Today we celebrate the Feast of the Chinese Martyrs, also called the Feast of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions. The Church formally recognizes 120 Catholics who died between 1648 and 1930 for their faith, most of whom were martyred in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 1, 2000. Among their number are religious men and women, but the majority of these martyrs were Chinese laymen and laywomen.

What insights do our readings today offer concerning this feast? Our Gospel reading today certainly is apropos to our celebration of the feast of Chinese martyrs, for we hear again how Jesus chose certain of his disciples, empowering them with his Spirit, and sending them out to preach the Kingdom to God. The Church in China was established by men such as these apostles who, following in their footsteps, went to preach the Good News and offer the consolation of the Kingdom of God to the Chinese people.

In our first reading the prophet Hosea encourages us in the final verse to sow for ourselves justice in order to reap the fruit of steadfast love. We are told to break up the fallow ground that God may come and rain salvation upon us.