holy martyrs

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Friday, 11 April 2025 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

John 10 : 31-42

At that time, the Jews then picked up stones to throw at Jesus; so He said, “I have openly done many good works among you, which the Father gave Me to do. For which of these do you stone Me?”

The Jews answered, “We are not stoning You for doing a good work, but for insulting God; You are only a Man, and You make Yourself God.” Then Jesus replied, “Is this not written in your law : I said, you are gods? So those who received this word of God were called gods, and the Scripture is always true.”

“What then should be said of the One anointed, and sent into the world, by the Father? Am I insulting God when I say, ‘I am the Son of God?’ If I am not doing the works of My Father, do not believe Me. But if I do them, even if you have no faith in Me, believe because of the works I do; and know that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

Again they tried to arrest Him, but Jesus escaped from their hands. He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John had baptised, and there He stayed. Many people came to Jesus, and said, “John worked no miracles, but he spoke about You, and everything he said was true.” And many became believers in that place.

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Friday, 11 April 2025 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 17 : 2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7

I love You, o Lord, my Strength, the Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer and my God.

He is the Rock in Whom I take refuge. He is my Shield, my powerful Saviour, my Stronghold. I call on the Lord, Who is worthy of praise : He saves me from my enemies!

A deadly flood surrounded me, devillish torrents rushed at me; caught by the cords of the grave, I was brought to the snares of death.

But I called upon the Lord in my distress, I cried to my God for help; and from His Temple He heard my voice, my cry of grief reached His ears.

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Friday, 11 April 2025 : 5th Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Jeremiah 20 : 10-13

I hear many people whispering, “Terror is all around! Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!” All my friends watch me to see if I will slip : “Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say; “then we can get the better of him and have our revenge.”

But YHVH, a mighty Warrior, is with me. My persecutors will stumble and not prevail; that failure will be their shame and their disgrace will never be forgotten. YHVH, God of hosts, You test the just and probe the heart and mind.

Let me see Your revenge on them, for to You I have entrusted my cause. Sing to YHVH! Praise YHVH and say : He has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked!

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Friday, 7 March 2025 : Friday after Ash Wednesday, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through the season of Lent, this time of repentance and reorientation of our lives, we are all reminded that everything which we are doing during this time and season of Lent should always be focused on the Lord, our Saviour and Master. We should not allow ourselves to be deluded and misguided by the temptations of worldly glory, pleasures, or other pursuits and ambitions which can lead us into the wrong paths in life. This Lent we are all called to turn away from our many worldly attachments and distractions, as well as coming closer to the Lord by our deepening of this relationship which we ought to have for Him. Each and every one of us should seek to rend ourselves off the various shackles of worldly desires present around us, and come to the Lord with a sorrowful and contrite heart.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Isaiah, we heard of the words of the Lord to His people, the Israelites through Isaiah in which He called on all of them to turn towards Him with genuine faith and desire to love Him, and not merely paying lip service to Him and obeying His Law and commandments out of formality and mere outward observance only. The Lord pointed out how some of the people were doing exactly this, contradicting their own pious practices with other things that were not in accordance to His Law and commandments. The Lord quoted some examples how the people observed the fasting and the festivals, and yet, as they put ashes on their heads and wearing their sackcloth as they fast, they still persecuted and oppressed others around them, manipulating and benefitting over the sufferings of their fellow brethren.

All of those things meant that those people had not truly understood the Law and commandments of God. They fulfilled the requirements of the Law more as formality and perhaps even out of fear for the Lord, but not because they truly desired to seek Him or to follow His path wholeheartedly as they all ought to have done. That is why the Lord reminded all of His people through Isaiah, who wanted to tell them all to turn away from this wicked path, and embrace once again wholeheartedly and meaningfully the path that He has shown them, and which He has helped and reminded them constantly through the many prophets that He had sent to them including that of Isaiah himself. God wanted all of His people, and this is a reminder to all of us as well, that we must truly be sincere in our faith and all the practices we do, especially during this time and season of Lent, that we do not end up being hypocrites, believing in one thing and yet doing something entirely contradictory and opposite on the other.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to the disciples of St. John the Baptist who came up to Him to question why He and His disciples did not practice fasting in the manner that the disciples of St. John the Baptist themselves and the Pharisees had done. Unfortunately, especially for the latter group, many of them did the practice of fasting and other pious practices not for the right purpose and intention, but rather to seek attention and praise from others around them. At the same time, the Lord also used this opportunity to reveal and highlight the truth about Himself and His mission, how He, the Lord God Himself descending into our midst in the flesh and form of Man, being in our presence is no circumstance for His disciples and followers to fast.

Ultimately, this is a reminder for all of us that fasting and abstinence are practices that serve to remind us all of our sin and mortality, our rebellion and disobedience against God. When we fast, we also in a way mourn and show our regret and sorrow against our separation from God, reflecting upon the sad reality of the state of our soul, tainted and corrupted by sin and evil. And yet, at the same time, we must always remind ourselves that God has provided us His help and love, His kindness and grace, offering us all generous forgiveness and mercy. We must not squander these opportunities that God had given us all, as He reached out patiently towards us, gathering us all and calling on us to come into His Holy Presence once again, to be loved by Him again and reunited with Him.

Today, all of us are called to repent from our sins and wickedness as we continue our progress through this penitential season and time of Lent. We are called to reevaluate our path in life, and whether we have truly lived our lives worthily in the Lord or whether we are still being wayward in disobeying the Lord and His commandments. This is why we need to heed the words of the Lord that we have listened to and discussed today so that our Lenten season and whatever we are doing to observe it can be truly beneficial and fruitful for us. We must not do those observances and actions without truly understanding their significance and importance, and whenever we fast, abstain, spending our time in prayer and performing acts of charity, we should do them because we sincerely desire to better ourselves and to come back towards the Lord with contrite hearts.

Today, the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, two holy and devout women whose martyrdom during the era of persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire inspired many of the faithful throughout history. St. Perpetua was a Roman noblewoman who was recently married at the time of her martyrdom while St. Felicity was a slavewoman, who was arrested and imprisoned together with St. Perpetua during one of the episodes of persecution of Christians in the Empire. Despite their different backgrounds, both were united in the common faith they had in the Lord, in their belief in Christ, the Saviour of all. They refused to abandon their faith, and for St. Perpetua, she refused her father’s desire that she recant her faith in God. Eventually both of them were put to death for their faith in the Lord, courageously defending their faith to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we reflect upon these words from the Sacred Scriptures and upon listening to the examples of the great saints, St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, let us all hence renew our commitments to the Lord, and renew that desire in each and every one of us to seek the Lord ever more wholeheartedly, by our exemplary living and deeds, by our obedience to the Law and commandments of God. The Lord has given us this time of Lent as the wonderful opportunity for us to embrace Him and His mercy, to reevaluate our lives and to reattune ourselves to His path. Let us all not squander these opportunities that He has given us, and let us all seek the Lord faithfully, being good role models for everyone around us, much as our holy predecessors, like that of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity had been for us.

May the Lord continue to bless us in our journey of life and strengthen us in our faith and commitment to Him, and bless our Lenten practices and observances so that through them, we may draw ever closer to Him and find the path to His Holy Presence, and remain ever firm in our desire to love and seek Him always in our lives. Amen.

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Friday, 7 March 2025 : Friday after Ash Wednesday, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 9 : 14-15

At that time, the disciples of John came to Jesus with the question, “How is it, that we and the Pharisees fast on many occasions, but not Your disciples?”

Jesus answered them, “How can you expect wedding guests to mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The time will come, when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then, they will fast.”

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Friday, 7 March 2025 : Friday after Ash Wednesday, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 50 : 3-4, 5-6a, 18-19

Have mercy on me, o God, in Your love. In Your great compassion blot out my sin. Wash me thoroughly of my guilt; cleanse me of evil.

For I acknowledge my wrongdoings and have my sins ever in mind. Against You alone, have I sinned.

You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, You would not delight in it. O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart, You will not despise.

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Friday, 7 March 2025 : Friday after Ash Wednesday, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 58 : 1-9a

Cry out aloud for all you are worth; raise your voice like a trumpet blast; tell My people of their offences, Jacob’s family of their sins. Is it true that they seek Me day after day, longing to know My ways, as a people that does what is right and has not forsaken the word of its God?

They want to know the just laws and not to drift away from their God. “Why are we fasting?,” they complain, “and You do not even see it? We are doing penance and You never notice it.” Look, on your fast days you push your trade and you oppress your labourers. Yes, you fast but end up quarrelling, striking each other with wicked blows. Fasting as you do will not make your voice heard on high.

Is that the kind of fast that pleases Me, just a day to humble oneself? Is fasting merely bowing down one’s head, and making use of sackcloth and ashes? Would you call that fasting, a day acceptable to YHVH? See the fast that pleases Me : breaking the fetters of injustice and unfastening the thongs of the yoke, setting the oppressed free and breaking every yoke.

Fast by sharing your food with the hungry, bring to your house the homeless, clothe the one you see naked and do not turn away from your own kin. Then will your light break forth as the dawn and your healing come in a flash. Your righteousness will be your vanguard, the glory of YHVH your rearguard. Then you will call and YHVH will answer, you will cry and He will say, I am here.

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Thursday, 6 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki 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 Sacred Scriptures, we are all reminded of the mission and vocation that each and every one of us as Christians, as God’s holy people, as His disciples and followers had been entrusted with. All of us have been given the various responsibilities, missions and all the things that we are supposed to do in our world today, amongst our communities and our circles of friends, families and to everyone whom we encounter daily in life. We should keep in mind how blessed and fortunate all of us have been, to be beloved and taken care of by the Lord, Who has patiently kept His attention on us, in His persistent and patient love for us, despite our frequent disobedience and rebelliousness, that He still always provide us the path and the assurance to return to Him, so that we may be forgiven from our sins and be truly reconciled with Him.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle to the Hebrews, we heard of the words of the author recounting the events of the moment when the Israelites, the ancestors of the Jewish community to whom he was addressing in this Epistle, encountered the Lord at the moment of their time in Mount Sinai, the Mountain of God. The author recounted the events that happened and how terrifying signs and wonders occurred on that day, with great thunder and loud sounds, as the glory of God descended to the mountain, to the people that He has chosen and loved. Yet, the author also reminded the people of the reality of just how fortunate all of them had been because God had come into their midst and how they all have been called to share in the glorious inheritance that He had intended for all of them.

Therefore, at the same time, the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews reminded the faithful among the Jewish community about the greatness of God and why they ought to worship Him as their one and only God, and at the same time also highlighting how God, despite being great beyond compare and transcendent, Almighty and all-glorious, but He also loves all of His children equally, wanting all of them to share in His love, and He has called on all of them to come to Him, to share in the joy of their loving Father, Who created them out of love, and Who showed them how they could return to Him through all the guidance and help that He has provided to them. God reminded His people therefore through this Epistle that He has made Himself available top us, and He did this especially through none other than His own only Begotten Son, Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples on mission, in pairs as He gave them the commandment to carry out the works He entrusted to them, giving them the power and authority to heal the sick and perform various miracles, casting out demons and doing many other good works that He has tasked them all to do, to spread forth and expand ever further the reach of God’s love and care for His people, His beloved ones. And this is yet another reminder for us of the great love which God has for each and every one of us, showing us just how generous He has been in caring for us and in His desire to see us liberated from the tyranny of sin and death, offering us all freely His salvation through His Son, Our Lord and Saviour.

And through what we heard in our Gospel passage today, we are being reminded of the important missions which God has entrusted to all of us in His Church. The works of the Church and the missions initiated by the Apostles and the disciples of the Lord back then were still far from over, as each and every day, there are ever more opportunities and places, times and moments when there are more and more souls in need of the knowledge of God and His salvation. Many are also still enslaved by the power of sin and darkness, and unless we do something, many of our fellow brothers and sisters will succumb to the darkness and may slip away from the Lord towards eternal damnation. And this is not what we should allow to happen, as long as we can do something to prevent that.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Paul Miki and his companions, also known as the Holy Martyrs of Japan or the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Nagasaki. St. Paul Miki himself was a Japanese layman who was born to a rich and noble family. He and his family, like many Japanese of that time, especially in the region of Nagasaki and Kyushu, converted to the Christian faith due to the efforts and hard work of the Jesuit missionaries, who laboured hard and spent a lot of time preaching about the Good News of God to the Japanese. It was told that about three hundred thousand or so Christians, both among the commonsfolk and the nobility existed at that time in Japan, and many more were converting to the faith. St. Paul Miki himself joined the Jesuits or the Society of Jesus after his conversion, and afterwards worked in evangelising his fellow Japanese, gaining many more converts to the Church.

It was at that time that the then de facto ruler of Japan, the Kampaku or Regent, Hideyoshi Toyotomi, who began to fear the influence that Christianity and its apparent supporters, the Western powers like Spain and Portugal, had on Japan, and therefore, began to implement edicts and orders to restrain the spread of the Christian faith, as well as persecuting those who have converted to Christianity, including also the missionaries, both the foreign and local missionaries alike. Many Christians were forced to abandon their faith in the Lord on the pain of persecution and torture, and while some gave in to the temptations and pressures, many others refused to give up their faith and chose to suffer and die for the Lord and for their faith in Him.

In the case of St. Paul Miki, he and other missionaries and Christian converts were arrested and tortured, and after they had been sentenced to death in Kyoto, the then capital of Japan, for refusing to give in to their faith, it was famously told that they were forced to march almost a thousand kilometres from Kyoto to the city of Nagasaki, the place of their martyrdom. While they were marching, tortured and persecuted, they continued to hold up their faith in God confidently, singing the Te Deum, the glorious hymn praising and glorifying God as they went on the journey towards their martyrdom. St. Paul Miki and his companions in martyrdom, all the twenty-six of them were crucified at the hill overlooking the city of Nagasaki, where their shrine now stands today.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore continue to keep in mind God’s great love for us, and hence, show our appreciation and gratitude through our own strong and genuine faith, one that is inspired by the great faith and dedication of the holy saints, our predecessors, particularly those of St. Paul Miki and his companions in holy martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Japan. Let us all continue to follow in their footsteps in glorifying God, in proclaiming Him before everyone we encounter in life by living our lives most worthily as Christians, in all circumstances, making great use of every opportunities that God has provided to us. May God be with us always and may He bless each and every one of us, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Thursday, 6 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 7-13

At that time, Jesus called the Twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, giving them authority over evil spirits, and He ordered them to take nothing for the journey, except a staff : no food, no bag, no money on their belts. They were to wear sandals and were not to take an extra tunic.

And He added, “In whatever house you are welcomed, stay there until you leave the place. If any place does not receive you, and the people refuse to listen to you, leave after shaking the dust off your feet. It will be a testimony against them.”

So they set out to proclaim that this was the time to repent. They drove out many demons and healed many sick people by anointing them.

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Thursday, 6 February 2025 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 47 : 2-3ab, 3cd-4, 9, 10-11

Great is YHVH, most worthy of praise in the City of God, His holy mountain. Beautifully elevated, it is the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion, heavenly mountain, the City of the great King. Here, within her lines of defence, God has shown Himself to be a sure fortress.

As we have heard, so have we seen, in the City of YHVH of hosts, in the City of Our God, the City God founded forever.

Let us recall Your unfailing love, o God, inside Your Temple. Let Your praise, as does Your Name, o God, reach to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is ever victorious.