SCIC Feast Day 1: A Wake-Up Call to Live the Word of God
Celebrations for the Feast of Sts Chastan and Imbert began on September 20th, the day the Church honours all Korean martyrs who were persecuted between the 17th and 19th centuries.
The congregation gathered at the SCIC compound to witness the flag-raising ceremony marking the start of the 6-day celebrations. The feast day flag was raised to the singing of ‘Ave, ave, martyrs of Christ’ by the attendees.
The Mass was presided by Rev Fr Mark Michael, with Rev Fr Dominic Santhiyagu also in attendance. In his homily, Fr Mark stirred the congregation to live a life that reflects the Word of God.
It is the sad truth that many Catholics today are lost. The love for money has blindsided many, with money turned into an idol. Every conflict the world has seen since the beginning of time is often due to money. The rampant destruction of nature is also rooted in greed for money. As we celebrate the lives of Sts Chastan and Imbert, martyrs who walked the grounds of Penang, we are reminded that none of the Saints were focused on money.
We have learnt to be silent in the face of the evils and injustices that occur as a result of love for money. We comfort ourselves that we pray about these issues and God will fix them. “Prayer is necessary, but prayer must lead us to action,” stressed Fr Mark. Jesus clearly said, as was read in the day’s Gospel, that ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.’ (Luke 8:21)
Every day, there are many opportunities for us to do this. We need to ask ourselves, “Is the grace of baptism that I have received being experienced by others?” If I am just another man on the street, then I have failed. Living in fear and being afraid to rock the boat is not what being a Catholic is about. We need to emulate the many Catholics who live a counter-cultural life, sticking out like a sore thumb in society due to them living the Word of God.
In their farewell letter to the members of the MEP Society, Sts Chastan and Imbert wrote about the persecutions they were facing in Korea. They remarkably spoke of being ready to die for the faith with courage and joy. Today, we may not even be practicing our faith within our families. Too often we are caught up with external displays of our faith: fulfilling basic obligations, having elaborate decorations, and so on.
We need to return our focus to endeavours that increase the community’s faith. We need to read the Word of God every day so that we know what is right. Living the word of God means my entire life and values must reflect the words of Jesus, that I am willing to speak the truth. It is the Word of God that heals, gives hope and the mission for our lives so that we may not be lost. Families too must groom the next generation to live the Word of God, or they will get lost.
We pray that Sts Chastan and Imbert who lived and died for the faith will inspire us to not only listen to the Word of God but always and every day, put it into practice.
