holy martyrs

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Friday, 7 August 2015 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (Psalm)

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

Psalm 76 : 12-13, 14-15, 16 and 21

I remember the deeds of the Lord; I recall His marvels of old. I meditate on all Your work, and consider Your mighty deeds.

Your way, o God, is most holy. Is there any god greater than You, our God? You alone are the God who works wonders, who has made known His power to the nations.

With power You have redeemed Your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. You led Your people as a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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Friday, 7 August 2015 : 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Sixtus II, Pope and Companions, Martyrs, and St. Cajetan, Priest (First Reading)

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

Deuteronomy 4 : 32-40

Moses said, “Ask of the times past. Inquire from the day when God created man on earth. Ask from one end of this world to the other : Has there ever been anything as extraordinary as this? Has anything like this been heard of before? Has there ever been a people who remained alive after hearing as you did the voice of the living God from the midst of the fire?”

“Never has there been a God who went out to look for a people and take them out from among the other nations by the strength of trials and signs, by wonders and by war, with a firm hand and an outstretched arm. Never has there been any deed as tremendous as those done for you by YHVH in Egypt, which you saw with your own eyes.”

“You saw this that you might know that YHVH is God and that there is no other besides Him. He let you hear His voice from heaven that you might fear Him; on earth He let you see His blazing fire and from the midst of the fire you heard His word.”

“Because of the love He had for your fathers, He chose their descendants after them, and He Himself made you leave Egypt with His great power. He expelled before you peoples more numerous and stronger than you, and He has made you occupy their land : today He has given this to you as an inheritance.”

“Therefore, try to be convinced that YHVH is the only God of heaven and earth, and that there is no other. Observe the laws and the commandments that I command you today, and everything will be well with you and your children after you. So you will live long in the land which YHVH, your God, gives you forever.”

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Saturday, 1 August 2015 : 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 14 : 1-12

At that time, the news about Jesus reached king Herod. And he said to his servants, “This Man is John the Baptist. John has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in John.”

Herod had, in fact, ordered that John be arrested, bound in chains and put in prison, because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. For John had said to Herod, “It is not right for you to have her as your wife.” Herod wanted to kill him but he did not dare, because he feared the people, who regarded John as a prophet.

On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced among the guests; she so delighted Herod that he promised under oath to give her anything she asked for. The girl, following the advice of her mother, said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but because he had made this promise under oath in the presence of his guests, he ordered it to be given to her. So he had John beheaded in prison, and his head brought on a dish and given to the girl. The girl then took it to her mother.

Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went away to bring the news to Jesus.

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Monday, 20 July 2015 : 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, on this day we heard the Scripture readings which all talked about one main thing, that is how we all often doubt and do not trust in the power of the Lord which He had shown clearly by signs and even miracles. In the first reading from the Book of Exodus, we see how the people of Israel trembled at the sight of the Egyptians and their chariots chasing after them at the edge of the Red Sea, but Moses reassured them of God’s strength and protection.

In the Gospel, we see also how the people keep asking Jesus for miracles and signs as a proof that He is indeed the Messiah, the Holy One of God promised to come and rescue all of them and bring them into glory. But Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief and lack of faith. These people was truly ignorant and adamant in the heart, stubborn in mind and refused to believe in what they have witnessed in Christ.

The same too often happen to us, as we often fail to see that in many things that God had done for us, we do not recognise His great works being done for our benefit. When we encounter difficulties, challenges and times of trouble, we are often quick to give up and despair, and we often like to complain that no one cares about us, and we complain that the Lord did not do anything to help us. But do we truly know what God has done for us?

What Jesus told the rebellious people was in itself the essence of what God had done for us all mankind. He has led us all His people to safety in the midst of danger, fed us and provided everything we need when we were hungry, thirsty or in need. He rescued us from the darkness and brought us back to the light. And all these He had done even though we often doubted Him, complained about Him and refused to listen to Him.

We are people who are easily awed by miracles and wonders. This is because we have no faith in the Lord and neither in ourselves. We are so doubtful and we allowed fear and uncertainty to fill our hearts and this is why we often act like the Israelites of old. They worried and lacked faith in God, fearing the chariots of Egypt over the power of their Lord who had shown His might through the ten plagues He had sent against the Egyptians.

Jesus told the people how the only sign they will see is the sign of Jonah, of the prophet who went into the belly of a giant fish for a whole three days and three nights, in which He was in fact referring to the very sign that He would show, as a concrete and undeniable proof of God’s infinite and undying love for all of us. That sign is His suffering, death and resurrection from the dead.

Jesus suffered for our sake, our own Lord being scourged and rejected for our own sins, and He died on the cross bearing the punishments and consequences for our faults, and for three days He laid in the earth, descending into hell to free all the captive souls of mankind who were righteous and just, and bring them into the light. Those souls have waited a very long time for the day of salvation, and at that moment, the feeling of joy is indeed the same as the moment when God split open the Red Sea to let His people pass through it to freedom from the Pharaoh’s Army.

Therefore, all of us ought to realise how much God had done for our sake, even though sometimes we may not realise it. He has given us so much opportunity, hope, and goodness that if we still do not have faith in Him, then we are truly blind in our hearts, and we will be counted among those faithless ones of Israel, who during their sojourn in the desert constantly complained and disobeyed the Lord, complaining that God had not done enough for them even though He had given them so much and provided for them.

Can we show gratitude and thanks to our Lord who had done so much for us? We should be thankful that He has blessed us with so much graces that we have enjoyed them so much and benefitted so much. Yet we often act like spoilt children who enjoyed the goods but then do not give proper thanks and gratitude to the one who made it all possible for us.

Perhaps the example of St. Apollinaris, the saint whose feast we are celebrating today can be an inspiration to all of us on how to live our lives faithfully to God. St. Apollinaris, also known as St. Apollinaris of Ravenna was a bishop of that city of Ravenna during the years of the Roman Empire at a time when being a Christian equals a death penalty if discovered by the state.

It was there that St. Apollinaris devoted himself to the flock which had been entrusted to him as shepherd. He and his flock were constantly threatened and persecuted by the Roman Emperors and authorities who hounded them from place to place and even sent them into exile at times. And yet, despite the challenges and difficulties, St. Apollinaris and his followers did not give up and remain faithful to the Lord.

Even in the face of martyrdom and suffering, St. Apollinaris and many others of his fellow contemporaries continued to place their faith in the Lord, for they knew that God was with them, and that no matter what the world threw at them or threatened them with, these ultimately had no power over them. We have to be mindful of what the Lord Himself said that we should not fear those who have no power to destroy our soul, for it is God Himself and only He alone has that power and authority to destroy us if we prove to be an unrepentant and stubborn person.

Based on the examples of St. Apollinaris and the other holy men and women throughout the ages, shall we all reflect on our own actions and deeds? Shall we all look once again at how we have lived our lives? Have we been faithful and obedient to God, putting our trust in Him and be thankful of what He had done for us? Or have we been unrepentant and rebellious, and not realising all the good things He had done for us? If we are truly faithful, no matter times of joy or times of difficulty, we will still be devoted to Him.

May Almighty God our Father awaken in all of us the ability to realise how much He has blessed us and helped us in this life. And may He also strengthen in all of us the love which we all ought to have for Him. May the Lord bless us and keep us in His love forever, now and until eternity. God be with us all. Amen.

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Monday, 20 July 2015 : 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 that 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 depths 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 listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and here there is greater than Solomon.”

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Monday, 20 July 2015 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Exodus 15 : 1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6

I will sing to YHVH, the Glorious One, horse and rider He has thrown into the sea. YHVH is my strength and my song, and He is my salvation. He is my God and I will praise Him; the God of my father : I will extol Him.

YHVH is a warrior; YHVH is His Name. The chariots of Pharaoh and his army He has hurled into the sea; his chosen officers were drowned in the Red Sea.

The deep covers them; they went down like a stone. Your hand, o YHVH, glorious and powerful, Your right hand, o YHVH, shatters the enemy.

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Monday, 20 July 2015 : 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Exodus 14 : 5-18

The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled; then Pharaoh and his ministers changed their minds with regard to the people. “What have we done,” they said, “in allowing Israel to go and be free of our service?” Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. There were six hundred of his best chariots; indeed he took all the Egyptian chariots, each one with his warriors.

YHVH had hardened the mind of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who set out in pursuit of the Israelites as they marched forth triumphantly. The Egyptians – all the chariots and horses of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army – gave chase and caught up with them when they had encamped by the sea near Pihahiroth, facing Baalzephon.

The Israelites saw the Egyptians marching after them : Pharaoh was drawing near. They were terrified and cried out to YHVH. Then they said to Moses, “Were there no tombs in Egypt? Why have you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done by bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not what we said when we were in Egypt : Let us work for the Egyptians. Far better serve Egypt than to die in the desert!”

Moses said to the people, “Have no fear! Stay where you are and see the work YHVH will do to save you today. The Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again! YHVH will fight for you and all you have to do is to keep still.”

YHVH said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. You will raise your staff and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it to let the Israelites go dryfoot through the sea. I will so harden the minds of the Egyptians that they will follow you. And I will have glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am YHVH when I gain glory for Myself at the cost of Pharaoh and his army!”

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Sunday, 28 June 2015 : Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture readings pointed out to us the nature of our Lord, who is the Lord of life and death and the Master of all things. Everything is in His power and under His authority, and to all who love Him, He would also love all back with even greater love, for even before we love Him, He had given up everything for our sake, even to strip Himself of all dignity to suffer and die on the cross for us.

All of these was because of His love for us. God did not create us all for nothing or for Him to gloat over our destruction at the hands of our sins. Death was not intended for us, as we were all intended for eternal life and glory with the Lord our God, in the happiness and pure joy in heaven, just as our first ancestors once experienced in the Gardens of Eden before the day of mankind’s fall into sin.

Death is the consequence of our disobedience, namely our sins, which have sundered us all from the love and grace of God, and because we were sundered from the Lord and Master of life, then we tasted the bitterness of suffering and death in this world. In the Book of Genesis we heard the Lord Himself spoke to Adam and Eve, that as they were born from the dust, they would return to dust again.

This is the mortal death that all of us mortals have to encounter at the end of our earthly lives, when the time came for us and our earthly existence is at its end, and many of us mankind feared death, because we see it as the end of the way, the end of our earthly existence, and separation from all the good things we have in this world. Thus from different peoples and cultures, we see how many people feared death and its unavoidable grip on us, and how we were often obsessed with trying to prolong our own lives.

And today, in the Gospel, Jesus showed all of us, what is meant by truly living, and what the faithful will receive if they keep their faith in Him. He raised from the dead the daughter of the synagogue official, because of his strong faith, placing all of his trust in Jesus, knowing that He could heal her, and brought her from the dead too if He wanted to, just as at the time when Jesus raised Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha from the dead.

What did Jesus told them on that day? He told them that, He is the Life and the Resurrection, and all who believe in Him and place their trust in Him shall not die but have eternal life. It is His right to give and take life from us mortals, and to all those whom He is pleased with, He shall give His life, eternal life filled with perfect joy and happiness, which is what was originally intended for us before we fell into sin.

They doubted at first, and the same happened with all the people who were gathered at the house of the synagogue official, all weeping and wailing loudly, because the girl had died. They thought that she had been lost forever, and they did not believe in Jesus, laughing at Him when He said to them that she was just asleep. Thus, He cast them out of the place because of their unbelief, and raised the girl back to life.

Just as the raising of Lazarus from the dead, this is a foretaste of our own resurrection. Remember what we have heard from Jesus, that the girl was just asleep and not dead? And if we notice that in the Canon of the Mass, after the Consecration and elevation of the Bread and the Wine to be the Most Precious Body and Blood of our Lord, we heard the priest saying, ‘Remember our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep before us…’, then we would see that death is not something to be feared, and it is not lasting, if we truly are faithful to the Lord.

Death is not an end, but in fact is just a transition, from our worldly and earthly life, in this imperfect and sinful world, tainted since the entry of sin into our hearts. It is a transition to the new life which our Lord Jesus Christ has promised all of us, that all those who believe in Him and live righteously according to the will of God, will receive this life everlasting, a life with God, filled with the fullness of God’s love and grace.

And what is the key to all this? Faith, and also hope, and also love, the three cardinal and most important virtues we ought to have. And faith is what the woman with bleeding had, trusting so much in the power and authority of Jesus, that she believed that even by just touching the edges of His cloak, she would be healed. And by her faith she was healed.

The same goes too for the synagogue official, whose faith we have discussed earlier, and many others whose faith Jesus had praised throughout the Gospels, namely the Syro-Phoenician woman, the army captain who said that ‘I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my servant shall be healed.’ And many other examples, which shows how the faith of these people in Jesus, in our Lord, had brought about salvation to them.

Jesus offered this freely for them, when He died on the cross. By dying on the cross for us, and through all of His suffering, He had borne our sins upon Himself, all the punishment and suffering due for us, which should have been our fate. Indeed, we ought to fear death initially because of our sins, so heinous and evil before God, that the punishment must have been severe and unimaginable, but Jesus took all that upon Himself, and He died for all, even for those who were hostile to Him.

But as long as we refuse to accept His salvation, then this salvation does not come to us and it remains outside of our reach. Faith is how we come to receive this salvation, by believing that Jesus is our Lord and God, and then knowing that we have hope in Him. Yes, we ought to hope in the resurrection, and we know that we will have it if we love Him, and if we have love in us.

Why do we fear death so much? That is because we are by our nature selfish, and we love only ourselves, and the things that make us happy. But this happiness is just temporary and it does not last beyond death. For all the wealth, things and other worldly goods we accumulate and gain in our lives, none of this will be brought with us when we go to the world that is to come.

Remember that Jesus said to His disciples and to the people for them to build not treasures that can be destroyed and perish? But rather to build up for themselves the eternal and true treasures of heaven? What is this treasure? The love of God, and the love which is inside us, the hope we have for His resurrection and the eternal life He had promised all who have faith in Him.

So what do we all ought to bring home today from these readings which we have heard? It is for us to have true and genuine faith in the Lord Jesus, our hope and our salvation. To have faith does not mean for us just to say prayers and to say before others that we believe in Him. For we know that our faith is dead as long as we do not have action based on that faith.

If the woman with bleeding just had the faith but did not have the courage to go and approach Jesus through the crowd, her problem would remain with her and no healing would have taken place. If she did not have the courage to admit what she had done, touching the hem of Jesus’ cloak, then what she had done would not be known to us either. And what is the action we all need? Love, my brethren, it is love that we need.

Love our God with all of our heart’s strength, with all of our minds and our fullest attention, and then show the same love to our brethren, our neighbours, to all others who are around us. Our true treasures do not lie in the wealth and possessions in this world, which although they may be good to have, but they do not bring us true happiness. True happiness lies in knowing that we love one another, and God loves us all too because He sees the love that is in us, and therefore we are worthy of the eternal life He had promised all of us who have faith in Him.

Let us all therefore pray, brothers and sisters, that our faith in the Lord will be ever strengthened, that we will always put our trust in He who is the Lord of all, the Lord over life and death. Let us throw away our selfishness and our desire, for all the worldly things that keep us apart from the Lord. Let us be able to move our hands and limbs to love one another, sharing the faith which we have, and so that together, at the end, our Lord will gather us all back together once again to enjoy once again the goodness which He had intended for us from the beginning.

We do not need to fear death anymore for it is a new beginning for us, for an eternal life of joy with God. His life is in us and we rejoice because of this. May God bless us all and be with us, now and forever. Amen.

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Sunday, 28 June 2015 : Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

Mark 5 : 21-43

At that time, Jesus crossed to the other side of the lake, and while He was still on the shore, a large crowd gathered around Him. Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and, seeing Jesus, threw himself at His feet, and begged Him earnestly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may get well and live.”

Jesus went with him, and many people followed, pressing from every side. Among the crowd was a woman, who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a lot at the hands of many doctors, and had spent everything she had, but instead of getting better, she was worse.

Because she had heard about Jesus, this woman came up behind Him and touched His cloak, thinking, “If I just touch His clothing, I shall get well.” Her flow of blood dried up at once, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her complaint.

But Jesus was conscious that healing power had gone out from Him, so He turned around in the crowd, and asked, “Who touched My clothes?” His disciples answered, “You see how the people are crowding around You. Why do You ask who touched You?”

But He kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, aware of what had happened, came forward trembling and afraid. She knelt before Him, and told Him the whole truth. Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, Your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be free of this illness.”

While Jesus was still speaking, some people arrived from the official’s house to inform him, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?” But Jesus ignored what they said, and told the official, “Do not fear, just believe.” And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus entered, and said to them, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” They laughed at Him. So Jesus sent them outside, and went with the child’s father and mother and His companions into the room, where the child lay.

Taking her by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kumi!” which means, “Little girl, get up!” The girl got up at once and began to walk around. She was twelve years old. The parents were amazed, greatly amazed. Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it; and He told them to give her something to eat.

Alternative reading (shorter version)

Mark 5 : 21-24, 35b-43

At that time, Jesus crossed to the other side of the lake, and while He was still on the shore, a large crowd gathered around Him. Jairus, an official of the synagogue, came up and, seeing Jesus, threw himself at His feet, and begged Him earnestly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may get well and live.” Jesus went with him, and many people followed, pressing from every side.

Some people arrived from the official’s house to inform him, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Master any further?” But Jesus ignored what they said, and told the official, “Do not fear, just believe.” And He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter, James and John, the brother of James.

When they arrived at the house, Jesus saw a great commotion, with people weeping and wailing loudly. Jesus entered, and said to them, “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child is not dead, but asleep.” They laughed at Him. So Jesus sent them outside, and went with the child’s father and mother and His companions into the room, where the child lay.

Taking her by the hand, He said to her, “Talitha kumi!” which means, “Little girl, get up!” The girl got up at once and began to walk around. She was twelve years old. The parents were amazed, greatly amazed. Jesus strictly ordered them not to let anyone know about it; and He told them to give her something to eat.

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Sunday, 28 June 2015 : Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green

2 Corinthians 8 : 7, 9, 13-15

You excel in everything : in the gifts of faith, speech and knowledge; you feel concern for every cause and, besides, you are first in my heart. Excel also in this generous service.

You know well the generosity of Christ Jesus, our Lord. Although He was rich, He made Himself poor to make you rich through His poverty. I do not mean that others should be at ease and you burdened. Strive for equality; at present give from your abundance what they are short of, and in some way they also will give from their abundance what you lack.

Then you will be equal and what the Scripture says shall come true : ‘To the one who had much, nothing was in excess; to the one who had little, nothing was lacking.’