OXYGEN

August 20, Wednesday in the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time; St Bernard, Abbot, Doctor

Ezekiel 34:1-11

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them:

Well then, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, I swear it–it is the Lord who speaks–since my flock has been looted and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of any wild animal, since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, in view of all this, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says this: I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them any more.

For the Lord says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.

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Matthew 20:1-16

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Why be envious because I am generous?

Around the time that Pope John Paul II died, I was having some difficulty defending the Church’s leaders against someone who said that the popes and cardinals only care for themselves and their wealth, and refuse to lift a finger to help those in need. When the news came out that John Paul II lived with a small black-and-white television in his room since the 1970s, the papalship was somewhat redeemed in the eyes of my friend.

However, my friend’s charge has some truth in it. There was a time when the leaders of the Church did care only for their own wealth, and they abused the truth to suit their own preferences, making money off some teachings of the Church, such as the granting of indulgences to those who donated money to the Church. It was at that time when today’s first reading seems to hit us strongly - that because the shepherds did not look after their flock, God took back his flock from them and gave them to shepherds who would care for them.

Today, some Catholics still believe that our separated brethren in other Christian churches are “misguided”, and some are jealous of the popularity that some of these churches have. They quote the ancient teaching of the Church: “Outside the Church there is no salvation. But these Catholics behave no differently than the workers who were jealous of those who got paid the same as them in today’s gospel reading. For the Lord asks us today, “Why be envious because I am generous?”

Indeed this ancient teaching of the Church cannot be interpreted by you or me, but only by the authority of our Church leaders, and what they have said is that we cannot presume that those who are ignorant of the Christian faith through no fault of their own can still be led by God to lead an honest and upright life, and in so doing, by divine grace, attain eternal life.

My dear friends, let us remember that just because God gave us the truth and the means to salvation, it does not mean that God doesn’t give this to anyone else who is not a member of the Church.

(Today’s reflection by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all Catholics that we may be the light of the world which is covered in darkness.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the great gift of salvation and truth, and the opportunity to share it with those who do not yet know Christ.

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Upcoming readings:
21 August, Thursday - Ezekiel 36:23-28, Matthew 22:1-14; St Pius X, Pope
22 August, Friday - Isaiah 9:1-6, Luke 1:26-38; Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
23 August, Saturday - Ezekiel 43:1-7, Matthew 23:1-12; St Rose of Lima
24 August, Sunday - Isaiah 22:19-23, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20; Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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August 19, Tuesday in the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time; St John Eudes, priest, religious founder

St John Eudes (1601-1680) established seminaries, and founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary Eudists to promote virtuous secular parochial clergy not bound by vows, but dedicated to improving the clergy through seminaries and missions. He also founded the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity who worked for the welfare of penitent women. He was the author of the liturgical devotion of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

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Ezekiel 28:1-10

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre,
“The Lord says this:
Being swollen with pride,
you have said: I am a god;
I am sitting on the throne of God,
surrounded by the seas.
Though you are a man and not a god,
you consider yourself the equal of God.
You are wiser now than Danel;
there is no sage as wise as you.
By your wisdom and your intelligence
you have amassed great wealth;
you have piles of gold and silver
inside your treasure-houses.
Such is your skill in trading,
your wealth has continued to increase,
and with this your heart has grown more arrogant.
And so, the Lord says this:
Since you consider yourself the equal of God,
very well, I am going to bring foreigners against you,
the most barbarous of the nations.
They will draw sword against your fine wisdom,
they will defile your glory;
they will throw you down into the pit
and you will die a violent death
surrounded by the seas.
Are you still going to say: I am a god,
when your murderers confront you?
No, you are a man and not a god
in the clutches of your murderers!
You will die like the uncircumcised
at the hand of foreigners.
For I have spoken–it is the Lord who speaks.”’

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Matthew 19:23-30

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Though you are a man and not a god, you consider yourself the equal of God.

Working in the church has given me the opportunity to work alongside with several members of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Those who do not know these persons classify them as “filthy rich” and influential people. They are not wrong, but actually getting to know these people in person has afforded me the opportunity to learn that these people are not just “filthy rich” and influential, but also very humble and wise.

It is said that absolute power corrupts absolutely, and that money is the root of all evil (the correct saying is “The love of money is the root of all evil”), and this is what we see in today’s first reading where the ruler of Tyre who has absolute power had become absolutely corrupted. In the gospel reading, Jesus tells us that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Aside from what the ‘eye of the needle’ really means, the message remains the same: riches make it hard for us to enter the kingdom of heaven, simply because the more riches we have, the more like gods we tend to become if we let ourselves believe that we are rich because of our own doing. Yet there are canonized saints who were kings and queens in their lifetimes. What do we make of this?

Simply that whether we are rich or poor, influential or inconspicuous, we all have God-given gifts to serve the Lord and to change the world. When we recognize that we are man, not God, we also come to recognize that our gifts are there for us to serve the Lord. My friends, let us be good stewards of the many gifts that God has given us, so that at our lives’ end, we may meet our Lord who will welcome us into His kingdom.

(Today’s reflection by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all the politicians in our own government, that they may use wisely the power and riches that they have been blessed with, to carry out the purpose that God has ordained for them.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for blessing us with gifts to carry out our life’s purpose.

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Upcoming readings:
20 August, Wednesday - Ezekiel 34:1-11, Matthew 20:1-16; St Bernard, Abbot, Doctor
21 August, Thursday - Ezekiel 36:23-28, Matthew 22:1-14; St Pius X, Pope
22 August, Friday - Isaiah 9:1-6, Luke 1:26-38; Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
23 August, Saturday - Ezekiel 43:1-7, Matthew 23:1-12; St Rose of Lima
24 August, Sunday - Isaiah 22:19-23, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20; Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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August 18, Monday in the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

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Ezekiel 24:15-24

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, I am about to deprive you suddenly of the delight of your eyes. But you are not to lament, not to weep, not to let your tears run down. Groan in silence, do not go into mourning for the dead, knot your turban round your head, put your sandals on your feet, do not cover your beard, do not eat common bread.’ I told this to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening, and the next morning I did as I had been ordered.

The people then said to me, ‘Are you not going to explain what meaning these actions have for us?’ I replied, ‘The word of the Lord has been addressed to me as follows, “Say to the House of Israel: The Lord says this. I am about to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your strength, the delight of your eyes, the passion of your souls. Those of your sons and daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. And you are to do as I have done; you must not cover your beards or eat common bread; you must keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet; you must not lament or weep. You shall waste away owing to your sins and groan among yourselves. Ezekiel is to be a sign for you. You are to do just as he has done. And when this happens, you will learn that I am the Lord.”’

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Matthew 19:16-22

And there was a man who came to him and asked, ‘Master, what good deed must I do to possess eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is one alone who is good. But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ He said, ‘Which?’ ‘These:’ Jesus replied ‘You must not kill. You must not commit adultery. You must not bring false witness. Honour your father and mother, and: you must love your neighbour as yourself.’

The young man said to him, ‘I have kept all these. What more do I need to do?’ Jesus said, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when the young man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

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You are to do just as how he has done.

There was once when I was over a friend’s place for dinner when I observed a family incident that left a deep impression on me. Their eldest son wanted to attend a concert, but his father had said ‘no’ to him. Going behind his father’s back, he approached his mother and asked her for permission, and she said ‘yes’. When the father later found out what his son had done, he was infuriated. He also wondered how his son learned to be so manipulative. I didn’t tell my friend this, but it was obvious to me that his son learnt this behaviour from his father.

In today’s gospel reading, we see Ezekiel being a sign for the people, and we might think, “Wow! I could never do that.” Yet, that is exactly what each of us is called to be - a sign for others. When we receive Christ in the Eucharist every Sunday, we are receiving Jesus that is bread broken and wine poured out for each of us. What for? Is it so that we can consume Jesus and sit in the pew enjoying those five minutes of happy feeling that God is in us? No, there is something more.

At the end of the Mass, the celebrant commands us, “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.” My friends, we are called to be what Ezekiel was - a sign to the people in the world today. We are called to be like Jesus, which means to be like bread broken and wine poured out for the people in the world today. Just as Jesus nourishes us in the Eucharist, so too are we called to nourish others through the gift of ourselves.

Let us remember that we might be the only Gospel that some people ever read, so let our actions speak louder than our words.

(Today’s reflection by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all Christian parents, that they may remember that they best impart the correct values to their children through their behaviours, not their words.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for teaching by example.

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Upcoming readings:
19 August, Tuesday - Ezekiel 28:1-10, Matthew 19:23-30; St John Eudes, priest, religious founder
20 August, Wednesday - Ezekiel 34:1-11, Matthew 20:1-16; St Bernard, Abbot, Doctor
21 August, Thursday - Ezekiel 36:23-28, Matthew 22:1-14; St Pius X, Pope
22 August, Friday - Isaiah 9:1-6, Luke 1:26-38; Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
23 August, Saturday - Ezekiel 43:1-7, Matthew 23:1-12; St Rose of Lima
24 August, Sunday - Isaiah 22:19-23, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20; Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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17 Aug - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Isaiah 56:1. 6-7

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.

Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

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Romans 11:13-15. 29-32

Let me tell you pagans this: I have been sent to the pagans as their apostle, and I am proud of being sent, but the purpose of it is to make my own people envious of you, and in this way save some of them. Since their rejection meant the reconciliation of the world, do you know what their admission will mean? Nothing less than a resurrection from the dead!

God never takes back his gifts or revokes his choice.

Just as you changed from being disobedient to God, and now enjoy mercy because of their disobedience, so those who are disobedient now – and only because of the mercy shown to you – will also enjoy mercy eventually. God has imprisoned all men in their own disobedience only to show mercy to all mankind.

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Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus left that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’

He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

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I will bring foreigners to my holy mountain.

I am not old enough to remember it, but perhaps some of you are. Before the Second Vatican Council took place in 1962-1965, it was forbidden for Catholics to attend a Protestant wedding or else they would find themselves automatically excommunicated. What has changed in the past 40 years? How is it that now our Church is promoting and encouraging dialogue and cooperation with other Christian Churches?

In today’s gospel reading we find that even Jesus came to realize that His own mission is not just to reconcile the House of Israel to God, but to reconcile the whole of humanity with God. It was a radical change for the Jews (as Catholics sometimes still do today) who have always believed themselves to be God’s chosen people. That remains true, but the important question is: Chosen for what?

We have been chosen to be the light of all nations, not to bring all humanity to God, but rather to bring God to all humanity in the person of Jesus. This is a radical change in which we must look at our faith. Where before, we wait for other people to come to the Catholic Church, now we realize that it is our calling and mission to go to the other people and bring God to them through Jesus.

This, my friends, is the reason why things have changed so much in the Catholic Church today, because only now are we realizing that as Catholics, we are chosen for a special purpose. Let us try always to live up to that special purpose to which the Lord has chosen us for.

(Today’s reflection by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all Christians, that we might strive towards fostering greater unity among the Christian Churches. We also pray for all non-Christians, that the Holy Spirit might prepare them as we Christians go out to share with them the glory of God through Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for Pope Benedict XVI, who always encourages us to dialogue and work with our Christian brothers and sisters, and with our non-Christian friends.

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Upcoming readings:
18 August, Monday - Ezekiel 24:15-24, Matthew 19:16-22
19 August, Tuesday - Ezekiel 28:1-10, Matthew 19:23-30; St John Eudes, priest, religious founder
20 August, Wednesday - Ezekiel 34:1-11, Matthew 20:1-16; St Bernard, Abbot, Doctor
21 August, Thursday - Ezekiel 36:23-28, Matthew 22:1-14; St Pius X, Pope
22 August, Friday - Isaiah 9:1-6, Luke 1:26-38; Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
23 August, Saturday - Ezekiel 43:1-7, Matthew 23:1-12; St Rose of Lima
24 August, Sunday - Isaiah 22:19-23, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20; Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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16 Aug - Saturday in the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time; St Stephen of Hungary

When he succeeded his father as chief of a group of people, Stephen adopted a policy of Christianization in Hungary for both political and religious reasons. He suppressed a series of revolts by pagan nobles and welded the Magyars into a strong national group. As king, Stephen established a system of tithes to support churches and pastors and to relieve the poor. Out of every 10 towns, one had to build a church and support a priest. He abolished pagan customs with a certain amount of violence, and commanded all to marry, except clergy and religious. He was easily accessible to all, especially the poor.

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Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows:

Why do you keep repeating this proverb in the land of Israel: “The fathers have eaten unripe grapes; and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? As I live–it is the Lord who speaks–there will no longer be any reason to repeat this proverb in Israel. See now: all life belongs to me; the father’s life and the son’s life, both alike belong to me. The man who has sinned, he is the one who shall die.

The upright man is law-abiding and honest; he does not eat on the mountains or raise his eyes to the idols of the House of Israel, does not seduce his neighbour’s wife or sleep with a woman during her periods. He oppresses no one, returns pledges, never steals, gives his own bread to the hungry, his clothes to the naked. He never charges usury on loans, takes no interest, abstains from evil, gives honest judgement between man and man, keeps my laws and sincerely respects my observances–such a man is truly upright. It is the Lord who speaks.

But if anyone has a son prone to violence and bloodshed, then this son shall certainly not live; having committed all these appalling crimes he will have to die, and his blood be on his own head.

House of Israel, in future I mean to judge each of you by what he does–it is the Lord who speaks. Repent, renounce all your sins, avoid all occasions of sin! Shake off all the sins you have committed against me, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why are you so anxious to die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone–it is the Lord who speaks. Repent and live!

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Matthew 19:13-15

People brought little children to him, for him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer. The disciples turned them away, but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children alone, and do not stop them coming to me; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ Then he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

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For him to lay his hands on them and say a prayer

Just imagine: a one-month school holiday, an all-expenses paid vacation thanks to mum and dad, the freedom of laughing till your sides hurt because you’re not aware of being judged, the funny faces you can get away with before adults. It’s no wonder that I sometimes wish, painfully, that I were back in childhood. As many people do comment, “Back then seemed so much simpler”, and I’m sure it’s not only the elderly who wish that time could be turned back.

Perhaps it is because as a child, we could claim ignorance of certain rules and laws. We did not know that grabbing all the toys in the sandpit meant not sharing with thy neighbour, or that stealing meant keeping a friend’s possession without their knowledge. Now, as adults, we have learnt these rules and laws. While we may view them as stifling or restrictive (hence the wish to return to childhood bliss), today’s readings offer us another way to look at restrictions, especially in the light of the laws laid out in the first reading and the way Jesus made an example of the children.

“Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty” was my elementary school’s motto, and I believe it encompasses a healthy and meaningful perspective towards the laws of Christianity. Just as Jesus condensed the Ten Commandments into two fundamental teachings, “Love the Lord your God” and “Love your neighbour as yourself”, rules are meant to be lived out through the heart.

While the laws give us a guide to our actions, the underlying virtue behind them is more important, for God can see into Man’s hearts. We are called to be both a child of God and an adult in this world, innocent as doves and cunning as serpents. Jesus’ gives us the cue as to how we can follow this piece of advice through His moments of gentleness and His moments of wisdom. If in any doubt, let us turn to His example in the Word and approach Him with our questions in prayer.

(Today’s reflection by Melissa Chia)
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Prayer: We pray for a simple heart and an insightful mind to carry the Word of our Lord to others. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the saints, who persevered in their own lives and are our examples to live in a Christ-like manner.

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Upcoming readings:
17 August, Sunday - Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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15 Aug - Friday in the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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Ezekiel 16:1-15. 60. 63

The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows,

‘Son of man, confront Jerusalem with her loathsome practices! Say, “The Lord Yahweh says this: By origin and birth you belong to the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite.

At birth, the very day you were born, there was no one to cut your navel-string, or wash you in water to clean you, or rub you with salt, or wrap you in swaddling clothes. No one looked at you with pity enough to do any of these things out of sympathy for you. You were exposed in the open fields in your own dirt on the day you were born. “I saw you kicking on the ground in your blood as I was passing, and I said to you as you lay in your blood: Live! and I made you grow like the grass of the fields. You developed, you grew, you reached marriageable age. Your breasts became firm and your hair grew richly, but you were stark naked.

Then I saw you as I was passing. Your time had come, the time for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness; I gave you my oath, I made a covenant with you — declares the Lord Yahweh — and you became mine. I bathed you in water, I washed the blood off you, I anointed you with oil.

I gave you embroidered dresses, fine leather shoes, a linen headband and a cloak of silk. I loaded you with jewels, gave you bracelets for your wrists and a necklace for your throat. I gave you nose-ring and earrings; I put a beautiful diadem on your head. You were loaded with gold and silver and dressed in linen and silk and brocade. Your food was the finest flour, honey and oil. You grew more and more beautiful; and you rose to be queen.

The fame of your beauty spread through the nations, since it was perfect, because I had clothed you with my own splendour — declares the Lord Yahweh. “But you became infatuated with your own beauty and used your fame to play the whore, lavishing your debauchery on all comers. But I shall remember my covenant with you when you were a girl and shall conclude a covenant with you that will last for ever and so remember and feel ashamed and in your confusion be reduced to silence, when I forgive you for everything you have done — declares the Lord Yahweh.”

Ezekiel 16:59-63 (alternative)

“For the Lord Yahweh says this: I shall treat you as you have deserved for making light of an oath and breaking a covenant, but I shall remember my covenant with you when you were a girl and shall conclude a covenant with you that will last for ever.

And you for your part will remember your behaviour and feel ashamed of it when you receive your elder and younger sisters and I make them your daughters, although this is not included in my covenant with you.

I shall renew my covenant with you; and you will know that I am Yahweh, and so remember and feel ashamed and in your confusion be reduced to silence, when I forgive you for everything you have done — declares the Lord Yahweh.” ‘

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Matthew 19:3-12

Some Pharisees approached him, and to put him to the test they said, ‘Is it against the Law for a man to divorce his wife on any pretext whatever?’

He answered, ‘Have you not read that the Creator from the beginning made them male and female and that he said: This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and the two become one flesh? They are no longer two, therefore, but one flesh. So then, what God has united, human beings must not divide.’

They said to him, ‘Then why did Moses command that a writ of dismissal should be given in cases of divorce?’ He said to them, ‘It was because you were so hard-hearted, that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but it was not like this from the beginning. Now I say this to you: anyone who divorces his wife — I am not speaking of an illicit marriage — and marries another, is guilty of adultery.’

The disciples said to him, ‘If that is how things are between husband and wife, it is advisable not to marry.’ But he replied, ‘It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted.

There are eunuchs born so from their mother’s womb, there are eunuchs made so by human agency and there are eunuchs who have made themselves so for the sake of the kingdom of Heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.’

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“It is not everyone who can accept what I have said, but only those to whom it is granted.”

I once asked my dad this question on marriage, “If couples really knew what they were getting into when they say they want to get married, do you actually think they would still go ahead with it?” It was a question that came after some deliberation and much disillusionment with the fairy tale happily-ever-after type of matrimony, or a quarrel-less union: I was beginning to see that a ’smooth’ marriage did not exist anywhere! It was becoming clear to me, through the experiences of relatives and friends, through fictional and non-fictional literature and media (taken with a pinch of salt, of course), that the experience of marriage did not come easily to most, if any at all.

My dad’s reply was very insightful, and emphasized the meaning of ‘potential’ in a relationship. He said, “No one really knows what will happen in a marriage. It is a risk, yes, and while it doesn’t always turn out good, it doesn’t always turn out bad either. It has the potential for both, and depends on how much each couple works at it.”

Today we read that Jesus answered his disciples in a similar manner: “not everyone can accept this word”, referring not only to a law of marriage but a fundamental condition of a union, which means to eliminate the possibility of divorce. Jesus’ words have an added dimension too: that the Lord would call us to what we are meant for. This is a reply that has a meaning even beyond the commitment of marriage. God wants to be more involved in our lives than merely pointing out whether or not we should tie the knot. He wants to be part of all the things we do: our choices in life, our commitments, our priorities. And because He knows what is best for us, shouldn’t we approach Him to listen to what He thinks?

Be it in our vocation, in ministry, and even our friendships, let us be open to the paths He wants to lead us down, for He has created us to walk them. We have various boulders and stones at our disposals, but the only builder is God who can see the overall design - we wouldn’t want to be stacking them up to make a hut when He has given us the tools for a castle.

(Today’s reflection by Melissa Chia)
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Prayer: We pray for the poor and those who feel they have no choice in life, that in God they may come to see the best road to take. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the many opportunities and choices He gives to us.

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Upcoming readings:
16 Aug, Saturday - Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32, Matthew 19:13-15 - St Stephen of Hungary
17 August, Sunday - Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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15 Aug - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary is taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven, and with God and in God she is Queen of Heaven and earth. And is she really so remote from us? The contrary is true. Precisely because she is with God and in God, she is very close to each one of us. While she lived on this earth she could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is close to us, actually, “within” all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God. Being in God and with God, she is close to each one of us, knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness and has been given to us, as the Lord said, precisely as a “mother” to whom we can turn at every moment. - Pope Benedict XVI

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2005/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20050815_assunzione-maria_en.html

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Revelation 11:19a. 12:1-6a.10

Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake, and violent hail.

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky, a huge red dragon which had seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was having the child, so that he could eat it as soon as it was born from its mother. The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready, for her to be looked after in the twelve hundred and sixty days.

Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down.’

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1 Cor 15:20-27

Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.

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Luke 1:39-56

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

And Mary said:
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

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My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

While planning a retreat that relied quite a bit on music, I found that I lacked a key resource, namely the songs. I brought this up to one of the senior organizers over internet messaging. He shocked me by saying he would drive over to my place and give me a CD with songs that could be used. It was pretty late on a Sunday night and he had to go to work the next day. He also did not stay near me. Yet he thought nothing of coming all the way to help me out and most of all help God.

Today we celebrate the Assumption of our Lady. This is the reward for the selfless dedication of one lady to God’s cause. By this single person’s devotion was Christ able to begin His earthly life leading to the triumph over sin and death. It was also this love for God that led her, heavy with her own child, to her cousin Elizabeth during her need. She literally brought Christ with her. Through this act John the Baptist, one of our greatest prophets, was sanctified. Just one person made all this difference and for this we honour her.

The Assumption of Mary shows the importance Mary had in the life of Christ and the early Church. Like her we share bond with Christ and are each of us important parts of the Body of Christ. Sisters and brothers, may we be as outward-looking as our Mother and spare no effort in our love for God and for others.

(Today’s reflection by Aloysius Ting)
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Prayer: We pray with Mary that peace be brought to every nation.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for our Blessed Mother.

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Upcoming readings:
16 Aug, Saturday - Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32, Matthew 19:13-15 - St Stephen of Hungary
17 Aug, Sunday - Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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14 Aug - Vigil of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2

David then summoned all Israel to Jerusalem, to move the ark of Yahweh to the place which he had prepared for it.  David also called the sons of Aaron and the Levites together:  and the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of Yahweh.  David also told the heads of the Levites to appoint their kinsmen as singers with the accompaniment of musical instruments, lyres, harps, and cymbals to play joyfully. 

They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent which David had erected for it, and brought burnt offerings and made communion sacrifices in God’s presence. 

And when David had finished making burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh.

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1 Corinthians 15:54-57

And after this perishable nature has put on imperishability and this mortal nature has put on immortality, then will the words of scripture come true:

Death is swallowed up in victory.
Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting? 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin comes from the Law.  Thank God, then, for giving us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

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Luke 11:27-28

It happened that as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!’ 

But he replied, ‘More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ 

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He gave us our victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

For the longest time I did not like receiving praise. Whenever a compliment was made about me, I would shrug it off and say it was not anything special. I thought this was being humble. Then someone taught me that true humility was not disregarding praise but accepting it if it was true and thanking the person for it. Finally, there is that humility in which we also direct attention of the praising party to others without whom we would not have succeeded.

We are on the eve of our Lady’s assumption into heaven. It is interesting that Mary is hardly featured at all in the three readings. Even in the Gospel passage she gets a passing reference which Christ seemingly pushes away. Yet that is the very nature of Mary’s place in Christ’s ministry.

Like a beacon guiding people to land and not to itself, she points people to her Son and not to herself. Even after Christ’s ascension to His rightful place, Mary continued to be a perfect Christian model to the early Church, up to the day of her own Assumption. That event is in itself a demonstration of the power and authority of God and the love Jesus has. As Daniel and Peter point out, everything is done in the name of the Lord.

Till this very day, Mary continues to be a source of inspiration for us, drawing many towards Christ. So many Catholics and even non-Christians attend Novena devotions to her. My brothers and sisters, as we give honour to our Mother this day, let us also follow her example in honouring our Brother by keeping His Word and drawing others to him.

(Today’s reflection by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray with Mary for more people to come to know Christ.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for our Blessed Mother.

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Upcoming readings:
15 Aug, Friday - Revelation 11:19a. 12:1-6a.10, 1 Cor 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
16 Aug, Saturday - Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32, Matthew 19:13-15 - St Stephen of Hungary
17 August, Sunday - Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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14 Aug - Thursday in the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time; St Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest, martyr

St Maximillian Mary Kolbe (1894-1941) was known as a mischievous child, sometimes considered wild, and a trial to his parents. However around the time of his first Communion, he received a vision of the Virgin Mary that changed his life. While still in seminary, he and six friends founded the Immaculata Movement (Militia Immaculatae, Crusade of Mary Immaculate) devoted to the conversion of sinners, opposition to freemasonry (which was extremely anti-Catholic at the time), spread of the Miraculous Medal (which they wore as their habit), and devotion to Our Lady and the path to Christ. Stricken with tuberculosis which nearly killed him, it left him frail in health the rest of his life. His insights into Marian theology echo today through their influence on Vatican II.

He founded monastries and published a magazine to fight religious apathy in Poland and Japan. By 1939 the Polish monastery housed a religious community of nearly 800 men, the largest in the world in its day, and was completely self-sufficient including medical facilities and a fire brigade staffed by the religious brothers. During his arrest by the Nazis, he volunteered to die in place of a married man with young children. He died as he had always wished - in service.

(Source: Patron Source Index)

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Ezekiel 12:1-12

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, you are living with that set of rebels who have eyes and never see, ears and never hear, for they are a set of rebels. You, son of man, pack an exile’s bundle and emigrate by daylight when they can see you, emigrate from where you are to somewhere else while they watch. Perhaps they will admit then that they are a set of rebels. You will pack your baggage like an exile’s bundle, by daylight, for them to see, and leave like an exile in the evening, making sure that they are looking. As they watch, make a hole in the wall, and go out through it. As they watch, you will shoulder your pack and go out into the dark; you will cover your face so that you cannot see the country, since I have made you a symbol for the House of Israel.’

I did as I had been told. I packed my baggage like an exile’s bundle, by daylight; and in the evening I made a hole through the wall with my hand. I went out into the dark and shouldered my pack as they watched.

The next morning the word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, did not the House of Israel, did not that set of rebels, ask you what you were doing? Say, “The Lord says this: This oracle is directed against Jerusalem and the whole House of Israel wherever they are living.” Say, “I am a symbol for you; the thing I have done will be done to them; they will go into exile, into banishment.” Their ruler will shoulder his pack in the dark and go out through the wall; a hole will be made to let him out; he will cover his face rather than see the country.’

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Matthew 18:15-20

Peter went up to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.

‘And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master’s feet. “Give me time” he said “and I will pay the whole sum.” And the servant’s master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and cancelled the debt. Now as this servant went out, he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii; and he seized him by the throat and began to throttle him. “Pay what you owe me” he said. His fellow servant fell at his feet and implored him, saying, “Give me time and I will pay you.” But the other would not agree; on the contrary, he had him thrown into prison till he should pay the debt.

His fellow servants were deeply distressed when they saw what had happened, and they went to their master and reported the whole affair to him. Then the master sent for him. “You wicked servant,” he said “I cancelled all that debt of yours when you appealed to me. Were you not bound, then, to have pity on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” And in his anger the master handed him over to the torturers till he should pay all his debt. And that is how my heavenly Father will deal with you unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.’

Jesus had now finished what he wanted to say, and he left Galilee and came into the part of Judaea which is on the far side of the Jordan.

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“…unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.”

Things that occur in nature sometimes mirror what goes within the human being. That is why directors, artists and authors often depict a storm or harsh weather just as the climax of a movie, animation or novel approaches. More often than not, the lead character experiences some sort of crisis at that moment, or undergoes a certain event that changes him. In a particularly powerful book, a heart beset by passions and powerful emotions is compared to tree in a storm. Just as the seemingly strong and tall plant is blown about by harsh weather, so too a strong person might find he is after all fallible, uncertain, or unknowledgeable. 

Yet the knowledge of our weakness should not drive us to despair. A ready source of grace that covers a multitude of sins and weaknesses is nearby, waiting to receive us. As we recognize our fallibility, we too should be aware of the limitations that others have. Personally, I struggle with this. I sometimes lack compassion because I draw up my expectations of others and decide how they should act or go about certain tasks. 

Today’s gospel reminds me of the Christ-like attitude I should take on. When I pray the ‘Our Father’, I usually pause at the line “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.” Reflecting on that line helps me remember the forgiveness we have has been given undeservedly, and in the same manner we are called to give of ourselves to others. Paradoxically, it is also the choice to forgive that brings us peace from the storm of emotions. Forgiveness frees us from inward-looking passions and self-pitying desires, and allows us to focus on expanding our capacities of understanding for one another.

(Today’s reflection by Melissa Chia)
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Prayer: We pray for the strength to forgive those who have hurt us, and to forgive ourselves when we hurt others. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the unending depth of God’s grace.

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Upcoming readings:
15 Aug, Friday - Revelation 11:19a. 12:1-6a.10, 1 Cor 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
16 Aug, Saturday - Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32, Matthew 19:13-15 - St Stephen of Hungary
17 August, Sunday - Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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13 Aug - Wednesday in the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time; St Pontian, pope, martyr & St Hippolytus, priest, martyr

St Pontian was among the first victims of an anti-Christian new emperor. Rounded up with the antipope St Hippolytus, St Pontian was deported to the labour mines. While imprisoned, St Hippolytus reconciled his differences with St Pontian and even ordered his followers to bring themselves back to the Church. Before he succumbed to the harsh treatment of the mines, St Hippolytus became a true confessor of Christ. St Pontian, in the mines only two months, was brutally beaten to death by his jailers.

(Source: Patron Source Index)

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Ezekiel 9:1-7. 10:18-22

Then as I listened he shouted, ‘Come here, you scourges of the city, and bring your weapons of destruction.’ Immediately six men advanced from the upper north gate, each holding a deadly weapon. In the middle of them was a man in white, with a scribe’s ink horn in his belt. They came in and halted in front of the bronze altar. The glory of the God of Israel rose off the cherubs where it had been and went up to the threshold of the Temple. He called the man in white with a scribe’s ink horn in his belt and said, ‘Go all through the city, all through Jerusalem, and mark a cross on the foreheads of all who deplore and disapprove of all the filth practised in it.’ I heard him say to the others, ‘Follow him through the city, and strike. Show neither pity nor mercy; old men, young men, virgins, children, women, kill and exterminate them all. But do not touch anyone with a cross on his forehead. Begin at my sanctuary.’ So they began with the old men in front of the Temple. He said to them, ‘Defile the Temple; fill the courts with corpses, and go.’ They went out and hacked their way through the city.

The glory of the Lord came out from the Temple threshold and paused over the cherubs. The cherubs spread their wings and rose from the ground to leave, and as I watched the wheels rose with them. They paused at the entrance to the east gate of the Temple of the Lord, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. This was the creature that I had seen supporting the God of Israel beside the river Chebar, and I was now certain that these were cherubs. Each had four faces and four wings and what seemed to be human hands under their wings. Their faces were just as I had seen them beside the river Chebar. Each moved straight forward.

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Matthew 18:15-20

Jesus said, ‘If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, is between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain any charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector.

‘I tell you solemnly, whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.

‘I tell you solemnly once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I shall be there with them.’

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“But do not touch anyone with a cross on his forehead.”

One day, Mee was on his way to the market in town when his cart crashed into Doh’s horse. An argument then ensued about who was to pay for damages, and the amount it would cost them both. Since they could not arrive at a compromise, they enlisted the help of a friend and passer-by, Ray, to act as mediator. Even after that, Mee and Doh could not come to a consensus.

So Ray suggested the community should be called in to help in the hope that decisions could be made amicably as each one bore in mind the importance of community over the cost of damages. Soon enough, Soh, Lah, Far and Tea joined in the gathering and discussion. Although each had a different view, they remembered that what was at stake was not the condition of Mee’s cart or Doh’s horse, but the state of their friendship with one another. With that in mind, they eventually settled the problem, and the friends even went on to record the chart-topping, “Airvery Theeng I Ownn”.

Sometimes, we just can’t do it on our own. A community that shares similar beliefs and values can give us encouragement when we are down or correction when we stray. Even when we think we might be able to make it by ourselves, the outcome can be enhanced and made more meaningful through the effort of a group and a spirit of companionship. The same goes for prayer, Jesus says, as the spirit of conviction is the same spirit of that of love and community. Although every individual has a personal perspective, may we always keep in mind the importance of this spirit in our ministries, in our family, among our colleagues, so as to preserve the Spirit of God.

(Today’s reflection by Melissa Chia)
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Prayer: We pray for the loving, community-focused Holy Spirit to bind our circles of friendship and family, so that conflicts may be resolved peacefully. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the encouragement given to us from those who strive for peace.

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Upcoming readings:
14 Aug, Thursday - Ezekiel 12:1-12, Matthew 18:15-20; St Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest, martyr
15 Aug, Friday - Revelation 11:19a. 12:1-6a.10, 1 Cor 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56 - Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
16 Aug, Saturday - Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32, Matthew 19:13-15 - St Stephen of Hungary
17 August, Sunday - Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 - Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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