Liturgical Calendar

Saint of the day

Saint Andrew Dung-Lac (1795-1839)

Saint Andrew Dung-Lac was one of 117 people martyred in Vietnam for their Catholic faith between 1820 and 1862. Of the 117 martyrs, 96 were Vietnamese, 11 were Spanish, and 10 were French. Christianity arrived in Vietnam through the Portuguese, who came for Japanese Catholics who had been exiled from Japan. The king of one of the Vietnamese kingdoms forbade all foreign missionaries and tried to make Vietnamese Catholics deny their faith by stomping on a crucifix. Andrew was a parish priest who refused to deny his faith. The martyrs of these persecutions gave their lives for their Church as well as their country. They taught by example that they wanted the Gospel of Christ to influence their people and their country.

Reflection

Our human lives are so important to us that we sometimes forget to live with the goal of being joined with God eternally. Saint Andrew Dung-Lac knew that in order to live eternally with God he could not deny his faith on Earth, even when threatened with death. Ask the Lord for help in reaching the ultimate goal of being joined eternally with him in Heaven, and for help in being an example to others with the same goal.

Prayer

Jesus, my friend, thank you for making it possible to share eternal life with God. Help me to keep my eyes set on this ultimate goal and to always live in a way that shows I believe in it. (Taken from “Take Ten: Daily Bible Reflections for Teens.”)

Meditations

Meditation for Gospel

Many of the leaders and authorities at the time of Jesus felt threatened by His popularity and wisdom. In today's Gospel, the Sadducees tried to ask Jesus a trick question so they could humiliate Him and hopefully cause others to lose respect for Him. They ask Him a question about marriage in Heaven, but Jesus, not tricked by their question, responds eloquently and wisely. In Heaven, there will be no marriage or remarriage, all will be one in God. It is from Jesus' response that today, as Christians, we maintain the belief that marriage on earth is only a preparation for and reflection of the total union, self-giving and love of Heaven. Even though this is hard to imagine, we must believe all the words that Jesus speaks in the Gospels - even those that are hard to understand or fathom.