Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr Gospel: Mk 3:1-6 The Lord on the Sabbath
Today, the Church celebrates the memorial of the martyrdom of St. Agnes. St. Ambrose, the bishop, tells us that today is St. Agnes’s birthday, and it is said that she was martyred at the age of twelve. The heinous violence did not spare even this young girl. The power of faith was so immense that it led such a young maiden to bear witness to it. Her slender body had hardly any space to bear wounds, yet she was able to endure such a blow and even overcome it. Girls of her age cannot even bear the anger of their own parents, and when pricked by a needle, they cry out as if severely wounded. But when she faced the blood-stained executioners, she showed no fear. She remained unmoved while bearing the heavy chains; she surrendered her entire body to the swords of the brutal soldiers. She was so young that she did not even understand death, yet she was prepared to face it. Against her will, they dragged her to the altar. Amid the flames, she stretched out her hands to God and, on the blasphemous altar, made the gesture of Christ’s victory. Her neck and hands were bound by chains, but her slender limbs were not restrained.
Today’s Mass Gospel is taken from the Gospel according to St. Mark, which tells of how Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath and the controversy that ensued.
We often act like those who were spying on Jesus today, enjoying finding fault with others and using their weaknesses to attack them. Those who were observing Jesus’ today were no different. They hoped to find flaws in everything Jesus did so that they could attack and frame Him. For in their view, one should work for six days and rest on the seventh day. So, if someone healed another person on the seventh day, they were not observing the law regarding the Sabbath that God had established.
Today, when Jesus saw the man with a withered hand living in great pain, He did not choose to turn a blind eye. On the contrary, Jesus chose to take the initiative to reach out, setting an example for us. As Christians, whenever we see those who are seriously ill or in difficult situations in our daily lives, we should also, like Christ, take the initiative to care for them, offer them help within our capabilities, and pray for them. May they receive some comfort through our prayers and the selfless assistance we provide to them and no longer suffer from pain and sorrow.
On this Memorial Day of the St. Agnes, the virgin martyr, let us follow the example of this martyred virgin and bear witness to the true faith through our practical actions. St. Agnes, pray for us. Amen.
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Or Optional Memorial of Saint Sebastian, Martyr Or Optional Memorial of Saint Fabian, Pope and Martyr Gospel: Mk 2:23-28 The Lord of the Sabbath
We often encounter people who are rigidly bound by tradition and are unable to adapt, adhering only to the previously established norms. They are like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel. When they saw Jesus’ disciples passing through the wheat fields on the Sabbath and, because they were extremely hungry, violated the regulations regarding the Sabbath set forth in the Mosaic Law by plucking ears of wheat to eat, the Pharisees accused them of breaking the Sabbath law (cf. Mk 2:23-24).
In Jesus’ time, many people did not believe that He was the Messiah. In their view, Jesus was merely the son of a poor carpenter (Joseph, Jesus’ foster father, was a carpenter), rather than the political Messiah they had been eagerly awaiting, one who would deliver them from the hands of the Romans. As a result, they looked down on Him. Therefore, they preferred to cling rigidly to the Mosaic Law rather than accept all that God was proclaiming to them through Jesus Christ. Sometimes, we, like the people who lived in the same era as Jesus, would rather hold fast to rules and regulations, live within the boundaries of our self-imposed rules, and judge and condemn others according to our own wills, instead of completely entrusting ourselves to God, carrying out God’s holy will in all things, strictly adhering to all that Christ has taught us, discerning God’s holy will through all the experiences in our lives, and living out the peace and joy that the Gospel brings us through our practical actions.
Today, the Church celebrates the memorial of the martyrdom of St. Sebastian and Pope St. Fabian. Pope St. Fabian was martyred during the period of persecution of the Church by the Roman Empire. St. Sebastian, who lived in the same era as him, frequently visited imprisoned Christians, bringing them food and comfort, and encouraging them to persevere in their faith. Later, his identity was discovered, and he was executed by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Both of these saints bore witness to our Lord Jesus Christ in different ways and lived out the spirit of the Gospel. Similarly, we should be inspired by the Holy Spirit to boldly bear witness to the true faith.
Pope St. Fabian, St. Sebastian, pray for us, so that we may have the courage to bear witness to Christ. Amen.
Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mark 2:18-22 Christian’s Fasting and Prayer
We often judge others based on the common lifestyles and the ways people handle different things, applying our own standards. To us, this seems so reasonable that we consider those who share similar ways of handling things as our friends. As for those who do not follow our lifestyles, we regard them as outsiders and are unwilling to associate with them. Similarly, when we see those who lead a consecrated life in the Church, who willingly entrust themselves to God and behave differently from us, at first, we may approach them and talk to them. However, as our interaction deepens and we find that their behaviors and manners are different from ours, we choose to distance ourselves from them and stop associating with them.
Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord! Since we have been reborn in Christ through the sacrament of Baptism, we should renounce all sinful behaviors, no longer live under the shadow of sin and death, and not continue to live in our past sinful ways as before. Instead, we should always live out the spirit of the Gospel and in all places, actively convey the love and affection of Christ to those whom we have distanced ourselves from and isolated, and encourage the world to join us in living out the joy of the Gospel.
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