Optional Memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

Brief Background:

Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese soldier who was deeply moved by the faith and courage of imprisoned Catholic missionaries he was assigned to guard. After embracing the Catholic faith, he was baptized, eventually became one of the first native Chinese diocesan priests, and faithfully served the Church despite growing persecution.

During a time when Christianity was outlawed in many parts of China, Fr. Augustine Zhao Rong and countless other Catholics—bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful—remained steadfast in their faith, even to the point of death. He is honored together with the 120 Martyrs of China, who gave their lives for Christ between 1648 and 1930. They were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.



Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and his companions are especially honored as patrons of the Church in China, Chinese Catholics, converts to the faith, and all Christians who suffer persecution. Their witness reminds us that faith, courage, and fidelity to Christ are worth every sacrifice.

REFLECTION:

Throughout this week, we have heard many different images of who God is. Today, Scripture gives us perhaps the most familiar and comforting one: God is our Father.

Being the eldest child, I always had a special relationship with my father. I looked up to him. He taught me about our culture, how to speak in public, and many of the values that continue to shape my life today.

When my father passed away, I felt like my world was falling apart. During that time, my spiritual director in seminary said something that has stayed with me ever since: "You have always had a Father—God the Father."

Those simple words changed my prayer life. I stopped seeing God as someone distant and began speaking to Him as a son speaks to his father. It made my relationship with Him much more personal.

That is exactly what Hosea reveals today.

God says, "When Israel was a child I loved him... It was I who taught Ephraim to walk... I drew them with bands of love."

What beautiful images. God is like a father teaching his child to take those first steps, picking the child up after every fall, and bending down to feed him. This is not the image of a distant ruler, but of a loving Father who delights in caring for His children.

Sadly, Israel forgot all that God had done and turned away from Him. Yet instead of abandoning them, God says, "My heart is overwhelmed, my compassion grows warm." God's mercy is greater than Israel's failures because His love never stops.

Perhaps some of us have been blessed with wonderful fathers, while others may have experienced loss or even painful relationships. Whatever our story, today's reading reminds us that we all have a perfect Father who never abandons His children.

It is no surprise, then, that when Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He began with two simple words: "Our Father."

Today, let us take a moment to pray not only with our lips but with our hearts, trusting that no matter what we face, we are never alone. We have a Father who loves us, carries us, and is always calling us back to Himself.