14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
In our reading, we hear how God sends Ezekiel out to speak to his people. He warns him that they have turned away from God and that they may not listen to Ezekiel and his message. They will know that Ezekiel is a prophet whether they accept what he says or not.
In our gospel, Jesus was in his home town with his disciples. On the Sabbath day, he taught in the synagogue. He was well known by the people living there because they knew who his parents were and that he was a carpenter. They couldn’t accept that he would be more than the son of Mary. Jesus was surprised at how hard it was for them to believe so he didn’t perform many miracles there. He left to teach in other towns.
Special Saint/Feast Day: - St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions – July 9
St. Augustine Zhao Rong is one of the 122 Catholics who died for their faith as martyrs between 1648 and 1930 in China.
In 1815, Bishop John Gabriel Dufresse was arrested because it was against the law to practice Christianity. One of the Chinese soldiers who was guarding him was deeply impressed by the bishop’s calmness and patience. After the bishop was put to death, the soldier asked to become a member of the Catholic Church. He was baptized, taking the name Augustine. He entered the seminary and studied to become a priest.
Soon after he was ordained a priest, he was arrested for being a Christian. Fr. Augustine was tortured in an attempt to try to make him give up his faith in Christ. His sufferings only made him stronger and more certain of his beliefs. He was put to death.
We can follow the example of St. Augustine and his companion martyrs of China. Like them, we can live our faith joyfully. We can be courageous in standing up for what is right, even when it is not the popular thing to do.