Jun 19 – St Philip Minh, Priest and Companions, Martyrs
St Philip Minh is a Vietnamese martyr. Born in Vietnam, he joined the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris and was ordained a priest with the purpose of working for the Church in Vietnam. Seized by anti-Catholic forces, he was beheaded. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
Vietnamese Martyrs, also known as the Martyrs of Annam, Martyrs of Tonkin and Cochinchina, Martyrs of Indochina, are saints on the General Roman Calendar who were canonized by Pope John Paul II. On June 19, 1988, thousands of Overseas Vietnamese worldwide gathered at the Vatican for the Celebration of the Canonization of 117 Vietnamese Martyrs, an event chaired by Monsignor Tran Van Hoai.[2] Their memorial is on November 24 (although several of these saints have another memorial, having been beatified and on the calendar prior to the canonization of the group).
- catholic.org
2 Cor 6:1-10
Mt 5:38-42
…in everything we commend ourselves as ministers of God, through much endurance, in afflictions, hardships, constraints…
Lately, I have found it quite challenging to bring my elderly parents for mass. This was probably exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic (which still makes them cautious about going to crowded areas) but would have happened eventually.
In the span of 2 hours, we encounter various issues related to their mobility and independence – we need to make our way in and out amid the crowd without getting separated; my father’s hardness of hearing leads me to converse with him in monosyllables as loudly as I dare without inciting stares (particularly when he asks me who the presiding priest is or to repeat the response for the Responsorial Psalm); and his tendency to go to the washroom on his own without his walking stick (usually during the Second Reading) always makes us worry.
I also have to deal with other quirks, such as my mum’s insistence that we sit at the One True Pew in terms of accessibility and view (which requires me to dash in to ‘chope’/reserve seats the second the preceding mass ends, which leads to the risk of getting separated mentioned above); the task of checking that their handphones are switched to silent mode and all sorts of trivialities that unexpectedly pop up (though I also have my own quirks, such as wanting to visit the Adoration Room when we arrive early, which means I may not always be on hand for pew-reserving purposes).
With all the above, I feel as if I can hardly concentrate during mass and now probably have a better idea of what parents with young children experience. Occasionally, I find myself envying my peers whose parents are more mobile, or who attend mass on their own.
But the above line from today’s First Reading made me recall an encounter we had with a fellow parishioner earlier this year. As we were waiting in the entrance lobby for the preceding mass to end, he ambled over to exchange greetings and suddenly told me that he thought I was a “good daughter”. I was completely taken aback and quite guilt-stricken – especially since I had just been feeling annoyed with my mother’s fretting – and didn’t know how to respond, though I must have mumbled something behind my mask.
But it prompted me to think about how others regard my actions and how we can show others we are servants and ministers of God in ‘everything’ we do, even – or maybe especially – what we consider as frustrations and irritations. Though the disturbances I face in accompanying my parents to mass are on a much smaller scale than the hardships Paul describes (which I hope never to encounter), perhaps they can also train my own spiritual endurance and ability to see our Lord in all situations, and to serve as part of my own humble offering to Him for mass. This gives me reassurance and encouragement to continue trying my best to address my parents’ needs – though I will still continue to stumble in my attempts to bring about this change of mindset (both with regard to mass and other situations). Perhaps I can take today’s reading as a comforting reminder that my attempts are worthwhile in our Lord’s loving gaze and trust that He will help me do better with His grace.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Jaclyn Lam)
Prayer: Lord, help us to remember how You came to serve us. Help us remember that You call us to be your servants. We offer our attempts – both those which succeed and those which fail – to You.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for speaking to us through our everyday encounters.
OXYGEN 
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