BL. PAUL THOJ XYOOJ, CATECHIST AND MARTYR - 25 APRIL

 

ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN APRIL

Saints celebrated on the 25th of April

Prayer to the Angels and the Saints

Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.

In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.

Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.

Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.

BLESSED PAUL THOJ XYOOJ, CATECHIST AND MARTYR 

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Sunday spoke about the beatification of a group of martyrs which took place earlier in the day [December 2016] in Vientiane, Laos.

Fr Mario Borzaga, OMI, a 27-year-old Italian missionary and his catechist Paul Thoj Xyooj [b. 1941] were murdered by communist rebels in 1960. The beatification ceremony also included 14 other in Laos who were killed “in hatred of the Faith.” Pope Francis recalled their sacrifice following his recitation of the Angelus in St Peter’s Square.

"HEROIC FIDELITY TO CHRIST"

"Their heroic fidelity to Christ can be an encouragement and example to missionaries, especially catechists, who in mission lands play a valuable and irreplaceable apostolic role, for which the entire Church is grateful," Pope Francis said.

Speaking off the cuff, the Pope added: “And... we think of our catechists: They do a lot of work, such a beautiful job! Being a catechist is a beautiful thing: you bring the message of the Lord so that it grows inside of us. But, a round of applause to the catechists: Everyone!"

(Source: http://www.archivioradiovaticana.va/storico/2016/12/11/pope_francis_remembers_martyrs_of_laos_during_sunday_angelus/en-1278271)

PRAYER:

Grant, we beseech you, almighty God, that we who know how courageously your holy martyr Paul confessed the faith, may experience his goodness as he intercedes for us with you. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.