holy martyrs

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Saturday, 7 March 2026 : 2nd Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Perpetua and St. Felicity, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Micah 7 : 14-15, 18-20

Shepherd Your people with Your staff, shepherd the flock of Your inheritance that dwells alone in the scrub, in the midst of a fertile land. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in the days of old, in the days when You went out of Egypt. Show us Your wonders.

Who is a God like You, Who takes away guilt and pardons crime for the remnant of His inheritance? Who is like You Whose anger does not last? For You delight in merciful forgiveness. Once again You will show us Your loving kindness and trample on our wrongs, casting all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Show faithfulness to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as You have sworn to our ancestors from the days of old.

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Monday, 23 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures during this time and season of Lent, we are all reminded of the Law and the commandments which the Lord Himself has shown, taught and revealed to us, and which He has also expected all of us as His beloved and holy people to follow and obey faithfully, with good understanding, appreciation and knowledge of what it is that the Law of God has shown and taught us all to do. Each and every one of us should always do our best to live faithfully and worthily in the Lord’s Presence, doing our very best so that by our every actions, words and deeds, we will always be found worthy and good in the sight of the Lord.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of Leviticus, we heard of the words of the Lord telling His assembled people that they should all heed carefully His words and teachings, and all the Law and commandments that He had placed before them so that they may truly follow them wholeheartedly and consistently in their lives, in each and every moments that they lived, so that they would not just follow the Law without truly understanding its meaning and purpose. Indeed, it is possible for one to merely follow the letter of the Law, in doing the actions and steps prescribed by the Law and yet not doing them for the right intention and purpose. That was why the Lord reminded His people that they all ought to be sincere in following Him.

And He went to great lengths and detail to the people to call them to live in the manner that is truly just and worthy, full of both love for Him as well as for their fellow brothers and sisters around them. To be truly faithful as God’s people one cannot indeed just be inward looking, or to claim to believe and be faithful to God, and yet, at the same time, acting in ways that brought about suffering and misery to others around them. This is therefore a reminder to all of us as well, that we have to be righteous in our way of life as well, in caring for one another and loving them generously just as we love the Lord and ourselves, and we should also uphold justice and truth at all times, be forgiving, merciful, compassionate and kind just as Our Lord Himself had done the same to us.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist in which the account of the Lord’s description of the Last and Final Judgment to His disciples was recounted to us. In that account of the Last Judgment, we heard how the righteous would be separated from the wicked, and we heard how each of them asked the Lord Himself, the great Judge, what it truly means to be righteous or to be wicked according to the Lord. And as we have heard, it all boiled down to whether we all live our lives in the manner that brings about good things, blessings and happiness to everyone around us, caring for the poor, the needy and the sick in our midst, and also in caring for those whom we love and who are dear to us, even more.

On the other hand, if we have been neglecting our responsibilities, acting in the manner that ignores the sufferings of those who are around us, and ignoring those whom the Lord has put into our paths, all the opportunities we have been given, and instead selfishly seeking our own benefit, advantages and glory, then we will be held accountable for all these acts of selfishness and wickedness, and we will suffer the consequences of our lack of faith and action. This is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we continue to progress through this time and season of Lent, this time of spiritual renewal, we are reminded to reflect carefully on our actions and direction in life, so that we may truly serve the Lord faithfully in the manner that He Himself has shown and taught us.

Today, we should be inspired by the great examples and faith shown by St. Polycarp, a great Church father and our holy predecessor, who was a bishop of the Church, the Bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor. St. Polycarp was known to be one of the disciples of St. John the Apostle, the last surviving Apostle of the Lord back then, and he was entrusted with the care of many of the faithful in the often persecuted but still thriving Church. He was regarded as one of the three greatest Apostolic Fathers, the successors of the Apostles, together with Pope St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch, each of whom were great role models and sources of inspiration in their own right. St. Polycarp corresponded frequently with the other Church fathers and was a great example to his flock, caring much for their spiritual needs.

And during a time of great and intense persecution of the Church by the Roman state, which carried out many rounds and episodes of persecutions and attacks against the Church and the faithful, St. Polycarp helped to lead his flock to remain faithful to God, and to endure the hardships and challenges that they had to face in the defence of their faith in God. In the end, St. Polycarp himself was arrested and persecuted, when he was already in the advanced age of eighty-six years old. Even then, in that old age, he remained strong in his desire to love and serve the Lord, and in persevering through the hardships and sufferings that he had to suffer, together with the rest of his flock, which was truly an example of them carrying their cross with the Lord. St. Polycarp died a martyr, inspiring countless others to follow the Lord more faithfully and with greater love, and I hope he has inspired us similarly too.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore renew our faith and commitment in God as we continue to progress through this holy and blessed season of Lent. Let us make good use of this time and opportunity that God has given us so that each and every one of us may distance ourselves from the many temptations of sin, the allures of worldly fame, glory, pleasures, and the pressure from our pride, ego, greed, jealousy, ambition, and more. Let us all control all those desires and negative things within us, and help one another to be strong in enduring the challenges and trials of this world, carrying our crosses together faithfully with God. May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us, and give us all the courage to continue to live our lives as good and dedicated Christians, blessing our every works and efforts, our every endeavours at all times. Amen.

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Monday, 23 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 25 : 31-46

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory with all His Angels, He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be brought before Him; and, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, so will He do with them, placing the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left.”

“The King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, blessed of My Father! Take possession of the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed Me. I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me into your home. I was naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to see Me.’”

“Then the righteous will ask Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and give You food; thirsty, and give You something to drink; or a stranger, and welcome You; or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and go to see You?’ The King will answer, ‘Truly I say to you : just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it to Me.’”

“Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Go, cursed people, out of My sight, into the eternal fire, which has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry, and you did not give Me anything to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not welcome Me into your house; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’”

“They, too, will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, thirsty, naked or a stranger, sick or in prison, and did not help You?’ The King will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you : just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me.’ And these will go into eternal punishments; but the just, to eternal life.”

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Monday, 23 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 18 : 8, 9, 10, 15

The Law of YHVH is perfect : it gives life to the soul. The word of YHVH is trustworthy : it gives wisdom to the simple.

The precepts of YHVH are right : they give joy to the heart. The commandments of YHVH are clear : they enlighten the eyes.

The fear of YHVH is pure, it endures forever; the judgments of YHVH are true, all of them just and right.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart find favour in Your sight, o YHVH – my Redeemer, my Rock!

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Monday, 23 February 2026 : 1st Week of Lent, Memorial of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Leviticus 19 : 1-2, 11-18

YHVH spoke to Moses and said, “Speak to the entire assembly of the people of Israel and say to them : Be holy for I, YHVH, your God, am holy. Do not steal or lie or deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by My Name so as to profane the Name of your God; I am YHVH.”

“Do not oppress your neighbour or rob him. The wages of a hired man are not to remain with you all night until morning. You shall not curse a deaf man nor put a stumbling block in the way of the blind; but you shall fear your God; I am YHVH.”

“Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor nor bow to the great; you are to judge your neighbour fairly so as not to share in his guilt. Do not go about as a slanderer of your people and do not seek the death of your neighbour; I am YHVH.”

“Do not hate your brother in your heart; rebuke your neighbour frankly so as not to share in his guilt. Do not seek revenge or nurture a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself; I am YHVH.”

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Friday, 6 February 2026 : 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 all listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, we are being reminded that each and every one of us as Christians, that is as those whom the Lord had called and chosen, all of us ought to live our lives as best as we can according to what He Himself has shown and taught us to do. We should always be exemplary in our every actions, words and deeds. We may not be good and steady at all times, and we are imperfect by nature, but that does not mean we cannot strive to do our best to live virtuously and righteously as our holy predecessors had done. We must remember that even the greatest of the saints were themselves sinners and they also struggled with sin, but they did their best to overcome it and following the Lord ever more faithfully.

In our first reading today, taken from the Book of the prophet Sirach, we heard of the conclusion of our past few weeks’ readings from the story of the life of the first Kings of Israel, Saul and David, particularly that of David, whose life, reign and exploits as king we have heard in these past few weekdays. King David was born in a family in Bethlehem in Judah as the youngest son and did not seem destined for great things, but he had great love for God and for his fellow brethren, and God called him to be the one to lead and shepherd His people Israel, as the King to succeed Saul in ruling over the people of God. And we heard from the prophet Sirach a summary of David’s life and reign, in how he has been truly an exemplary servant of God.

And we heard how David remained firmly faithful and full of love for God and His people, and while also acknowledging his sins and faults, being an imperfect person he was just as we all are, David has always allowed the Lord to guide him in his path and correct him whenever he had fallen into his faults and mistakes, in his sins and disobedience against God. And God therefore chose him to be the ruler over all of Israel, and established a new Covenant with him and his family, much as He had done with Abraham and his descendants, that the rulership over Israel would always belong to his line and family, something that the Lord kept firm and true, and up to the coming of the Messiah, Our Lord Jesus Himself, Who was born into the House of David and therefore brought the promises of God to perfect completion.

Then, in contrast, we heard from our Gospel passage today the story of how the faithful servant of God, St. John the Baptist was martyred at the hands of the then king of Galilee, Herod and his unlawful wife, Herodias, who was the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. It was highly implied and also by historical evidence that Herod married Herodias when Philip himself was still alive, and hence such a union was considered as improper and also adulterous in nature. When St. John the Baptist criticised the king and the queen, Herodias especially took offence at the opposition and criticism from the man of God, and wanted to kill him whenever she had the opportunity, while Herod was the one who was still considering and treating St. John the Baptist with respect even when he had imprisoned the latter.

We heard then of how Herodias had her chance when Herod was hosting a banquet and became drunk, when Herodias set her own daughter to seduce the king and obtain from him promises and oaths which then became his own trap, as Herodias through her daughter demanded that Herod execute St. John the Baptist right away and bring her the man of God’s head on a platter. And that was how Herod and Herodias both committed great sins against God by their refusal to follow the Lord and obey His Law and commandments, and instead, giving in to the temptations of worldly desires, pleasures and ambitions, something that we have been reminded to be careful of and to be vigilant against.

And as Christians, all of us are called to shine with the light of God’s truth and love, and our lives should be sources of inspiration and hope for many others, in how we live our lives centred on Him and His Law and commandments, and how our actions, words and deeds truly proclaim the glory and greatness of God, and full of the same love which God has lavished on us and which we now are expected to embody and show in our own daily living as well. We have the saints and the martyrs throughout the history of the Church to look upon for examples, and today in particular, I want all of us to look upon the great examples shown by St. Paul Miki and his Companions, the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan, who were martyred a few centuries ago in terrible persecution, and whose faith and courage inspired many ever since.

St. Paul Miki and his Companions in martyrdom lived through during difficult time to be Christians in Japan. After having enjoyed a great period of flourishing and rapid expansion, which saw hundreds of thousands being converted and brought up in the Christian faith in Japan, during the last years of the Warring Periods, the authorities then under the leadership of Toyotomi Hideyoshi began to become suspicious and hostile against Christians, and began a period of increasingly intense persecution against the followers of the Lord. Due to the misunderstandings and political rivalries at that time, and fear of the foreign influences, Christian missionaries and laymen alike were persecuted, and twenty-six of them, including St. Paul Miki, a Jesuit seminarian studying to become a priest, were arrested and condemned to death.

They were ordered to march from the Imperial Capital of Kyoto towards the city of Nagasaki in western part of Japan, where the biggest Christian population and community was, a distance of almost a thousand kilometres on foot, while being tortured and humiliated along the way. Yet, St. Paul Miki and his Companions remained firm in their faith and stayed courageous and true to their commitment to God, and it was told that they sang the ‘Te Deum’ hymn all throughout the entire journey to their martyrdom. In Nagasaki, atop the hill where a shrine now stands in their honour, the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs were crucified and impaled with lances, and were martyred for their continued dedication to God, glorifying God by their faith and life. They inspired many other Christians who remained firm in their Christian calling and devotion.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, having heard of the great faith and conviction of the Holy Martyrs of Japan, St. Paul Miki and his Companions, let us all therefore dedicate ourselves to the Lord in the same way as well. Let us all commit ourselves to live our lives most worthily so that we may indeed glorify the Lord by our lives, and that we may carry out whatever vocations and calling that the Lord has called us all to do, and blessed us with the gifts and talents for. May the Lord continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey of faith through life. St. Paul Miki and Companions, Holy Martyrs of Japan, pray for us! Amen.

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Friday, 6 February 2026 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Mark 6 : 14-29

At that time, king Herod also heard about Jesus, because His Name had become well-known. Some people said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in Him.” Others thought, “He is a prophet like the prophets of times past.” When Herod was told of this, he thought, “I had John beheaded, yet he has risen from the dead!”

For this is what had happened : Herod had ordered John to be arrested, and had had him bound and put in prison because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. Herod had married her, and John had told him, “It is not right for you to live with your brother’s wife.”

So Herodias held a grudge against John; and wanted to kill him, but she could not, because Herod respected John. He knew John to be an upright and holy man, and kept him safe. And he liked listening to him, although he became very disturbed, whenever he heard him.

Herodias had her chance on Herod’s birthday, when he gave a dinner for all the senior government officials, military chiefs, and the leaders of Galilee. On that occasion the daughter of Herodias came in and danced; and she delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you.”

And he went so far as to say with many oaths, “I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” The mother replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” The girl hurried to the king and made her request, “I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist, here and now, on a dish.”

The king was very displeased, but he would not refuse in front of his guests because of his oaths. So he sent one of his bodyguards with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded John in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave it to her mother.

When John’s disciples heard of this, they came and took his body and buried it.

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Friday, 6 February 2026 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 17 : 31, 47 and 50, 51

This God – His way is perfect; the word of YHVH can stand fire. He is a shield for those who seek refuge in Him.

YHVH lives! Praised be my Rock! Exalted be my Saviour God. For this I extol You, o YHVH, among the nations; I will sing praise to Your Name.

He has given victories to His king; He has shown His love to His anointed ones, to David, and to his descendants forever.

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Friday, 6 February 2026 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Sirach 47 : 2-13

As fat is selected from the peace offering, so David was chosen from among the Israelites. He played with lions and bears as if they were lambs or young goats. He was still young when he slew a giant, to restore the honour of his people; with a sling he aimed a stone that killed the arrogant Goliath.

He invoked the Lord Most High, who gave him strength to slay a mighty warrior, and so exalt the power of his people. So they glorified him for his ten thousands and praised him as a blessing from the Lord when he was chosen king. For he wiped out his enemies on all sides and annihilated his adversaries, the Philistines, crushing their power forever.

In all that he did, he gave thanks to the Most High, and showed his love for his Maker by singing with all his heart. He placed singers accompanied by harps before the Altar to make beautiful music; he gave splendour to feasts and even greater magnificence to the more solemn occasions, exalting the Holy Name of the Lord and having the Sanctuary ring with His praises from early morning.

The Lord forgave David’s sins and established his power forever; He made a Covenant with him for the benefit of the kings and gave him a glorious throne in Israel. A wise son succeeded him and fared well because of him. Solomon reigned during times of peace, and God gave him rest from war to enable him to build a house for His Name, a Sanctuary that would stand forever.

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Thursday, 5 February 2026 : 4th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (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 reminded that as Christians, all of us as those whom God had called and chosen to be His own beloved people, we have the calling and mission in the various ways that God had intended for us, so that we may be the ones to bear witness to His truth, His Good News, love and ways in our world today, in our respective families and communities. Each and every one of us are entrusted by the Lord with the unique talents, abilities and opportunities for us to make good use of in our various areas of responsibility so that we may be the ones to show the Lord to many more people and lead them all towards God and His salvation.

In our first reading passage today, we heard of the account from the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah detailing to us what happened at the time when King David of Israel, the famous King who led Israel to great triumph and victory of its many enemies, and brought Israel to its golden age, finally came to the end of his earthly life after a period of forty years reigning over Judah and the whole of Israel. And as David was going to the Lord and knew that his time was coming, we heard how he advised his son and heir, Solomon, the one whom God had revealed to David himself as the one to succeed him, in how Solomon ought to continue obeying the Lord, worshipping Him alone and leading the people righteously as their King as David himself had once done.

Through what we have heard in the first reading today and the accounts of the previous weekdays of the life and exploits of David as man and servant of God, and then as King of Israel, in all of his virtues and imperfections, we are reminded that we ourselves as God’s holy and beloved people, having been called to follow Him as well as His servants and disciples, each and every one of us should be inspired by the examples of David and his faithfulness to God, in how he has always strived to love God and his fellow men and women, in his conscious examination of his own actions, flaws and mistakes, and how he has always tried his best to be good and worthy of the Lord in all things. We too should therefore do the same in our own lives.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark the Evangelist, we heard of the moment when the Lord Jesus sent out His disciples, two by two, centred upon His Twelve principal disciples, the ones later known as the Apostles, and the many other disciples whom He sent to carry out and extend His missions and works to more people and places. We heard how the Lord instructed them on what they ought to be doing in their mission, putting trust in the Lord instead of in their own resources, power and abilities. The Lord also told them all of the realities of what they may have to face in the midst of their missions, both the potential successes as well as the rejections and hardships that they may have to endure.

This is therefore a reminder to all of us as Christians that we should always strive to follow the Lord in what He has entrusted to each one of us to do in life. It does not mean that we must do exactly as what those disciples had done in the past, but rather we are called to do what the Lord had entrusted to us in our own unique circumstances, in the gifts, talents, abilities and opportunities that He had provided to us. We should do our best in our respective areas and places of responsibility, in whatever vocations that the Lord has called us to do, so that by our every words, actions and deeds, by our every efforts and endeavours, we may truly bear faithful witness to the Lord and glorify His Name at all times.

Today, all of us are called to be like David, the King of Israel, in humbling ourselves before the Lord and asking for His guidance and wisdom at all times, in living our lives virtuously and righteously, in embracing the Lord and His love wholeheartedly at all times. And today, we also have another role model to follow in our own lives as Christians, based on the examples set by one of our holy predecessors, whose feast we celebrate today. St. Agatha of Sicily, a renowned martyr and saint from the time of the Great Persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperors can indeed inspire us to be better Christians in true deeds and actions.

St. Agatha was born into a noble Roman family and she made a vow of holy and perpetual virginity, which she offered to God freely and wholeheartedly. Her great beauty was noted by a pagan Roman prefect named Quintianus, who did all he could to try to persuade and coax her to marry him. But despite his best efforts, his pressure and even threats, all those could not sway St. Agatha from abandoning her vow of virginity and her faith in the Lord. She remained resolute in her conviction and desire to follow the Lord, even when pressures and threats were piled up against her to conform to what the society demanded of her.

As that time coincided with the intense persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Decius, which was a particularly brutal period of intense persecution against Christians, the displeased and disappointed prefect reported St. Agatha to the authorities, and as the prefect Quintianus himself presided over the trial, he hoped that the threat of suffering and death would make St. Agatha to give up her stubborn resistance and refusal to abandon her faith in God. Instead, St. Agatha remained even more ardent in her faith and refused to give up, entrusting her fate completely to the Lord, not fearing the harsh persecutions and sufferings that would surely be hers for having stood up for her faith.

She prayed to the Lord saying, “Jesus Christ, Lord of all, you see my heart, You know my desires. Possess all that I am. I am Your sheep: make me worthy to overcome the devil.” And despite the efforts the prefect tried to incarcerate, torture and make her life difficult, St. Agatha would not be swayed and she remained faithful to the very end. She was tortured with all sorts of punishments, and had her breasts cut, surviving a burning at the stake before eventually dying in prison, remaining faithful to the very end. Her great courage and faith, her enduring trust and love for the Lord even in the face of greatest hardships should indeed inspire us all to live our own Christian faith with greater sincerity and courage at all times.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we have heard from our Scripture passages today and from the life examples and inspirations from the life of St. Agatha of Sicily, holy woman and devout servant of God, let us all continue to commit ourselves with greater devotion and strength, and do our very best at every circumstances and opportunities so that we may indeed be truly faithful, zealous and worthy disciples of the Lord, in leading many more souls to the salvation in God. May God therefore bless us all and guide us all with His strength and wisdom at all times, that we may truly always be fruitful in our every efforts and endeavours for His greater glory. Amen.