A Feast Day Like Never Before
It was perhaps the quietest feast day celebrations SCIC has ever seen in its 26 years of existence. The few who were present in church reminisced about festivities of the years past, where the congregation would be decked in red for Mass, often followed by a lively fellowship.
Themed “Sts Chastan and Imbert, Our Companions of Unshakeable Faith”, the feast day and 26th anniversary celebrations began with the Litany of Saints. This was followed by Mass, presided by parish priest Rev Fr Dominic Santhiyagu.
In his homily, Fr Dom shared several stories of ordinary individuals who performed heroic acts. He started with the story of Mrs Rook, a telephone operator who lost her life in the 1908 New Mexico floods, as she bravely stayed on at her workplace to send warning to every resident who had a telephone. Despite being aware that she would be drowned if she did not escape and having ample time to do so, she stayed on. “True courage in times of trouble is shown by forgetting ourselves and saving others,” said Fr Dom.
He then moved on to the story of our patron Saints, Chastan and Imbert who courageously gave up their lives for Christ and His Church in Korea. During the fierce persecution of 1839, in order to spare his flock from further persecution, Bishop Laurent Imbert surrendered himself to the authorities. He refused to renounce God and was tortured and put in jail. Hoping to bring an end to the persecution, Fr Jacques Chastan followed the advice of Bishop Imbert and surrendered to the police. In a letter to Fr Chastan, Bishop Imbert wrote, “The Good Shepherd is the one who lays down his life for his sheep.” Together with other Korean martyrs, Bishop Imbert and Fr Chastan were beheaded near Seoul on September 21, 1839.
Finally, Fr Dom shared about his friend who is currently suffering from a serious respiratory illness. In going through her suffering, her response is that she will offer them all up to the Lord. Reflecting on the heroic acts by these individuals and on scripture, Fr Dom summarised with these take home messages:
- Embrace suffering, offering them all to Christ. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:17)
- Be joyful in all situations, whether good or bad and even when going through persecution. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:10)
- Pray for the gift of endurance that we may stand firm in the face of persecution. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 25:13)
At the end of the Mass, Fr Dom thanked the NBVM/SCIC 86/26 Anniversary Celebration Committee for all their efforts in organising the events to commemorate the occasion. He also thanked all other individuals and teams who have contributed in various ways towards a successful and meaningful celebration. – KA