Memorial of Saint Andrew Dung-Lac
Today's Mass Readings
Just yesterday we celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King. Today’s readings lead us to reflect on how we all fit into this kingdom as the communion of saints, saved by Jesus the lamb and called to worship him in all we do. In our first reading from the Book of Revelation, we hear John’s description of all those saved by Jesus. The number 144,000 indicates a vast number of people; these people sing hymns of praise and follow the lamb wherever he goes. John describes them as “unblemished,” just as the Lamb has also been described as unblemished. We might wonder how this can possibly describe us, or any human beings for that matter. Is there any person on earth who is untarnished by sin? No, in fact, we all make mistakes, hurting others and ourselves and offending God. And yet, we are a “people that longs to see God’s face,” as today’s psalm response indicates (cf. Ps. 24:6). This longing for God we find answered in the person of Jesus, who comes to us as God among us in order to redeem us, to save us despite our sinfulness.
This person of Jesus is described in today’s gospel passage from Luke as praising the poor widow who tithes two coins out of her poverty. This passage gives us insight as to how to see the world accurately. Though poor, this woman had her priorities straight. Perhaps because of her poverty, she was dependent on God, realizing that she had more to gain from heaven than she could ever find on earth. She was willing to make earthly sacrifices out of her love for God and desire for eternal life in heaven.
This is in fact related to the passage from Revelation, which describes that ongoing heavenly worship where those who are saved praise the Lamb with hymns. Though these people no doubt sinned on earth as do all human beings, their love and openness to redemption in Christ has ultimately led to their salvation through the Lamb. They appear as “unblemished” precisely because the Lamb, their savior is unblemished. It is Jesus’ death that purifies his followers. We are called to be these unblemished followers of Christ. We are called to live together in the communion of saints that encompasses both those on earth and in heaven. Every time we partake of the Eucharist we participate in the heavenly worship of the Lamb. But even beyond that Eucharistic experience, we must strive to worship God in each moment of our lives. If we can do this, others might recognize our membership in God’s kingdom; they may notice that, like the poor widow, we make earthly sacrifices for eternal reward and love of God.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Andrew Dung-Lac and the other Vietnamese martyrs, who are wonderful models for us as well as companions on our faith journey. These martyrs suffered persecution for their Christian faith in the Vietnam of the 19th century. 117 Christians in total were killed for their faith at that time. Is not this an example of making earthly sacrifices out of love for God?
Although we will not likely be called upon to worship God in this particular way of ultimate sacrifice, we must try each day to turn our attention to the heavenly Lamb. It is in worshiping Jesus that we find our true home in the communion of saints and kingdom of God.
- Maria Morrow