St. Laurent Imbert

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Saturday, 20 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, 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 all reminded that each and every one of us have been given and entrusted with many great and wonderful things by God Himself, all the talents, abilities, opportunities and the many other things which He has provided for us so that we may truly be fruitful and active in making good use of them for the benefit of all the people of God and all those whom we encounter in our paths and journeys as Christians, as the disciples and followers of the Lord. Each and every one of us should always do our best such that our every actions, words and deeds may inspire many more people to come to know the Lord, His love and truth.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to his protege and fellow missionary, St. Timothy, we heard of the Apostle reminding St. Timothy and all fellow Christians to always remember that they were all the servants and followers of Christ, the Lord and Saviour, God Himself Who has manifested His love and works through His Son, Whom He sent into our world in order to bring all of us, His beloved people into salvation and eternal life through Him. And because of this, each and every one of those who have professed their faith as Christians ought to continue to focus our lives on God and His teachings, to embody our faith in our everyday actions, in our every words and deeds, in everything that we say and do, at all times.

Then, from our Gospel passage today, taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke the Evangelist, we heard of the famous parable that the Lord Jesus taught to His disciples, which I am sure we are all well aware of, that is the parable of the sower. In this parable of the sower, we heard of what happened to the different seeds that fell in different places, and how among all those seeds, only those that fell on rich and fertile soil managed to grow well and bear fruits, while all the other seeds, those that fell by the roadside, those that fell on the rocks and those that grew amongst the brambles and weeds, all those failed to grow. The Lord Himself had explained His parable and its meaning clearly to the disciples, highlighting how God has given to each and every one of us the gifts and opportunities, talents and abilities much like those seeds that were mentioned in the parable.

However, they had to be nurtured and cultivated, meaning that we should do our best to give the best conditions possible in allowing this faith, all the gifts and things that God had provided to us. And how do we exactly do that, brothers and sisters in Christ? It is by us spending more quality time with the Lord, doing our best to walk ever more faithfully in the Lord’s Presence at all times, in even the most ordinary things that we do. We must not underestimate the power of prayer and faith in our lives, and we should always strive to lead a life that is attuned to God’s will, doing our part such that we may grow ever closer to God and continue to glorify Him by our exemplary living, at all times. We should be good inspirations and role models for others around us, and that is one way how our faith can lead to so many more others finding their way to the Lord, and hence, bearing rich fruits for the Lord.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Korean Martyrs, or the Holy Martyrs of Korea, which are composed of many local Korean Christians and converts, both among the clergy and the laity alike, as well as the many missionaries who had come from distant lands, serving the Lord and His people, and all of whom endured great challenges, trials and sufferings amidst their ministry and living of their Christian faith. Today we remember all of these most courageous, faithful and loving people of God, who have borne the pains and struggles of being God’s faithful and beloved children and disciples, suffering prison, pains and sufferings, humiliations and hardships, and many of them even died as martyrs, choosing to die in faith rather than to give up their faith in God or to abandon Him and His Church.

At that time, the Korean state and government were very suspicious and hostile against the Christians and the missionaries who came to Korea to evangelise and proclaim the Lord and His Good News. They viewed the Christian faith and the missionaries as threat to their way of life and the authority of the state, as opposed to the strict Confucian nature of the society and the worldview of the time prevailing in Korea. And therefore, the state persecuted the Christians, both the foreign missionaries and also the local converts, oppressing and attacking them, forcing them to choose between their faith and suffering, or to obey the commands and demands of the state and abandoning their newfound faith and trust in the Lord.

St. Andrew Kim Taegon was particularly renowned among the saints and martyrs commemorated today as he was the first Korean Catholic priest, and he had a rough early life because his family, who had converted to the Christian faith were persecuted and he had his family members martyred for being followers of Christ. At a young age of fifteen, St. Andrew Kim Taegon chose to be baptised and then went to Macau to study as a seminarian and eventually was ordained as a priest in Shanghai in China. He later on returned to Korea to preach the Christian faith and Good News, evangelising to many of the people in his homeland. Eventually, he was persecuted with many other Christians, both missionaries, clergy and laity alike during intense persecutions against them, but he and the other faithful martyrs remained firmly faithful to the very end.

There was also the story of the faith of St. Laurent Imbert, the first Vicar Apostolic of Korea, the missionary which the Pope appointed to be the representative of the Church in Korea, laying down the important groundwork for the growth of Christianity in that area. St. Laurent Imbert dedicated himself to minister to the faithful people of God, the flock entrusted to his care by the Lord, despite the intensifying persecutions against him and many other missionaries. When he and the other missionaries had to go into hiding during those persecutions, St. Laurent Imbert voluntarily surrendered himself to the authorities, and encouraged two other priests to do the same as he hoped that by doing so, he might spare many other Christians, his own flock, from suffering more for being followers of Christ. Before he was martyred, he was remembered for his great quote from the Gospel, ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.’, showing the action that he and the Lord Himself had done in ensuring our salvation and liberation from sin and destruction.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the faith and examples shown to us by the Holy Martyrs of Korea, those whose lives and dedication to God have been most exemplary and strong, and who have inspired us all to continue to live our lives with genuine and strong faith in the Lord as we should have always done. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to commit ourselves thoroughly and wholeheartedly to the cause of the Lord, to be truly loving and generous with our compassion and mercy to one another, and to trust in the Lord’s providence and care, and in everything which He has reassured and promised us, the promise of everlasting life and true happiness, of glory everlasting with Him.

May the Lord our God continue to guide us all and strengthen us in faith as He has done to all those faithful servants, those Holy Martyrs in Korea who had dedicated their lives to Him and those who have done their best to remain faithful to Him despite the persecutions against them. May all of us continue to walk ever more faithfully and courageously in God’s Holy Presence and lead others to come ever closer to Him as well by our good examples and inspirations in life. Let us all be like the seeds that fell on the rich soil and bear wonderful fruits of our faith, that we may be found truly worthy by God. Amen.

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Saturday, 20 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 8 : 4-15

At that time, as a great crowd gathered, and people came to Jesus from every town, He began teaching them with a story : “The sower went out to sow the seed. And as he sowed, some of the seed fell along the way, was trodden on, and the birds of the sky ate it up.”

“Some seed fell on rocky ground; and no sooner had it come up than it withered, because it had no water. Some seed fell among thorns; the thorns grew up with the seed and choked it. But some seed fell on good soil and grew, producing fruit, a hundred times as much!” And Jesus cried out, “Listen then, if you have ears to hear!”

The disciples asked Him, “What does this story mean?” And Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to others it is given in the form of stories, or parables, so that, seeing, they may not perceive; and hearing, they may not understand.”

“Now, this is the point of the parable : The seed is the word of God. Those along the wayside are people who hear it; but immediately, the devil comes and takes the word from their minds, for he does not want them to believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are people who receive the word with joy; but they have no root; they believe for a while, and give way in time of trial.”

“Among the thorns are people who hear the word, but, as they go their way, they are choked by worries, riches, and the pleasures of life; they bring no fruit to maturity. The good soil, instead, are people who receive the word, and keep it, in a gentle and generous mind, and, persevering patiently, they bear fruit.”

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Saturday, 20 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 99 : 2, 3, 4, 5

Serve YHVH with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.

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

Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His Name.

For YHVH is good; His love lasts forever; and His faithfulness, through all generations.

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Saturday, 20 September 2025 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Timothy 6 : 13-16

Now, in the presence of God, Who gives life to all things, and of Jesus Christ, Who expressed before Pontius Pilate the authentic expression of faith : preserve the revealed message to all. Keep yourself pure and blameless, until the glorious coming of Christ Jesus, our Lord, Who God will bring about at the proper time : He, the Magnificent Sovereign, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

To Him, alone, immortal, Who lives in unapproachable light, and Whom no one has ever seen or can see, to Him, be honour and power, forever and ever. Amen!

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Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded that we are all believers in the Lord’s resurrection from the dear and the promise of the life that is to come for us with God. Each and every one of us as Christians are partakers of the Lord’s promise and the eternal life and grace which He will bless us all with, and which He has shown us and proven to us through the Resurrection which He Himself has experienced, gloriously risen from the dead and triumphant against all the forces of sin and evil, crushing forever the dominion and power of Satan, and opening for us all the sure path to eternal life and salvation with Him and in Him. Today we are reminded that as Christians, all of us ought to have firm and strong faith in Him and the resurrection.

In our first reading today, we heard from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Church and the faithful people of God in the city and region of Corinth in which the Apostle spoke to the Corinthian faithful with regards to the important and core Christian tenet and belief in the resurrection from the dead. There were likely those among the faithful in Corinth who did not truly believe in the resurrection from the dead, and they may not have believed in the Apostles and the other disciples who had come to them bearing the news of the Lord’s resurrection. Therefore, St. Paul reiterated again that the belief in the resurrection from the dead, particularly in the Resurrection of Our Lord is an essential and crucial part of our Christian beliefs and faith.

He stated that if the Lord had not risen from the dead, then all of their beliefs and faith in Him would have been useless, as if the Lord Jesus Himself had perished and been defeated by the power of Satan, by sin and death, by all of His enemies and all those who have persecuted and oppressed Him, then it would indeed be folly for any of them to believe in the Lord and His teachings. Then there would also have been no hope for any one of them to be able to overcome sin and death, and death itself would have been the end of everything. Among the Jewish people themselves, there were those like the Sadducees, the priestly elites who did not believe in the resurrection from the dead or in any forms of life after death. Even among the Jewish elders and traditions themselves there were many disagreements on this matter.

But St. Paul firmly spoke of the most fundamental Christian belief in the resurrection from the dead, and how the faithful ought to hold firmly to this faith, trusting that there is life and existence after death and end of our lives in this world as we know it to be. The Lord Himself has shown it, as He revealed Himself and His Risen glory right after He rose from the dead, reassuring all of His disciples and followers of the truth which He has told all of them. He reassured them that through the resurrection of the dead, all of them, and hence each and every one of us shall share in the glory of Our Lord’s Resurrection, and share the joy and happiness that He has promised to each and every one of us, the true and lasting happiness that can be found in Him alone, and this is the faith which all of us Christians share together as one beloved and holy people of God.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we then heard of the short passage from the Gospel according to St. Luke in which the Lord’s ministry was highlighted to us, and we heard the names of several women being mentioned to us, and how the Lord went about many places healing people and performing miracles, casting out demons and helping many people out of their predicaments. Although that passage was rather short, it did show to us the dedication which many of the Lord’s disciples, particularly that of the women, who spent many efforts to help and facilitate the Lord’s ministry and works, and that also included St. Mary Magdalene, a woman from whom the Lord had cast out seven demons or evil spirits, and who later on would become a truly great and respected saint, highlighting to us again, how important it is for us as Christians to put our trust in the Lord, to follow Him wholehearted as always.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Korean Martyrs, or the Holy Martyrs of Korea, which are composed of many local Korean Christians and converts, both among the clergy and the laity alike, as well as the many missionaries who had come from distant lands, serving the Lord and His people, and all of whom endured great challenges, trials and sufferings amidst their ministry and living of their Christian faith. Today we remember all of these most courageous, faithful and loving people of God, who have borne the pains and struggles of being God’s faithful and beloved children and disciples, suffering prison, pains and sufferings, humiliations and hardships, and many of them even died as martyrs, choosing to die in faith rather than to give up their faith in God or to abandon Him and His Church.

At that time, the Korean state and government were very suspicious and hostile against the Christians and the missionaries who came to Korea to evangelise and proclaim the Lord and His Good News. They viewed the Christian faith and the missionaries as threat to their way of life and the authority of the state, as opposed to the strict Confucian nature of the society and the worldview of the time prevailing in Korea. And therefore, the state persecuted the Christians, both the foreign missionaries and also the local converts, oppressing and attacking them, forcing them to choose between their faith and suffering, or to obey the commands and demands of the state and abandoning their newfound faith and trust in the Lord.

St. Andrew Kim Taegon was particularly renowned among the saints and martyrs commemorated today as he was the first Korean Catholic priest, and he had a rough early life because his family, who had converted to the Christian faith were persecuted and he had his family members martyred for being followers of Christ. At a young age of fifteen, St. Andrew Kim Taegon chose to be baptised and then went to Macau to study as a seminarian and eventually was ordained as a priest in Shanghai in China. He later on returned to Korea to preach the Christian faith and Good News, evangelising to many of the people in his homeland. Eventually, he was persecuted with many other Christians, both missionaries, clergy and laity alike during intense persecutions against them, but he and the other faithful martyrs remained firmly faithful to the very end.

There was also the story of the faith of St. Laurent Imbert, the first Vicar Apostolic of Korea, the missionary which the Pope appointed to be the representative of the Church in Korea, laying down the important groundwork for the growth of Christianity in that area. St. Laurent Imbert dedicated himself to minister to the faithful people of God, the flock entrusted to his care by the Lord, despite the intensifying persecutions against him and many other missionaries. When he and the other missionaries had to go into hiding during those persecutions, St. Laurent Imbert voluntarily surrendered himself to the authorities, and encouraged two other priests to do the same as he hoped that by doing so, he might spare many other Christians, his own flock, from suffering more for being followers of Christ. Before he was martyred, he was remembered for his great quote from the Gospel, ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.’, showing the action that he and the Lord Himself had done in ensuring our salvation and liberation from sin and destruction.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all be inspired by the faith and examples shown to us by the Holy Martyrs of Korea, those whose lives and dedication to God have been most exemplary and strong, and who have inspired us all to continue to live our lives with genuine and strong faith in the Lord as we should have always done. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to commit ourselves thoroughly and wholeheartedly to the cause of the Lord, to be truly loving and generous with our compassion and mercy to one another, and to trust in the Lord’s providence and care, and in everything which He has reassured and promised us, the promise of everlasting life and true happiness, of glory everlasting with Him.

May the Lord our most loving, compassionate and merciful God continue to guide and strengthen us in our journey, and may He continue to empower and strengthen us in our resolve to live our lives worthily at all times, so that by each and every blessings and providence that He has given us, we may continue to stay firmly faithful in Him, dedicating ourselves to proclaim His truth, and be courageous witnesses of His glorious Resurrection, of His Good News and the everlasting life which He has promised to us. May God bless us all, now and always, forevermore. Amen.

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Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 8 : 1-3

At that time, Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the Good News of the kingdom of God. The Twelve followed Him, and also some women, who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases : Mary called Magdalene, who had been freed of seven demons; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Suzanna; and others, who provided for them out of their own funds.

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Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Psalm 16 : 1, 6-7, 8b and 15

Hear a just cause, o Lord, listen to my complaint. Give heed to my prayer for there is no deceit on my lips.

I call on You, You will answer me, o God; incline Your ear and hear my word. For You do wonders for Your faithful, You save those fleeing from the enemy as they seek refuge at Your right hand.

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; under the shadow of Your wings hide me. As for me, righteous in Your sight, I shall see Your face and, awakening, gaze my fill on Your likeness.

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Friday, 20 September 2024 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, and St. Paul Chong Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

1 Corinthians 15 : 12-20

Well, then, if Christ is preached as risen from the dead, how can some of you say, that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is empty, and our belief comes to nothing. And we become false witnesses of God, attesting that He raised Christ, whereas He could not raise Him, if indeed, the dead are not raised.

If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith gives you nothing, and you are still in sin. Also, those who fall asleep, in Christ, are lost. If it is only for this life, that we hope in Christ, we are the most unfortunate of all people. But no, Christ has been raised from the dead, and He comes before all those who have fallen asleep.

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Wednesday, 20 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we are all reminded that the path which the Lord has shown us, and that we are all called to follow His path, to do what He has told us to do and to be ever faithful and committed to His cause so that we may always strive to do our best in obeying His Law and commandments, and in doing everything so that we may always be inspirational and exemplary to one another in our Christian commitments and devotions. We must always put the Lord at the centre and as the focus of our whole lives and existence, or else we may end up being easily swayed and tempted into the path of worldliness and sin, or to despair in the midst of sufferings and persecutions in life. We must always trust in the Lord and have firm hope in Him, at all times.

In our first reading today, taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to St. Timothy, we heard about the words of the Apostle reminding St. Timothy and all the faithful of the Lord of how they are all expected to live their lives in the path and manner that their Lord has shown them, in everything that He has taught and revealed to them, so that they might indeed be the most worthy and faithful witnesses and bearers of His truth and love in this world. As we have also heard in our Gospel passage today, the Lord showed us just how the world can never be satisfied by the ways and the truth of the Lord, always ever preferring their own prejudices and biases, their wants and their judgments on what they deemed to be good and right. But the path of the Lord and His Wisdom is never changing, and has always been constant amidst the ever-changing demands and standards of the world.

That is why today all of us are reminded and called to be true and faithful disciples of the Lord in all things and at all opportunities, resisting the many temptations and pressures from all around us, not allowing them to keep us away from the path of God and His righteousness, from all the virtues and goodness that He has taught and led us towards. We must always be committed to the Lord and seek to proclaim His truth and Good News, living our lives faithfully as God’s followers regardless of how others may perceive us, and how we may be treated or considered by those who are around us. We must always be full of genuine faith in God, and embody our faith and beliefs in everything that we say and do, so that just like how the saints and martyrs, our holy predecessors, had inspired many of us, we too may inspire many others around us.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Korean Martyrs, marking the memory of those who have struggled and perished amidst the series of brutal and oppressive persecutions against Christians in Korea, both the missionaries and the local populations, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Back then, Korea was a land where the Church and the Christian faith had not taken root yet, and some of the Christian missionaries who were sent to Asia went to Korea to begin planting the seeds of the faith there. These included the pioneer of the Church in Korea, St. Laurent Imbert, who helped other Christian converts in Korea, that were clandestinely established there by some missionaries from China, to begin the foundation of the Church in Korea. There had been persecutions against those Christian population and the missionaries previously, as the government then was very hostile to the faith.

This was when St. Laurent Imbert and other French missionaries from the Society of the Paris Foreign Missions came in secretly to Korea, ministering to the faithful in Korea and began to spread the Good News to more and more people, under the constant threat of government persecutions and oppressions. St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, the first Korean to be ordained as a priest in Macau also succeeded to enter Korea and he also began to minister to the Christian faithful, without fearing the constant threats of persecutions, which in time would result in the deaths of over ten thousand martyrs throughout the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Many of those martyrs chose to suffer and die rather than to give up their faith in God, and many of the missionaries chose to die with their flock, suffering grievously the pain and the hardships, shedding their blood for the Church and the faithful.

St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon was arrested and persecuted, but courageously proclaimed his faith in the letter that he wrote just before his martyrdom, and he also proclaimed bravely and courageously before his torturers and executioners just before he was to be beheaded, confessing his undying faith and commitment to God, proclaiming His salvation and Good News to everyone who wished to follow Him while also saying that God’s wrath and judgment will come upon those who refuse to know and believe in Him. Earlier on, St. Laurent Imbert, the first Vicar Apostolic of Korea, also suffered martyrdom after he surrendered himself upon hearing that the authorities would offer to spare the lives of the Christians under his care if he and two other foreign missionaries were to surrender themselves.

St. Laurent Imbert therefore encouraged the two other foreign missionaries to surrender themselves, with the words that he quoted from the Lord Himself, ‘The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep’, and therefore, as the shepherd appointed to care for the flock of the Lord’s faithful, he chose to lay down his life for the good of the faithful people of God. Thus, St. Laurent Imbert and the two missionaries surrendered themselves, and were martyred just like many other Christians, and while the authorities clearly did not honour their words of sparing the people if St. Laurent Imbert and other missionaries surrendered themselves, but the courage and faith of St. Laurent Imbert and many other martyrs had invigorated, encouraged and strengthened countless faithful Christians to remain firm in their faith amidst the heavy persecutions.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, are we also able to emulate and follow the good examples of the holy Martyrs of Korea, in all that they had done in enduring all the sufferings and hardships, persecutions and challenges, so that we may also be strong in our faith, and be inspiration for others around us in how we ought to live our lives. May God be with us all and may He bless our every efforts and endeavours, in our lives so that we may do our best to glorify Him by our every actions, words and deeds. Amen.

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Wednesday, 20 September 2023 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest and Martyr, St. Paul Chong Ha-sang, Martyr, St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop and Martyr, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red

Luke 7 : 31-35

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, “What comparison can I use for the people? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain, ‘We piped you a tune and you would not dance; we sang funeral songs and you would not cry.'”

“Remember John : he did not ear bread or drink wine, and you said, ‘He has an evil spirit.’ Next, came the Son of Man, eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Look, a glutton for food and wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But the children of Wisdom always recognise her work.”