(REMEMBER TO PRAY IN THIS MONTH OF NOVEMBER FOR YOUR RELATIVES, LOVED ONES AND FRIENDS WHO HAVE DIED).
COLLECT: “O GOD, SOURCE AND ORIGIN OF ALL FATHERHOOD, WHO KEPT THE MARTYRS SAINT ANDREW DUNG-LAC AND HIS COMPANIONS FAITHFUL TO THE CROSS OF YOUR SON, EVEN TO THE SHEDDING OF THEIR BLOOD, GRANT, THROUGH THEIR INTERCESSION, THAT, SPREADING YOUR LOVE AMONG OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE MAY BE YOUR CHILDREN BOTH IN THE NAME AND IN TRUTH. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Dan 1:1-6,8-20; Ps Dan 3:52-56 and Lk 21:1-4.
Today, Mother Church honours a group of 117 martyrs of Vietnam. They gave their lives during several persecutions throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Despite the extreme tortures they had to endure, they heroically witnessed to the faith. 96 of these saints, including the Priest Andrew Dung-Lac, were native Vietnamese. The others were European missionaries.
Scriptures today have given us two criteria or qualifications for entry into heaven. The first one is faithfulness in following God, come what may. Those who faithfully endure and persevere to follow God will certainly gain entry into heaven. This is the picture presented to us in the portion of the Book of Daniel.
The young Israelites are firm and strong in their faith and belief in God. They are faithful to their God. In their faith, they are ready to sacrifice their bodily comfort, the sacrifice of abstaining from meat (unholy food) to avoid breaking their dietary laws. Yes, they are even ready to sacrifice their dear lives rather than go against their faith.
In her deep faith, the poor widow makes the sacrifice of contributing to the Temple treasury. We see faith and good works/deeds in her life. Faith resulting in good deeds includes, for instance, helping the poor and the needy, or donating our ‘widow’s mite’ towards the development and progress of the Church and the propagation of the Word of God, and many more such acts. Selfishness, therefore, should not be part and parcel of the one who wants to one day enter heaven after this earthly life.
One aspect of selfishness is the love of money, wealth and material possessions. This is a type of idolatry and adultery, beautifully expressed in scriptures as worship of “Mammon”. This is worship of ‘two gods’, ‘two masters’.
The widow in the Gospel passage has given us lots of lessons to learn as we journey towards our heavenly home. Jesus commends her for her selfless and sacrificial charity, a manifestation of her strong faith in God. “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood”.
May we learn from this widow to always gladly give of our time, talents, or treasury to God, to the poor and to the needy. May we always contribute or donate towards the spread of God’s Word, and surely, we shall be preparing our future entry into heaven.
May Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions intercede for us. Stay blessed, and may our working week, which we begin today, be fruitful. Happy feast to all who bear the name Andrew Dung-Lac and his Companions.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, MONDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS)
“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “RENEWED BY THE ONE BREAD AS WE COMMEMORATE THE HOLY MARTYRS, WE HUMBLY BESEECH YOU, O LORD, THAT, ABIDING AS ONE IN LOVE, WE MAY MERIT BY ENDURANCE AN ETERNAL PRICE. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com.
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