FEAST OF VIETNAMESE MARTYRS : NOVEMBER 24
(Everything as in Common of Martyrs, except the following)
Today, the liturgy celebrates 117 witnesses martyred in Vietnam from 1745 to 1862, of whom 8 bishops, 50 priests, 14 catechists, 1 seminarian and 44 faithful. They belonged to three nationalities : Vietnam (96), Spain (11) and France (10). They were beatified in four different times : 64 in 1900 by Leo XIII, 8 in 1906 and 20 in 1909 by Pius X, and 25 in 1951 by Pius XII. Finally, all 117 together were canonized on June 19, 1988 by pope John Paul II. Among these canonized martyrs, 38 are of the Dominican Family.
Of particular mention are the following : Vietnamese : St. Vincent Pham Hieu Liem, the first Vietnamese Dominican priest ever to be martyred ( + 1773), St. Andrew Dung Lac, priest (+ 1839), Thomas Tran Van Thien, seminarian (+ 1838), Paul Le Bao Tinh, priest (+1857), Emmanuel Le Van Phung, catechist (+ 1859); Spanish Dominicans of the Province of the Most Holy Rosary : St. Jerome Hermosilla Liem, bishop (+ 1861), St. Valentine Berrio Ochoa Vinh, bishop; and a French priest of the Missions Étrangères de Paris, St. John Théophane Vénard Ven (+ 1861).
MORNING PRAYER :
Hymn : Glory to God, throughout the ages,
Who has grown faith in all stages.
Good News yields new life from its spring,
The Church built, her flock blossoming.
Glory to those for God led the way
Falling down, their hope never swayed.
Courageous, their lives given up,
Chalice of tears they once filled up.
We proclaim the Father’s great mind,
His Son offered to save mankind.
The earth’s full of divine loving,
To shine the world every morning..
God’s love forever flourishing,
In history keeps on igniting.
To forgive, to delete world’s stains :
For new life revives and remains.
Glory to God, your font of grace
Was granted to this noble race.
Till death they have proved loyalty
Devoted to Blessed Trinity.
Psalm 63 : 2-9
Ant 1 : “I am willing to suffer imprisonment, chains and tortures
for the love God” (St. Peter Qui)
Cant. Daniel 3 : 57-88, 56
Ant 2 : “Glory to God, creator of heaven and earth,
to you we surrender our lives” (St. Paul Khoan).
Psalm 149
Ant 3 : “I love and take care of you, my dear children,
but I have to love God even more.
The Lord has wanted me to go through all these trials,
here I am to do his will” (St. Simon Hoa)
Reading (2 Cor 1 : 3-5) :
Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the suffering of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation.
Responsory :
R/ The just are the friends of God.
* They live with him forever R/
V/ God himself is their reward *
V/ Glory to the Father ... R/
Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) :
Ant. “My body is in your hands, you could do to it whatever you please.
but my soul belongs to God, nothing can force me to give it up”
(St. Paul Tinh)
Intercessions :
Together with the martyrs who have died for God’s sake, let us give praise to Jesus Christ, the Greatest Witness of all :
R/ Lord Jesus Christ, we praise you.
-The martyrs have followed you on the way of the cross – make us patient and steadfast in face of trial and adversity. R/
-The martyrs have chosen to obey God’s will rather than men’s – grant that we may follow their example in making our selections. R/
-The martyrs have courageously professed your name - give us a strong and loyal faith. R/
-These martyrs have accepted being planted in the soil – grant that the Church in our country may harvest a bountiful crop. R/
Prayer :
Lord, you have given the Church in Vietnam many brave witnesses who sacrificed their lives, so that the seed of faith may bear an abundant crop of fruit in our land. Grant that, through their intercession, we may follow their footsteps to fearlessly stand witness and be faithful to you to the end. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
EVENING PRAYER :
Hymn : Blood shed all over cherished land,
Tortures boldly they did withstand
With utmost courage for God’s sake,
In heaven now reward they take.
Till death unshaken loyalty,
Steadfast love in adversity.
Fleeting life, worldly happiness
Sacrificed, they became witness.
Martyrs’ deaths seeded native field,
For millions of faithful to yield,
Bringing forth salvation harvest,
Sounding ovation never rests.
To the Father we render worship,
To the Son, his divine kingship,
And Holy Spirit together,
All the world now and forever.
Psalm 116A : 1-9
Ant 1 : “I would rather be exiled and die for the love of God than renounce
my religion” (St. Andrew Thong)
Psalm 116B : 10-19
Ant 2 : “We do not commit any crimes, nor do we rebel against the king,
neither do we violate the law. We die simply because we are
Christians” (St. Paul Khoan)
Cant. Rev. 4 :11; 5 : 9, 10, 12
Ant 3 : “All my life I have preached the religion of the cross, how could I
step on it now? I don’t think this present life is so precious that I
have to exchange my religion for it” (St. Théophane Ven)
Reading( 1 Pet 4 : 13-14) :
Dearly beloved : Rejoice in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly. Happy are you when you are insulted for the sake of Christ, for then God’s Spirit in its glory has come to rest on you.
Responsory :
R/ Let the just rejoice * and sing for joy in the Lord. R/
V/ Delight in his love, you pure of heart *
V/ Glory to the Father ... R/
Canticle of Mary (Magnificat) :
Ant. The king’s official said : “You may kill yourself as brave people
often do.” Bishop Y answered : ” We are not allowed to commit
suicide, because it is a grave sin. But if you order to kill me because
of my religion, I will be extremely glad to die.”
Intercessions :
Let us recall this hour when Jesus Christ, the King of martyrs,
offered his life during the last supper and later laid it down on the
cross. Let us say to him with all our heart :
R/We worship you, O Lord.
-For the reward of heaven you give to those who are persecuted for a
just cause.
-For the courage of our ancestors in giving up their lives for the
witness of the Good News. R/
-For our having been perseverant in your grace until now. R/
-For incorporating our dead brothers and sisters into the mystery of
your own death. R/
OFFICE OF READINGS
Hymn
(same as morning prayer)
Psalm 2
Ant 1 : “We do nothing but preach the word of God, teach people to do
good, children to love their parents and citizens to obey the law,
how can I betray my teaching to rebel against the king?” (St. Charles Tan)
Psalm 33A : 1-11
Ant 2 : “The wise dedicate their lives to the truth so as to have an eternal
treasure.” (St. Peter Truat)
Psalm 33B : 12-22
Ant 3 : “My daughter, this is my souvenir for you : the crucifix of our
Lord, Jesus Christ; it is a thousand times more valuable than
gold.” (St. Emmanuel Phung)
Verses :
Our spirits yearn for the Lord.
He is our help and our protector.
First reading (Rm 8 : 28-39) :
We know that by turning everything to their good God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those that he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of so many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.
After saying this, what can we add? With God on our side who can be against us? Since God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to benefit us all, we may be certain, after such a gift, that he will not refuse anything he can give. Could anyone accuse those that God has chosen? When God acquits, could anyone condemn? Could Christ Jesus? No, he not only died for us – he rose from the dead, and there at God’s right hand he stands and pleads for us.
Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. As scripture promised : For your sake we are being massacred daily, and reckoned as sheep for the slaughter. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us. For I am certain of this : neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Responsory :
R/ I know that I shall never be put to shame, because my hopes and
expectations have never been disappointed. I fully trust that now
as always.
* Christ will be glorified in me whether I live or die.
V/ For to me life is Christ, and death is gain *
Second reading :
Extract from St. Tinh’s letter to Ke Vinh seminarians in 1843
I am Paul being imprisoned and chained for Jesus Christ. I would like to tell you about all the afflictions I have to bear daily, so that you may, ablaze with the love of God, join me in praising him : God loves us forever! The prison where I am is, indeed, a vivid image of hell : anger, hatred, curses, dirty words, quarrels, immoral gestures, perjury, evil gossip, despair, depression, even mosquitos, lice and bugs, in addition to shackles, chains, and cords.
But the One who saved the three young men from the burning flame has always been with me; he has also liberated me from these sufferings by making them sweet to me : God loves us forever!
While these tortures often make other people sad, but thanks to God’s grace, they make me happy and full of joy, because I am not alone, for Christ is with me. He is our teacher who bears all the weight of the cross, leaving me carry just the lightest part of it. He is not only watching me fight, but he himself is fighting and winning. Therefore the crown of victory has been laid on his head, but we, being his members, also share its glory.
How could I live, O Lord, when everyday I hear the king’s officials and their subjects blaspheme the holy name of Your Majesty, who is seated over the Cherubim and Seraphim? Your cross is being trampled on by unbelievers! Where is your glory? Having to witness all this and, loving you ardently, I would rather die and have my body amputated to prove my love for you.
Show me, O Lord, your might and help me, so that, in my weakness, your power may be manifested and glorified in the world, lest your enemies should be proud to see my frailty. Hearing all this, my dear seminarians, rejoice and offer your unending thanksgiving to God, Giver of all good things, and together with me praise God, for He loves us forever. My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my savior, because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid. Yes from this day forward all generations will call me blessed : God loves us forever.
Praise Yahweh, all nations; extol him, all you peoples,for God has chosen the weak to humiliate the strong, has chosen the lowly to destroy the noble. The Spirit of the Lord has used my tongue to embarrass the wise of the world, for God loves us forever. All thisI write to you, that we may be united in faith. In the middle of this storm, I have cast an anchor in the throne of God : which is the hope that always lives in my heart.
My dear seminarians, you must run in such a way as to win the crown; put on God’s armor and always carry the shield of faith, as St. Paul, my patron, has taught me. For it is better for you to enter the Kingdom of heaven handicapped than to have your whole body thrown into hell.
Please assist me with your prayers that I may fight rightfully, that I may fight to the end in this noble battle, and finish my race successfully. If we could no longer see one another in this life, we will happily be with one another forever in the life to come : then, standing in front of the throne of the Lamb immaculate, we will joyfully praise and glorify him for all eternity. Amen.
Responsory :
R/ Let us be constant in our race,
* our eyes looking at Jesus Christ who opens and strengthens our
faith.
V/ Recall how patient he was when sinners insulted him, so that you
may not be disheartened. *
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