holy martyrs

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Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Mark 6 : 30-34

At that time, the Apostles returned and reported to Jesus all they had done and taught. Then He said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves into a remote place and have some rest.” For there were so many people coming and going that the Apostles had no time even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a secluded area by themselves.

But people saw them leaving, and many could guess where they were going. So, from all the towns, they hurried there on foot, arriving ahead of them. As Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He had compassion on them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. And He began to teach them many things.

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Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 118 : 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

How can young people remain pure? By living according to Your word.

I seek You with my whole heart; let me not stray from Your commands.

In my heart I have kept Your word, that I may not sin against my YHVH.

Praise to You, o YHVH; instruct me in Your statutes.

That, with my lips, I may declare all Your spoken decrees.

I delight in following Your laws, more so than in all riches.

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Saturday, 3 February 2024 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, and St. Ansgar, Bishop (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Bishops or Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

1 Kings 3 : 4-13

The king used to sacrifice at Gibeon, the great high place; on the altar there he had offered a thousand burnt offerings. It was in Gibeon, during the night, that YHVH appeared to Solomon in a dream and said, “Ask what you want Me to give you.”

Solomon answered, “You have shown Your servant David my father a great and steadfast love because he served You faithfully and was righteous and sincere towards You. You have given him proof of Your steadfast love in making a son of his sit on his throne this day.”

“And now, o YHVH my God, You have made Your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a young boy who does not know how to undertake anything. Meantime, Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen – a people so great that they can neither be numbered nor counted.”

“Give me, therefore, an understanding mind in governing Your people that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this multitude of people of Yours?”

YHVH was pleased that Solomon had made this request. And He told him, “Because you have requested this rather than long life or wealth or even vengeance on your enemies; indeed, because you have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I shall grant you your request. I now give you a wise and discerning mind such as no one has had before you nor anyone after you shall ever have.”

“I will also give you what you have not asked for, both wealth and fame; and no king shall be your equal during your lifetime.”

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the passages that we heard from the Sacred Scriptures remind us that each and every one of us as Christians must always be faithful to God and we must not allow ourselves to be swayed and divided by sin, evil and wickedness present all around us. It is otherwise easy for many of us to fall into the temptations of our desires and worldly pleasures, which have caused so many people to fall into the path of disobedience and ruin because of their sins against God. We may find it difficult to resist those temptations, but we need to make the effort and the push to ensure that we always remain firmly focused on the Lord and trust in His providence and strength, at all times.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the continuation of the story of King David can be heard. We have heard for the past few weeks of the story of how the prophet and Judge Samuel carried out his ministry, and how the first kings of Israel were chosen by God and ruled over the people of Israel. The first king, Saul, was chosen by the Lord after the people demanded for a king to rule over them. However, Saul did not remain faithful to the Lord, and he was tempted and swayed by worldly glory, which led him to disobey God and His commands, while following his own decisions and judgments, which led the people to sin against God, and plunging the nation into the path of evil. This was why David was chosen as the new king over the people.

In that passage, we heard of the aftermath of the time when Saul was slain during the battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa. David was acclaimed as King over Israel by the people of Judah, the tribe from which David hailed from. However, many of the other tribes of Israel chose Ishbaal, one of the sons of Saul instead. Hence, there was a kind of civil war amongst the Israelites, in which if we read more of the preceding chapters before what was shown in today’s first reading, we would know how God was with David, and eventually Ishbaal was murdered by some of his own supporters, who gave their support to David instead. In the end, all of Israel agreed to accept David as King of Israel, as highlighted in today’s passage, and he therefore assumed his rule over all the people of God.

We also heard how the Jebusites, the original inhabitants of the city of Jebus, later known as Jerusalem, mocked and ridiculed King David when he attempted to take and conquer the city. Eventually, David conquered Jerusalem and made it to be his capital, and thereafter, it becomes the centre of the Kingdom, and the spiritual centre of the Divine worship of God, as later on the Temple and House of God would be established there. God blessed David and strengthened his kingdom, allowing Israel to overcome many of its enemies which had pestered, oppressed and gave them much trouble and hardships over many years. It was also because the people of God were united and no longer divided among themselves that this golden era was possible. Later on, when the kingdom was split into the northern Israel and southern Judah halves, that golden era came to an end.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard of a related development and theme, as we heard of the teachers of the Law who accused the Lord of great sin against God and for deluding the people by colluding with the prince of demons, Beelzebul, in how He performed His miracles, casting out demons and evil spirits. This was a serious accusation made purposely to destroy the Lord’s credibility and prevent Him from continuing with His works and ministry, as the teachers of the Law were likely jealous at the immense popularity which the Lord had received at that time. Therefore, the Lord answered the accusation, pointing out the nonsense in the argument and accusation of the teachers of the Law, highlighting how it does not make sense for the demons to be in war and opposition against each other.

Linking to the example from the first reading, from the time of the civil war amongst the Israelites, and how when they were all united as one people, that allowed the period of their golden era under David and Solomon to happen, we can see that no state or organisation, when divided would have been able to stand up strong and succeed in whatever they seek to do. That division would have led to their destruction, defeat and downfall instead, just as the many historical examples of various nations and states can prove to us. Hence, the Lord rebuked all those teachers of the Law who sowed the seeds of doubt and evil among the people, which was actually an act of the evil ones, in using those teachers of the Law to try to destroy the good works of the Lord. The devil and all of his forces are always in fact, strongly united in their efforts to destroy us.

The Lord also mentioned about the unforgiveable sin against the Holy Spirit, which is a topic often highlighted in various discussions in Christian communities. It reminds us all that God is always ever generous with His mercy, kind and compassionate towards us. However, if we doubt His kindness, love and mercy, doubting His ability to heal us and to deliver us from our trials and troubles, like attributing the Lord’s work in casting out the evil spirits to the work of Beelzebul, that is indeed something which is beyond forgiveness, because it brought about doubt upon the Lord’s own authority, power and works, especially among the people of God. This is why the Lord sternly rebuked them and pointed out the folly of their ambitions, jealousy and all other actions against Him.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Vincent, Holy Martyr of the Church and Deacon, who was a truly great man of God and whose life and actions are great inspirations for all of us to follow at all times. St. Vincent was also known as St. Vincent of Saragossa or Zaragoza because he hailed from the region of Caesaraugusta, now known as Zaragoza in northeastern Spain today. He was an eloquent speaker, entrusted by the regional bishop to help him because of his impediments, in preaching to the people of God and others. When the local governor began launching an intense persecution against Christians in that area, arresting both the bishop, Valerius and St. Vincent, they were persecuted and tortured. St. Vincent refused to save his life by burning the Sacred Scriptures when such an offer was made to him.

And then, St. Vincent’s great faith and eloquence in proclaiming the truth of God angered the governor greatly, who ordered the former to be tortured with various sufferings, and eventually, in what he was well-known for, he was put on a grid-iron and tortured. Yet, St. Vincent remained firm in his faith and continued to proclaim the truth of God, even joking with his persecutors according to some tradition, when he said to them, asking them to turn him over because he was ‘done on that side’. St. Vincent eventually met his death in martyrdom, but his example of great courage and bravery, his exemplary and inspirational faith continue to become great inspiration for many Christians all throughout history.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore do our best so that we can continue to live our lives to the best of our abilities, in each and every moments throughout our every moments, in obeying God and His will. Let us all put our trust and faith in the Lord, and do what we can, so that we can continue to be good role models for one another. Let our lives shine with great faith and righteousness, with great light of God, His grace and kindness. May God bless each and every one of us, and may He bless our every good efforts and endeavours, now and always. Amen.

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Mark 3 : 22-30

At that time, the teachers of the Law, who had come from Jerusalem, said, “He is the power of Beelzebul : the chief of the demons helps Him to drive out demons.”

Jesus called them to Him, and began teaching them by means of stories, or parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a nation is divided by civil war, that nation cannot stand. If a family divides itself into groups, that family will not survive. In the same way, if Satan has risen against himself and is divided, he will not stand; he is finished.”

“No one can break into the house of a strong man in order to plunder his goods, unless he first ties up the strong man. Then indeed, he can plunder his house. Truly, I say to you, every sin will be forgiven humankind, even insults to God, however numerous. But whoever slanders the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. He carries the guilt of his sin forever.”

This was their sin when they said, “He has an unclean spirit in Him.”

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

Psalm 88 : 20, 21-22, 25-26

In the past, You spoke in a vision; You said of Your faithful servant : “I have set the crown upon a mighty one; on one chosen from the people.”

I have found David My servant, and, with My holy oil, I have anointed him. My hand will be ever with him; and My arm will sustain him.

My faithfulness and love will be with him; and, by My help, he will be strong. I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.

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Monday, 22 January 2024 : 3rd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)

2 Samuel 5 : 1-7, 10

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your bone and flesh. In the past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel. And YHVH said to you, ‘You shall be the shepherd of My people Israel and you shall be commander over Israel.’”

Before YHVH, king David made an agreement with the elders of Israel who came to him at Hebron, and they anoint him king of Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for forty years : he reigned over Judah, from Hebron, seven and a half years; and over Israel and Judah, from Jerusalem, for thirty-three years.

The king and his men set out for Jerusalem to fight the Jebusites who lived there. They said to David, “If you try to break in here, the blind and the lame will drive you away,” which meant that David could not get in. Yet David captured the fortress of Zion that became the “city of David.”

And David grew more powerful, for YHVH, the God of Hosts, was with him.

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Saturday, 20 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Sebastian, Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded of the need for all of us as Christians to be filled with faith in the Lord, as well as love and care for our fellow brethren, at all times. We must trust in Him and not in the ways of the world, and ensure that our lives must always be focused on God and His path, or otherwise, in the end, we may meet our end in sorrow and regret, for having disobeyed the Lord and turned our ways away from the path of God’s righteousness and grace. This is what we as Christians should not be doing.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Samuel in which the story of the death of King Saul of Israel and some of his family members was told to us, and how David, Saul’s successor as the rightful king over all of Israel, was distraught and sorrowful upon having heard of the bad news. At that time, Saul and David had gone through some period of conflict and disagreements, over the right to rule Israel, because God had chosen David to replace Saul as the rightful King of Israel. Saul attempted to kill and destroy David in several occasions, but God protected David from harm.

Eventually, Saul vowed not to kill David, and stopped his efforts in chasing after David, after David spared his life when he had the perfect opportunity to kill Saul if he had wanted to. David never felt any kind of hatred or anger against Saul, and he still honoured the fallen king, just as we have heard in our first reading today. If we read the account from the earlier parts at the end of the first Book of the prophet Samuel, then we would have known that Saul fell in the battle between the Israelites and the Philistines at Mount Gilboa, together with his son, Jonathan, who was also a dear friend of David. Both of them were mourned by David, who still loved and respected them.

Saul met his end and downfall, and kingship was taken from him and his family ultimately because of his disobedience and failure to listen to the will of God. He chose to follow the whim of his own desires and personal ambitions rather than to obey the Lord and His commandments. Meanwhile, David obeyed the Lord, was humble and faithful, forgiving and kind, unlike Saul who was proud and ambitious, and who was easily tempted by jealousy and anger, when he saw that David was becoming more popular and beloved than him by the people.

In our Gospel passage today, we heard a very short passage in which the Lord was teaching to the people of God and ministering to them, while His family and relatives were waiting for Him. The crowds were very large, and the Lord spent so much time there ministering to them that He and His disciples could not even have time for themselves to have a meal. We heard then of how the Lord’s family and relatives attempted to save Him by saying that He was out of His mind. It could be interpreted as a manner of annoyance at how the Lord spent so much time in taking care of the people and preaching to them that He did not have time to take care of Himself properly. Yet, the Lord did so because He obeyed His Father’s will, and He did whatever He could to help all those multitudes who came to seek Him.

These are reminders for all of us that as Christians, we must always be centred on the Lord and follow Him, and we have to persevere in faith even if we may encounter opposition and disapproval from those who are around us, even from those who are close to us. We should not easily be swayed and tempted to give up our faith and obedience to God because of all the obstacles and challenges, the trials and hardships that we may have to face amidst our daily lives and struggles. Instead, we have to remain firmly faithful in the Lord, just as how David, the King of Israel, had always trusted in the Lord even in his most difficult moments, and how the Lord Himself had dedicated Himself thoroughly for our sake.

Today, the Church also celebrates the feast of not just one but two great saints, two holy men and servants of God whose faith and dedication truly serve as great examples and inspirations for all of us in how we all ourselves should live up to our faith. Both of them, namely Pope St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, have suffered greatly for their faith in Christ, and endured martyrdom for their courage and commitment to God. And yet, they welcomed their suffering and death, and remained faithful to the Lord, to the very end. Through their examples and lives which we are going to examine, I hope we can see and understand better how we can be better disciples and followers of Christ.

First of all, Pope St. Fabian was the leader of the Universal Church during the time of great turbulence throughout the Roman Empire, as wars and conflicts happened a lot, and many persecutions occurred against Christians as well. He was also facing a lot of issues with the unity of the Church, as there were factions of the Church in opposition against each other, as was the case of the followers of some heresies and different teachings, which made it even more to difficult to govern and lead the Church. Yet, Pope St. Fabian did not give up the efforts to unite the divided factions and parts of the Church, while opposing the various heresies and falsehoods that afflicted members of the Church. He faced a lot of trials and hardships, and eventually, he was martyred during the time of Roman Emperor Decius, who persecuted Christians harshly during his reign. Yet, despite this, the great examples, faith and inspiration from Pope St. Fabian continued to be great examples for many Christians throughout history.

Meanwhile, St. Sebastian was a soldier in the Roman army, and he was a rather high-ranking soldier and captain among the Praetorian Guards, the personal guardsmen and elite members of the military charged with the defence of the Roman Emperor. At that time, upon the ascension to power of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, who was infamous among Christians for his particularly intense and vicious persecution against Christians, demanding all of them to abandon their faith and offer sacrifices to the Roman gods and to the Emperor under pain of great sufferings and death. St. Sebastian as a secret Christians was involved in helping some of the suffering Christians, and even making some converts from among the pagans.

Eventually, despite his efforts to conceal his Christian faith, it was discovered that St. Sebastian was a Christian, and hence he was persecuted and led to a field where he was shot by many arrows, leaving him for dead, only for St. Sebastian to miraculously remain alive, and he was nursed back to health by one of his fellow Christians. St. Irene of Rome. He then went on to criticise and condemn the Emperor Diocletian for his actions and wickedness against Christians, and hence, was beaten to death and martyred. The courage and great faith, the commitment and love which St. Sebastian had for the Lord remained as a great inspiration and example for many other Christians throughout the centuries afterwards.

From the examples of Pope St. Fabian and St. Sebastian, we gained even greater insight, inspirations and good examples on how we all should be living our lives faithfully as Christians. All of us should always do whatever we can so that by our commitment and contributions, in whatever we say and do, we will always be great source of inspiration and faith for our fellow brothers and sisters, and that we may proclaim the Lord’s truth to more and more people all throughout the world. May the Lord continue to bless and guide us all, in all of our every good efforts and endeavours, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Saturday, 20 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Sebastian, Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Mark 3 : 20-21

At that time, Jesus and His disciples went home. The crowd began to gather again and they could not even have a meal. Knowing what was happening, His relatives came to take charge of Him, “He is out of His mind,” they said.

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Saturday, 20 January 2024 : 2nd Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Fabian, Pope and Martyr, and St. Sebastian, Martyr, and Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of Our Lady)

Psalm 79 : 2-3, 5-7

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who lead Joseph like a flock; You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

O YHVH of hosts, how long will Your anger burn against the prayers of Your people? You have fed them with the bread of woe, and have given them tears to drink in their sorrow. You have made us the scorn of our neighbours and the laughingstock of our oppressors.