holy martyrs

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Saturday, 13 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

John 6 : 16-21

At that time, when evening came, the disciples went down to the shore. After a while they got into a boat to make for Capernaum on the other side of the sea, for it was now dark and Jesus had not yet come to them. But the sea was getting rough because a strong wind was blowing.

They had rowed about three or four miles, when they saw Jesus walking on the sea, and He was drawing near to the boat. They were frightened, but He said to them, “It is I! Do not be afraid!” They wanted to take Him into the boat, but immediately the boat was at the shore to which they were going.

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Saturday, 13 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 32 : 1-2, 4-5, 18-19

Rejoice in the Lord, you who are just, praise is fitting for the upright. Give thanks to Him on the harp and lyre, making melody and chanting praises.

For upright is the Lord’s word and worthy of trust is His work. The Lord loves justice and righteousness; the earth is full of His kindness.

But the Lord’s eyes are upon those who fear Him, upon those who trust in His loving-kindness to deliver them from death and preserve them from famine.

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Saturday, 13 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of Pope St. Martin I, Pope and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White or Red (Martyrs)

Acts 6 : 1-7

In those days, as the number of disciples grew, the so-called Hellenists complained against the so-called Hebrews, because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

So the Twelve summoned the whole body of disciples together and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God to serve at tables. So, friends, choose from among yourselves seven respected men full of Spirit and wisdom, that we may appoint them to this task. As for us, we shall give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”

The whole community agreed and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and Holy Spirit : Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenus and Nicolaus of Antioch who was a proselyte. They presented these men to the Apostles who first prayed over them and then laid hands upon them.

The Word of God continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly and even many priests accepted the faith.

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Lord through the Sacred Scriptures, we are reminded yet again of the need for all of us as Christians, as God’s disciples and followers, to be ever ready to proclaim His truth and Good News in our world today, at every opportunities and in every circumstances and places that we have found ourselves in. This is such that by our every words, actions and deeds, by our every way of life and commitments, our efforts, we may proclaim the Risen Lord faithfully and truthfully like how our holy predecessors had done, in their tireless and ceaseless efforts and hard work, in doing God’s will and in showing the truth through their whole beings.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard of the continuation of the moment when the Apostles were arrested yet again after they continued to preach about the Risen Lord, the Saviour of all mankind, despite having been warned earlier on not to do so anymore, and despite having been arrested and made to suffer for the sake of the Risen Lord. They continued to preach courageously and fearlessly in public, in the grounds of the Temple of God in Jerusalem, where many people witnessed their good works and miracles, listening to the wisdom of God and the revelation of truth through those same Apostles, which had been revealed to them through Christ and the Holy Spirit Who had been sent to them to guide and strengthen them.

Those chief priests, the members of the Pharisees and the Sadducees that made up the Sanhedrin, or the Jewish High Council were angered at the continued persistence of the Apostles in proclaiming the Risen Lord, the same One Whom they had arrested, charged with blasphemy, surrendered to the Romans to be condemned to death on the Cross. Despite their many efforts, including spreading of fake information about what happened to the Lord’s Body and the Empty Tomb which were proofs of His Resurrection, they could not contain the truth from spreading out ever more quickly and vigorously, especially because of the great efforts and tireless works of those Apostles. They tried to threaten them, but as we heard, the Apostles led by St. Peter courageously refused to obey the demands made upon them.

They continued to proclaim the truth, and fearlessly spoke about the truth of everything that had happened, and professed as they had done before the people in Jerusalem and elsewhere, how the Risen Lord had indeed risen from the dead, and they had witnessed everything that happened, and they would not remain silent anymore, not even with the threats upon themselves and their own safety. They had been strengthened by the Lord Himself, and the Holy Spirit had given them the courage and power to carry on their ministry despite the tough challenges, trials, suffering and difficulties that they had to endure. They did not allow fear to mislead them down the path of inactivity anymore, but allowing the Lord to lead them in their path of faithfulness.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the words from the Gospel of St. John in which the words of St. John the Baptist, the one that the Lord had sent to prepare the way for the Lord, the Saviour of the world. St. John the Baptist, as the Herald of the Saviour, had spoken about Him and called upon all the people to come back to their Lord with contrite heart and the desire to be forgiven from all of their many sins and wickedness. St. John the Baptist told the people that the One Who would come after Him would come from Heaven itself, and would proclaim the salvation of God to all, and all of that would come true indeed with the coming of Christ, the Son of God Whose coming St. John the Baptist was preparing.

In his efforts and works, St. John the Baptist himself also faced a lot of hardships and struggles, as he faced the opposition and rejection even from the same Pharisees and all those who also opposed the Lord later on. He also had to face difficulties from the immoralities of the leaders of the people at the time, particularly that of King Herod, the ruler of Galilee at that time, who he criticised and rebuked for his immoral attitude, in his adulterous behaviour with his own brother’s wife Herodias, whom he had taken as his own wife despite his brother still likely being alive at the time. For that, St. John the Baptist arrested and eventually, through the mechanism and plotting of Herodias, he was martyred.

Once again, we have heard and witnessed how the servants of the Lord often faced a lot of hardships and difficulties in the conduct of their missions and ministry, and they had to endure those challenges amidst their fulfilment of the things and missions entrusted to them. Yet, they embraced those sufferings and hardships with joy as they knew that through their faith, obedience and commitment to God, they would receive their just rewards in the Lord, the promise of eternal life and glory with Him, that even though they might have to suffer persecutions and challenges, in the end, they shall all be triumphant together with the Lord. The Lord has strengthened and given them the courage to carry out their mission with faith, committing themselves wholeheartedly to God.

Today, the Church celebrates the feast of a great saint and martyr, whose life and dedication to God, and eventually whose martyrdom echoed what we have heard in our Scripture readings today regarding the sufferings, challenges and trials that we may have to face amidst our lives and ministries as faithful and devoted Christians, as disciples and followers of the Lord. St. Stanislas was a renowned Bishop in Medieval Poland, who was martyred in defence of his faith by the Polish King himself, and whose commitment to the Lord and His Church inspired many people during his life and ministry, as well as after his martyrdom. He was one of the earliest native Polish bishops, as it was just a century or so after the conversion of Poland. He worked hard and was crucial in the establishment and the strengthening of the Church and its institutions throughout Poland at that time.

He ended up in disputes with the then King of Poland, Boleslaw II, over disagreements about certain matters such as Church land and property, which according to tradition led him to miraculously resurrect a dead man who had sold the land to the Church, only for the land to be claimed by his family, so that the man could testify before the king and his court, and everyone assembled, that the land had indeed been legally and rightfully sold to the Bishop, St. Stanislas himself. Then later on, he ended up in even bigger dispute over the treatment that the King gave to his own men during his wars, and their wives which were punished for their lack of faith in their husbands. St. Stanislas disagreed with the brutal nature of the King’s punishments and treatments, and these acts among others were seen by the King as being disobedient against royal authority and undermining his power, culminating in the King personally slaying the faithful Bishop as he said the Mass, when his servants were hesitant to act.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can see very clearly how it can be challenging for us to embrace God’s path faithfully, living them with faith and dedication to Him. It can be difficult for us to follow the path of God because of all the difficulties, trials and oppressions that we may face in our journey. However, that should not discourage us from committing ourselves to the Lord, but instead it should strengthen and encourage us ever more, like how St. Stanislas and many others of our holy predecessors, the holy martyrs and saints, had done in their own lives and ministries. Let us all therefore ask them all to intercede for us so that God may bless us and strengthen us in our every good works, efforts and endeavours, all for His greater glory, now and always. Amen.

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

John 3 : 31-36

At that time, John the Baptist said, “He Who comes from above is above all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth, and his words belong to the earth. He Who comes from heaven speaks of the things He has seen and heard; He bears witness to these things, but no one accepts His testimony. Whoever does receive His testimony acknowledges the truthfulness of God.”

“The One sent by God speaks God’s words, and gives the Spirit unstintingly. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything into His hands. Whoever believes in the Son lives with eternal life; but he who will not believe in the Son will never know life, and always faces the justice of God.”

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 33 : 2 and 9, 17-18, 19-20

I will bless the Lord all my days; His praise will be ever on my lips. Oh, see and taste the goodness of the Lord! Blessed is the one who finds shelter in Him!

But His face is set against the wicked to destroy their memory from the earth. The Lord hears the cry of the righteous and rescues them from all their troubles.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the distraught. Many are the troubles of the just, but the Lord delivers them from all.

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Thursday, 11 April 2024 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Stanislas, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Acts 5 : 27-33

So the High Priest and his supporters brought the Apostles in and made them stand before the Council and the High Priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders not to preach such a Saviour; but you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend charging us with the killing of this Man.”

To this Peter and the Apostles replied, “Better for us to obey God rather than any human authority! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus Whom you killed by hanging Him on a wooden post. God set Him at His right hand as Leader and Saviour, to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses to all these things, as well as the Holy Spirit Whom God has given to those who obey Him.

When the Council heard this, they became very angry and wanted to kill them.

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Thursday, 7 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today through the readings of the Sacred Scriptures all of us are reminded that we must always be vigilant and careful lest our human pride, ego and all the temptations of worldly glory and fame, all the jealousy and the other negativities of this world may lead us astray in our path, in disobeying God and His Law and commandments, and in closing our hearts and minds against His love and kindness, His truth and Good News. We are a people who can easily be swayed by the temptations all around us, all the allures of worldly goods, which have caused so many of our predecessors and many among us to fall into the path of evil and wickedness, disobedience and corruption, and thus, falling ever deeper into the clutches of sin.

Unless we are vigilant and careful with our lives and how we live them, we may end up easily falling into this path to our damnation and destruction. This is why we should heed the message carried out in today’s Scripture readings, which the Lord has given us through the Church so that we may be reminded of our sinfulness, wickedness, evils and all the things which have separated us from the Lord, our most loving God and Father, our Creator and Master. If we allow ourselves to be swayed and tempted by those sins and wickedness, then we will have no one but ourselves to blame when we keep on falling and falling into the depth of sin and darkness, from where we may find it difficult to get out of, and which may lead us all into eternal damnation if we are not careful.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Jeremiah in which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah and indirectly to the people of God living in the then kingdom of Judah, where Jeremiah had been sent to minister to the people, that they had committed grievous sins and wicked deeds in the sight of God and men alike, and despite all the reminders, help and guidance that the Lord had given them, they had not done what the Lord has taught and shown them to do, and instead, they continued to disobey Him and refused to follow Him. They even also persecuted and made it difficult for God’s prophets and messengers to work in their midst, as they continued to persist in their rebellious attitudes and actions.

Jeremiah himself faced a lot of hardships, trials and persecutions during his time in ministering to the people of Judah, as they persecuted him and preferred to believe in the false prophets and messengers instead of in him and the message of the Lord that he has brought into their midst. He was labelled as a fear-monger and as traitor to the nation, having spoken of the disasters and the troubles that would befall both Jerusalem and Judah, all because of the sins and wickedness of the people of God there. He had to endure ridicule and rejection, and at one point, he was even almost killed, only managing to escape such fate because he still had those who sympathised with him and helped him to escape the predicament he was in.

In our Gospel passage today, we then heard from the Gospel of St. Luke in which some of the people accused the Lord of having colluded with the forces of evil amidst His performance of miracles and wonders, and in this particular moment, he was accused of colluding with Beelzebul, one of the known prince of demons. Those who accused the Lord in such way were likely the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, who frequently disagreed with the Lord Jesus in how He carried out His ministry, and in what He delivered and taught to the people of God. Back then, those Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were truly very influential and powerful, and they refused to believe or to accept the fact that their way of observing the Law could have been mistaken or flawed.

They had always observed the Law of God very strictly and paid very particular attention on the many details and rules in the Law and commandments of God. They had a very rigid interpretation of those laws and commandments, and took great pride in their knowledge and expertise in the matter, as the spiritual leaders and elders among the people of God. However, in their preoccupation and overemphasis on their way of observing the Law of God, they had forgotten the true purpose, meaning and significance of the Law, resulting in them causing many others to fall away from the Law, either because they were misled down the wrong path or because they were dissuaded by the extremely strict rules and laws that they had to obey. This also led them to oppose the Lord, and to be a great obstacle in His path, resorting even to false accusation in doing so.

The Lord pointed out the exact folly in their false accusation, that if the devil and his forces were so divided in how they operated, then they would not have gained any success at all. If the prince of demons had been called and used to cast out another demon, that would have meant that the demons are always engaged in a civil war against each other, and they would never have prevailed against anyone. Instead, the truth is that, the devil and all of his forces are always united in their purpose and desire to bring about our downfall and destruction, and it is by sowing these seeds of doubt and pride in the hearts of those who are weak in faith, that they had successfully attacked us, just as those Pharisees and teachers of the Law attacked and made the Lord’s works and ministry difficult.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the two great saints and martyrs of the Church, two holy and dedicated women whose faith and commitment to God put many people to shame, because of their undying loyalty and obedience to Him, which can and should indeed be a source of inspiration for all of us in how we ought to live up our own lives as good, faithful and dedicated Christians in all things. St. Perpetua and St. Felicity were martyred during one of the episodes of persecutions of Christians in the Roman Empire, and while they had rather different backgrounds, but they both suffered for their faith in God and died in remaining faithful to God’s Law and commandment, which then became great example and inspiration to many others.

St. Perpetua, also known as Vibia Perpetua, according to the Church tradition was a Roman noblewoman who was also a Christian convert. She was coerced by her father who desired to see her recant her newfound belief and faith in God, and she was eventually imprisoned shortly after she was baptised as a Christian. St. Felicity on the other hand was a slave who was also a Christian, who was also arrested under the same charge, as being a Christian at that time could mean great suffering and death penalty, as Christians were suspected and distrusted as those who refused to obey the Emperor or worship the pagan gods and idols that were central to the practices and customs of the Roman state at that time. Both of them were persecuted greatly and suffered a lot, and yet, they remained firm in their faith and commitment to God, to the very end.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, in remaining faithful to God and in doing what is right and just according to God’s Law and commandments. We should not allow the temptations and the wickedness of the world to dissuade and mislead us away from the right path of the Lord, and we must do our best, particularly given this appropriate time and season of Lent, to repent from our sinful past actions, our mistakes and faults, and embrace once again God’s love and kindness, His grace and compassion. May the Lord be with us throughout this journey of faith and repentance this Lenten season, and may He help and guide us always. Amen.

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Thursday, 7 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Luke 11 : 14-23

At that time, one day Jesus was driving out a demon, which was mute. When the demon had been driven out, the mute person could speak, and the people were amazed. Yet some of them said, “He drives out demons by the power of Beelzebul, the chief of the demons.” Others wanted to put Him to the test, by asking Him for a heavenly sign.

But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them, “Every nation divided by civil war is on the road to ruin, and will fall. If Satan also is divided, his empire is coming to an end. How can you say that I drive out demons by calling upon Beelzebul? If I drive them out by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive out demons? They will be your judges, then.”

“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God; would not this mean that the kingdom of God, has come upon you? As long as a man, strong and well armed, guards his house, his goods are safe. But when a stronger man attacks and overcomes him, the challenger takes away all the weapons he relied on, and disposes of his spoils.”

“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me, scatters.”

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Thursday, 7 March 2024 : 3rd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 94 : 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful sound to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him giving thanks, with music and songs of praise.

Come and worship; let us bow down, kneel before the Lord, our Maker. He is our God, and we His people; the flock He leads and pastures. Would that today you heard His voice!

Do not be stubborn, as at Meribah, in the desert, on that day at Massah, when your ancestors challenged Me, and they put Me to the test.