persecution of Christians

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Saturday, 16 May 2026 : 6th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 18 : 23-28

After spending some time at Antioch, Paul left and travelled from place to place through Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening the disciples. A certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived at Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and an authority on the Scriptures, and he had some knowledge of the way of the Lord.

With great enthusiasm he preached and taught correctly about Jesus, although he knew only of John’s baptism. As he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila heard him; so they took him home with them and explained to him the way more accurately.

As Apollos wished to go to Achaia, the believers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly strengthened those who, by God’s grace, had become believers, for he vigorously refuted the Jews, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

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Friday, 15 May 2026 : 6th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 18 : 9-18

One night, in a vision, the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid, but continue speaking and do not be silent, for many people in this city are Mine. I am with you, so no one will harm you.” So Paul stayed a year and a half in that place, teaching the word of God among them.

When Gallio was governor of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the court. And they accused him, “This man tries to persuade us to worship God in ways that are against the Law.”

Paul was about to speak in his own defence when Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of misdeed or vicious crime, I would have to consider your complaint. But since this is a quarrel about teachings and divine names that are proper to your own law, see to it yourselves : I refuse to judge such matters.”

Then the people seized Sosthenes, a leading man of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal; but Gallio paid no attention to it. Paul stayed on with the disciples in Corinth for many days; he then left them and sailed off with Priscilla and Aquila for Syria. And as he was no longer under a vow he had taken, he shaved his head before sailing from Cenchreae.

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Wednesday, 6 May 2026 : 5th Week of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 15 : 1-6

Some persons who had come from Judea to Antioch were teaching the brothers in this way, “Unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Because of this there was trouble, and Paul and Barnabas had fierce arguments with them. For Paul told the people to remain as they were when they became believers. Finally those who had come from Jerusalem suggested that Paul and Barnabas and some others go up to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the Apostles and elders.

They were sent on their way by the Church. As they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria they reported how the non-Jews had turned to God, and there was great joy among all the brothers and sisters. On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the Church, the Apostles and the elders, to whom they told all that God had done through them.

Some believers, however, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees, stood up and said that non-Jewish men must be circumcised and instructed to keep the law of Moses. So the Apostles and elders met together to consider the matter.

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Sunday, 1 June 2025 : Seventh Sunday of Easter, World Social Communications Sunday (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 7 : 55-60

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus at God’s right hand, so he declared : “I see the heavens open and the Son of Man at the right hand of God.”

But they shouted and covered their ears with their hands and rushed together upon him. They brought him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen prayed saying : “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Then he knelt down and said in a loud voice : “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he died.

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Saturday, 24 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Mary Help of Christians, and Our Lady of Sheshan, and World Day of Prayer for the Church in China (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today the Church commemorates in particular the Feast of Mary, Help of Christians and also Our Lady of Sheshan, the popular Marian site in Shanghai region of China, remembering in particular the persecution of Christians, our fellow brothers and sisters in faith throughout the world, but more especially so in the Church in China, where persecutions still often happen daily and where Christians are still being persecuted for their faith and belief in Christ, just it has also happened elsewhere in the world as well. We remember these brethren of ours in our prayers today and ask the intercession of Mary, the Help of Christians and Our Lady of Sheshan so that her prayers and intercession may move the Lord to intervene on their behalf and protect them in their struggles and trials.

In our first reading today, taken from the Acts of the Apostles we heard of the continuation of the works that St. Paul carried out in the ministry of the Word of God, in proclaiming the Good News and works of the Lord to the people in various places, as he went from one place to another in spreading the truth of God, gaining more and more followers and disciples day after day, as the Church kept on growing in each and every efforts that the Apostles and the other missionaries undertook in their good works in the Lord. This is a reminder for all of us that we must be ready to continue the works of the Apostles, which they had begun and which still continued on even to this very present day, as they carried on proclaiming the Good News of the Lord to more and more people they encountered in their journey.

This is also a reminder that the primary mission of the Church is indeed one of evangelisation, of the mission which the Lord Himself had entrusted to His Church through His disciples in the Great Commission, that is the command for all the faithful disciples and followers of the Lord to go forth to all the people of all the nations, and to proclaim therefore the Good News of the Lord, and to baptise all of them in the Name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, gathering all the scattered lost children of God, the lost sheep of the Lord’s flock to the one united Body of Christ, the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. This is the mission which all of us are sharing in the Church and which we should courageously and devotedly carry out in each and every opportunities presented to us.

Therefore, this is why we should continue to do the works that the Lord has entrusted to each and every one of us in whatever capacities and opportunities that He had presented to us. We should always be courageous in living our lives in the most Christ-like way, in doing our best to glorify the Lord by our exemplary lives and actions. All of us should make good use of the time, opportunities and blessings that He has granted to us so that by our commitment and works, we may truly be His faithful disciples and followers, spreading the truth and Good News of God to more and more people we encounter in each and every moments, leading more and more people and souls towards the Lord, our most loving God and Father. We have to continue to commit ourselves to these good works even amidst persecutions and hardships in our journey.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, we heard from the Gospel according to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in which the Lord Jesus told His disciples of the reality of them following Him and the kind of difficulties, hardships and persecutions that they might have to endure in their ministry and journey as Christians, as the disciples and followers of His in the world. And the Lord told them that just as He has been persecuted and faced all sorts of challenges and difficulties, therefore the world would also persecuted all those who follow in the Lord’s path and all those who carry out His works. This is something that we must keep in mind especially if we think that following Christ our Lord will be something that is enjoyable, smooth-sailing and easy, as the reality will hit us as being otherwise.

Yet, at the same time, the Lord also reassured His disciples, and therefore all of us because we do not suffer all those sufferings and persecutions alone, as He is always there carrying the Cross with us, by our side, providing for us and not leaving us all alone. And His Blessed Mother, the Help of Christians, Our Lady of Sheshan is always by our side as well, just as she has faithfully walked by the side of her Son during His Passion and sufferings, on the Way of the Cross to His Crucifixion. That is why we should put our trust in the intercession of Mary, Help of Christians and Our Lady of Sheshan, who will always pray for us on our behalf, asking her Son by His Throne in Heaven, to be moved to our plight, sufferings and difficulties. We will never be found wanting or alone, abandoned or without anyone to listen to us, as our prayers are very well heard by the Lord Himself and also through His Blessed Mother.

Let us all offer our prayers today, asking for the Blessed Mother of God, Our Lady of Sheshan and Help of Christians to help and provide for us in the hour of our need, and in particular we pray for all those people who have been persecuted for their faith, our own brothers and sisters, who have endured lots of sufferings and hardships in living their faith daily, especially keeping in mind our brethren who are still suffering and being persecuted in the Church in China, where there are still sporadic persecutions facing the faithful, as the government there tried to put the Church and the local faithful community under their control. But the Lord was always with them and all of us, and He has given us all His own Mother to be our guide and support as well.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore strive to do our best in our various capacities and opportunities provided to us as Christians so that in our every moments in life and in each and every one of our encounters and efforts, we will always be full of faith and love in Christ our Lord, and show this faith we have by our good examples, commitment and dedication. Let us all therefore be the shining examples and role models for our fellow brethren all around us, showing the path for all to reach the Lord, Our Saviour and King. May God be with us always and may He bless us in our every good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

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Saturday, 24 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Mary Help of Christians, and Our Lady of Sheshan, and World Day of Prayer for the Church in China (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

John 15 : 18-21

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that the world hated Me before you. This would not be so if you belonged to the world, because the world loves its own. But you are not of the world, since I have chosen you from the world; because of this the world hates you.”

“Remember what I told you : the servant is not greater than his master; if they persecuted Me, they will persecute you, too. If they kept My word, they will keep yours as well. All this they will do to you for the sake of My Name, because they do not know the One Who sent Me.”

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Saturday, 24 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Mary Help of Christians, and Our Lady of Sheshan, and World Day of Prayer for the Church in China (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 99 : 2, 3, 5

Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God; He created us and we are His people, the sheep of His fold.

For the Lord is good; His love lasts forever and His faithfulness through all generations.

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Saturday, 24 May 2025 : 5th Week of Easter, Memorial of Mary Help of Christians, and Our Lady of Sheshan, and World Day of Prayer for the Church in China (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 16 : 1-10

Paul travelled on to Derbe and then to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy lived there, whose mother was a believer of Jewish origin but whose father was a Greek. As the believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him, Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him. So he took him and, because of the Jews of that place who all knew that his father was a Greek, he circumcised him.

As they travelled from town to town, they delivered the decisions of the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem, for the people to obey. Meanwhile, the churches grew stronger in faith and increased in number every day.

They travelled through Phrygia and Galatia, because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from preaching the message in the province of Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

There one night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and begged him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” When he awoke, he told us of this vision and we understood that the Lord was calling us to give the Good News to the Macedonian people.

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Sunday, 4 May 2025 : Third Sunday of Easter (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 5 : 27b-32, 40b-41

The High Priest questioned the Apostles, “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.”

And the Council ordered them not to speak again of Jesus, the Saviour. Then they set them free. The Apostles went out from the Council, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name.

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Friday, 2 May 2025 : 2nd Week of Easter, Memorial of St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Acts 5 : 34-42

But one of the members of the Council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law highly respected by the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin. He ordered the men to be taken outside for a few minutes and then he spoke to the assembly.

“Fellow Israelites, consider well what you intend to do to these men. For some time ago Theudas came forward, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed and all his followers were dispersed or disappeared.”

“After him, Judas the Galilean appeared at the time of the census and persuaded many people to follow him. But he too perished and his whole following was scattered. So, in this present case, I advise you to have nothing to do with these men. Leave them alone. If their project or activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. If, on the other hand, it is from God, you will not be able to destroy it and you may indeed find yourselves fighting against God.”

The Council let themselves be persuaded. They called in the Apostles and had them whipped, and ordered them not to speak again of Jesus Saviour. Then they set them free. The Apostles went out from the Council rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the Name. Day after day, both in the Temple and in people’s homes, they continued to teach and to proclaim that Jesus was the Messiah.