June 1, 2026 St. Justin Martyr Gospel: Mark 12:1–12
Today is Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Memorial of the Martyr Saint Justin today. The biography of the Saint tells us: The Saint was born in Nablus, Samaria. He once studied Platonic philosophy. At about the age of thirty-three, he converted to Christ. He is one of the most important Church Fathers of the 2nd century, known as the Patron Saint of Philosophers. He traveled around preaching true Faith, defending it from attack, and writing works such as the Apologies and the Dialogue. He was beheaded in Rome during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.
Today’s Scripture taken from the Gospel of Mark shows us the parable of the vineyard and the tenants that Jesus told to the chief priests, scribes, and elders in the Jerusalem Temple. We can see our own shadow in this parable. Because we often dispose of everything God has bestowed upon us according to whatever we think in our hearts. In our view, everything we possess now is a necessary factor for us to survive in this present life, yet we forget that everything we possess now, even we ourselves, are made by God according to His Image. From the beginning of creation, God made man according to His Image, so that man might manage all things on earth. Due to Original Sin, we are constantly attacked by the devil and his messengers; therefore, we only care about everything we possess in this world, but neglect the blessedness prepared for us from the foundation of the world, which God bestows upon us when we finish this life in this world.
Today, through this parable, Jesus invites us to rethink our relationship with God. He wants to tell us even more: Everything we possess does not belong to us but belongs to God. For He created heaven and earth, the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, all kinds of livestock, all kinds of wild animals, all kinds of reptiles crawling on the ground, and even we ourselves are made according to His Image. God gave everything He created to us, entrusting us to manage it (cf. Gen 1:26–30). Once God’s appointed time arrives, He will require us to give an account to Him. If, like those evil tenants, we refuse to hand over everything He entrusted to us to manage, and stubbornly refuse to deliver its produce, our end will be tragic. For then, God will take away everything we possess, causing us to perish together with the devil and the world belonging to him.
O God, who through the folly of the Cross wondrously taught Saint Justin the Martyr the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, grant us, through his intercession, that, having rejected deception and error, we may become steadfast in the faith. 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.
May 31, 2026 Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time — The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Gospel: John 3:16-18
Today is the Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. On this day, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. The passage from the Gospel of John presents us with the Evangelist’s reflection on the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus concerning new birth.
First, the Evangelist reveals to us the relationship between God the Father and God the Son. He states: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (cf. Jn 3:16-17). This signifies that the God proclaimed by Jesus Christ is wholly different from the God understood by the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees perceived God as an exacting judge; the Sadducees viewed God as One who delights merely in sacrifices. But the God revealed by Jesus is a God who draws near to humanity. He does not condemn the world; rather, He heals its infirmities. Indeed, even before we sought reconciliation, He reconciled us to Himself through Christ.
Subsequently, the Evangelist describes the destiny of the world that believes in Jesus Christ and accepts the God proclaimed by Him. He says: “Whoever believes in Him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.” (cf. Jn 3:18). This serves as an invitation for us to reflect: Are we truly believers in the Word of God, or are we merely superficial believers who inwardly reject Him? What is the motive of our faith? Is it wealth? Is it material gain? Is it the pursuit of perishable things in this passing world? If we cannot rightly discern the intention behind our faith, we are not true believers. Our conduct will not be guided by the Holy Spirit. What do we cherish? Is it money, fame, or power? If these perishable things are our delight, we have not established a correct hierarchy of values. Such a disposition distances us from the life of God and leaves us dwelling in darkness.
Today, as the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, we are called to reconsider our relationship with the Triune God. We must examine whether we truly belong to Christ, whether we genuinely accept His Word, and whether we are willing to receive the True Light that enlightens every man. May our conduct no longer resemble that of children of darkness, but rather that of children of light, living always as true sons and daughters of God. Thus, may the True Light that redeems the world shine forth upon ever more souls.
God our Father, who by sending into the world the Word of truth and the Spirit of sanctification made known to the human race your wondrous mystery, grant us, we pray, that in professing the true faith, we may acknowledge the Trinity of eternal glory and adore your Unity, powerful in majesty. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
May 30, 2026 Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: 11:27-33
Today, the Scripture from the Gospel of Mark continues to present Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem, engaged in dialogue with the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people. In this exchange, we see that the chief priests, scribes, and elders question Jesus about the authority by which He drove out the merchants from the Temple.
What I wish to point out is this: the concern of the chief priests and elders was not directed toward the Gospel that Jesus preached, but rather toward the tangible “threat” His actions posed to them. This threat arose because the works of Jesus turned the hearts of the people. Countless multitudes were moved by the healings He performed and by the marvelous Gospel He proclaimed; they began to follow Christ, living a new life according to all that He taught. This new way of life transformed their understanding of the priests, the elders, and even of God Himself. For the Pharisees saw God as exceedingly severe; the Sadducees regarded God as One who delighted in sacrifices. But the God revealed by Jesus is a God who draws near to humanity—One who does not punish but heals, who, even before we seek reconciliation, has already restored us through Christ.
Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord! God loves us so deeply that He did not cling to His divine status, but took upon Himself the form of a servant, becoming like us in all things but sin. To save us, He willingly embraced the Cross, enduring its torment, nourishing us with His Body and Blood, washing away our original sin with the water that flowed from His sacred side, granting us eternal life, and reconciling us with the Father. Therefore, in our life of faith, we must follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, courageously renounce ourselves, entrust ourselves wholly to God, conform our thoughts, words, and deeds to all that Christ teaches, and with fervent longing for eternal happiness, live each day of this present life well.
Prayer: Merciful Father, You are truly good and gracious. You have given us Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to reveal to us Your true countenance. Grant us a pure heart, a heart obedient to You, a heart filled with filial love for You, that we may no longer strive for power or gain. May Your Holy Spirit guide our words and actions, so that we may live as true children of God, always conformed to Your holy will. 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.
全属于祢 
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