OXYGEN

23 May
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Ecclesiasticus 5:1-10

Do not give your heart to your money,
  or say, ‘With this I am self-sufficient.’
Do not be led by your appetites and energy
  to follow the passions of your heart.
And do not say, ‘Who has authority over me?’
  for the Lord will certainly be avenged on you.
Do not say, ‘I sinned, and what happened to me?’
f or the Lord’s forbearance is long.
Do not be so sure of forgiveness
  that you add sin to sin.
And do not say, ‘His compassion is great,
  he will forgive me my many sins’;
for with him are both mercy and wrath,
  and his rage bears heavy on sinners.
Do not delay your return to the Lord,
  do not put it off day after day;
for suddenly the Lord’s wrath will blaze out,
  and at the time of vengeance you will be utterly destroyed.
Do not set your heart on ill-gotten gains,
  they will be of no use to you on the day of disaster.
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Mark 9:41-50

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink just because you belong to Christ, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
 
‘But anyone who is an obstacle to bring down one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. And if your hand should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that cannot be put out. And if your foot should cause you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye should cause you to sin, tear it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where their worm does not die nor their fire go out. For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is a good thing, but if salt has become insipid, how can you season it again? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.’
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Do not delay your return to the Lord, do not put it off day after day

One of the greatest issues I have faced is the problem of procrastination. In this world where every thing is instant and we can gain access to everything on an immediate basis, we tend to put to the last minute what we can do earlier. This often results in tremendous stress for me and I cannot but feel at the end of the process that I could have done it better if I had planned it properly.

My journey with God often mirrors my own life. I put to the last minute all the things that I should do. Issues such as prayer, good work, reading the bible and even saying my prayers all can be delayed because I am pursuing some other matters at present. The first reading reminds me that this is impossible and that we cannot take God’s mercy for granted. Instead, we must be consistent in our prayers and be focused on achieving our eternal reward which we are called to as Christians.

The urgency to go to heaven should be the motivating factor for each one of us to live a life of sanctity. It probably is not easy but unlike the issues we have in life, we will not be able to rush through the spiritual works that will ensure we pass msuter in heaven. Let us take time today to stop and reflect upon how we can make God the centre of our lives.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for those who forget about you.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who love you.

21 May – Memorial of St Rita of Cascia

Daughter of Antonio and Amata Lotti, a couple known as the Peacemakers of Jesus; they had Rita late in life. From her early youth, Rita visited the Augustinian nuns at Cascia, Italy, and showed interest in a religious life. However, when she was twelve, her parents betrothed her to Paolo Mancini, an ill-tempered, abusive individual who worked as town watchman, and who was dragged into the political disputes of the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Disappointed but obedient, Rita married him when she was 18, and was the mother of twin sons. She put up with Paolo’s abuses for eighteen years before he was ambushed and stabbed to death. Her sons swore vengeance on the killers of their father, but through the prayers and interventions of Rita, they forgave the offenders.

Upon the deaths of her sons, Rita again felt the call to religious life. However, some of the sisters at the Augustinian monastery were relatives of her husband’s murderers, and she was denied entry for fear of causing dissension. Asking for the intervention of Saint John the Baptist, Saint Augustine of Hippo, and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, she managed to bring the warring factions together, not completely, but sufficiently that there was peace, and she was admitted to the monastery of Saint Mary Magdalen at age 36.

Rita lived 40 years in the convent, spending her time in prayer and charity, and working for peace in the region. She was devoted to the Passion, and in response to a prayer to suffer as Christ, she received a chronic head wound that appeared to have been caused by a crown of thorns, and which bled for 15 years.

Confined to her bed the last four years of her life, eating little more than the Eucharist, teaching and directing the younger sisters. Near the end she had a visitor from her home town who asked if she’d like anything; Rita’s only request was a rose from her family’s estate. The visitor went to the home, but it being January, knew there was no hope of finding a flower; there, sprouted on an otherwise bare bush, was a single rose blossom.

Among the other areas, Rita is well-known as a patron of desperate, seemingly impossible causes and situations. This is because she has been involved in so many stages of life – wife, mother, widow, and nun, she buried her family, helped bring peace to her city, saw her dreams denied and fulfilled – and never lost her faith in God, or her desire to be with Him.

- The Patron Saint Index
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Ecclesiasticus 4:11-19

Wisdom brings up her own sons,
  and cares for those who seek her.
Whoever loves her loves life,
  those who wait on her early will be filled with happiness.
Whoever holds her close will inherit honour,
  and wherever he walks the Lord will bless him.
Those who serve her minister to the Holy One,
  and the Lord loves those who love her.
Whoever obeys her judges aright,
  and whoever pays attention to her dwells secure.
If he trusts himself to her he will inherit her,
  and his descendants will remain in possession of her;
for though she takes him at first through winding ways,
  bringing fear and faintness on him,
plaguing him with her discipline until she can trust him,
  and testing him with her ordeals,
in the end she will lead him back to the straight road
  and reveal her secrets to him.
If he wanders away she will abandon him,
  and hand him over to his fate.
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Mark 9:38-40

John said to Jesus, ‘Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’ But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.’
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Anyone who is not against us is for us

The path of a Christian is often fraught with difficulties and challenges. This is something that some believers may not be able to accept as they wonder the compatibility between their faith and the opinion of the people in the society they live in. This is why the readings of today are of importance to us as they show us what we will expect in this journey of life.

There are individuals who believe that the life of a Christian is one that is of least resistance which means it should offer one the least worries. The author in the first reading reminds us that this is not the case as it will require us to “prepare for an ordeal”. This is not welcome news for all of us but it certainly is something which we can prepare ourselves for. Preparation for an ordeal makes us realise our own weaknesses and become increasingly reliant on God.

There may be some difficulties in the journey towards receiving our eternal reward but this does not mean that we should give up. We should continue to persevere and remind ourselves of the need to continue to rely on God for all our needs. By changing our mindset towards certain issues we may be able to discover the plans which God has for us in our lives and we become willing to respond to it.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray that we may never forget you

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for who seek you sincerely.

21 May – Memorial of St Christopher Magailanes and his Companions, Martyrs

Like Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, S.J., Cristóbal and his 24 companion martyrs lived under a very anti-Catholic government in Mexico, one determined to weaken the Catholic faith of its people. Churches, schools and seminaries were closed; foreign clergy were expelled. Cristóbal established a clandestine seminary at Totatiche, Jalisco. Magallanes and the other priests were forced to minister secretly to Catholics during the presidency of Plutarco Calles (1924-28).

All of these martyrs except three were diocesan priests. David, Manuel and Salvador were laymen who died with their parish priest, Luis Batis. All of these martyrs belonged to the Cristero movement, pledging their allegiance to Christ and to the Church that he established to spread the Good News in society—even if Mexico’s leaders once made it a crime to receive Baptism or celebrate the Mass.

These martyrs did not die as a single group but in eight Mexican states, with Jalisco and Zacatecas having the largest number. They were beatified in 1992 and canonized eight years later.

- AmericanCatholic.org
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Ecclesiasticus 2:1-11

My son, if you aspire to serve the Lord,
  prepare yourself for an ordeal.
Be sincere of heart, be steadfast,
  and do not be alarmed when disaster comes.
Cling to him and do not leave him,
  so that you may be honoured at the end of your days.
Whatever happens to you, accept it,
  and in the uncertainties of your humble state, be patient,
since gold is tested in the fire,
  and chosen men in the furnace of humiliation.
Trust him and he will uphold you,
  follow a straight path and hope in him.
You who fear the Lord, wait for his mercy;
  do not turn aside in case you fall.
You who fear the Lord, trust him,
  and you will not be baulked of your reward.
You who fear the Lord hope for good things,
  for everlasting happiness and mercy.
Look at the generations of old and see:
  who ever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?
Or who ever feared him steadfastly and was left forsaken?
  Or who ever called out to him, and was ignored?
For the Lord is compassionate and merciful,
  he forgives sins, and saves in days of distress.
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Mark 9:30-37
After leaving the mountain Jesus and his disciples made their way through Galilee; and he did not want anyone to know, because he was instructing his disciples; he was telling them, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men; they will put him to death; and three days after he has been put to death he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he said and were afraid to ask him.
 
They came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the road?’ They said nothing because they had been arguing which of them was the greatest. So he sat down, called the Twelve to him and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must make himself last of all and servant of all.’ He then took a little child, set him in front of them, put his arms round him, and said to them, ‘Anyone who welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’
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Whatever happens to you, accept it

One of the attitudes that I could not accept in my younger years was the fact that I had not choice but to accept the circumstances of the situation. I strove to continue to change such an attitude and this resulted in me feeling frustrated as it became a tiring process. It then dawned on me that perhaps it was my perspective in life which required changing as reflected in the reading today.

Christians have the privilege of being in the world instead of being of the world and hence we need to show to the people around us the importance of our lives as witnesses to him. This is ever more important in the world today which cries out for a counter-witness to the message of the secular world. The Christian message needs to be heard clearly by all around us. In doing so, we will gain a deeper understanding of ourselves as it is us ourselves which requires to be changed.

The disposition and attitude we have towards certain issues in life will come to light and we need to engage in a healthy dialogue and conversation with ourselves to discover what it means to be truly Christian. This is not an easy task but we can do so through quiet contemplation and engage in a discussion with those around us.

Let us take some time to choose someone we could speak to and discover what it means to admit our own weakness and ask God to illuminate this part of our life.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for all who struggle with sin.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who never waver in hope.

18 May – Memorial of St Bernardine of Siena

Friar Minor. Priest. Itinerant preacher. Theological writer. His preaching skills were so great, and the conversions so numerous, that he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc.

Bernardino’s charismatic preaching filled the piazze of Italian cities. Thousands of listeners flocked to hear him and to participate in dramatic rituals, which included collective weeping, bonfires of vanities, and exorcisms. He was a renowned peacemaker, in the Franciscan tradition, who tried to calm feuding clans and factions in the turbulent political world of the Renaissance. His preaching visits would often culminate in mass reconciliations, as listeners were persuaded to exchange the bacio di pace, or kiss of peace.

Bernardino was sensitive to the demands of secular life, and tried to negotiate between Christian ethics and a conflicting code of honour that stressed retaining face in a public world. He argued that the catalyst of civil discord in the urban setting was malicious gossip, which led to insults, and, too often, vendetta by aggressive males. His surprising allies in his peacekeeping mission were the women who comprised the majority of his audience.

- The Patron Saint Index
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Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10

All wisdom is from the Lord,
and it is his own for ever.
The sand of the sea and the raindrops,
and the days of eternity, who can assess them?
The height of the sky and the breadth of the earth,
and the depth of the abyss, who can probe them?
Before all other things wisdom was created,
shrewd understanding is everlasting.
For whom has the root of wisdom ever been uncovered?
Her resourceful ways, who knows them?
One only is wise, terrible indeed,
seated on his throne, the Lord.
He himself has created her, looked on her and assessed her,
and poured her out on all his works
to be with all mankind as his gift,
and he conveyed her to those who love him.
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Mark 9:14-29

When Jesus, with Peter, James and John came down from the mountain and rejoined the disciples, they saw a large crowd round them and some scribes arguing with them. The moment they saw him the whole crowd were struck with amazement and ran to greet him. ‘What are you arguing about with them?’ he asked. A man answered him from the crowd, ‘Master, I have brought my son to you; there is a spirit of dumbness in him, and when it takes hold of him it throws him to the ground, and he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and goes rigid. And I asked your disciples to cast it out and they were unable to.’ ‘You faithless generation’ he said to them in reply. ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.’ They brought the boy to him, and as soon as the spirit saw Jesus it threw the boy into convulsions, and he fell to the ground and lay writhing there, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked the father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ ‘From childhood,’ he replied ‘and it has often thrown him into the fire and into the water, in order to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ ‘If you can?’ retorted Jesus. ‘Everything is possible for anyone who has faith.’ Immediately the father of the boy cried out, ‘I do have faith. Help the little faith I have!’ And when Jesus saw how many people were pressing round him, he rebuked the unclean spirit. ‘Deaf and dumb spirit,’ he said ‘I command you: come out of him and never enter him again.’ Then throwing the boy into violent convulsions it came out shouting, and the boy lay there so like a corpse that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him up, and he was able to stand. When he had gone indoors his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why were we unable to cast it out?’ ‘This is the kind’ he answered ‘that can only be driven out by prayer.’
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‘This is the kind,’ he answered, that can only be driven out by prayer

The apostles in the Gospel reading must have felt utterly embarrassed for having not being able to cure the man with the evil spirit. Jesus’s admonishment that we need to pray in such cases is really true. I believe that there are two issues here which require us to reflect upon.

Recognition of the problem is the first step in enabling us to decide what needs to be done. This recognition can only be done when we have spent adequate time in prayer. Some may ask what is an adequate amount of time and I would suggest 10% of one’s waking hours. To some, it is a lot of time but if we reflect upon the time we spent traveling or playing with our electronic gadgets, the time does not appear to be tremendous. The method of prayer is up to us as long as it is Christ-centred. This means we may need to allocate time to attend Mass on a daily basis to draw strength from God and spend time in private prayer to deepen our relationship with God.

The type of prayer we choose to pray is dependent upon our own disposition. Hence it needs to be one which enables us to discover the plan that God has for us. Sometimes this entails us keeping quiet to let God speak to us whilst at other times it may require us to explicitly make known to God what our concerns are.

We battle many issues in our daily life and prayer will enable us to continue to remain faithful to God despite all our concerns and issues.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for the will to be committed to our daily prayers

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who pray for us.

19 May

The Day of Pentecost

Today we celebrate the great day of Pentecost when Christ filled the Church with the power of his Spirit and sent it out into the world to bring his peace, joy and forgiveness to all mankind.    

- The Sunday Missal

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Dear readers,

Hope you had a great Easter! Today’s reflection is by Michael Goo, an artist who recently joined our team. Read more about Michael below:

Michael was born with hearing disability. He was baptized and confirmed at Church of our Lady of Perpetual Succour in 2010 after perseverance for at least 5 years. Now, he is currently serving Singapore Catholic Deaf Community as its vice president. Despite the hardships, he is still happy to bear his deafness as his cross and follow Lord Jesus daily. Being an artist, he tries his best to glorify God through fine arts.

He came across OXYGEN where his acquaintance, Patricia Ang shared her writing in Facebook, and became interested as he discovered his passion in writing after his few friends pointed it out. After one year, he decided to lend his skills to Oxygen in hope of inspiring others to love God wholeheartedly despite their difficulties. “I am struck by how sharing our weakness and difficulties is more nourishing to others than sharing our qualities and successes.” (Jean Vanier, Community and Growth)

We thank and welcome Michael, and hope that more readers will be inspired to share their reflections on God’s word with the rest of the community.

God bless and may the fire of the Spirit burn strong in your heart,

Edith
(on behalf of the Oxygen team)

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Acts 2:1-11

When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.
 
Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome – Jews and proselytes alike – Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’
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1 Corinthians 12:3-7,12-13

No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
 
There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.
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John 20:19-23

In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’
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Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained

I have often heard this: “We can go directly to God and ask Him for forgiveness. Why should we go for Confession?” The Gospel sheds light on this question. In the Catholic Church’s doctrines, Christ Jesus gave the power to the twelve disciples, the Church’s first apostles, to administer absolution of sin as they represented Him. Why is this important to us?

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is beautiful gift from God as Saint James said, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16) By our Confessions and the priest’s absolution of our sin in persona Christi (acting in the person of Christ), each member of the body of our Church is welcomed home through this Sacrament, into the whole community. Jesus calls us to stand united in faith and love because He himself is Love. When we receive each other home in love, we fulfill the second greatest Commandment after loving God wholly.

Remember the accusations against Jesus that He might be the prince of the demons, because He could exorcise demons (Lk 11:14-15)? He replied that if Satan divided against himself, how could his kingdom stand (Lk 11:17-18)? Likewise, if everyone goes to God directly for confession without caring for each other, it is an individual act rather than returning to communion with the Church, which is the Body of Christ. When God gave Adam a helpmate in Eve (Gen 1:18), He also instituted the first community – not solely marriage. Blessed Margaret d’Youville said, “All the wealth in the world cannot be compared with the happiness of living together happily united.” Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

Peter Kreeft, a writer of Christian theology and apologetics, wrote: “Christianity is God’s marriage proposal to the soul.” Through the seven Sacraments of our Church, we become one with God. The Holy Eucharist is one of them – and it is during our Mass that we are also united in universal prayers. Christ promised that if two or more gather and pray together for the same intentions, He would be there with us (Mt 18:19-20). It is much like Heaven because we are united with those who have gone before us – Mother Mary, all the Angels and Saints – in worshipping God. The Mass is the highest form of prayers and thus very powerful. God is Perfect Love Himself and gives us this beautiful gift of community, as He never wanted us to be alone from the beginning.

As we see in today’s second reading, we may have different gifts but we serve the very same God. Let us treasure each other, and see the goodness and gift of our families, friends and even those who hurt us in the past – and pray for them. Let us not pass on a good chance to catch up with those we have not seen for a long time. Perhaps we can try to reconcile with those who have hurt us and those whom we have hurt.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Michael Goo)
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Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill us with Your Holy Spirit and empower us to forgive and love each other for by doing so, we also come to love You. Also remember all those who are in mortal sins and all Holy Souls in purgatory.  We ask this in the name of Your Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for our universal Catholic Church and the gift of community.

18 May – Memorial of St John I, Pope, Martyr

Priest in Rome. Elected 53rd pope in 523. Italy‘s ruler, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian, and for a while he let Catholics alone, but in later life he became suspicious of everyone, imagining conspiracies and attempts to seize his throne. He tried to involve Pope John in his political machinations. John led a delegation to Constantinople to negotiate with Emperor Justin I; he was the first pope to travel to Constantinople, and while there crowned Justin. The mission was successful, but Theodoric thought John and Justin I had plotted against him. While returning to Rome, John was kidnapped and imprisoned by Theodoric’s soldiers; he died in custody.

- The Patron Saint Index
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Acts 28:16-20,30-31

On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guarded him.
 
After three days he called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, ‘Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving the death penalty; but the Jews lodged an objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation to make against my own nation. That is why I have asked to see you and talk to you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.’
 
Paul spent the whole of the two years in his own rented lodging. He welcomed all who came to visit him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom and without hindrance from anyone.
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John 21:20-25

Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them – the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper and had said to him, ‘Lord, who is it that will betray you?’ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.’ The rumour then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, ‘He will not die’, but, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come.’
 
This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true.
 
There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.
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“What does it matter to you? You are to follow me.”

In the practice of yoga, one must exercise clear concentration. This is important because, where your mind is, your body will follow. If our focus is scattered, one’s body will struggle to be centred, and our core would lack energy to ground our moves and postures. The same holds for any sport – especially one that requires endurance. The Christian life is like a race that calls not only for energetic enthusiasm, but also of dogged endurance. One’s heart and spirit must overcome distractions to persevere for the prize of Eternal Life.

Jesus rebukes Peter in today’s gospel reading for being unduly concerned about his fellow disciple. He had commanded Peter “Follow me” after asking him to feed his sheep (Jn 21:19), and we are told that Jesus indicated the kind of death Peter would suffer for God’s glory (v.18). Now, as Peter willingly follows Jesus, he turns around and notices another disciple who heeded Jesus’ call. He wonders aloud “What about him?” (v.20) One can easily imagine Peter thinking to himself, wasn’t Jesus only talking to me – why is that dude coming along?

“What does it matter to you? You are to follow me.” comes the sharp reply from Jesus. No other disciple who followed Jesus was beset with such frequent weakness, but Peter. He needed repeated reminders of his humanness, his natural tendency to be weak and scatter his energies over fears, insecurity, and worries. Strange that Jesus would then make Peter (Latin: petra, Greek: petros, meaning ‘rock’) the rock upon which the nascent Church was founded on. I cannot help but recall Paul’s words:

“…the Lord said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:9)

Peter was obviously given to a weak spirit. Jesus knew it and so he had to remind Peter to focus on following Him – nothing else. Not even if there was someone else tagging along, not even if there was humiliation and viciousness swirling around.

I am the eye of the storm, I am the calm in the face of chaos. Stay close by My side, keep your eyes on Me, and you shall never walk alone or be in need. Remember that it was I who called you onto this path. No one else but I, shall lead you forward to win the prize of Eternal Life.

Just as Paul was afflicted with “a thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7-8) to remind him of his humanness, Peter too, was often distracted and fearful. Peter’s natural weakness was the very canvas God was pleased to use, to illustrate His power and glory. Are you facing many trials and distractions in this season? Do you feel that you are your own obstacle, and doubt your ability to overcome your weaknesses? Have you scattered much energy chasing after earthly affirmation from your peers or what is attractive in the world’s eyes.

Take heart that as long as you turn your eyes to Him for help, God’s grace will strengthen you; whenever you are weak, then you are strong. St. Peter’s scattered and anxious disposition turned into fearless endurance at the end of his life, where he was martyred and crucified upside down. We can be assured that our personal detestable weaknesses can be beautifully transformed into the exact opposite with Christ in us – all for God’s glory!

(Today’s OXYGEN by Debbie Loo)

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Prayer: Lord Jesus, I ask you to raise up my weaknesses and natural tendency to fall into all kinds of sin. Purify me. Take them, and turn them into a new thing, so that I can be the canvas to testify to your goodness and love.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for our family and friends who journey with us as we try to become the best version of ourselves. May we be loving encouragement to each other.

17 May

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Acts 25:13-21

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in. When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected; but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive. Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue. But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’
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John 21:15-19

Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

‘I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you
and take you where you would rather not go.’

In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’
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Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?”

St Peter’s calling to his ministry to build Jesus’ Church begin way before Jesus asked him “Do you love me?” in today’s’ gospel reading. Simon Peter, son of John, was just like any one of us – an ordinary person, but who happened to live in the time of Christ and walked with Him. Just as the word of God came to Jeremiah in the Old Testament, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, a prophet to the nations I appointed you” (Jer 1:5), therefore we know that God knew exactly what Peter was made of in his inmost parts, his strengths and weaknesses. God’s plan was awaiting Peter’s Yes.

Let us imagine ourselves as Peter… “My Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you. I know I failed you miserably with my denial, three times. My hands were also the hands that nailed you to your cross. I was a coward, I was weak, I feared the suffering of this life, and I was taunted by death. But you have returned to me, and are eating with us just as before. Now you ask if I love you, I cannot answer anything else but that: Yes, I do…”

Jesus then commands Peter, “Feed my lambs; look after my sheep; feed my sheep… Follow me.”

We recall Peter’s very Spirit-inspired words much earlier on, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). Peter’s earnest response came because many of Jesus’ disciples returned to their former way of life, and left Him when they could not accept a particular teaching He’d spoke about (Jn 6:66-67).

Jesus had told His followers that He is the Bread of life come down from Heaven, that “whoever eats (Greek: phagein) this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is flesh (Greek: sarx) for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51). In the original Greek which the Gospel was written in, the word Jesus used at first was ‘phagein’ (which means ‘to eat’), but to some of the disciples’ doubtful and offended murmurs, he then clarifies himself (Jn 6:54, 56) – yet He only got more graphic and iterated that “whoever eats (Greek: trogein, meaning ‘to gnaw on’) my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” This was unacceptable to some! And so they turned and left Jesus.

Peter, who had now utterly repented of his denial, then regained his courage and stood steadfast as a rock in Christ. From this moment on, he received Christ’s invitation freely and willingly in love. This is the beginning of his Petrine ministry – his courageous and humble obedience to Christ’s command to look after His sheep; to feed His sheep. No matter the cost, he now desired to follow Christ’s call.

Each of us is called to a unique ministry or vocation. It is more than the ‘ministry’ we usually think of in our Church’s communities. It could be the call to Priesthood, Religious Life, Married Life, or Consecrated Single Life. And even deeper than that, our individual ministry is the very life we live – through our every choice, and in accordance with the inward leanings of our soul. We need to trust that our lives on earth have a very distinct purpose within the entirety of God’s plan for humanity. It will certainly start out terrifying to consider that God may have a completely different path for us than what we wish for. Yet there is inexplicable joy and freedom in pursuing the road that you know God has made you for, once you have sought His will.

Let us boldly sit in stillness with God, to return to that time before we were formed; and in that quietude, seek the very meaning and purpose for which we were called forth into life with His divine breath.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Debbie Loo)
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Prayer: Jesus, be our guide on this journey as we seek our vocation in this life. Search our hearts; reveal to us the talents, gifts, and purpose, our Father had equipped us with when we were sent forth into this world. We want to know You and follow You.

Thanksgiving: Heavenly Father, we give thanks for your servant Pope Francis, who has willingly taken on this monumentally sacred task of shepherding our Church. We love you for always protecting and watching over the Church your Bride throughout its history, despite how badly mere men have stumbled. We ask that You continue to bless our Church and send forth Your Holy Spirit to guide Her.

16 May

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Acts 22:30,23:6-11

Since the tribune wanted to know what precise charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them. Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ As soon as he said this a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was split between the two parties. For the Sadducees say there is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, while the Pharisees accept all three. The shouting grew louder, and some of the scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested strongly, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?’ Feeling was running high, and the tribune, afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered his troops to go down and haul him out and bring him into the fortress.
 
Next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.’
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John 17:20-26

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
Father, may they be one in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me
and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.’

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With me in them and you in me

Thank God for the many seasons in life! Surely there are moments that bring us great disappointments; but always, we will taste joy and satisfaction in other times. Is there someone you are committing to prayer for a conversion of heart, or perhaps to move beyond their present resistance and anger against God? As Nature’s seasons surely change, you can be sure that their season of communion with God is near at hand.

In today’s first reading, we are with Paul as he faces the religious court made up of Sadducees and Pharisees. Paul is in the midst of his personal defense during this tribunal. He tells of his zealot-days of persecuting the early Christians – “ I perecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison” (Acts 22:3-4). Then he was struck down by the Holy Spirit, received baptism in Christ, and accepted his mission to spread the good news. This journey of his, this series of loops and detours, brought him to this day when he would face persecution for his faith – the faith which ironically he had once persecuted.

Yet Paul is full of courage and conviction. His life and story of conversion always moves me because it shows our God is forgiving and merciful to the heart who receives His love. We can always look to the seasons in Paul’s life for comfort and assurance, as we pray for our loved ones.

God is love and forgiveness, tender and mercy; He desires to pursue every single soul whom He has created, to His kingdom through Christ. We trust in Jesus, our Divine intercessor, just as He prays in our gospel today, “Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me… I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them” (Jn 17:24-26).

The love of God is always with the ones we care deeply about and pray for though they may not experience or receive it yet. Through our intercessions for mercy, we become the channels of God’s love flowing to them. His love may be presently hidden from their view, but it will one day be revealed in glory to them, for His greater purpose. Paul’s willingness to suffer his portion of persecution and eventual death for proclaiming the good news, endures as a season beyond his earthly life – of deep faith and courage. We can always draw strength and hope from the beautiful testimonies in the letters of Paul, such as Romans, Corinthians, Philippians… One day they will have Christ in them, and they will be hidden in Christ’s love.

“The river runs and the river hides, out to the ocean and under the sky.
I promise you the answer will come, hold onto patience and watch for the signs.
Everything in its time.” ~ Corrinne May, Everything in its Time

(Today’s OXYGEN by Debbie Loo)
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Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, who gave us your beloved Son; O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

Thanksgiving: Praise be to God for all seasons in our lives. You tirelessly and mercifully pursue our hearts with Your Love, even when we choose to hide from You. Today I choose to receive Your Love.

15 May

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Acts 20:28-38

Paul addressed these words to the elders of the church of Ephesus:

‘Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.

‘I have never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”’

When he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were all in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.
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John 17:11-19

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except the one who chose to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these things
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you to remove them from the world,
but to protect them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’

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And for their sake I consecrate myself, so that they too may be consecrated in truth

Some time back, I woke up one morning feeling completely empty. It was a strange sensation: a physical vacuum-in-the-gut feeling, accompanied by a hollowed-heart that echoed like a wind blowing through me. The day passed like clockwork and something was seriously amiss. Although I did not miss a meal, there was a curious hunger that was gnawing at me. As I write, I recall that nagging feeling. The end of the workday came, and suddenly I had the strongest desire to attend evening Mass and partake of Holy Communion. I have never packed up my work desk in such a flurry. Immediately, I called for a taxi and sped down to the nearest church, barely four bus stops away. Just in time.

Never before did the Eucharist hold so much meaning for me. I was in awe, I was humbled. Mass ended and as I left the chapel, I found myself in such a state of tranquility and bliss – and also bewilderment. What in appearance was a piece of wafer, was actually the only meal I had been needing all day! You should have seen the smile on my face.

The greatest “mystery of faith” (1 Time 3:9) is the transubstantiation of the Host into the body of Christ, during the Consecration. When we respond in unison,

“We proclaim your Death, O Lord,
and profess your Resurrection
until you come again”

we are affirming our belief in the reality that the Host has been transformed in substance into the body of Christ. We need not only look to the various Eucharistic miracles that have taken place up and down the ages in order to believe, for “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn 20:29). When Jesus instituted the Last Supper by recalling the Jewish Passover, but referred to himself as the Passover lamb to be sacrificed, he said “this is my body which is given up for you, do this in memory of me”. Whenever our priests repeat these very words in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) during the Consecration, it never fails to transport me back to the moment of being present at the table with Christ himself. I am there with the disciples, hearing Christ foretell His bloody sacrifice; I am there too at Calvary, witnessing the suffering He endured for the world’s sins. Time and space collide within this Eucharistic sacrifice. For every hour of the day in some part of the world, the Mass is celebrated, and the same proclamation of the death and resurrection of Christ is offered up in beautiful harmony.

The Eucharist is indeed the source and summit of the Christian life (CCC, 1324). In today’s gospel reading, Jesus’ prayer to God reveals to us His utmost desire of consecrating Himself for us – so that we may be consecrated in the truth (Jn 17:19). In the very Liturgy of the Eucharist, my joys and sorrows, longings and freedom, are enmeshed with the blessed hope for the coming again of Jesus Christ. I cannot put words to it, but I am always more than satisfied with remaining in this joyful mystery of His great love and sacrifice, that always gives to me more than I know what to ask for. “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of time” (Mt 28:20).

(P.s. For further interest, please see Catechism of the Catholic Church, and A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: understanding what we say and do in the Liturgy by Edward Sri)

(Today’s OXYGEN by Debbie Loo)
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Prayer: We pray that we will grow to deeply reverence the beauty of our Mass, receive the Host with hearts of love and gratitude, and realise we are actually meeting Jesus our Saviour in the Eucharist each time we partake of Holy Communion.

Thanksgiving: Thanks be to God for He is loving and forgiving, beyond our human understanding. We only need to receive with grateful hearts His unending grace and mercy.

14 May – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle

Apostle. As he could bear witness to the Resurrection of Jesus, he was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Judea, Cappadocia, Egypt and Ethiopia. Remembered for preaching the need for mortification of the flesh with regard to all its sensual and irregular desires. Martyr.

- The Patron Saint Index

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Acts 1:15-17,20-26

One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:

Let someone else take his office.

‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’

Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’ They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.
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John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
This is my commandment:
love one another, as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you
is to love one another.’

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I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father

The mark of a true friendship is when one shares much more to his or her good friend instead to the spouse or the parents. This is not said with the intention to trivialise the relationship which one has with the latter parties but I believe that this reflects the depth of the friendship between both the two friends. In the same manner, the depth of our relationship with Christ is reflected in one’s life.

St Matthias was chosen because he had followed alongside the apostles in their ministry. There needs to go beyond mere following but to also hear the explanation of the teaching of Christ and to experience the various trials and tribulations which the apostles faced. In the same way, friends will willingly go ahead to accompany the trials of their good friends because the friendship is worth it. In our world today, to be called a friend of Christ requires us to demonstrate it through our life.

Our actions can take place in the form of words, physical gestures or even a listening ear to someone in need. This will allow others to discover what it means to be in a friendship with Christ as St Matthias was privileged to do so.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: St Matthias, we pray you grant us the courage to follow your example to follow Christ in spite of all that comes our way.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who spread the Gospel.