Memorial of Saint Jerome

So who is Saint Jerome? Let's turn to Wikipedia:

- Latin name: Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus (Greek: Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος)
- born c. 347 at Stridon to born to Christian parents (but was not baptized until about 360 or 366)
-

Today's Bible Readings (30 Sep, Tue - 26th Week)

Job 3: 1-3, 11-17, 20-23
Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born.
Job spoke up and said:
Let the day on which I was born perish,
and the night that said,
‘A man has been conceived!’
Why did I not die at birth,
and why did I not expire
as I came out of the womb?
Why did the knees welcome me,
and why were there two breasts
that I might nurse at them?
For now I would be lying down
and would be quiet,
I would be asleep and then at peace
with kings and counselors of the earth
who built for themselves places now desolate,
or with princes who possessed gold,
who filled their palaces with silver.
Or why was I not buried
like a stillborn infant,
like infants who have never seen the light?
There the wicked cease from turmoil,
and there the weary are at rest.
Why does God give light to one who is in misery,
and life to those whose soul is bitter,
to those who wait for death that does not come,
and search for it
more than for hidden treasures,
who rejoice even to jubilation,
and are exultant when they find the grave?
Why is light given to a man
whose way is hidden,
and whom God has hedged in?

Luke 9: 51-56
Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead of him. As they went along, they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance for him, but the villagers refused to welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael (a.k.a. Michaelmas)

Did you know that angels (pure, created spiritual non-corporeal beings) also get to become saints? Or that there is a day in the RC calendar celebrating them? Here's something on this feast day from Wikipedia and Catholic Culture:

- Michael (Who is like God) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his evil angels, defending all the friends of God - he is one of the principal angelic warriors, seen as a protector against the dark of night, and the administrator of cosmic intelligence
- Gabriel (Strength of God) announced to Zachariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist, and to Mary, the birth of Jesus - his greeting to the Virgin, "Hail, full of grace," is one of the most familiar and frequent prayers of the Christian people.
- Raphael (Medicine of God) is the archangel who took care of Tobias on his journey - his mission as wonderful healer and fellow traveller with the youthful Tobias has caused him to be invoked for journeys and at critical moments in life
- because this feast falls near the equinox, it is associated with the beginning of autumn and the shortening of days
- during the Middle Ages, Michaelmas was celebrated as a Holy Day of Obligation, but this tradition was abolished in the 18th century

Bible Readings for Today (29 Sep, Mon - 26th Week)

Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14
“While I was watching,
thrones were set up,
and the Ancient of Days took his seat.
His attire was white like snow;
the hair of his head was like lamb’s wool.
His throne was ablaze with fire
and its wheels were all aflame.
A river of fire was streaming forth
and proceeding from his presence.
Many thousands were ministering to him;
Many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him.
The court convened
and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw:
“With the clouds of the sky
one like a son of man was approaching.
He went up to the Ancient of Days
and was escorted before him.
To him was given ruling authority, honor, and sovereignty.
All peoples, nations, and language groups were serving him.
His authority is eternal and will not pass away.
His kingdom will not be destroyed.”

Revelation 12: 7-12
War broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But the dragon was not strong enough to prevail, so there was no longer any place left in heaven for him and his angels. So that huge dragon – the ancient serpent, the one called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world – was thrown down to the earth, and his angels along with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
“The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come,
because the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
the one who accuses them day and night before our God,
has been thrown down.
But they overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony,
and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Therefore you heavens rejoice, and all who reside in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea
because the devil has come down to you!
He is filled with terrible anger,
for he knows that he only has a little time!”

John 1: 47-51
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!” Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” He continued, “I tell all of you the solemn truth – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

Memorial of Saint Wenceslaus (Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia)

This is one of the saints venerated today. I chose this saint because according to Wikipedia he is the subject of the popular Boxing Day and Christmas Carol "Good King Wenceslas".

- born c. 907 in Prague, Bohemia to Vratislav I, Duke of Bohemia from the Přemyslid dynasty. His father was a Christian from birth while his mother Drahomíra (daughter of a pagan tribal chief of Havolans) was baptized at the time of her marriage to his father.
- in 921, his father died and he was brought up by his grandmother (Saint Ludmila)
- in 924/925 he assumed government for himself - defeated a rebellious duke of Kouřim named Radslav
- founded a rotunda consecrated to St Vitus at Prague Castle
- was killed on September 28, 935 at Stará Boleslav, Bohemia
- was canonised as a saint due to his martyr's death, as well as several purported miracles that occurred after his death- he is the patron saint of the Czech people and the Czech Republic

Bible Readings for this day (28 Sep, Sun - 26th Week)

Ezekiel 18: 25-28
Thus says the LORD: Yet you say, ‘The Lord’s conduct is unjust!’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my conduct unjust? Is it not your conduct that is unjust? When a righteous person turns back from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing, he will die for it; because of the wrongdoing he has done, he will die. When a wicked person turns from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will preserve his life. Because he considered and turned from all the sins he had done, he will surely live; he will not die.

Philippians 2: 1-11
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,
who though he existed in the form of God
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself
by taking on the form of a slave,
by looking like other men,
and by sharing in human nature.
He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
– even death on a cross!
As a result God exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
– in heaven and on earth and under the earth –
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.

Matthew 21: 28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: “What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ The boy answered, ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart and went. The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God! For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul

So who is this saint? Let's turn to Wikipedia:

- born on April 24, 1581 in Pouy, Landes, Gascony, France
- was ordained in 1600
- was taken captive by Turkish pirates to Tunis, and sold into slavery
- was freed in 1607 after converting his owner to Christianity
- returned to France and served as priest in a parish near Paris
- founded many charitable organizations such as Congregation of the Daughters of Charity
and the Congregation of Priests of the Mission (Lazarists)
- died on September 27, 1660 in Paris, France
- was declared Blessed on 13 August 1729 and canonized on 16 June 1737
- patron to the Sisters of Charity and the Brothers of Charity
- his body has remained incorrupt to this day

Today's Bible Readings (27 Sep, Sat - 25th Week)

Ecclesiastes 11:9 — 12:8
Rejoice, young man, while you are young,
and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.
Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes,
but know that God will judge your motives and actions.
Banish emotional stress from your mind.
and put away pain from your body;
for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
So remember your Creator in the days of your youth –
before the difficult days come,
and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”;
before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds disappear after the rain;
when those who keep watch over the house begin to tremble,
and the virile men begin to stoop over,
and the grinders begin to cease because they grow few,
and those who look through the windows grow dim,
and the doors along the street are shut;
when the sound of the grinding mill grows low,
and one is awakened by the sound of a bird,
and all their songs grow faint,
and they are afraid of heights and the dangers in the street;
the almond blossoms grow white,
and the grasshopper drags itself along,
and the caper berry shrivels up –
because man goes to his eternal home,
and the mourners go about in the streets –
before the silver cord is removed,
or the golden bowl is broken,
or the pitcher is shattered at the well,
or the water wheel is broken at the cistern –
and the dust returns to the earth as it was,
and the life’s breath returns to God who gave it.
“Absolutely futile!” laments the Teacher,
“All of these things are futile!”

Luke 9: 43-45
While the entire crowd was amazed at everything Jesus was doing, he said to his disciples, “Take these words to heart, for the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this statement; its meaning had been concealed from them, so that they could not grasp it. Yet they were afraid to ask him about this statement.

Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian

According to Wikipedia, Saints Cosmas and Damian:

- were twins - born in Cilicia (south coastal region of the Anatolian peninsula, extending inland from the southeastern coast of Asia Minor)- died ca. 303
- practiced the art of healing in the seaport of Aegea in the Gulf of Issus, then in the Roman province of Syria
- were given the nickname anargyroi (The Silverless) - most commonly translated into English as "Unmercenaries" (as they accepted no payment for their services) - thus they led many to the Christian faith
- during the persecution under Diocletian (Emperor of the Roman Empire), they were arrested and ordered under torture to recant - they stayed true to their faith and thus enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by beheading

Today's Bible Readings (26 Sep, Fri - 25th Week)

Ecclesiastes 3: 1-11
For everything there is an appointed time,
and an appropriate time for every activity on earth:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot what was planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to search, and a time to give something up as lost;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to rip, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silent, and a time to speak.
A time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
What benefit can a worker gain from his toil?
I have observed the burden that God has given to people to keep them occupied.
God has made everything fit beautifully in its appropriate time,
but he has also placed ignorance in the human heart
so that people cannot discover what God has ordained,
from the beginning to the end of their lives.

Luke 9: 18-22
Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and his disciples were nearby, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” But he forcefully commanded them not to tell this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Bible Readings of this day (25 Sep, Thu - 25th Week)

Ecclesiastes 1: 2-11
“Futile! Futile!” laments the Teacher,
“Absolutely futile! Everything is futile!”
What benefit do people get from all the effort
which they expend on earth?
A generation comes and a generation goes,
but the earth remains the same through the ages.
The sun rises and the sun sets;
it hurries away to a place from which it rises again.
The wind goes to the south and circles around to the north;
round and round the wind goes and on its rounds it returns.
All the streams flow into the sea, but the sea is not full,
and to the place where the streams flow, there they will flow again.
All this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear31 to describe it:
The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing.
What exists now is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done;
there is nothing truly new on earth.
Is there anything about which someone can say, “Look at this! It is new!”?
It was already done long ago, before our time.
No one remembers the former events,
nor will anyone remember the events that are yet to happen;
they will not be remembered by the future generations.

Luke 9: 7-9
Now Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was happening, and he was thoroughly perplexed, because some people were saying that John had been raised from the dead, while others were saying that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had risen. Herod said, “I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?” So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.

Memorial of Our Lady of Ransom

It's not that difficult to guess who Our Lady of Ransom is, right? Yep, it's dear Mama Mary again. Read more about her here (or you can just look down):

- The Blessed Virgin appeared in 1218 in separate visions to St. Peter Nolasco, St. Raymond of Penafort and James the king of Aragon, asking them to found a religious order dedicated to freeing Christian captives from the barbarous Saracens or Moors, who at the time held a great part of Spain.
- On August 10, 1218, King James established the royal, military and religious Order of our Lady of Ransom (first known as the Order of St. Eulalia, now known as the Mercedarian Order). The work of the Mercedarians was in ransoming impoverished captive Christians (slaves) held in Muslim hands, especially ordinary people who had not the means to negotiate their own ransom (the "poor of Christ"). They also organized many hospices and hospitals and also established local charitable institutions such as almshouses.
- The order included religious priests who prayed and gathered the means for ransoming captives while the lay monks or knights went into the very camps of the Moors to buy back Christians, and, if necessary, take their places.
- This feast, once kept only by the Order, was extended to the whole Church by Pope Innocent XII in the 17th century.

Today's Bible Readings (24 Sep, Wed - 25th Week)

Proverbs 30: 5-9
Every word of God is purified;
he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar.
Two things I ask from you;
do not refuse me before I die:
Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
do not give me poverty or riches,
feed me with my allotted portion of bread,
lest I become satisfied and act deceptively
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I become poor and steal
and demean the name of my God.

Luke 9: 1-6
After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey – no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave the area. Wherever they do not receive you, as you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” Then they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.

Memorial of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

So who is this saint (better known as Padre Pio)? Let's find out from Wikipedia:

- was born as Francesco Forgione on May 25 1887 in Pietrelcina, Campania in southern Italy
- was baptized in the Santa Anna Chapel (which stands upon the walls of a castle) and later served as an altar boy there
- attended Daily Mass, prayed the Rosary nightly, and abstained from meat three days a week in honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- in 1897, after completing three years at the public school, he was drawn to the life of a friar
- on January 6, 1903 (at the age of 15) he entered the novitiate of the Capuchin Friars at Morcone, where on January 22 he took the Franciscan habit and the name of Fra [Brother] Pio in honor of Pope Saint Pius V (the patron saint of Pietrelcina)
- in 1910 Brother Pio was ordained a priest by Archbishop Paolo Schinosi at the Cathedral of Benevento
- on September 4, 1916 he was moved to an agricultural community (Our Lady of Grace Capuchin Friary) located in the Gargano Mountains in San Giovanni Rotondo, where he stayed till his death (except for his military service)
- in August 1917 he was called to military service - was assigned to the 4th Platoon of the 100th Company of the Italian Medical Corps - in all, his military service lasted 182 days
- had five rules for spiritual growth: weekly confession, daily Communion, spiritual reading, meditation, and examination of conscience - his advice on the practical application of theology: "Pray, Hope and Don’t Worry"
- in addition to his childhood illnesses, throughout his life Padre Pio suffered from ailments such as: asthmatic bronchitis, a large kidney stone with frequent abdominal pains, chronic gastritis, (which later turned into an ulcer), inflammations of the eye, nose, ear and throat, rhinitis and chronic otitis
- on September 20, 1918, he received the Visible Stigmata, the five wounds of Christ (these were permanent). Later through his life he manifested many gifts including: healing, bilocation, levitation, prophecy, miracles, extraordinary abstinence from sleep and nourishment, the ability to read hearts, the gift of tongues, the gift of conversions, and fragrance from his wounds
- though he would have preferred to suffer in secret, by early 1919 news about the stigmatic friar began to spread in the secular world - he became a symbol of hope to people who had started rebuilding their lives after World War I - however his fame had the negative side effect that accusations against him (e.g. that he was "an ignorant and self-mutilating psychopath who exploited people's credulity" and that he violated all three of his monastic vows- poverty, chastity and obedience) made their way to the Holy Office in Rome, causing many restrictions to be placed on him (e.g. in 1923 he was forbidden to teach teenage boys in the school attached to the monastery he was living in)
- in the period from 1924 to 1931 the Holy See made various statements denying that the happenings in his life were due to any divine cause - at one point, he was prevented from publicly performing his priestly duties (e.g. hearing confessions and saying Mass)
- by 1933, the tide began to turn, with Pope Pius XI ordering the Holy See to reverse its ban on his public celebration of Mass - in 1934, he was again allowed to hear confessions - was also given honorary permission to preach despite never having taken the exam for the preaching license - in the mid 1960s Pope Paul VI firmly dismissed all accusations against him
- in 1940, Padre Pio began plans to open a hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, to be named the "Home to Relieve Suffering"; the hospital opened in 1956 - in order that Padre Pio might directly supervise this project Pope Pius XII in 1957 granted him dispensation from his vow of poverty
- on September 22, 1968 he celebrated his last mass - early in the morning of the next day he made his last confession and renewed his Franciscan vows - at 2:30am he breathed his last in his cell in San Giovanni Rotondo - his body was buried on September 26 in a crypt in the Church of Our Lady of Grace
- in 1997 was declared venerable, was declared blessed in199, and was canonized in 2002

Bible Readings for this day (23 Sep, Tue - 25th Week)

Proverbs 21: 1-6, 10-13
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord like channels of water;
he turns it wherever he wants.
All of a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion,
but the Lord evaluates the motives.
To do righteousness and justice
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
Haughty eyes and a proud heart –
the agricultural product of the wicked is sin.
The plans of the diligent lead only to plenty,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
Making a fortune by a lying tongue is like a vapor driven back and forth;
they seek death.
The appetite of the wicked desires evil;
his neighbor is shown no favor in his eyes.
When a scorner is punished, the naive becomes wise;
when a wise person is instructed, he gains knowledge.
The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked;
he overthrows the wicked to their ruin.
The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
he too will cry out and will not be answered.

Luke 8: 19-21
Now Jesus’ mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not get near him because of the crowd. So he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” But he replied to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

Memorial of Saint Thomas of Villanueva

This saint (according to Wikipedia):

- was born in 1488 in Ciudad Real, Spain
- though was from a rich family, as a young boy often went about naked as had given his clothing to the poor
- entered the Augustinian order in Salamanca in 1516, and ordained a priest in 1518
- became prior of the friary, General Visitor, and Provincial Prior for Andalusia and Castile
- was known for his great personal austerity and for his continual and untiring charitable efforts - sought to obtain definitive and structural solutions to the problem of poverty
- in 1533 sent out the first Augustinian friars to arrive in Mexico
- in 1544 was nominated as Archbishop of Valencia - there he organized a special college for Moorish converts, and in particular an effective plan for social assistance, welfare, and charity
- had a great devotion to the Virgin Mary, whose heart he compared to the burning bush that is never consumed
- died in 1555 in Valencia - was canonized on November 1 1658

Bible Readings for this day (22 Sep, Mon - 25th Week)

Proverbs 3: 27-34
Do not withhold good from those who need it,
when you have the ability to help.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go! Return tomorrow
and I will give it,” when you have it with you at the time.
Do not plot evil against your neighbor
when he dwells by you unsuspectingly.
Do not accuse anyone without legitimate cause,
if he has not treated you wrongly.
Do not envy a violent man,
and do not choose to imitate any of his ways;
for one who goes astray is an abomination to the Lord,
but he reveals his intimate counsel to the upright.
The Lord’s curse is on the household of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
Although he is scornful to arrogant scoffers,
yet he shows favor to the humble.

Luke 8: 16-18
Jesus said to the crowd: “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lamp stand so that those who come in can see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light. So listen carefully, for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

Memorial of Matthew, evangelist and/or apostle

After reading the article on him from Wikipedia, this is what I conclude:

- Christian tradition credits him with writing the Gospel of Matthew, though some use the designation "Matthew the Evangelist" to refer to the anonymous gospel author, and "Matthew the Apostle" to refer to the Biblical figure described in that gospel
- Virtually nothing besides his apostleship can be determined from the gospels of Mark and Luke as well as in the Acts of the Apostles, and he is not mentioned at all in the gospel of John or subsequent epistles
- The Gospel of Matthew names Matthew as the tax collector Jesus called whom the other gospels name "Levi"- Christian tradition holds that these two names describe the same person
- Matthew (called the "Son of Alphaeus") is described as being a toll collector who was called by Jesus to follow him, and his calling leads into a scene where Jesus is confronted by Pharisees for eating with tax-collectors and sinners
-Like the other evangelists, Matthew is often depicted in Christian art with one of the four living creatures of Revelation 4:7; in his case, the creature is a winged man

Today's Bible Readings (21 Sep, Sun - 25th Week)

Isaiah 55: 6-9
Seek the Lord while he makes himself available;
call to him while he is nearby!
The wicked need to abandon their lifestyle
and sinful people their plans.
They should return to the Lord, and he will show mercy to them,
and to their God, for he will freely forgive them.
“Indeed, my plans are not like your plans,
and my deeds are not like your deeds,
for just as the sky is higher than the earth,
so my deeds are superior to your deeds
and my plans superior to your plans.”

Philippians 1: 20-24, 27
Brothers and sisters: My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die. For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: I feel torn between the two, because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far, but it is more vital for your sake that I remain in the body. Only conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Matthew 20: 1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work. He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’ So they went. When he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon, he did the same thing. And about five o’clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give the pay starting with the last hired until the first.’ When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay. And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage. When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner, saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’ And the landowner replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage? Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Memorial of the Korean Martyrs

Today we celebrate the memory of certain Korean martyrs, namely St. Andrew Kim (priest and martyr) and St. Paul Chong (martyr) and companions (martyrs). Here are some facts regarding Korean martyrs (taken from Wikipedia):
- the Roman Catholic faith came to Korea at the end of the 18th century, by the reading of some Catholic books written in Chinese
- the strong and dynamic Catholic communities were led almost entirely by lay people until the arrival of the first French missionaries in 1836
- the Catholic community suffered major persecutions in the years 1839, 1846 and 1866, producing at least 8,000 known martyrs- most of them were simple lay people, including men and women, married and single, old and young
- on May 6, 1984 Pope John Paul II canonized Andrew Kim Taegon along with 102 other martyrs, including Paul Chong Hasang.
- currently Korea has the 4th largest number of saints in the Catholic world

Here are some facts on today's saints (taken from Catholic Culture):

- Andrew Kim Taegon (1821 - 1846) was the first native Korean priest and a son of Korean converts
- after baptism at the age of 15, traveled 1300 miles to the seminary in Macao, China
- at the age of 21 crossed the Yellow Sea to Shanghai to be ordained as priest
- was arrested, tortured and finally beheaded at the Han River near Seoul (capital of Korea)

- Paul Chong Hasang (1795–1839) was a lay apostle and a married man
- was a servant of a government interpreter- this enabled him in 1825 to travel to Beijing multiple times, where he entreated the bishop of Beijing to send some priests to Korea, and wrote to Pope Gregory XVI via the bishop of Beijing, requesting the establishment of the diocese of Korea, independent from that of Beijing
- was captured, went through a series of torture in which his countenance remained tranquil, was bound to a cross on a cart and cheerfully met his death at the age of 45