Short Homily for Monday of the 25th week in Ordinary Time Cycle I
Theme: Let your light shine!
By: Rev Fr Oselumhense Anetor (Uromi Diocese)
Homily for Monday September 20 2021
(Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and their companions, Martyrs).
Ezra 1:1-6; Luke 8:16-18
Who would have thought that God would use Cyrus, King of Persia (a pagan King) to initiate the rebuilding of His temple in Jerusalem? But you see, God can use just about anyone. He alone is the source of light, and in Him, there is no shade of darkness. We cannot keep befriending our weakness and failings; refusing to believe that we have any light to give. Truth is, God is the source of our light, and as such, the closer we are to him, the brighter we become.
Take the martyrs we celebrate today for instance. Their lights continue to shine till this day. Even though Korea had no ties at all with the outside world when they lived, they went against all odds to discover and read books about Christianity. The Korean Church was founded entirely by lay people. Awesome! Little wonder then that Andrew Kim Taegon, the first Korean priest, soon followed the path of lay Martyrs like Paul Youn and James Kouen. These people built their own faith from the scratch. They were never in doubt whom to obey. We celebrate about 103 Korean martyrs today; from the young to the old, the married and unmarried, even little children. May our lights shine as theirs do. Amen.
Good morning dear. God bless your week ahead. Sts Andrew Kim Taegon and companions, pray for us.