holy martyrs

by

Saturday, 22 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, and St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (Psalm)

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

Psalm 88 : 4-5, 29-30, 31-32, 33-34

I have made a Covenant with David, My chosen one; I have made a pledge to My servant. I establish his descendants forever; I build his throne for all generations.

I will keep My Covenant firm forever, and My love for him will endure. His dynasty will last forever; and his throne, as long as the heavens.

If his sons forsake My law and fail to follow My decrees, if they violate My statutes and do not keep My commandments.

I will punish their crime with the rod, and their offences, with the scourge; yet, I will not withdraw My love from him, nor will I withdraw My faithfulness.

by

Saturday, 22 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop, and St. John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Thomas More, Martyr (First Reading)

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

2 Chronicles 24 : 17-25

After the death of Jehoiada, the officials of Judah came to pay court to the king, and the king now turned to them for advice. The Judaeans abandoned the house of YHVH, the God of their ancestors, and worshipped the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He sent them prophets to bring them back to YHVH, but when the prophets spoke, they would not listen.

The Spirit of God took control of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said, “God says this : Why are you disobeying the commandments of YHVH? You cannot prosper. You have abandoned YHVH and He will abandon you.”

They then plotted against him and, by order of the king, stoned him in the court of YHVH’s house. King Joash forgot the kindness of Jehoiada, the father of Zechariah, and killed Jehoiada’s son who cried out as he died, “Let YHVH see and do justice!” When a year had gone by, the Aramaean army made war on Joash. They reached Judah and Jerusalem, and killed all the officials among the people, sending back to the king of Damascus all that they had plundered from them.

Though the Aramaean army was small, YHVH delivered into its power an army of great size, for they had abandoned Him, the God of their ancestors. The Aramaeans wounded Joash and when they withdrew they left him a very sick man; and his officers, plotting against him to avenge the death of the son of Jehoiada the priest, murdered him in his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, though not in the tombs of the king.

by

Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today all of us heard from the Sacred Scriptures of the need for each and every one of us to listen to the Lord and embrace God’s calling in our lives. Each and every one of us have been given the mission and the various responsibilities depending on what the Lord had led us through, the paths He has shown us into, and everything that He has presented to us. The Lord has called us all to go forth to the people of all the nations, to proclaim His truth and love, His Good News and salvation, to bring more and more people ever closer to Him and to embrace all of us once again, delivering us from the destruction and darkness due to our sins.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Second Book of Kings of Israel and Judah, of the moment when the prophet Elijah, who had spent a long time in arduous works among the people of the northern kingdom of Israel, was taken up into Heaven on a great flaming chariot, and then Elisha began his own ministry as the successor of Elijah among the Israelites. We heard how Elijah and Elisha obeyed God’s call and commands, and how God worked His miracles and signs through those two great prophets, if we were to read the rest of the story of their works in the Book of Kings and elsewhere. God had called them to do His will, and they dedicated themselves wholeheartedly and completely to His cause.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the words of the Lord Jesus to His disciples from the Gospel of St. Matthew regarding how they should not make a show of their faith and piety, to seek fame and glory for the good and faithful things they carried out, or else, they might be tempted by the temptations of pride and ego, of desires, greed and ambition, all of which might mislead them into the path of evil and sin. This is why each and every one of us are reminded today to keep away from these temptations and to remind ourselves that everything that we say and do, we should always centre and focus them upon the Lord, lest we may be swayed and tempted to think that everything are due to our own greatness and power.

As Christians, it is imperative that our lives are always centred and focused on the Lord, and that in everything that we say and do, we will always obey God’s will, His Law and commandments. The prophets like Elijah and Elisha, and the disciples of the Lord all have given us great examples of how they all did everything for the greater glory of God, and truly have great and genuine faith in the Lord, and not merely making appearances or show of faith. All of us therefore should do the same as well in our own lives. We should always remind ourselves that we exist for the Lord, and everything we carry out in life should always be pleasing to Him, and in accordance with His will.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Philip Minh and his companions in holy martyrdom, recalling all their great deeds and works, and all their faith and perseverance amidst the many trials and challenges that they would have to endure in the midst of their respective lives and ministries, living at a time when being a Christian can truly be dangerous and life-threatening. They were all living, ministering and working in the region of Vietnam during the past two and three centuries when the then government was hostile to the Christian faith and teachings, and saw the efforts and works of Christian missionaries with great suspicion and hostility.

St. Philip Minh himself was born in Vietnam and went on to be formed as a seminarian at the College General in Penang for a number of years before being ordained as a Catholic priest and returning to Vietnam to proclaim the Good News and salvation in God to his fellow countrymen. Together with other, mostly French missionaries from the same congregation he belonged to, the Paris Foreign Missions Society or the M.E.P., their works and ministry managed to spread the Christian faith and truth to more and more people, but this was met with great hostility and opposition, oppressions and persecutions from the government that viewed the missionaries and the Christian faith as dangerous foreign influences.

Thus, St. Philip Minh and the other missionaries faced a lot of hardships throughout their ministry, facing challenges one after another, obstacles and eventually arrest and tortures, which the authorities placed upon the local Christians to force them to recant their faith, and to punish the foreign missionaries and the local priests alike for having preached the Gospels and the Christian teachings in Vietnam. But none of these could dissuade or discourage the faithful and courageous missionaries and servants of God, who continued to labour hard for the sake of the Lord, and remained faithful to the very end. St. Philip Minh himself was beheaded for his faith in the Lord, along with his many companions in martyrdom, throughout the difficult decades and centuries when Christianity was harshly persecuted, but their examples and faith continued to inspire many throughout history.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, through the examples and inspirations from the great life and works of our holy predecessors, the prophets Elijah and Elisha, as well as the great and holy martyrs, St. Philip Minh and his companions in martyrdom, the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, let us all therefore as the holy and beloved children of God, as His disciples and followers, continue to strive and do our best in our respective lives to do what we can to glorify the Lord by our lives, and to put Him first and foremost in all things, and to carry out His will and commands in our world today, in whatever that He has called us to do, and whatever He has entrusted to us. May the Lord continue to bless us in everything we say and do, and be with us all His Church, now and always. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Matthew 6 : 1-6, 16-18

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “Be careful not to make a show of your righteousness before people. If you do so, you do not gain anything from your Father in heaven. When you give something to the poor, do not have it trumpeted before you, as do those who want to be seen in the synagogues and in the streets, in order to be praised by the people. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.”

“If you give something to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your gift remains really secret. Your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not be like those who want to be seen. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues or on street corners to be seen by everyone. I assure you, they have already been paid in full.”

“When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father Who is with you in secret; and your Father Who sees what is kept secret will reward you. When you fast, do not put on a miserable face as do the hypocrites. They put on a gloomy face, so that people can see they are fasting. I tell you this : they have already been paid in full.”

“When you fast, wash your face and make yourself look cheerful, because you are not fasting for appearances or for people, but for your Father Who sees beyond appearances. And your Father, Who sees what is kept secret, will reward you.”

by

Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 30 : 20, 21, 24

How great is the goodness which You have stored for those who fear You, which You show, for all to see, in those who take refuge in You!

In the shelter of Your presence You hide them from human wiles; You keep them in Your dwelling, safe from the intrigues of wagging tongues.

Love the Lord, all you His saints! The Lord preserves His faithful, but He fully requites the arrogant.

by

Wednesday, 19 June 2024 : 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Philip Minh, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Kings 2 : 1, 6-14

YHVH took Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind. It happened this way : Elijah and Elisha had left Gilgal, and Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, I beg you, for YHVH is only sending me to the Jordan.” But Elisha answered, “I swear by YHVH and by your life that I will never leave you.” And as they went on their way, fifty fellow prophets of Jericho followed them at a certain distance.

When Elijah and Elisha stood by the Jordan, Elijah took his mantle, rolled it, and struck the water with it. The water parted to both sides and they crossed over on dry ground. After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “What shall I do for you before I am taken away from you? Ask me.”

Elisha said, “May I receive a double portion of your spirit.” Elijah answered, “Your request is most difficult. Yet if you see me while I am being taken from you, then you shall have it. But if not, you shall not have it.”

As they were talking on the way, a chariot of fire with horses of fire stood between them, and Elijah was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw him and cried out, “Father, my father, chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” When Elisha lost sight of him, he took hold of his own clothes and tore them. He then picked up the mantle which had fallen from Elijah and returned to the banks of the Jordan.

He took the cloak that had fallen off Elijah, hit the water with it, and asked, “Where is the YHVH, the God of Elijah?” When he hit the water again, it divided and Elisha crossed over.

by

Wednesday, 5 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures we are all reminded that we are God’s holy and beloved people, and we often may have to endure sufferings and hardships, one after another in the midst of our journey of faith as Christians, as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own people. All of us must always remain firm in our faith in the Lord and we must strive to focus our lives and existences on Him, He Who is the Lord and Master of all of our lives, the Lord and Master of all the living and the dead, the Master of all the Universe. We are all called as Christians to be the bearers of God’s truth and love, and to live lives that are truly good, righteous and worthy of the Lord at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy in which the Apostle spoke of the reminder for all the faithful through St. Timothy, that all Christians, all of God’s faithful and holy people ought to do their best to stand up for their faith in the Lord, to be ever more committed to walk in the path of God’s righteousness and love. Each and every one of us have been given the various gifts and talents, the opportunities and chances by the Lord for us to reach out to our fellow brothers and sisters, to all those whom we encounter in our every day moments, so that by our interactions with them, and through our commitment to the Lord, our pious and faithful lives, we may inspire many others to believe in God as well and to embrace Him as their Lord and Master.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel of St. Mark in which the Lord Jesus was confronted with a group of the Sadducees who wanted to question and test Him with regards to their beliefs especially that related to the concept of resurrection from the dead. The Sadducees were one of the major and powerful groups that dominated the then Jewish community, composed of those who belonged to the high priestly and priestly caste, the Temple officials and others who were influential and powerful within the community of the people of God. Those Sadducees also represent all those members of the Jewish community who were largely Hellenised or influenced strongly by the Greek culture and customs. This is contrasted to the Pharisees who were the guardians of the Jewish culture and customs.

As the Sadducees were deeply entrenched in the worldly power, politics and hegemony, and as they enjoyed great prestige, position and power among the people of God, hence it is no surprise that they would have been very worldly in their outlook in life, in their beliefs and practices. They did not believe in the afterlife or the resurrection from the dead mostly because they revelled so much in the life they had in this world, all the glory, power and pleasures that they could not imagine an existence or life without all those things and privileges which they had enjoyed in life in this world. That was why they did not believe in the spiritual matters and life beyond this world, as they focused mainly on living their lives in this world and enjoying everything as best as they could.

But in doing so, they have not done as the Lord had entrusted to them to do. They being the leaders and influential members of the Jewish community, they should have become great sources of inspiration and leadership, as role models for all the people to follow, in how they embody their faith in God and the Law and commandments of God. And yet, by their worldliness and their embracing of the corrupt practices of the world, their love for money, wealth and prestige, all these made them to forget about their missions and what they were expected to do. In the end, they were all the examples of how we must always resist the many temptations and coercions, the desires for pleasures of the world that are always all around us.

Each and every one of us must indeed heed the words of the Lord reminding us that we are called to greater existence and holiness in life, to focus on Him and His truth, and not on the many desires and attachments of worldly things, all of which cannot truly grant us true and genuine happiness in life, and as well as in the life that is to come. The Sadducees in our Gospel passage today tested the Lord with the case of the seven brothers who shared a woman as a wife when each one of them passed away one after another without having any child, and this showed that their understanding of the Law and its precepts were superficial and they were driven a lot more by their desires and attachments to this world.

As Christians we must always remember that all of us must always live our lives centred and focused on the Lord in all things. We cannot serve God and worldly desires and temptations both, as the Lord Himself had said in another occasion in the Gospels. We must always strive that our every actions, words and deeds are rooted in the Lord, and we ought to resist whatever it is that may become hurdles and obstacles in our path towards God and His salvation. Otherwise, we may easily be swayed and tempted away from God’s path and fall into the slippery slope of sin, just as those Sadducees and many others of our predecessors had experienced. The temptations, coercions and pressures for us to succumb to sin are always aplenty, and if we are not careful, we may easily lose our path and fall into it.

Today the Church also celebrates the Feast of St. Boniface, a great missionary and bishop who was crucial in his missionary efforts and works in the land of those who still adhered to pagan beliefs and customs, proclaiming the Lord to all of them and convincing many to embrace the Lord as their Master and Saviour. St. Boniface was born in England to a Christian family and was raised in the faith, eventually joining the monastic life against the wishes of his father. However St. Boniface persisted on and continued with his commitment to God, learning more about the faith and building up his experiences, eventually becoming a Christian monk and priest, and was sent as a missionary in the mainland Europe, specifically in the northern and north-western parts of Germany in the area known as Frisia, which back then was still largely pagan.

St. Boniface carried out his missions and works faithfully amidst the challenges and dangers that he had to face at the time, due to the conflicts between the Christian Frankish kingdoms and the still pagan Kingdom of Frisia. He continued his ministry and gained many conversions from among the pagans, tirelessly spending time and effort to proclaim the Lord’s Good News and His salvation to all those whom he encountered during his missionary works. According to a well-known tale, St. Boniface also performed a great miracle, in standing up against the pagans when he struck down a sacred oak that was worshipped by the pagans then, as a gust of wind miraculously helped St. Boniface to topple the great tree, and the people converted to the Christian faith when they, who had expected St. Boniface to be struck down by lightning, was unharmed, convincing them that the Lord, Whom St. Boniface had been proclaiming about, is indeed the one and only True God.

St. Boniface was also entrusted with the leadership of the newly established hierarchy and structure of the Church in the region of his works, appointed and ordained as a bishop, and he continued to labour hard and tirelessly in proclaiming the Lord. He helped to build up the Church in various places of his ministry from ground up, bringing many to the path of God’s grace and salvation. And in the midst of these efforts, work and ministry, St. Boniface was assailed by a group of robbers during one of his missionary trips in Frisia. He was attacked and killed together with his company, and thus died a martyr’s death. He was also credited with these words, which he uttered before his passing, ‘Cease fighting. Lay down your arms, for we are told in Scripture not to render evil for evil but to overcome evil by good.’ And that was how he and his companions died a martyr’s death, ever dedicated to live lives that are worthy of God to the very end.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of the life and works of St. Boniface, his commitment to God and his thorough embrace of the missions entrusted to him, and how he had lived worthily as a Christian, and having been reminded of what we must be vigilant against, all of us should strive to do what we can so that our lives may truly be holy and worthy of God, and that everyone who witnesses our works and actions may truly recognise the Lord being present in all of us. Let us all thus continue to glorify the Lord by our lives and may the Lord continue to bless us in our every good works, efforts and endeavours. Amen.

by

Wednesday, 5 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 12 : 18-27

At that time, the Sadducees also came to Jesus. Since they claim that there is no resurrection, they questioned Him in this way, “Master, in the Scriptures Moses gave us this law : if anyone dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must take the woman, and with her have a baby, who will be considered the child of his deceased brother.”

“Now, there were seven brothers. The first married a wife, but he died without leaving any children. The second took the wife, and he also died leaving no children. The same thing happened to the third. In fact, all seven brothers died, leaving no children. Last of all the women died. Now, in the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife? For all seven brothers had her as wife.”

Jesus replied, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? When they rise from the dead, men and women do not marry, but are like the Angels in heaven. Now, about the resurrection of the dead, have you never had thoughts about the burning bush in the book of Moses?”

“God said to Moses : I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He is the God not of the dead but of the living. You are totally wrong.”

by

Wednesday, 5 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 122 : 1-2a, 2bcd

To You, I lift up my eyes; to You, Whose throne is in heaven. As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master.

As the eyes of maids look to the hand of their mistress, so our eyes look to YHVH our God, till He shows us His mercy.

by

Wednesday, 5 June 2024 : 9th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

2 Timothy 1 : 1-3, 6-12

From Paul, Apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, for the sake of His promise of eternal life, in Christ Jesus, to my dear son Timothy. May grace, mercy and peace be with you, from God, the Father, and Christ Jesus Our Lord.

I give thanks to God, Whom I serve with a clear conscience, the way my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly, day and night, in my prayers. For this reason, I invite you to fan into a flame, the gift of God you received, through the laying on of my hands. For God did not confer on us a spirit of fearfulness, but of strength, love and good judgment.

Do not be ashamed of testifying to Our Lord, nor of seeing me in chains. On the contrary, do your share in labouring for the Gospel, with the strength of God. He saved us and called us – a calling which proceeds from His holiness. This did not depend on our merits, but on His generosity and His own initiative.

This calling, given to us from all time, in Christ Jesus has just been manifested with the glorious appearance of Christ Jesus, Our Lord, Who destroyed death, and brought life and immortality to light, in His Gospel. Of this message, I was made herald, Apostle and teacher.

For its sake, I now suffer this trial, but I am not ashamed, for I know in Whom I have believed, and I am convinced, that He is capable of taking care of all I have entrusted to Him, until that day.