OXYGEN

31 Jul – Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest

St. Ignatius (1491-1556) was wounded in the leg by a cannonball at the siege of Pampeluna on 20 May 1521, an injury that left him partially crippled for life. During his recuperation the only books he had access to were The Golden Legend, a collection of lives of the saints, and the Life of Christ by Ludolph the Carthusian. These books, and the time spent in contemplation, changed him.

On his recovery he took a vow of chastity, hung his sword before the altar of the Virgin of Montserrat, and donned a pilgrim’s robes. He lived in a cave for a year, contemplating the way to live a Christian life. His meditations, prayers, visions and insights led to forming the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus.

- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 26:11-16.24

The priests and prophets addressed the officials and all the people, ‘This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.’ Jeremiah, however, replied to the people as follows:

‘The Lord himself sent me to say all the things you have heard against this Temple and this city. So now amend your behaviour and actions, listen to the voice of the Lord your God: if you do, he will relent and not bring down on you the disaster he has pronounced against you. For myself, I am as you see in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its citizens, since the Lord has truly sent me to you to say all these words in your hearing.’

The officials and all the people then said to the priests and prophets, ‘This man does not deserve to die: he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.’

Jeremiah had a protector in Ahikam son of Shaphan, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
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Matthew 14:1-12

Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus, and said to his court, ‘This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’

Now it was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother she said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head, here, on a dish.’ The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl who took it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.
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Innocent blood

Have you ever been blamed for a job which you never laid your hands on? My work environment is extremely fast paced. Things have to be delivered on time to guests. Sloppy presentations are not acceptable. It is very challenging to upkeep the reputation of a six-star hotel. So, you can imagine the precision and standard required at my workplace. It is all about making things happen. There are few occasions when I was assumed to have done something and had to pick up the pieces to finish a task which I was unfamiliar with, to continue a job which was done badly and to re-do it properly. When it was time to deliver, I was accused of spending too much time or using the wrong items. I would usually not bring the matter up, but if it affects my performance and causes me to be seen as incompetent, I will approach my supervisor at the end of my shift.

Today’s passages tell of two prophets, Jeremiah and John the Baptist, who share with the people about God. They are non-violent innocent servants of God whom the people felt threatened by and who were accused of sprouting nonsense. However, their consequences were different; Jeremiah was not handed to the authorities and was not put to death. For John, his death came as a result of fulfilling a birthday wish.

At work, we fight to survive and maintain our true capabilities, so that no one can undermine us, such that when something goes terribly wrong, others have the confidence that you are likely to be an innocent party in the situation. Likewise, if we are to defend our faith, believe in the confidence which has been given to us through prayers and from the Holy Spirit. Strong faith is to maintain the bonds between us and our Lord. Evil is around us and will find its way to spoil the innocence of Christianity.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray for a more harmonious society and worldly visions so that the good will prevail and no innocent blood be spilled.

Thanksgiving: You have given me strength and confidence in overcoming the difficult moments at work and school, may your Holy Spirit continue to show a bright path for me.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

30 Jul – Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor

An adult convert, St. Peter (406-450) fought paganism and heresy, enforced reforms, and built several churches and ornate altars in his see. A preacher with outstanding language skills, he was given the name ‘Chrysologus’, referring to his ‘golden word’. 176 of his sermons have survived; it is the strength of these beautiful explanations of the Incarnation, the Creed, the place of Mary and John the Baptist in the great plan of salvation, etc., that led to his being proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1729.

- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 26:1-9

At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘The Lord says this: Stand in the court of the Temple of the Lord. To all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the Temple of the Lord you must speak all the words I have commanded you to tell them; do not omit one syllable. Perhaps they will listen and each turn from his evil way: if so, I shall relent and not bring the disaster on them which I intended for their misdeeds. Say to them, “The Lord says this: If you will not listen to me by following my Law which I put before you, by paying attention to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send so persistently to you, without your ever listening to them, I will treat this Temple as I treated Shiloh, and make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.”’

The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the Temple of the Lord. When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets seized hold of him and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord, “This Temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, and uninhabited”?’ And the people were all crowding round Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord.
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Matthew 13:54-58

Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
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They would not accept him

One of man’s greatest fear and anxiety is not to be accepted by those around them. Rejection can cause depression and gradually lead to loneliness. Most of us would like to be part of the majority, the ‘In’ crowd so that it gives us security and make us feel accepted in the community. Does following the crowd make us secure and lead on to the right goals in life? I remembered when World Youth Day was held in Sydney in 2008, being a Catholic was a proud thing. News about the grandeur of the week-long event was splashed all over the newspapers and on television. If you recall, I reflected about me attending a rally on ‘legalising abortion’. Then, the Catholic church was seen as being too vocal and opposing the majority and perhaps saying that ‘I am Catholic’ may lead to rejection in the communities we were in. There were a couple of times when others ask me, ‘What is your religion?’ I would initially say, ‘I am Christian’ then follow-on with ‘I’m Catholic’. Then I was asked again, ‘Are you Christian or Catholic?’ I never expected for it to have such a distinctive difference to others, I just generalized that all are Christians, regardless if one is a Protestant or Catholic.

Today’s passages tell us of the rejection which Jeremiah and Jesus’ experienced. They are not the only two whom the people felt threatened by or disagreed with, because their preaching contradicted what the people had believed for years. There was also Paul, John the Baptist and many more martyrs over the centuries who stood up for their believe in God. Up till today, there are Christians being persecuted just because the offenders could not accept the faith these Christians have. Our Lord Jesus is the martyr of martyrs, an innocent Man who died with much pain on the cross because He was rejected by His own people. He was disappointed and afraid but He had strength from God the Father to go through the way of the cross, and He had done it for the people then and the future Christians, so that our sins are forgiven and have died with Christ.

How do we handle rejections? Do we tell lies and do things which are out of ourselves just to get accepted by those around us? Do we reject God just to be accepted by others or do we accept and believe in God that could have us get rejected by others? The Church occasionally bring up issues that are not pleasant or defy the secular beliefs of the world, it can be a constant struggle for us Catholics to be seen as conservative and even as a joke to others.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Let us pray that we gather the strength from the Holy Spirit, the gifts which God has given us to stay by His side and not fear any rejections that come our way. We also pray for the martyrs who are exceptional examples for us to be a proud believer of God.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord for accepting me into Your family, a great big family which constantly shows all reasons to love and a family that lasts forever and ever into Your kingdom.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Note to readers: Today’s reflection uses the Gospel passage from the 17th Thursday of Ordinary Time

29 Jul – Memorial for St Martha

Jesus liked to stay at the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, his friends at Bethany, when he was in Judaea. One of these visits has ever remained dear to Christian memory. On that occasion Martha, busily serving the Master, asked Him to persuade Mary to help her. Jesus explained to her that certain souls, called by God, should choose a better part still — the primary duty of listening to Him and contemplating Him.

After His Ascension, she was seized by the Jews, together with many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles. Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the Marseilles people by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew with several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence.

- http://www.catholicculture.org/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2006-07-29
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Jeremiah 18:1-6

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, can not I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.’
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John 11:19-21

Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

‘I am the resurrection.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.
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Potter’s hand

A couple of weeks ago, the newspapers had a section on fortune telling according to the Chinese calendar. A ‘weight’ is assigned to the years, months and days. You have to add-up the weights based on your date of birth. It is said that the larger the weight for the males, the better and lower the weight for the females, the better. The week after, again I came across paragraphs of predictions based on one’s birth date and time. These are predictions based on Chinese soothsayers and are very similar to the horoscope pages. I must admit that I actually read the recent ‘fortune’ on myself for the fun and perhaps to laugh about. I have never believed them and will never believe in these published destinies. My faith definitely does not encourage us to believe and have our minds dwell in what is being written by these fortune tellers. It is just like opening the fortune cookie at the end of the meal that tells you that you will strike it rich in two days.

In today’s readings, who we are is very much controlled and molded by God our Father. He is the potter, we are the clay. God is perfection and He wants us to be perfect. The newspaper predictions I mentioned earlier were all about what we are to achieve or are lacking in the secular world; the wealth and difficulties we will come across during our presence on earth. God looks way beyond what is on earth. It is not about the present, in fact, there is no time and space with God. We live our lives for our eternal presence in the kingdom of heaven. We are given choices, either to live faithfully and let God mold us right, or to shape ourselves in a way which distances us from the Father. God will always be there to start afresh with us and not give up on us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells another parable similar to the ‘darnel and wheat’ parable where all will be judged at the end of time. We tend to think that we build our own futures, that we make the right decisions and what we have achieved or lost today was our own doing. My relationship with God is probably a Sunday affair and the decisions I made at work or stepping up the ladder to be the ‘top-man’ of the company is built-up by me. How are we disciples of the kingdom of heaven? Do we allow ourselves to be the clay and leave ourselves in the hands of our potter God; to be a righteous and loving Christian doing our best in carrying out God’s will?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: You are the potter, I am the clay O Lord; I am yours to be moulded and be discarded if I am wrong, because You always start afresh with me to make it all right.

Thanksgiving: Almighty Father, thank you for being around me so I am not easily swayed or disturbed by the evil things around me because I know you are near.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 30 Jun – Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

28 Jul
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Jeremiah 15:10,16-21

‘Woe is me, my mother, for you have borne me
to be a man of strife and of dissension for all the land.
I neither lend nor borrow,
yet all of them curse me.

‘When your words came, I devoured them:
your word was my delight
and the joy of my heart;
for I was called by your name,
the Lord, God of Hosts.
I never took pleasure in sitting in scoffers’ company;
with your hand on me I held myself aloof,
since you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my suffering continual,
my wound incurable, refusing to be healed?
Do you mean to be for me a deceptive stream
with inconstant waters?’

To which the Lord replied,
‘If you come back,
I will take you back into my service;
and if you utter noble, not despicable, thoughts,
you shall be as my own mouth.
They will come back to you,
but you must not go back to them.
I will make you
a bronze wall fortified against this people.
They will fight against you
but they will not overcome you,
because I am with you
to save you and to deliver you
– it is the Lord who speaks.
I mean to deliver you from the hands of the wicked
and redeem you from the clutches of the violent.’
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Matthew 13:44-46

Jesus said to the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off happy, sells everything he owns and buys the field.

‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.’
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You must not go back to them

A vicious cycle. We sin against God, we ask for forgiveness, we have the sacrament of reconciliation and then we try not to sin again. Unfortunately, we are nowhere near perfection, and we fall into temptations and lack of self-control. We sin again. When I act on something only to know it is wrong later on, there is a sense of innocence and a feeling that merciful God is there to forgive. However, there are moments when we still act on the wrong-doing despite knowing that it is a sin. Then I can sense God’s disappointment in us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells of another parable of how the kingdom of heaven is a precious item like a treasure or pearl. When one has found the ultimate valuable, he will do anything, sell everything just to have experience and be in the kingdom of heaven. Nothing else is of interest, nothing else is tempting enough for one to turn back and ignore what is calling out from the kingdom of heaven. We know that the kingdom of heaven is not far away, God has always made it readily available to us and just needs us to take ownership what He has already given to us at baptism. The Church provides and sets a journey that guides us, reminding us of what living in God’s kingdom is like. The Church encourages baptism, family prayers, holy matrimony and a variety of retreats and pilgrimages for us laity who seek different purposes.

Do we blame the generous merciful God for making things difficult for us? We are sometimes so overwhelmed by our work, family troubles, secular temptations and materialism that we overlook the treasures and pearls presented to us. Sometimes it may take some discomfort and sacrifice to be closer to God, but have we challenged ourselves to give up the unnecessary worries and permanently turn away from bad habits to start anew? Do you want to begin a fresh journey with God and a treasure that is eternal and forward-looking, or do you want to be stuck in the vicious cycle?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: O Lord, lead me to the treasure and give me strength to put everything away for Your kingdom.

Thanksgiving: Thanking You Lord God is never enough because Your continuous mercy and love has given us much hope in living our lives with You.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 29 Jun – 1 John 4:7-16; John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42; Memorial for St Martha
Fri, 30 Jun – Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

27 Jul
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Jeremiah 14:17-22

The Lord said to me:

Say this word to the people:
‘Tears flood my eyes
night and day, unceasingly,
since a crushing blow falls on the daughter of my people,
a most grievous injury.
If I go into the countryside,
there lie men killed by the sword;
if I go into the city,
I see people sick with hunger;
even prophets and priests
plough the land: they are at their wit’s end.’

‘Have you rejected Judah altogether?
Does your very soul revolt at Zion?
Why have you struck us down without hope of cure?
We were hoping for peace – no good came of it!
For the moment of cure – nothing but terror!
the Lord, we do confess our wickedness
and our fathers’ guilt:
we have indeed sinned against you.
For your name’s sake do not reject us,
do not dishonour the throne of your glory.
Remember us; do not break your covenant with us.
Can any of the pagan Nothings make it rain?
Can the heavens produce showers?
No, it is you, the Lord.
O our God, you are our hope,
since it is you who do all this.’
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Matthew 13:36-43

Leaving the crowds, Jesus went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the parable about the darnel in the field to us.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of Man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that provoke offences and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the virtuous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Listen, anyone who has ears!’
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Our wickedness

In our childhood, we were warned not to mix with bad company, not to pick up vices such as smoking, to avoid bad behaviour such as truancy, bullying, use of vulgarities, and mixing with ‘bad eggs’. We were told to hang around smart kids, those with good family backgrounds, and to choose our friends wisely. How much of this advice did we heed? Are we not still judging and choosing friends and people we want to be close to as adults? Most of us want to do good, to be of good example, to be good wheat. But some of us have weaker personalities, have low self-esteem and want to be accepted, and may find ourselves clinging on to bad company.

In today’s gospel passage, we see God allows evil people in this world and will only pick out the good wheat from the weeds at the end of time. Is there a purpose to have us mingle and give us the option to do evil? Evil surrounds us all the time and it is only our self-control and spiritual discipline that enables us to avoid them. The parable tells us that if the darnel is pulled out too early, it affects the potential of good wheat before harvest.

God has perhaps given us time to mature in character, time to realise our mistakes, time to know Him and build an everlasting relationship with Him. The presence of evil gives us a contrast of both worlds in which we can lead our lives. St. Augustine had struggles accepting God; he had a period of falling to evil temptations. However, through his mother’s persistent prayers, Augustine was converted and he broke away from the ‘darnel’ and was harvested as good wheat.

In the first reading, Jeremiah proclaims the powers of God. With the hope and goodness which He has brought to us on this Earth, how can we turn away from Him and mix with evil? Let us judge what is right and wrong, turn away from wickedness and avoid torture on our day of judgement. God is fair and He is our hope.

Perhaps there are some unsettled issues we face, some wrongdoing which we find difficult to turn away from. Continue to pray and ask for the guidance which the Lord so generously provides. Listen, know, and believe and act according to His will.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Guide me, O Lord, to turn away from my wickedness and sprout like a good wheat, away from the darnel.

Thanksgiving: Praise You, Lord Jesus, for teaching us and being the light to show us the way to our Father.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 28 Jun – Jeremiah 15:10.16-21; Matthew 13:44-46
Thu, 29 Jun – 1 John 4:7-16; John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42; Memorial for St Martha
Fri, 30 Jun – Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

26 Jul – Memorial for Ss Joachim and Ann, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By tradition Joachim and Anne are considered to be the names of the parents of Mary, the Mother of God. We have no historical evidence, however, of any elements of their lives, including their names. Any stories about Mary’s father and mother come to us through legend and tradition. It was the parents of Mary who nurtured Mary, taught her, brought her up to be a worthy Mother of God. It was their teaching that led her to respond to God’s request with faith, “Let it be done to me as you will.” It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Jesus. It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand by the cross as her son was crucified and still believe. Such parents can be examples and models for all parents.

- http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=22
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Jeremiah 13:1-11

The Lord said this to me, ‘Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it round your waist. But do not dip it in water.’ And so, as the Lord had ordered, I bought a loincloth and put it round my waist. A second time the word of the Lord was spoken to me, ‘Take the loincloth that you have bought and are wearing round your waist; up! Go to the Euphrates and hide it in a hole in the rock.’ So I went and hid it near the Euphrates as the Lord had ordered me. Many days afterwards the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to the Euphrates and fetch the loincloth I ordered you to hide there.’ So I went to the Euphrates, and I searched, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. The loincloth was spoilt, good for nothing. Then the word of the Lord was addressed to me, Thus says the Lord: In the same way I will spoil the arrogance of Judah and Jerusalem. This evil people who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the dictates of their own hard hearts, who have followed alien gods, and served them and worshipped them, let them become like this loincloth, good for nothing. For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I had intended the whole House of Judah to cling to me – it is the Lord who speaks – to be my people, my glory, my honour and my boast. But they have not listened.’
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Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus put another parable before the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

He told them another parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’

In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy:

I will speak to you in parables
and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.
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The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast

It’s been quite a while since I served regularly in a prayer group or church ministry. The training period I’m in right now gives me little control over the time I want to put aside to join a ministry and be part of parish life. Sometimes I feel I have much to offer and want to share my experiences with others and to learn from others’ life experiences. But I am crippled by my uncertain weekly timetable.

At times, I feel like I’m not doing my part in building the Church or growing with the parish as I only attend Sunday Masses and am out of church within ten minutes. Perhaps this is because I missed the experience of a parish community in which close bonds bring fellow brothers and sisters together to grow in spirituality. Despite this, I try to be a positive influence to others outside of church where secular influences are more obvious. How we reply and respond to situations and issues reveals our character and forms the impressions we give to others.

In today’s Gospel passage, we are reminded to build the Kingdom of God like a mustard seed or to be influential like yeast. We are small and insignificant to begin with, but with the Holy Spirit we can grow in knowledge and character which will impress so many others and make us very significant and attractive. This way, we can draw more people to God.

It is crucial that we always reflect and find ways to improve and become better persons so that we can influence others more and be that testament for our Lord. Let us try not to follow the flow of selfish men but, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ‘leaven’ all those around us.

When we step back into the world outside our church community, our relationship with God is a ministry in itself, continuously building the Kingdom and being influential Catholics to all those around us. With God, there is no fear and we are never inadequate in His eyes. If we are still that mustard seed unable to grow, then let us, with the Holy Spirit, turn it around so that we can be the biggest shrub of all.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Dearest Lord, lead me closer to finding a community or ministry; and guide me to be of Christian influence to others so that they may see You in me.

Thanksgiving: Praise you, Lord Jesus, for the teachings You show me every day in which I have learnt to be a stronger and more influential person.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 27 Jun – Jeremiah 14:17-22; Matthew 13:36-43
Wed, 28 Jun – Jeremiah 15:10.16-21; Matthew 13:44-46
Thu, 29 Jun – 1 John 4:7-16; John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42; Memorial for St Martha
Fri, 30 Jun – Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

25 Jul – Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our Father In Heaven

Christ has given us in very truth the power to become the children of God. Compare with the timidity and self-abnegation of Abraham’s prayer with the confidence with which Christ teaches us to pray to our Father in heaven.
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Genesis 18:20-32

The Lord said, ‘How great an outcry there is against Sodom and Gomorrah! How grievous is their sin! I propose to go down and see whether or not they have done all that is alleged in the outcry against them that has come up to me. I am determined to know.’

The men left there and went to Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Approaching him he said, ‘Are you really going to destroy the just man with the sinner? Perhaps there are fifty just men in the town. Will you really overwhelm them, will you not spare the place for the fifty just men in it? Do not think of doing such a thing: to kill the just man with the sinner, treating just and sinner alike! Do not think of it! Will the judge of the whole earth not administer justice?’ the Lord replied, ‘If at Sodom I find fifty just men in the town, I will spare the whole place because of them.’

Abraham replied, M am bold indeed to speak like this to my Lord, I who am dust and ashes. But perhaps the fifty just men lack five: will you destroy the whole city for five?’ ‘No,’ he replied ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five just men there.’ Again Abraham said to him, ‘Perhaps there will only be forty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the forty.’

Abraham said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry, but give me leave to speak: perhaps there will only be thirty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this, but perhaps there will only be twenty there.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the twenty.’ He said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the ten.’
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Colossians 2:12-14

You have been buried with Christ, when you were baptised; and by baptism, too, you have been raised up with him through your belief in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.

He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.
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Luke 11:1-13

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:

“Father, may your name be held holy,
your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test.”’

He also said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.

‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’
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You, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good

In the past couple of months, there has been much media coverage about parenting and family life. There have been advertisements for parenting workshops, a ‘Dads for Life’ seminar in June held in conjunction with Father’s day celebrations, and a couple of television advertisements by the National Family Council. I’m not a parent so perhaps I don’t relate too well as to how parents give themselves unconditionally to their children.

I am sure some of you OXYGEN subscribers are parents and hence know all about giving your child unconditional love and material items. I experienced the receiving end of parental love. Thinking back to my adolescent years and those occasions when we communicate, I realise that I tend to have taken them for granted. It’s amazing how much support in education and care, and how many opportunities they have given me.

Today’s readings revolve around our heavenly Father’s forgiveness of our sins and gifts to His children. We are reminded how God continuously forgives our wrongs and continues to give all we deserve and ask for. God has given us parents to emulate (though not perfectly) His love for His children. For most of us, our parents have provided for our material needs necessary for survival, and they have built for us a foundation for growth. Let us look at a higher level of parenting, that is, the kind of parenting God gives us.

Through baptism, we have accepted God as our Father. We have formed a relationship, a bond with Him, knowing that all things from Him are good and that He has the power to forgive all sins. Today’s gospel reading tells us that sinful men are able to give their children what is good, so there is no doubt that our almighty god will give only great things to us, His children. It is just that simple – pray, ask, and all will be given to you, then the good prayerful life we lead will be a firm testimony to others that God exists.

Just as parents give so unconditionally to our children, as too does God. As children, we must always be reminded not to take for granted all that our parents have given us, for they are imitating the love of our Lord. May we be able to build a friendship with our parents and to strengthen family ties. May we not have to need the media to show us how to set time aside to have family prayers, so that we may build a kingdom of God in our homes.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Let us pray the Lord’s Prayer: Our Father in heaven….

Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for loving parents, foster parents and counsellors. Also, for the spiritual parents (priests and religious) who give of their time to teach us everyday.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 26 Jun – Jeremiah 13:1-11; Matthew 13:31-35; Memorial for Ss Joachim and Ann, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Tue, 27 Jun – Jeremiah 14:17-22; Matthew 13:36-43
Wed, 28 Jun – Jeremiah 15:10.16-21; Matthew 13:44-46
Thu, 29 Jun – 1 John 4:7-16; John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42; Memorial for St Martha
Fri, 30 Jun – Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

24 Jul – Memorial for St Charbel of Makhluf, Priest

St. Charbel was a Lebanese monk, born in a small mountain village and ordained in 1858. Devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he spent the last twenty three years of his life as a hermit. Despite temptations to wealth and comfort, St. Charbel taught the value of poverty, self-sacrifice and prayer by the way he lived his life.

- http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/innews/082002.shtml
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Jeremiah 7:1-11

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Go and stand at the gate of the Temple of the Lord and there proclaim this message. Say, “Listen to the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who come in by these gates to worship the Lord. The Lord Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: Amend your behaviour and your actions and I will stay with you here in this place. Put no trust in delusive words like these: This is the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord, the sanctuary of the Lord!  But if you do amend your behaviour and your actions, if you treat each other fairly, if you do not exploit the stranger, the orphan and the widow (if you do not shed innocent blood in this place), and if you do not follow alien gods, to your own ruin, then here in this place I will stay with you, in the land that long ago I gave to your fathers for ever. Yet here you are, trusting in delusive words, to no purpose! Steal, would you, murder, commit adultery, perjure yourselves, burn incense to Baal, follow alien gods that you do not know? – and then come presenting yourselves in this Temple that bears my name, saying: Now we are safe – safe to go on committing all these abominations! Do you take this Temple that bears my name for a robbers’ den? I, at any rate, am not blind – it is the Lord who speaks.”’
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Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus put a parable before the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” “Some enemy has done this” he answered. And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’
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Let them both grow till the harvest

I was watching a reality programme on the television about a man who decided to face his fears of diving and sharks. He planned to overcome and conquer them, and he did. He dived into the ocean with fifty sharks around him. At the end of the programme, he said a line which gave me a new perspective. He said, “I don’t think I’ve conquered my fears, I’ve just become more comfortable with them.” I was enlightened after that that because like him, I’ve always wanted to conquer my fears. The thought of being comfortable with them has never crossed my mind. I see light in befriending my fears, allowing my strengths to live with my weaknesses.

As humans, we are weak and strong, good and bad. In the parable, Jesus shed some light on the paradox of life. That the “wheat” and “weed” will grow together. God is a merciful and compassionate sower, He gives us the grace to grow through our sins. He constantly sows seeds of love, hope and faith in our hearts.

Let us grow strong in love, hope and faith so that we have the force to live with the weeds in and of our lives.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Marianne Tan)
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Prayer: Lord, lead us to accept the paradox of our lives. Continue to sow good seeds of love, hope and faith in our hearts and minds.

Thanksgiving: Thank You Lord,  you are the constant lover of our soul.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 25 Jun – Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13; Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

23 Jul – Memorial for St Bridget of Sweden, Religious

Coming from a noble yet religious background, St. Bridget (1302-1373) was friend and counsellor to many priests and theologians of her day. As chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Blanche of Namur, she counselled and guided the Queen and King Magnus II. She was harassed by others at the court for pursuing a religious life.

She eventually renounced her title of princess and became the foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines), chastening and counselling kings and Popes Clement VI, Urban VI, and Gregory XI. St. Bridget encouraged all who would listen to meditate on the Passion, and of Jesus Crucified.

- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 3:14-17

Come back, disloyal children – it is the Lord who speaks – for I alone am your Master. I will take one from a town, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and these shall feed you on knowledge and discretion. And when you have increased and become many in the land, then – it is the Lord who speaks – no one will ever say again: Where is the ark of the covenant of the Lord? There will be no thought of it, no memory of it, no regret for it, no making of another. When that time comes, Jerusalem shall be called: The Throne of the Lord; all the nations will gather there in the name of the Lord and will no longer follow the dictates of their own stubborn hearts.
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Matthew 13:18-23

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’
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In rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it

This year’s Bible Sunday was a day I will never forget. That day’s gospel was on the parable of the Good Samaritan. I’ve heard the story so many times but that day, as the priest proclaimed the gospel, my tears just kept flowing. The word of God penetrated deep into my heart. Suddenly, I understood what God meant to say in my life.

When we hear the word of God with our ears, our lives remains unchanged. But when we hear the word with our ears and attentive hearts, our lives will to change. The same word speaks differently to each one and that’s the beauty of it. Even when we do not understand right away, we need to reflect on the words. It could be a word or a phrase. “The unreflected life is the life not worth living,” said Socrates.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Let us reflect on our lives and His word and listen to what He is trying to say. His words will help us understand who He is and how much He loves us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Marianne Tan)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we offer our will and intellect, help us to listen, believe and live Your word in our daily lives.

Thanksgiving: Lord, You never stop loving us. Thank you.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 24 Jun – Jeremiah 7:1-11; Mathew 13:24-30; Memorial for St Charbel of Makhluf, Priest
Sun, 25 Jun – Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13; Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

22 Jul – Memorial for St. Mary Magdelene

There is actually very little solid information about her, and both scholars and traditions differ on the interpretation of what we do know.

She was a friend and follower of Jesus. Filled with sorrow over her sin, she anointed Christ, washed his feet with her hair. He exorcised seven demons from her. She was the first to have been visited by the Risen Christ. While there are several arguments about her life after the Crucifixion, the Greek Church maintains that she retired to Ephesus with the Blessed Virgin Mary and lived there the rest of her life.

Some things we do know for certain – Mary wasn’t Jesus’ wife or mistress, she wasn’t the mother of His child, and she didn’t found a royal dynasty or separate branch of Christianity.

- http://www.carr.org/~meripper/saints/saints-m.htm
- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 2:1-3. 7-8. 12-13

The word of the Lord was addressed to me saying, “Go and shout this in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“‘The Lord says this:
I remember the affection of your youth,
the love of your bridal days:
you followed me through the wilderness,
through a land unsown.
Israel was sacred to the Lord,
the first-fruits of his harvest;
anyone who ate of this had to pay for it,
misfortune came to them -
it is the Lord who speaks.’

“I brought you to a fertile country
to enjoy its produce and good things;
but no sooner had you entered than you defiled my land,
and made my heritage detestable.
The priests have never asked, ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who administer the law have no knowledge of me.
The shepherds have rebelled against me;
the prophets have prophesied in the name of Baal,
following things with no power in them.

“You heavens, stand aghast at this,
stand stupefied, stand utterly appalled
- it is the Lord who speaks -
since my people have committed a double crime:
they have abandoned me,
the fountain of living water,
only to dig cisterns for themselves,
leaky cisterns
that hold no water.”
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Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, “Why do you talk to the crowds in parables?” “Because,” he replied, “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing and they have shut their eyes
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.

But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.”
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You will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive

Helen Keller’s words come to mind: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Reading today’s gospel passage brought back memories. Once, I met a blind man on the streets, I deliberated for a long time before asking if he needed help. The conversation went something like this, “Hello uncle, may I help you?” He replied politely and confidently, “It’s okay, my house is here. (Pointing at a building)” I described the building just to make sure and he replied again, “Yes, that’s the one.” I was puzzled on how he knew that was his house. Though he didn’t have his sight, he knew. He was aware, he perceived.

Parables renew our senses and give us new thoughts and insights that bring us closer to the truth. Jesus speaks in parables so that everyone can understand. He made it simple so that the intellectual and common people can relate. Till today, the parables are relevant and essential for us. What is Jesus saying to us today?

Let us welcome the parables into our lives and see it unfold with openness and desire to understand what is happening in and around us. We pray to see and hear beyond our sight and sound.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Marianne Tan)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, renew and heighten our senses, help us to see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for never failing to remind us when we forget You, for teaching us and showing us the way.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 23 Jun – Jeremiah 3:14-17; Matthew 13:18-23; Memorial for St Bridget of Sweden, Religious
Sat, 24 Jun – Jeremiah 7:1-11; Mathew 13:24-30; Memorial for St Charbel of Makhluf, Priest
Sun, 25 Jun – Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13; Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time