Petersburg Parishes
  • Search
  • Menu Canvas
    • Home
    • About Us
      • Our Catholic Beliefs
      • Churches ⇾
        • History
        • Immaculate Conception
        • St. John
        • St. Joseph
        • St. Lawrence
      • Visitors
      • Staff
      • Contact
      • Council & Committees
    • Sacraments
      • Baptism
      • Reconciliation
      • Eucharist
      • Confirmation
      • Marriage
        • Annulments
      • Anointing of the Sick
      • Holy Orders
    • Faith Formation
      • Becoming Catholic
      • Eucharistic Adoration
        • Holy Hour & Morning Prayer
      • Youth
      • Alpha
      • Christ Renews His Parish
      • Recommended Resources ⇾
        • Formed
        • Podcasts
        • Websites
        • Books
    • Outreach
      • Need Prayers?
      • Bereavement
      • Surviving Divorce
      • Stephen Ministry
      • Respect Life
      • Local Charities
    • News/Events
      • Proposed Abortion Amendment
      • Bulletins
      • Calendar
      • Flocknote
      • Beacons of Light
      • Archdiocese of Cincinnati
      • St. Joseph Festival
    • Liturgy
      • Sacred Music
      • Liturgical Ministers
    • Media
      • Summer Catechesis: RCIA for Catholics
      • Podcast
      • Homilies
    • Give
Petersburg Parishes
  • 419-738-2115
  • office@petersburgparishes.org

Flocknote
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Our Catholic Beliefs
    • Churches ⇾
      • History
      • Immaculate Conception
      • St. John
      • St. Joseph
      • St. Lawrence
    • Visitors
    • Staff
    • Contact
    • Council & Committees
  • Sacraments
    • Baptism
    • Reconciliation
    • Eucharist
    • Confirmation
    • Marriage
      • Annulments
    • Anointing of the Sick
    • Holy Orders
  • Faith Formation
    • Becoming Catholic
    • Eucharistic Adoration
      • Holy Hour & Morning Prayer
    • Youth
    • Alpha
    • Christ Renews His Parish
    • Recommended Resources ⇾
      • Formed
      • Podcasts
      • Websites
      • Books
  • Outreach
    • Need Prayers?
    • Bereavement
    • Surviving Divorce
    • Stephen Ministry
    • Respect Life
    • Local Charities
  • News/Events
    • Proposed Abortion Amendment
    • Bulletins
    • Calendar
    • Flocknote
    • Beacons of Light
    • Archdiocese of Cincinnati
    • St. Joseph Festival
  • Liturgy
    • Sacred Music
    • Liturgical Ministers
  • Media
    • Summer Catechesis: RCIA for Catholics
    • Podcast
    • Homilies
  • Give

July 9th – The Most Difficult Decision

Homepage Posts Bulletin Article July 9th - The Most Difficult Decision
Bulletin Article

July 9th – The Most Difficult Decision

November 14, 2020
By Fr. Sean Wilson
0 Comment
1204 Views

November is a month dedicated to the saints; the month begins with All Saints Day on November 1st. I love the saints and their stories, witness, and courage. I keep a note about lesser-known saints so that I don’t miss their feast days during Mass. Every year I have a difficult decision on July 9th. There are two groups of martyrs that have their feast day on July 9th. The Martyrs of Gorkum and St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions. Each of these groups contain an incredible saint.

The Martyrs of Gorkum are 19 Dutch priests who were hanged by the Calvinists in 1572 for their belief in the Real Presence in the Eucharist. The oppression of priests began in 1572 and was part of a larger societal struggle in the Netherlands. The 19 priests were slowly gathered in prison.

One of the priests was a diocesan priest named Fr. Andrew Wouters. I will quote heavily from a website entitled Now That I’m Catholic. “Father Andrew Wouters wasn’t the most faithful of priests, and everyone knew it. He was known to drink too much, had several affairs with women in town, and he fathered at least a few children despite his vow of celibacy.

“He was suspended from his priestly duties and living in Gorkum during the Wars of Religion in the Netherlands… Some sources say he was captured by these raiders, but some say he voluntarily joined his fellow priests that were going to be tortured and most likely killed.

“Maybe he saw martyrdom as his final shot at redeeming his legacy, maybe he felt regret for the wasting of his vocation, or maybe he had some other motivation, we may never know but what we do know is that God gave Father Andrew the graces he needed to endure the agony that lay ahead of him.”

Fr. Wouters was given multiple chances to recant his belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Time after time he reaffirmed this belief. On July 9, 1572 as the noose was being slipped over his head, he was given one last chance to recant. His final words were, “Fornicator I always was; heretic I never was.”

The other group of martyrs to celebrate on July 9th are Chinese martyrs. One of them is a layman named St. Mark Ji Tianxiang. St. Mark was an opium addict. He wasn’t a recovering opium addict, but one who was still fighting the addiction at the time of his death.

He was prescribed opium when he had a stomach illness and became addicted to the drug. His addiction was considered scandalous to the faithful. There wasn’t biochemical understanding of dependency in those days, so it was assumed that he had a weak will to convert. His confessor didn’t think that he had actually resolved to sin no more, so he withheld absolution. This meant St. Mark went years without absolution and the Eucharist.

For 30 years he was unable to receive the Sacraments, yet he was faithful to coming to Mass. He prayed that he would die a martyr which seemed like his only path to heaven. The Lord heard his prayer and in 1900 he was rounded up with many of his family members. St. Mark Ji was flooded with the grace of final perseverance and never denied the Lord.

As they traveled to prison, his grandson asked him where they were going. He replied, “We are going home.” Indeed they were going to heaven. As the executions prepared to kill the ten family members, St. Mark Ji asked to be killed last so that none of his family members would die alone. He stood beside all of them as they were beheaded and sang the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary up to his death.

I love these two martyrs because they exemplify the struggle of Christian life. We all struggle with sin; maybe not drug addiction or carousing, but our sins are real. Despite our weakness and shortcomings, the Lord’s grace works in our heart and soul so that we can witness to Him in the most challenging circumstances. May the Lord continue to pour His grace into our hearts so that we may witness to Him, especially in challenging circumstances. St. Andrew Wouters and St. Mark Ji Tianxiang, pray for us!

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson

Painting by Edmund Blair Leighton; “The Charity of St. Elizabeth of Hungary”

wavatar
Article by Fr. Sean Wilson


Previous Story
Upcoming Holy Hours & a PSA
Next Story
A Little Bit of Gratitude

Recent Posts

  • Ignorance of Scripture Is Ignorance of Christ
  • The Beginning and the End
  • Festivities and More
  • Is Smoking Cool? And Musical Musings
  • Back to School

Archives

  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • August 2019
  • June 2019
Phone:
419-738-2115
Email:
office@petersburgparishes.org
Location:
309 Perry St, Wapakoneta
Ohio 45895
Emergency Phone:
937-419-1137
We exist so that the deepest longings of the people can be met by the deepest longings of Jesus Christ.

Flocknote


  • Home
  • About
  • Mission
  • History
  • Visitors
  • Staff
  • Contact
  • Calendar
Copyright © 2019 Petersburg Parishes. All Rights Reserved
SearchPostsLogin
Saturday, 23, Sep
Ignorance of Scripture Is Ignorance of Christ
Saturday, 9, Sep
The Beginning and the End
Saturday, 2, Sep
Festivities and More
Saturday, 26, Aug
Is Smoking Cool? And Musical Musings
Saturday, 19, Aug
Back to School
Saturday, 12, Aug
The Coming Weeks

Welcome back,