way of the Lord

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Tuesday, 20 September 2016 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest, and St. Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions, Martyrs, Martyr Saints of Korea (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we heard the words of the Gospel and the Scriptures, urging us all to obey the Law and the commandments of God, as how He had given all these to us as the instruments and helpers for us all as we walk on this path towards salvation and eternal life. He has given all of them to us so that these may guide as we encounter challenges and difficulties on our way.

And yet, as we heard from the Book of Proverbs, our first reading of today, we saw how many people persisted in their wicked ways and refused to follow what the Lord had instructed and shown them. And that is because in their hearts, they do not have the Lord in their hearts. They were so full of themselves and their ego that they did not see how much God had done for them and blessed them in their lives.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us as Christians are expected to live in accordance with the ways of the Lord, devoting ourselves to God and all the things that He had taught us to do. And just as Jesus said, those who have done the will of God, He will consider as His brothers and sisters. Why is this so? That is because He Who is God has made Himself to be a Man like ourselves, so that all those who have obeyed the Lord as He had obeyed His Father may be like Him in all things, and be worthy to be considered as His brethren.

And perhaps, the best example for that obedience is our Lord Himself, Who have obeyed the will of the Father to the very end. He was willing to shoulder the burden of the cross, so that by bearing that cross, on which has been laid the burdens of our sins, we may be saved from certain death and destruction due to those sins. He is our Good Shepherd, Who truly loves us and cares for us, showing us the love and concern with which He guides us to the right path.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, perhaps we should also heed the examples of St. Laurent Imbert, St. Jacques Chastan, St. Andrew Kim Taegon and all the many other holy saints and martyrs, who have suffered and died defending the faith in the land of Korea. These saints were missionaries and local Christians who have endured difficulties, tribulations, oppressions and persecutions in their faith and in their belief in God.

At that time, the government of Korea was very hostile to the Christian faith, openly opposing the evangelisation of the faith in its territory, and were very staunch in their stance against the missionaries of the faith. And many of those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Saviour were arrested, tortured, and forced to choose between great suffering and pain or to recant their faith and return to their old beliefs.

But amidst this very difficult and turbulent time, many brave and courageous members of the faithful, together with the missionaries stood up against the tide of persecution, and became living examples of how faith should be like in us Christians. They refused to abandon the Lord and their faith in Him, and even while knowing that such a stance would lead to great difficulties and persecution, they pressed on nonetheless.

And in particular St. Laurent Imbert, a French missionary appointed as the first Bishop of Korea, as the Vicar Apostolic there, was exemplary in his actions, which showed many the same example as Christ Himself had shown the world. At that time, as the persecution of the faithful and the Church intensified, the authorities were trying to destroy the Church by striking at its leadership. St. Laurent Imbert, the Bishop of Korea and his priests were then hiding from the authorities.

An offer went out from the authorities, that if the bishop and the leading priests were to surrender themselves, then they would spare the rest of the faithful from further persecution. While this was most likely a trap, and no guarantee could be ensured from trusting the words of the authorities, St. Laurent Imbert nonetheless decided to surrender himself, while encouraging his fellow priests to do the same.

In doing so, as was explained in his writings, St. Laurent Imbert had followed the example of the Lord, the Good Shepherd. Jesus said that the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep, and there, St. Laurent Imbert laid down his life for the good and the benefit of the flock entrusted to him by God. He showed us all by action, true Christian love, devotion and commitment, both to God and to His people, his fellow men.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we too should follow in the footsteps of St. Laurent Imbert, St. Jacques Chastan, St. Andrew Kim Taegon and all the saints and martyrs of Korea, all of whom bravely and courageously defended their faith even with their life. They have lived truly as Christians, and showed the meaning of commitment, faith, and true love for God and for their fellow men, by their unfailing faith and devotion.

Let us all imitate them in their examples, and be brave and courageous in our faith as well. Let us all not be intimidated by the challenges of this world, but instead put our full trust in the Lord, knowing that God will always be with all those who are faithful to Him, for He will always love us all, and will never abandon His beloved ones to the darkness. May God bless us all, always. Amen.

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Tuesday, 20 September 2016 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest, and St. Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions, Martyrs, Martyr Saints of Korea (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Red
Psalm 118 : 1, 27, 30, 34, 35, 44

Blessed are they whose ways are upright, who follow the Law of the Lord.

Explain to me all Your ordinances, and I will meditate on Your wondrous deeds.

I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart upon Your laws.

Give me understanding, that I may observe Your Law with all my heart.

Guide me in obeying Your instructions, for my pleasure lies in them.

May I always keep Your word forever and ever.

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Tuesday, 20 September 2016 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Laurent Imbert, Bishop, St. Jacques Chastan, Priest, and St. Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions, Martyrs, Martyr Saints of Korea (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Red
Proverbs 21 : 1-6, 10-13

In the hands of YHVH, the heart of the king is like running water; he directs it wherever he wishes. To the eyes of man all His ways are honest but it is YHVH Who weighs the heart. To do what is upright and just pleases YHVH more than sacrifice.

Haughty looks, proud heart, the light of the wicked is sin. The plans of a hardworking man result in earnings; poverty is for those who act too hastily. To make a fortune by means of deceit is like running after the wind; the end is death.

The soul of the wicked desires nothing but evil; not even his friend is treated with compassion. When the mocker is punished the ignorant man grows wise; when the wise man is instructed he grows in knowledge. The Just One watches the house of the evildoer and hurls the wicked into misfortune.

He who is deaf to the poor man’s cry will not be heard when he himself calls out.

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Monday, 19 September 2016 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in today’s Scripture readings, we heard about the Lord Who reminded each and every one of us that we who are His people ought to show all that we truly belong to Him. And the only way to do it is by really practicing what we believe in, by actually doing and acting out the things which He had taught us to do, that is to love, and love tenderly and generously.

And that was what Jesus our Lord meant when He spoke about having a candle and a light that ought not to be hidden underneath and covered, but instead should be shown for all to see, as the light that illuminate the whole room. This is related to what He also said on another occasion, which we know as the parable of the light of the world and the salt of the earth.

In that parable, Jesus compared and indeed exhorted His disciples to be salt of the earth and to be light of the world. At the core of the message, it simply means that if we do call ourselves as Christians, then certainly we cannot show to the world otherwise, for example, by acting in ways that besmirch and desecrate the holiness of God and His Church, by committing fornication and adultery with improper relationships, as well as many others.

Jesus said that if light is concealed and hidden, that it has no use at all, as light has its purpose to brighten up the place and show the path and give direction for others to see. Meanwhile, if salt loses its saltiness, then it has also become useless, as salt is used to give flavour to the food. Without their respective useful properties, light and salt are meaningless and useless.

In the same manner, we must live our faith with sincerity and genuine intention, showing them through our loving actions, real actions that bring forth the goodness of God’s love and grace in us. In that, then we will have fulfilled what the Lord had asked us to do, to become the salt of the earth and the light of the world. It means that we cannot be lukewarm in our faith, and neither can we be ignorant about the many things that are occurring around us on daily basis.

Yes, the fact is that the opportunity for evangelisation is always there for us. We do not have to go far away in order to evangelise. What we need to do is to pay attention to those who are near to us, surrounding us, and see what we can do from there. Before we can do great things, we must know how to do simple things, and beginning from our own families, societies and communities around us, we can truly make a difference, not just for ourselves, but also for those whom we interact with.

Let us all look at the example of today’s great saint, the renowned St. Januarius of Naples, Italy, also known by his name San Gennaro in that place. He was renowned for the miracles that surround the most renowned relic he had, that is a vial of his preserved blood, which liquefies on certain periods of the year, including today, his feast day.

But what made St. Januarius great and such miracles to happen to his relic was indeed his great contribution to the Church and to the faithful, especially to all those to whom he had dedicated himself to. St. Januarius was the Bishop of the region of Benevento in southern Italy during a time when being a Christian often meant committing a crime against the state punishable by death. Persecution was rampant against the faithful then.

It was told that St. Januarius tried his best as the leader of the faithful in his diocese, hiding those who have been found out to be Christians and targeted by the state for punishment and imprisonment. He did this for a few years before he himself was discovered and then put into jail as a result. But he did not falter to the very end, and he continued to put his trust and faith in the Lord, until he was martyred in defending his faith.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we should all heed the examples of St. Januarius, who had worked so hard to serve the faithful to whom he had been appointed as a shepherd and leader. We too in our own ways can contribute to the Church, and also helping one another to live out their lives in faith to God. Let us all reflect on this, and think of the ways in which we can be better Christians, living in accordance to the Lord and His ways. God bless us all. Amen.

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Monday, 19 September 2016 : 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green or Red (Martyrs)
Luke 8 : 16-18

At that time, Jesus said 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.”

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Sunday, 18 September 2016 : 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this Sunday we all heard a simple and yet clear and very important message from the Holy Scriptures, which each and every one of us ought to take note of as we live our lives in this world so that we do not end up walking down the wrong path and doing the wrong things. That is because today’s readings are truly about the choices we make in life.

In the first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Amos, we heard God chastising His people through His prophet Amos, about their wickedness and unjust actions, all borne out of greed and selfishness, desiring to have more for themselves while doing that cause disadvantage, pain and even suffering for others who have less from them or even none. They were dishonest, wicked and selfish.

They cheated people from their money, even the poor and those who have little. They adjusted the size of their scales and measurements to gain more profits for themselves, so that they sold at the same or higher price a commodity that they sold at a smaller piece or weight because they rigged the measurement. They have also unlawfully and unjustly charged and made life difficult for many people, all to serve their own purposes and wishes.

This is linked to what we heard in the Gospel today, when Jesus told His disciples the parable of the untrustworthy and dishonest steward, who used his power to serve his own purposes and wants. The steward was found out in his dishonest actions, and the master was not pleased and fired him. Yet, when the steward found out that he has been dismissed from service, instead of being remorseful and regretting what he has done, he did it all the more.

Yes, we may sometimes misunderstand the meaning of today’s Gospel and the parable if we think in human terms. Many of us may even find the actions of the steward to be right and just, considering that he might be only trying to preserve himself and secure for himself something after he has been fired from his work and left jobless. And his reasoning was just that he was too embarrassed to beg, and that he has no strength to do menial and tough jobs.

That is exactly the human way of thinking, as what Jesus Himself made clear at the end of His parable, that one cannot serve both God and money at the same time. The reference to money is the reference to the worldly ways, how we used to live in this world, the expectations and all the things which this world had taught us to do, which often come in conflict and contrast with the ways that God had taught us to do.

As Jesus Himself said in another occasion, what use is that when a man gain everything he wished for and wanted for in the world, and yet lose his soul to damnation? That is what mankind’s shortcoming is, seeking to build up for themselves guarantee and assurance in this world and yet they do not take into account the world that is to come.

Then we come to the moment when we should also ask ourselves. As Christians, have we been building for ourselves the treasures of this world and yet forgetting the true goal of our lives? More importantly, have we done in accordance to what the Lord had told us to do, and which the Church of God had taught us? Or have we instead followed our own selfish desires and greed, as those wicked people in Israel in the past had done?

As Christians, our actions, words and deeds should be in accordance to what the Lord had shown us, the way that He has laid before us. Otherwise, if Christians do not live in accordance to what God had shown us, then it is a scandal not only for ourselves, for God’s people in the Church, but also to the Lord Himself. At the end of the day, we have to realise that we have grave responsibilities to bear, and the choice lies at our hands.

Indeed, we have a choice, and we should indeed make the choice and take a stand. Do we choose to stand with the Lord and obey Him, His laws and walk in accordance with His ways? Or do we rather stand with this world, ignoring the Lord and following the whims of our own desires? We have that choice given to us, as the free will granted to us by the Lord. It is therefore up to us, to choose whether we want to follow the footsteps of that dishonest servant, or whether we seek to be a better person than that.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are all called to live up to our faith by devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord and His ways. We cannot serve both the Lord and our worldly desires and wishes. One have to go for the other to be served, or else we are only shortchanging ourselves and others who are around us. Are we courageous enough to make that stand? Are we willing to make a difference in our own lives?

Let us all spend some time to think about this. Let us all discern and pray to the Lord, asking Him to guide us and to show us the way forward. Let us ask for courage and strength to stand up to the temptations of the world, and for us to be able to control and tame our human greed and desires, and grow less troubled by the troubles and the persecutions that will come our way by choosing to stand up with the Lord our God.

May God be our guide, and may His love and His grace be ever present in us all, that each and every one of us may become true children of our God, and all who see us may know that we truly belong to Him, as we live as how He had taught us and shown us, and we may always remain henceforth in His favour. God bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Sunday, 18 September 2016 : 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Second Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Green
1 Timothy 2 : 1-8

First of all I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for rulers of states and all in authority, that we may enjoy a quiet and peaceful life in godliness and respect. This is good and pleases God. For He wants all to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth.

As there is one God, there is one Mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, Himself human, Who gave His life for the redemption of all. This is the testimony, given in its proper time, and of this, God has made me Apostle and herald.

I am not lying, I am telling the truth : He made me teacher of the nations regarding faith and truth. I want the men in every place to lift pure hands in prayer to heaven without anger and dissension.

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Saturday, 17 September 2016 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today’s Scripture spoke to us about the moment when Jesus mentioned the parable of the sowers and the seeds to His disciples. We are all quite familiar and aware of this parable, in which Jesus spoke about a sower of seeds who spread the seeds in a field, and while some of the seeds fell on rich and fertile soil, but others fell on the roadside, or on the rocky ground or on place with thorns and brambles.

And in this parable which we heard, those seeds spread by the sower represent our faith, our hope and our love for the Lord, the three fundamental aspects of our lives, that is faith, hope and love. The sower of the seeds is the Lord, Who spread the seeds of faith, hope and love in each of our hearts and minds. And the fates awaiting the seeds in the different places that they have landed represent what we as human beings are doing to those seeds and gifts God has given us.

Those seeds that fell on the roadside and got eaten up by the birds, as mentioned by the Lord are those who have received the word of God, but they were tempted by the seemingly better offering of the devil and his allies, and instead of following God, they walked that other path instead. As a result, not only that the gifts of the Lord remained dormant in them, but they drift further and further away from the Lord.

And those that landed on rocky ground did not manage to grow roots deep into the soil, and they perished from the heat of the sun. According to the Lord, these are those who have not internalised the gifts and the words that they received, and as a result, the word of God, His love, hope and faith has no place in their hearts. And thus, similarly, they also drifted away from the Lord into oblivion.

While those who were growing with the thistles and brambles were choked by those thistles and brambles, which took the life away from the growing plant, eventually killing them. These refer to those who worry too much about their worldly affairs that in the end those worries, fears and uncertainties swallowed them and prevented the Lord’s works from bearing fruit in them and becoming a reality.

Only those seeds that fell on the rich soil were able to grow up into healthy plants bearing many good and bountiful fruits. These bear fruits many multiplefold, and this is when each and every one of us, the people of God, are willing to receive the word of God, the gifts of the Lord of faith, hope and love, and then internalise them, understand them and do our best to do what we can to cultivate these and allow them to grow.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, now the question is, have we done all that we can in order to fulfil what the Lord expects from us? In the first reading taken from the Epistle of St. Paul to the Church and the faithful in Corinth, he spoke of how all of us Christians, those who have chosen to believe in God, are people of the Spirit, for God Himself had sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

And through Christ Who had made Himself Man for all of us, and Who had died for our sake on the cross, we have shared in that same death, that we die to our old selves, to our past sinfulness and all the evil deeds we have done, and instead now we walk on the path of grace, sharing in our Lord’s resurrection from the dead. Thus, we too have been made to rise from our death in darkness, and we entered into a new life blessed by God, that is a Christian life.

Yet we all know how many Christians still do not act and behave as how Christians should be like. Many of them preferred to walk their own paths and behaved in ways that are scandalous to the Lord, to His Church and to the people of God. And as a result, many of them brought scandal and trouble to the Church and to the faithful. They closed the doors of salvation to many others who then came not to believe in God because of what they have done.

These are those whose seeds of faith, hope and love have fallen far away from the fertile and good soil. They did not cultivate their gifts from God properly and responsibly, and as a result, they are responsible for the terrible state of affairs that led to the loss of not just themselves but even many others from the salvation in God. And that is why all of us should reflect on this and learn from it.

Perhaps we also can learn from the examples of St. Robert Bellarmine, the holy saint and servant of God whose feast we are celebrating today. St. Robert Bellarmine was a very devoted servant of God of his time, as a member of the Jesuits or the Society of Jesus, which was very active in its role in counter-fighting the effects of the terrible Protestant ‘reformation’, a great heresy that had caused many people in Christendom at that time to lose their faith and followed false teachings of the devil.

He was devoted to make the teaching of the true faith available to the people, and he performed many great works, both in preaching and writing, to bring the knowledge of the word of God to many. His writings were numerous and still influence many people and the faithful even to this very day. In that capacity, the Church recognised his works and talents, and made him to be a Prince of the Church, as a Cardinal.

But that did not make him slow down or to become lazy in his works. Instead, he devoted himself and his efforts all the more in trying to undo the damages caused by the false and heretical teachings, and spreading the truth of God via proper education and catechism. And his many works did bear great fruits as countless masses of people flocked back to the Church through his works as well as the works of his many fellow compatriots in faith, and repented their sinfulness.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us can do the same as well. We are all called to be active in our Christian life, and not just be a passive bystander. And that means in our life, we must act in the way that we have been taught to do by our Lord, which through His Church, He had revealed to us all how to live in accordance to His ways.

Let us all devote ourselves to the Lord anew. Let us give our heart’s effort and abilities to help the works of God in saving mankind, by doing what is right and just in our own lives, avoiding and shunning sins and wickedness. If we are faithful and dedicated, then others will also believe in us and follow us all as well. May the Lord bless us and help us, and may He strengthen our faith and help us to remain true to Him at all times. Amen.

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Saturday, 17 September 2016 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Green or White (Bishops)
Psalm 55 : 10, 11-12, 13-14

My enemies turn back when I call on You for help; now I know that God is for me.

In God Whose word I praise, in God I trust without fear. What can mortals do against me?

I am bound to You by vows, o God; I shall offer my thanksgiving. For You have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, that I might walk in God’s presence in the light of the living.

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Friday, 16 September 2016 : 24th Week of Ordinary Time, Memorial of Pope St. Cornelius, Pope and St. Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Red
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we become witnesses of the Lord’s Word spoken to us through His Scriptures, where He spoke of how He had brought healing and salvation upon the world, and He did that through His wonderful works, the primary of which is the death of Himself on the cross, and then how He wondrously rose up from the dead, and was risen in glory, defeating and conquering death.

And we are His witnesses of His resurrection from the dead, as those who have been entrusted with the knowledge and the faith in the One through Whom God had justified the whole world, the whole race of mankind. And that is the essence and the core of our faith, that we believe in our loving God, through Whom we have all been saved by His actions, descending upon this world to be one like us, that by sharing our humanity, He may share with all of us as well, the glory of His death and resurrection.

That is the key message which the Scripture passages we heard today are trying to tell us. We as Christians are people of the Gospel, the Good News of the Lord’s salvation. And we all know that Christ had willingly agreed to shoulder the burden of our sins and wickedness, all the consequences and punishments that come with them, so that we may be saved and not perish in the darkness.

But the offer of Christ’s mercy, forgiveness and love will only be fully realised within us if we all accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, and agree to fully walk in His path, that is to become a real and genuine Christian. And what is the relevance of these all to us, brothers and sisters in Christ? That is because, we who follow the Lord as the Apostles and the holy women mentioned in the Gospel today, we are the workers of Christ, those through whose good works, we bring upon many the salvation of the Lord.

That is the mission entrusted by the Lord Himself to His Apostles and disciples before He left them to ascend to His heavenly glory. But He did not leave them behind, for He was indeed still with them, and He sent them the great Helper, the Holy Spirit to guide them and to help them in their missions and works. And we are their successors, the ones to continue the good works of the Apostles of the Lord.

What does this mean to us? It means that all of us as Christians should really value our faith and truly commit ourselves to living as Christians and as how Christians are supposed to be. And that is how we can best preach about the Lord to others around us. If we show how we live as an example to them, then surely through our works and actions, many will come to believe in the Lord and be converted to His cause.

Now the challenge for us is that we are called to do all these, which many of us certainly have not done thus far. We as members of the Church of God and as Christians ought to devote ourselves to the way of our Lord, that many more people would come to believe in Him, and therefore we may together gain the salvation in God and liberation from our sufferings and sins.

Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian, the holy saints whom the Church celebrates today, were also devoted and committed in their actions, serving the Lord and His Church to the best of his abilities. Both Pope St. Cornelius and St. Cyprian served the Lord with great zeal, and although they often did not agree on certain matters, as evident in how once they came into a bitter conflict over the matter of the forgiveness and acceptance of those who have abandoned the faith and then later returned, but they were able to come together and resolved their differences for the good of the faithful.

Persecution of the faithful was particularly vicious at that time under the Roman Emperor Decius and his successors. Many of the faithful were under attack and under great trouble because of their faith. And both of these faithful saints were also part of the persecution, exiled to hard labour and to great tribulations. Yet, they never ceased to do great works, writing commendations and encouragements to their flock even from exile, to strengthen them amidst the difficult moments.

May God help us all in these endeavours in following the examples of these great saints. May the Lord help us in our works and commitments to bring our fellow brethren to Him, that all of us may be together saved in Him. May God with His holy saints show us the way to lead many to Him, that eventually all may receive grace and righteousness in God. Amen.