February 8, 2026 The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mt 5:13 – 16 Salt of the Earth, Light of the World
In our daily lives, salt is an extremely common substance. From a material perspective, salt can serve as a seasoning, be used for anti-inflammatory purposes, and also exist within the human body to maintain its metabolism. Light can be used for illumination, driving away darkness. It can also be a form of energy, such as laser light, which can melt metal. Light can also be intangible, like a person’s gaze or the radiance of human nature.
In liturgical practices, we can also encounter holy salt. During the Easter Vigil Mass, the priest blesses the holy salt and mixes this blessed salt into clean water. Then, the Easter candle used in that Mass is dipped into this water three times to bless the baptismal font. In this way, we see the salt and light mentioned by Christ in the Gospel. When we receive baptism through this font and are united with Christ, it symbolizes that the salt of Christ’s humanity becomes a part of our bodies. In this sacrament of initiation, we have also received the light of Christ, which is what St. John refers to as “the true light that enlightens everyone” (cf. Jn 1:9). Having received this light, we are called to live out this light and bring it to the world.
Today, each of us has received the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Therefore, let us live out the true light in our daily lives and become the “salt” that promotes reconciliation between the created world and God, between ourselves and the created world, and between ourselves and God, so that the world created by God according to His holy will may be restored to the harmony it had when God first created it. Amen.
Saturday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mark 6:30-34 The Good Shepherd Jesus
We often resemble the crowds that followed Jesus in their time, madly pursuing our beloved idols in life. Sometimes, we even disregard the feelings of others to achieve a zero-distance encounter with our favoured idols, for in our eyes, as long as our desires are fulfilled, we will be content—just like those crowds who followed Christ, seeking a sense of existence and ritual. Thus, we blindly build our sense of security on creatures, who, like ourselves, were created by God according to His divine will.
When we offer prayers to God, we seek not the peace and joy of our spiritual life, but the wealth of this world and the comfort it brings. In our view, as long as we have enough food and clothing, we can find the long-awaited sense of security from such a superior life.
Today, let us rediscover the original heart we had when we first met Jesus. By the power of the Word of God, may we drive away the distractions in our hearts, calm ourselves, and enter into our inner chamber to meet the Lord Jesus Christ who dwells within us. Under the illumination and guidance of the Holy Spirit, may we courageously let go of all things and proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom to all creatures.
Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions Gospel: Mark 6:14–29 Saint Paul Miki and Companions: Defenders of the Christian Faith
Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Saint Paul Miki and his companions.
The Roman Martyrology tells us: Saint Paul Miki and his companions were a group of Catholics executed by crucifixion on February 5, 1597, in Nagasaki, Japan—a pivotal chapter in the history of Catholicism in Japan.
When Catholicism was first introduced to Japan, it flourished, with an estimated 300,000 faithful by the late 16th century. However, challenges arose from rivalry among missionary orders, geopolitical tensions between Portugal and Spain, and shifts in Japanese politics. Initially, the shogunate and imperial court supported the mission, hoping to curb the influence of Buddhist monastic orders and boost trade with Europe. By the late 1500s, however, fears of foreign encroachment grew. In 1587, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, citing the threat of “foreign powers to the state” and “Christianity’s hostility toward Buddhism,” ordered the expulsion of Christians. Following the 1596 San Felipe Incident, Hideyoshi arrested 26 Catholics in January 1597: five Spanish Franciscans, one Portuguese Franciscan from India, three Japanese Jesuits, and 17 Japanese lay members of the Third Order of St. Francis (including three altar boys). They endured torture, mutilation, and public processions before being crucified and pierced with lances on a hill overlooking Nagasaki on February 5, 1597.
Persecution continued sporadically until 1614, culminating in the Great Genna Martyrdom of 1622, when 55 Catholics were killed in Nagasaki. By 1630, Catholicism went underground, surviving secretly for 250 years until missionaries rediscovered a community of “hidden Catholics” in the 19th century.
They were beatified by Pope Urban VIII on September 14, 1627,and canonized by Pope Pius IX on June 8, 1862. They are symbols of unwavering faith in East Asia.
The Gospel of St. Mark chosen for today recounts the martyrdom of John the Baptist. We know John the Baptist was the precursor of Jesus Christ, preparing a people of goodwill for Him. St. Mark tells us: John was arrested for denouncing Herod for marrying Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip. At a banquet Herod hosted, Herodias’ daughter pleased him with her dancing, and she seized the opportunity to ask for John’s head. From this narrative, we see many parallels between John the Baptist and Saint Paul Miki and his companions. Together, they set an example for us.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ: Let us imitate John the Baptist, Saint Paul Miki, and his companions. First, seek the Kingdom of God and its righteousness. Follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rely on His aid, mortify the stirrings of the flesh, and live in all the graces God bestows upon us—no longer negatively affected in our faith by the ruler of this world and its messengers.
Prayer O God, strength of all the Saints, who through the Cross were pleased to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and companions to life, grant, we pray, that by their intercession we may hold with courage even until death to the faith that we profess. 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.
根據13世紀雅各斯·德·沃拉金（Jacobus de Voragine）所著的《黃金傳說》（Golden Legend）（III.15）記載，聖女西元231年生於卡塔尼亞（Catania）的富裕貴族家庭，她為基督之故立下貞潔誓言，並拒絕了羅馬總督昆蒂安努斯（Quintianus）的示愛。昆蒂安努斯自認為可以迫使她背棄誓言嫁給他。然而，愛葛莎始終拒絕了他的求婚。當時正值德西烏斯（Decius）迫害時期，昆蒂安努斯得知愛葛莎是基督徒後，便向當局告發了她。昆蒂安努斯本人當時正是該地區的總督。昆提安努斯（Quintianus）以為聖雅加大（Agatha）在面對酷刑和可能的死亡時會屈服於他的要求，但愛葛莎只是通過祈禱重申了她對天主的信仰：“耶穌基督，萬有之主，你洞悉我的心，你知道我的渴望。我願成為你的一切。我是你的羊：求你使我配得上戰勝魔鬼。”為了迫使她改變心意，昆提安努斯將愛葛莎送到了妓院老闆阿芙羅狄西亞（Aphrodisia）那裡，並將她囚禁在那裡；然而，這種懲罰失敗了，愛葛莎依然是一名基督徒。昆提安努斯再次召見聖雅加大，與她爭辯並威脅她，最終將她囚禁並施以酷刑。她被綁在刑架上，用鐵鉤撕裂，被火炬灼燒，並被鞭打。她的乳房被鉗子拔掉。傳統上：她被視為貞潔、火災與乳房疾病的主保。
全属于祢 
您必须登录才能发表评论。