Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Luke 9 : 43b-45
At that time, while all were amazed at everything Jesus did, He said to His disciples, “Listen, and remember what I tell you now : The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.”
But the disciples did not understand this saying; something prevented them from grasping what He meant, and they were afraid to ask Him about it.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Jeremiah 31 : 10, 11-12ab, 13
Hear the word of YHVH, o nations, proclaim it on distant coastlands : He who scattered Israel will gather them and guard them as a shepherd guard his flock.
For YHVH has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of his conqueror. They shall come shouting for joy, while ascending Zion; they will come streaming to YHVH’s blessings.
Maidens will make merry and dance, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness, I will give them comfort and joy for sorrow.
Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs) or White (Saturday Mass of our Lady)
Zechariah 2 : 5-9, 14-15a
Raising my eyes again, I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to find its width and its length.”
As the angel who spoke to me came forward, another angel met him and said, “Run and tell this to that young man : ‘Jerusalem will remain unwalled because of its multitude of people and livestock.’ For this is the word of YHVH : I Myself will be around her like a wall of fire, and also within her in Glory.”
“Sing and rejoice, a daughter of Zion, for I am about to come, I shall dwell among you,” says YHVH. “On that day, many nations will join YHVH and be My people.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the readings of the Scripture that spoke to us about the reproaches and the humility of Ezra the prophet in admitting and atoning for the sins of the people of Israel, showing great penitence before the Lord for the sins and wickedness that the people of God had committed again and again during the years of the kingdom of Israel and Judah.
And then God showed forth His salvation to the people, who had atoned for their sins with repentance and penitence, by liberating them from their oppressors and bringing them back to the land which He had given their ancestors. He listened to their prayers and opened their eyes, so that they saw the truth about the Lord their God, who had cared for them and who had been patient even against the disobedience and rebelliousness that they had shown against Him.
In the psalm today, again we heard the Song of Tobit, the Israelite who was an exile during the time of the Assyrians, who have suffered because of many reasons, persecuted and ostracised even by his friends for his actions that brought about righteousness and justice to others, and for his strong and steadfast faith to the Lord, just as another figure from the Old Testament, Job, had done.
In those instances, we saw how they encountered the difficulties and challenges, and although they grumbled and suffered, but through their faith and dedication to the Lord, they eventually made it through, and God blessed them tremendously. In the Gospel we heard about how Jesus sent forth the disciples to preach to the people the Good News of God’s salvation, which He had revealed to the world that all those who heard them and did something about it in their lives can be saved.
In the other Gospel reading for today, Jesus also spoke about light that should be put on a pedestal for all to see, rather than hiding it under a cover, for the light that is visible shall be a guide to all those who are in the darkness, and through that light, many people can find their way to salvation in their God. In all these readings, which are all truly related, we can see how God is showing mercy for His people through those whom He had called to be His instruments of mercy, to bring the light of His salvation to the people.
We have to keep in mind again and again, that the Lord does not despise any of us as we are, and neither had He unjustly reprimanded us for our mistakes and faults. It was truly justified for Him to punish us because of our rebelliousness, because of our countless sins and disobedience against Him, and yet, though He could just destroy us and cast us into oblivion, but He did not do that, because we are all still His beloved ones, the most beloved of all His creations.
And that was the message of the Scriptures today that all of us ought to take note of. That all of us are capable of being saved by accepting God’s mercy and forgiveness. All of us have indeed sinned and committed wicked things before the eyes of the Lord, and yet at the same time, we are also capable of repentance and penitential acts before the Lord, regretting whatever we have done, and seeking forgiveness from He who is rich in mercy.
Today we celebrate the feast of a very renowned saint of the last century, known for his great personal holiness and piety, his tireless works and exemplary attitudes, his many miracle works and healings, which he performed through many years of service, casting out demons and healing the sick, and who was rewarded with the reception of the same wounds that had been inflicted on Christ, the stigmata.
This great saint is St. Pius of Pietrelcina, also known by his more famous appellation of St. Padre Pio. Padre Pio was a Capuchin friar renowned for his great intellect, his inspiring sermons, and his commanding presence, which every steps he took and every words he spoke made the people to realise God who is present in him, and through him, He made His will known. Many flocked to his sermons and healing works, and countless thousands and more repented from their sins.
St. Padre Pio did not have an easy life, and many of the things that he did was met with opposition and even with doubt and criticism. And yet, he continued to faithfully minister to the people of God, not letting his troubles and difficulties, or any of the challenges to slow him down or to prevent him from proclaiming the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, calling many to repentance.
This is a clear example of what Jesus had told His disciples in today’s Gospel, that as light of the world, we should not hide this light we have under a cover, hidden and invisible, but instead should be proclaimed bright and clear for all to see, so that all who see the light that is in us may be inspired to live their lives like ours as well, and walk in our footsteps to salvation.
May Almighty God, our loving God and Father, most merciful and loving One, have mercy on us and our trespasses, and may He forgive us all our sins, and awaken in us all the spirit of love which we must have for Him and for one another, fellow brothers and sisters in our Lord. Let us all follow the examples of the holy and venerable St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Padre Pio, and be examples ourselves to our brethren around us. God bless us all. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : White
Luke 9 : 1-6
At that time, Jesus called His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to drive out all evil spirits and to heal diseases. And He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He instructed them, “Do not take anything for the journey, neither walking stick, nor bag, nor bread, nor silver coins; and do not even take a spare tunic.”
“Whatever house you enter, remain there until you leave that place. And wherever they do not welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet : it will be as a testimony against them.”
So they set out and went through the villages, proclaiming the Good News and healing people everywhere.
Alternative reading
Luke 8 : 16-18
At that time, Jesus said to the people and to His disciples, “No one, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a bowl or puts it under the bed; rather he puts it on a lampstand, so that people coming in may see the light.”
“In the same way, there is nothing hidden that shall not be uncovered; nothing kept secret that shall not be known clearly. Now, pay attention and listen well, for whoever produces will be given more, but from those who do not produce, even what they seem to have will be taken away from them.”
Liturgical Colour : White
Tobit 13 : 2, 3-4a, 4bcd, 5, 8
It is He who punishes and He who has mercy; who makes people go down to hell and rise up again. No one can escape His hand.
Give Him thanks, people of Israel, before all the nations. Though He has dispersed you among them, He now shows you His greatness.
Exalt Him before all the living, because He is our God and Lord, our Father forever.
He punishes us for our wrongdoing but again He will forgive us. He will bring us together again from amongst all the nations among whom we have been dispersed.
I, in the land of my captivity, will return Him thanks and show His strength and greatness to my sinful people. Be converted, you sinners, and live justly before Him, certain that He will be pleased with you and show you mercy.
Alternative reading
Psalm 126 : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
When the Lord brought the exiles back to Zion, we were like those moving in a dream.
Then our mouths were filled with laughter, and our tongues with songs of joy. Among the nations it was said, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord had done great things for us, and we were glad indeed.
Bring back our exiles, o Lord, like fresh streams in the desert.
Those who sow in tears will reap with songs and shouts of joy.
They went forth weeping, bearing the seeds for sowing, they will come home with joyful shouts, bringing their harvested sheaves.
Liturgical Colour : White
Ezra 9 : 5-9
I remained seated and dismayed until the evening sacrifice; and then, at the time for the evening offering, I rose from my fasting, and with my clothes and mantle torn, I knelt down, spreading out my hands to YHVH, my God.
I said, “My God! I am ashamed and confused, my God, I do not dare raise my eyes to You for our sins have increased over our heads and our crimes reach up to the heavens.”
“From the days of our ancestors to this day, our guilt has been great. We, our kings and priests have been given into the hands of foreign kings because of our crimes; we have been delivered to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and put to shame as on this day.”
“However, for a brief moment, the mercy of YHVH, our God, has been shown to us. He made a remnant of our people survive, and allowed the survivor to settle once again in His Holy Place; He has given us joy and life, though we are in bondage. We are no more than slaves, but in the midst of our slavery, God has not abandoned us, He has extended a merciful hand over us to support us before the kings of Persia. He has revived our life, enabled us to rebuild the House of our God, and to have walls in Jerusalem and in the other cities of Judah.”
Alternative reading
Ezra 1 : 1-6
In the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, YHVH willed to fulfil the word He had said through the prophet Jeremiah, so He moved the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, to issue the following command and send it out in writing to be read aloud everywhere in his kingdom, “Thus speaks Cyrus, king of Persia : YHVH, the God of heavens, who has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, has ordered me to build Him a Temple in Jerusalem, in the land of Judah.”
“To everyone belonging to His people, may his God be with him! Let them go up to Jerusalem with the help of their God and there build the House of YHVH, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. In every place where the rest of the people of YHVH live, let the people of those places help them for their journey with silver, gold and all kinds of goods and livestock. Let them also give them voluntary offerings for the House of YHVH which is in Jerusalem.”
Then they rose up – the heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and the Levites, and all those whose spirit God had stirred up – and they decided to go and build the House of YHVH. And all their neighbours gave them all kinds of help : gold, silver, livestock and precious objects in great quantity, besides every kind of voluntary offering.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard from the Scripture the difficulties and challenges that we all will encounter on our way as we live out our lives in faith in the Lord. It is important for us to take note that to have faith in the Lord, it is likely for us to encounter challenges, opposition, ridicule, rejection and bad treatment, even from those whom we considered to be good friends and relatives.
It will not be an easy life for us if we decide to walk the Lord’s path and follow Him to His salvation. Those who think that becoming the disciples of the Lord Jesus is easy will find that they are mistaken. This is because to become a member of God’s Church, as His disciples and children, it is necessary for us to make sacrifices and to let go of certain things that prevent us from achieving what God seeks from us to be saved
And this is the attitude of rejecting oneself, one’s own ego, needs, desires and all the temptations of the flesh, the temptation of worldly glory and fame, and the temptation to be ignorant and exclusive towards the sufferings of the world around us, our brethren who need our help. If we are able to accomplish all these, then we are indeed one step closer to be good and devoted disciples of our Lord.
God Himself mentioned through the parable of the dishonest and wicked steward, who cheated his master of his possessions, and when he was discovered and fired from his position, he used his power to safeguard himself, by using his trickery to cheat out of his master’s debts owned by several people, where he gained favour by reducing those debts and so, while he lost his job, he hoped that those whom he had helped would help him in return.
That is the way of the world, the way of the wicked, the way of those who serve themselves and are servants of money and possessions, and not servants and followers of the Lord. This is what the Lord mentioned, when He said that those who follow one master will not be able to obey another master, for either he will despise one and love the other, or vice versa.
In that way therefore, to reinforce what I have mentioned earlier on, that all those who want to follow the Lord faithfully shall suffer and face numerous and various challenges and obstacles on their way, that is their lives. There are many differences between the way and customs of this world as compared to the ways taught to us by our Lord, that is faith, righteousness, justice and love. The world on the other hand, prioritises selfish desires, money and pleasures of the flesh.
It is not necessary that the two ways should clash with each other, but what is to be expected is that it is inevitable that conflicts between the two will arise in time, as we will be made to choose between our Lord and His ways, and with the world and its ways. There will be moment when the difficult choice will be presented to us, or it might even have happened to us in the past, when we have no choice but to choose between appeasing the world and displeasing the Lord, or appeasing the Lord but displeasing the world.
Do not be surprised that one day people will scold us, rebuke us, reject us and ostracise us because we decide to do what is right for the Lord but considered wrong in the eyes and perception of the world. For example, if we have been aware of the state of the world so far, we would already know how far the culture of death is spreading throughout the world and into all echelons of society. And it is worrying indeed how our faith and the Church are under increasing pressure to give up our struggle and fight in the defence of the faith.
For instance, many people around the world, and even regretfully even counting among those who are in the Church, who believe that committing something as heinous and unthinkable as abortion and euthanasia, and many other actions that trample on the sanctity and dignity of life is not wrong or considered morally acceptable to do so. And there are many of those who pushed and lobbied for the acceptance of such sinful things, and claim that they are representing and defending our human rights to be able to do as we please with our bodies and with ourselves.
But they did not realise that such abominations are wicked and evil in the sight of not only men, but in the sight of God as well. Life is sacred and holy, no matter under what circumstances it is. Instead of honouring and protecting life in all the means they are able to contribute, we mankind instead strive to destroy them, whenever we think of them as obstacles to our own selfish desires and wants.
Indeed, the pressure is great for many of us to accept and acknowledge the legality of such vileness, but as those who truly believe in the Lord, if we really are faithful to the Lord, then all of us should persist in our resistance against such injustice and wickedness committed against innocent lives. Let us all not ignore or shy away or be afraid from standing up for our faith, as it is better for us to suffer and be rejected, and yet receive God’s approval and salvation, rather than to be accepted by the world but we lose the grace and favour of our Lord.
Let us all then reflect on the lives of the holy saints and martyrs whose feast we are celebrating today, the martyr saints of Korea. There were many of them, and all of them had had different lives and came from different periods of time spanning about two centuries, but they all share one thing in common, that is they gave their lives up in the defence of their faith, or that they were martyred and killed on the frontline of their works as the servants of the Lord and His Church.
Today there are many Christians, our brethren in faith in Korea, and the numbers are continuing to increase rapidly over the years. But if we look at the current situation, in comparison with how it was in the past and what it meant to evangelise to the people of Korea about the Lord Jesus, then we certainly will find it difficult to understand the kind of challenges and sufferings these faithful servants of the Lord and the faithful encountered there.
St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon was the first indigenous Korean who was ordained a priest of the Church, and he and many of his other Korean brethren who have believed in the Lord encountered great persecutions by the government of Korea at the time, which was intensely against the Faith and persecuted these people whom they considered as traitors to their nation.
And counted among these martyrs were also the missionaries from different countries, but many came from France as part of the missionaries to Asia. Among them were St. Laurent Imbert, the Vicar Apostolic of Korea, one of the first bishops of Korea, and St. Jacques Chastan with many other priests and missionaries who braved rejection, cultural and linguistic barriers, and even the threat and real risk of death to bring the Lord Jesus and His truth to the people who have yet to hear of Him.
And they did their works faithfully, carrying out all the missions which had been entrusted to them without worry or fear. And when many of the faithful were under the threat of death and suffering, and the government was offering an exchange, allowing the faithful to live and to go unpunished if the missionaries and the leaders gave themselves up, St. Laurent Imbert as the bishop of the faithful gave himself up willingly, saying in his now famous words, which he took from the words of Jesus, that ‘the good shepherd lay down his life for his sheep.’
He and the other missionaries could have continued to hide themselves or to run away and abandon their mission, and in the process saving their lives, but they did not do so, because they know that if they try to preserve themselves and to put themselves first before the needs of others, as the world advocated them to do, then they would not preserve their lives in the world that is to come.
Remember that Jesus Himself said that those who tried to preserve their lives on earth would lose them, and those who lost their lives for God’s sake, in the defence of their faith would gain eternal life? This is precisely what it meant, and all of us ought to heed it as well and learn our lesson from what we have talked about on this day, or else we risk falling into sin and darkness yet again.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us have to realise that suffering is a part of our faith, and rather than fearing it or running away from it, why not we embrace it with full faith and full trust in the Lord, that He will be with us through it all? Running away from the problem does not resolve it, and indeed made the matter even worse. Instead, we really should face it with faith and trust in the Lord, and make a solid stand for our faith and for what we truly believe in.
May Almighty God bless us all and keep us always in His grace, and may we all learn to put our trust in Him and know that He will be with us as long as we are faithful to Him, and He will not let harm that lasts to come to us. Let us all realise that at the end of the difficulties and the sufferings we are to endure as the followers of our God are our crosses that we carry together with us, that in the end, just as our Lord is risen in glory, we too may rise with Him together into the glory of eternal life. God bless us all. Amen.
Liturgical Colour : Green
Mark 9 : 30-37
At that time, after leaving the place where He drove out demons from a young boy, Jesus and His disciples made their way through Galilee; but He did not want people to know where He was because He was teaching His disciples.
And He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, but three days after He has been killed, He will rise.” The disciples, however, did not understand these words and they were afraid to ask Him what He meant.
They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they did not answer, because they had been arguing about who was the greatest. Then He sat down, called the Twelve and said to them, “If someone wants to be first, let him be last of all and servant of all.”
Then He took a little child, placed him in their midst, and putting His arms around him He said to them, “Whoever welcomes a child such as this in My Name, welcomes Me; and whoever welcomes Me, welcomes not Me but the One who sent Me.”
Liturgical Colour : Green
James 3 : 16 – James 4 : 3
Wherever there is jealousy and ambition, you will also find discord and all that is evil. Instead, the wisdom that comes from above is pure and peace-loving. Persons with this wisdom show understanding and listen to advice; they are full of compassion and good works; they are impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow peace reap a harvest of justice.
What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your cravings that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want because you do not pray for it.
You pray for something and you do not get it because you pray with the wrong motive of indulging your pleasures.
petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang 