But how can a mortal be just before God? If one were to contend with Him, not once in a thousand times would He answer. His power is vast, His wisdom profound. Who has resisted Him and come out unharmed?”
“He moves mountains before they are aware; He overturns them in His rage. He makes the earth tremble and its pillars quake. He commands the sun, and it does not shine; He seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the skies and treads on the waves of the seas.”
“He made the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and every constellation. His wonders are past all reckoning, His miracles beyond all counting. He passes by, but I do not see Him; He moves on, but I do not notice Him. If He snatches away, who can stop Him? Who can say to Him, ‘What are You doing?'”
“How then can I answer Him and find words to argue with Him? If He does not answer when I am right, shall I plead with my Judge for mercy? Even if I appealed and He answered, I do not believe that He would have heard.”
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the Scripture passage taken from the Book of Job, the faithful servant of God, whom the devil or Satan had persecuted and troubled, because he was jealous of the great faith and devotion that this man of God is showing the Lord and the world. Satan is told to be our accuser and our enemy before God, casting out our sins and our wickedness, our shortcomings and evils before Him that we will be condemned to eternity with Satan and his angels in hellfire.
Indeed, Satan and his allies desire our destruction and demise, but then we may be confused as to why God would allow the devil then to have his ways on us as he had done with Job, the faithful man of God? After all, he had been faithful all of his life, and then God would allow Job to be tested by Satan, who destroyed all of his possessions, all of his cattle and herds, stole away all of his belongings and even destroyed his beloved ones, his sons and daughters.
It is easy for us all to accuse God of wrongdoing in this manner, that He had deliberately abandoned His servant in his time of need, allowing an enemy to strike at him and destroy him, crushing him with sorrow and despair. However, if we look through the entirety of the Book of Job, we should realise that it was not God Who desired our destruction, and neither would He deliberately allow us to be crushed, as if that was the case, He could have easily just cast Job into hell to be tormented for eternity.
But that was not what God had done to Job, and neither had He done that to any of us mankind. After all, He Who created us all out of love would not have destroyed us without good reason, and there is truly no reason good enough for each and every one of us has that same potential for conversion and change. But no, we all suffer in this world because of none other than ourselves, because of our sins and our disobedience against God which had made us to go astray from the Lord.
In the first place, God created us to enjoy forever the bliss and happiness with Him in Eden, where everything was created good and perfect, and then it was our ancestors’ inability to hold and bridle their desires which led them to disobedience and sin, and as a result, by their own actions they had brought suffering upon themselves, and as a result as well, death becomes a part of our life. Death is the consequence for our sins, but it was not the intention of the Lord to burden us with it.
And our death is not going to last forever, because we who believe in the Lord know that He is the Life-giving Lord, Who blesses all of His faithful ones with the promise of everlasting life, which He Himself had declared through Jesus Christ His Son, by His death on the cross, as well as then through His glorious resurrection from the dead, which led to the hope for each and every one of us, that there is a way out of our suffering in this world.
And that way is through believing in God, putting our trust in Him as Job had done. Job has remained true to his faith in God throughout all those sufferings and difficult years, and even amidst all the persuasions and the pressures from others to do otherwise. He did complained against God as being unjust in dealing with his situation, but nonetheless, he remained truly faithful to the very end.
Because of his obedience and faith, God rewarded Job with much more than what he had once lost, a proof of God’s ever-present love for His beloved people. Indeed He will not abandon us to the darkness, but He will ever love us with ever more and more care and attention, so long as we too learn how to love Him and show Him our faith and appreciation.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we should also heed the examples of St. Cosmas and St. Damian, the two saints and holy martyrs whose memory we remember and celebrate today. St. Cosmas and St. Damian were told to be brothers who were good physicians who often tended to the sick and to the poor in their community, who often tended to these people without asking for money or payment.
For their great and sincere love for their brethren, many were touched and inspired by their examples, and came to believe in the Lord as these brothers had as well. They have brought many into the embrace of the Lord, and many were saved because of them. But eventually, they were found out by the local authorities, who at that time, at the height of the last great persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, arrested and tortured these two saints, and martyred them.
The good works and the perseverance of these two saints, the obedience and faith of Job should be inspiration to all of us. Let our faith be like that of a child’s faith, pure and true, unbridled and unlimited by our desires and worldly wants, but instead, we should learn to welcome the Lord into our hearts, that just like how Jesus welcomed the children brought to Him, He too may embrace us and welcome us all into His presence.
May God bless us all and keep us in His love always, and may He grant us the gift of grace and life everlasting He has promised to all of us, His beloved and faithful ones. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Luke 9 : 46-50
At that time, the disciples were arguing about which of them was the most important. But Jesus knew their thoughts, so He took a little child and stood him by His side. Then He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My Name, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes the One Who sent Me. And listen : the one who is found to be the least among you all, is the one who is the greatest.”
Then John spoke up, “Master, we saw someone who drives out demons by calling upon Your Name, and we tried to forbid him, because he does not follow You with us.” But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him. He who is not against you is for you.”
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Psalm 16 : 1, 2-3, 6-7
Hear a just cause, o Lord, listen to my complaint. Give heed to my prayer for there is no deceit on my lips.
Let my defence come forth from You. Your eyes see what is right. You have probed my heart, searched me at night, tested me by fire, and You have seen no wickedness in me.
I call on You, You will answer me, o God; incline Your ear and hear my word. For You do wonders for Your faithful, You save those fleeing from the enemy as they seek refuge at Your right hand.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Job 1 : 6-22
One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before YHVH, and Satan came with them. YHVH asked Satan, “Where have you been?” Satan answered, “Going up and down the earth, roaming about.” YHVH asked again, “Have you noticed My servant Job? No one on earth is as blameless and upright as he, a man who fears God and avoids evil.”
But Satan returned the question, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not built a protective wall around him and his family and all his possessions? You have blessed and prospered him, with his livestock all over the land. But stretch out Your hand and strike where his riches are, and I bet he will curse You to Your face.”
YHVH said to Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power. But do not lay a finger upon the man himself.” So Satan left the presence of YHVH. One day, while his sons and daughters were feasting in the house of their eldest brother, a messenger came to Job and said, “Your oxen were plowing, and your donkeys were grazing nearby when the Sabaeans came and carried them off. They killed the herdsmen, I alone escaped to tell you.”
While he was still speaking, another messenger came, “God’s fire fell from the sky and burned all your sheep and the shepherds as well. I alone have escaped to tell you.” He had hardly finished speaking when another messenger arrived, “Three raiding teams of Chaldeans have killed your servants and carried off your camels. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
He was still speaking when another messenger came and said to Job, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking in the house of their eldest brother when suddenly a great wind blew across the desert and struck the house. It collapsed on the young people and they all died. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
In grief Job tore his clothes and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground and worshipped, saying, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, naked shall I return. YHVH gave, YHVH has taken away. Blessed be His Name!” In spite of this calamity, Job did not sin by blaspheming God.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the words of the Gospel and the Scriptures, urging us all to obey the Law and the commandments of God, as how He had given all these to us as the instruments and helpers for us all as we walk on this path towards salvation and eternal life. He has given all of them to us so that these may guide as we encounter challenges and difficulties on our way.
And yet, as we heard from the Book of Proverbs, our first reading of today, we saw how many people persisted in their wicked ways and refused to follow what the Lord had instructed and shown them. And that is because in their hearts, they do not have the Lord in their hearts. They were so full of themselves and their ego that they did not see how much God had done for them and blessed them in their lives.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us as Christians are expected to live in accordance with the ways of the Lord, devoting ourselves to God and all the things that He had taught us to do. And just as Jesus said, those who have done the will of God, He will consider as His brothers and sisters. Why is this so? That is because He Who is God has made Himself to be a Man like ourselves, so that all those who have obeyed the Lord as He had obeyed His Father may be like Him in all things, and be worthy to be considered as His brethren.
And perhaps, the best example for that obedience is our Lord Himself, Who have obeyed the will of the Father to the very end. He was willing to shoulder the burden of the cross, so that by bearing that cross, on which has been laid the burdens of our sins, we may be saved from certain death and destruction due to those sins. He is our Good Shepherd, Who truly loves us and cares for us, showing us the love and concern with which He guides us to the right path.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, perhaps we should also heed the examples of St. Laurent Imbert, St. Jacques Chastan, St. Andrew Kim Taegon and all the many other holy saints and martyrs, who have suffered and died defending the faith in the land of Korea. These saints were missionaries and local Christians who have endured difficulties, tribulations, oppressions and persecutions in their faith and in their belief in God.
At that time, the government of Korea was very hostile to the Christian faith, openly opposing the evangelisation of the faith in its territory, and were very staunch in their stance against the missionaries of the faith. And many of those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Saviour were arrested, tortured, and forced to choose between great suffering and pain or to recant their faith and return to their old beliefs.
But amidst this very difficult and turbulent time, many brave and courageous members of the faithful, together with the missionaries stood up against the tide of persecution, and became living examples of how faith should be like in us Christians. They refused to abandon the Lord and their faith in Him, and even while knowing that such a stance would lead to great difficulties and persecution, they pressed on nonetheless.
And in particular St. Laurent Imbert, a French missionary appointed as the first Bishop of Korea, as the Vicar Apostolic there, was exemplary in his actions, which showed many the same example as Christ Himself had shown the world. At that time, as the persecution of the faithful and the Church intensified, the authorities were trying to destroy the Church by striking at its leadership. St. Laurent Imbert, the Bishop of Korea and his priests were then hiding from the authorities.
An offer went out from the authorities, that if the bishop and the leading priests were to surrender themselves, then they would spare the rest of the faithful from further persecution. While this was most likely a trap, and no guarantee could be ensured from trusting the words of the authorities, St. Laurent Imbert nonetheless decided to surrender himself, while encouraging his fellow priests to do the same.
In doing so, as was explained in his writings, St. Laurent Imbert had followed the example of the Lord, the Good Shepherd. Jesus said that the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep, and there, St. Laurent Imbert laid down his life for the good and the benefit of the flock entrusted to him by God. He showed us all by action, true Christian love, devotion and commitment, both to God and to His people, his fellow men.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we too should follow in the footsteps of St. Laurent Imbert, St. Jacques Chastan, St. Andrew Kim Taegon and all the saints and martyrs of Korea, all of whom bravely and courageously defended their faith even with their life. They have lived truly as Christians, and showed the meaning of commitment, faith, and true love for God and for their fellow men, by their unfailing faith and devotion.
Let us all imitate them in their examples, and be brave and courageous in our faith as well. Let us all not be intimidated by the challenges of this world, but instead put our full trust in the Lord, knowing that God will always be with all those who are faithful to Him, for He will always love us all, and will never abandon His beloved ones to the darkness. May God bless us all, always. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Luke 8 : 19-21
At that time, the mother of Jesus and His relatives came to Him, but they could not get to Him because of the crowd. Someone told Him, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside and wish to meet You.”
Then Jesus answered, “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 118 : 1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44
Blessed are they whose ways are upright, who follow the Law of the Lord.
Explain to me all Your ordinances, and I will meditate on Your wondrous deeds.
I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart upon Your laws.
Give me understanding, that I may observe Your Law with all my heart.
Guide me in obeying Your instructions, for my pleasure lies in them.
May I always keep Your word forever and ever.
Liturgical Colour : Red
Proverbs 21 : 1-6, 10-13
In the hands of YHVH, the heart of the king is like running water; he directs it wherever he wishes. To the eyes of man all His ways are honest but it is YHVH Who weighs the heart. To do what is upright and just pleases YHVH more than sacrifice.
Haughty looks, proud heart, the light of the wicked is sin. The plans of a hardworking man result in earnings; poverty is for those who act too hastily. To make a fortune by means of deceit is like running after the wind; the end is death.
The soul of the wicked desires nothing but evil; not even his friend is treated with compassion. When the mocker is punished the ignorant man grows wise; when the wise man is instructed he grows in knowledge. The Just One watches the house of the evildoer and hurls the wicked into misfortune.
He who is deaf to the poor man’s cry will not be heard when he himself calls out.
