Liturgical Colour : White
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we heard the farewell address by St. Paul to the elders and the faithful of the Church in the city of Ephesus. In that address, St. Paul thanked the people for their continued devotion and faith to God, and he reassured them that, although he foretold that he would no longer see them anymore, for he was going to his martyrdom in the defence of his faith.
And in the Gospel today, similarly, we heard about Jesus who was about to embark on His Passion, the very reason why He came into the world. He prayed for all of His disciples, that God His Father will continue to bless them and take good care of them as He had always done to them. He was going to meet the sufferings which were intended for us, and took them up upon Himself, to suffer and die on the cross that we may be saved.
In all these readings, the narrations and what had happened, we knew and we heard how God does not abandon all those whom He loves dearly. As long as we remain faithful to Him and cling unto Him with utmost dedication and faith, then we have nothing to be worried about, for God will continue to care for us in His own way. The saints and martyrs all went to their martyrdom and death with joy and courage, not with fear and uncertainty, because they know that God is with them.
And that was the same attitude that St. Paul showed his fellow brethren in faith in Ephesus. He was not fearful and he showed the courage he had, facing death with certainty, knowing that doing so brings about the glory of God, and it was preordained that he should die in the way so as to bring about the salvation of even more souls and the salvation of the world.
Remember that Jesus said to His disciples how those who were worried about their lives in this world will lose it, because they were likely too self-centred and egoistic to think about anything else other than themselves. And those who do not mind to lose their lives for the sake of the Lord, will gain the everlasting life and the glory of heaven. This is what the Lord had promised all those who do His will and are faithful to His cause.
And it was by their dedication and fearless preaching of the Good News, their testimony and defence of the faith by action and true devotion that they have caused so many people to be converted to the true faith, including even those who have persecuted them. The blood of martyrs indeed became the seeds of Christians. Many people had come to believe and endure the same persecution because they have seen the martyrs and their faith in God, and how true was the truth which the martyrs taught them.
Brethren in Christ, it does not mean that we have to purposefully seek martyrdom in the Name of the Lord. Rather, it means that in all things, we should learn on how to trust in the Lord in all things. Too many times in our lives that we worry about ourselves, about our lives, and about what we are to do, or what we are to gain every single days of our life. But such things do not bring us to true peace and closure in life.
Let us all learn to put our faith and trust in God, for He is ever faithful and He will give us all that we ever need. Let us grow less in our ego and in our pride, and instead grow sharper and deeper in our humility and readiness to accept the Lord in our lives, surrendering all things to Him, and trusting Him in all the things we do in life. May God guide us on this path, so that we may remain ever faithful to Him. Amen.
