Saturday 09 th July 2022
St. Augustine Zhao Rong
and his
Companions, Martyrs
Augustine Zhao Rong was one of the Chinese soldiers who escorted Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse to his execution. Moved by his patience, he asked to be baptized, and later was ordained a priest. He was arrested and savagely tortured. He died in 1815.With him are celebrated 119 of his companions in martyrdom in China between 1648 and 1930.
ntrance Antiphon : Cf. Ps 47: 10-11
Your merciful love, O God, we have received in the midst of your temple.Your praise, O God, like your name, reaches the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with saving justice.
Collect
O God, who in the abasement of your Son, have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin, you bestow eternal gladness. 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.
First reading : Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two to cover its feet, and two for flying. And they cried out to one another in this way, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. His glory fills the whole earth.’ The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke. I said: ‘What a wretched state I am in! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts.’ Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said: ‘See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away, your iniquity is purged.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying: ‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’ I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’
Psalm 92:1-2,5
R/ The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed.
- The Lord is king, with majesty enrobed; the Lord has robed himself with might, he has girded himself with power.
- The world you made firm, not to be moved; your throne has stood firm from of old. From all eternity, O Lord, you are.
- Truly your decrees are to be trusted. Holiness is fitting to your house, O Lord, until the end of time.
Gospel Acclamation : 1Jn2:5
Alleluia, alleluia! Whenever anyone obeys what Christ has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him. Alleluia!
Gospel : Matthew 10:24-33
Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘The disciple is not superior to his teacher, nor the slave to his master. It is enough for the disciple that he should grow to be like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, what will they not say of his household? ‘Do not be afraid of them therefore. For everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the daylight; what you hear in whispers, proclaim from the housetops. ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; fear him rather who can destroy both body and soul in hell. Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. So there is no need to be afraid; you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows. ‘So if anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven. But the one who disowns me in the presence of men, I will disown in the presence of my Father in heaven. ’
Prayer over the Offerings
May this oblation dedicated to your name purify us, O Lord, and day by day bring our conduct closer to the life of heaven. Through Christ our Lord.
Communion Antiphon : Ps 33: 9
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed the man who seeks refuge in him.
Prayer after Communion
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that, having been replenished by such great gifts, we may gain the prize of salvation and never cease to praise you. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
The first reading calls us to meditate on the call of the Prophet Isaiah, who encounters God in an intimate and authentic way. Whenever we encounter God or God calls us, He make us His special messengers. When we hold on to God, we will face all sorts of challenges but we shall be safe because He is the only one with authority over us and not any other force. We, therefore need to be afraid of God as the Gospel tells us. Being in God’s presence gives the courage to uncover what has been covered and bring to light what has been hidden. As Disciples of Christ, we must be ready for the worst because the Master never had it easy.