OXYGEN

04 Jul - Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal

Elizabeth (1271-1336) was a princess with a pious upbringing who became Queen of Portugal before she was a teenager. Elizabeth suffered through years of her husband’s abuse and adultery, praying all the while for his conversion, and working with the poor and sick. She rode onto the battlefield to reconcile her family members twice; once between her husband and son when they clashed in civil war, and between her son and his son-in-law years later, preventing bloodshed. This led to her patronage as a peacemaker, and as one invoked in time of war and conflict.

- Patron Saint Index
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Genesis 27:1-5.15-29

Isaac had grown old, and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see. He summoned his elder son Esau. ‘My son!’ he said to him, and the latter answered, ‘I am here.’ then he said, ‘See, I am old and do not know when I may die. Now take your weapons, your quiver and bow; go out into the country and hunt me some game. make me the kind of savoury that I like and bring it to me, so that I may eat, and give you my blessing before I die.’

Rebekah happened to be listening while Isaac was talking to his son Esau. So when Esau went into the country to hunt game for his father, Rebekah took her elder son Esau’s best clothes, which she had in the house, and dressed her younger son Jacob in them, covering his arms and the smooth part of his neck with the skins of the kids. Then she handed ove rthe savoury and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

He presented himself before his father and said, ‘Father.’ ‘I am here’ was the reply, ‘who are you, my son?’ Jacob said to his father, ‘I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Please get up and take your place and eat the game I have brought and then give me your blessing.’ Isaac said to hisson, ‘How quickly you found it, my son!’ ‘it was the Lord your God’ he answered ‘who put it in my path.’ Isaac said to Jacob, ‘Come here, then, and let me touch you, my son, to know if you are my son Esau or not.’ Jacob came close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, ‘The voice is Jacob’s voice but the arms are the arms of Esau!’ He did not recognise him, for his arms were hairy like his brother Esau’s, and so he blessed him. He said, ‘Are you really my son Esau?’ And he replied, ‘I am.’ Isaac said, ‘Bring it here that I may eat the game my son has brought, and so may give you my blessing.’ He brought it to him and he ate; he offered him wine, and he drank. His father Isaac said to him, ‘Come close, and kiss me, my son.’ He went closer and kissed his father, who smelled the smell of his clothes.

He blessed him by saying:

‘Yes, the smell of my son
is like the smell of a fertile field blessed by the Lord.
May God give you
dew from heaven,
and the richness of the earth,
abundance of grain and wine!
May nations serve you
and peoples bow down before you!
Be master of your brothers;
may the son of your mother bow down before you!
Cursed be he who curses you;
blessed be he who blesses you!’
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Matthew 9:14-17

John’s disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?’ Jesus replied, ‘Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of mourning as long as the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunken cloth on to an old cloak, because the patch pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost. No; they put new wine into fresh skins and both are preserved.’
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Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; if they do, the skins burst, the wine runs out, and the skins are lost.

Over and over again, the bible speaks about how we must follow Christ. We are asked to love like Christ, live like Christ, trust in God like Christ did, and follow Christ’s example of carrying our crosses. In short, we are asked to be like Jesus. There is no way we can fulfil all that Jesus has asked us to do on our own efforts, unless Jesus Himself gives us the grace to do so. The good news is that this grace is freely given to those who sincerely seek it.

With the grace of God, the impossible becomes possible for “nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37). Do we believe this? Somehow whenever I look into myself, I begin to doubt my own capabilities to perform certain tasks, I lose hope, and I feel defeated even before starting a task. However, whenever I refocus on God and keep my sights on Him without looking at myself, hope is restored to its fullness, and I am immediately open to all possibilities (which greatly increases my chances of reaching the things which I thought were impossible).

Just as Peter walked on water when he kept his eyes on Jesus, so we too, who wish to overcome our weaknesses and incompetence, heal from our wounds, and grow into Jesus’ image, must keep out eyes on Jesus. For whenever we start to look inward at ourselves, we will sink as Peter did. The good news is we can keep refocusing our eyes on Jesus and start walking on water again.

My friends, the verse above used to baffle me a lot. But I think I now have a better understanding of what it means. We are like the old wineskins, Jesus is the new wineskins, and the Holy Spirit is the wine. If we truly wish to make the fruits of the Holy Spirit as glorious and beautiful as possible, we must renounce our individual identity and take on the identity of Christ. Only when we live for Jesus, breathe for Him, fix our eyes on Him, will the Holy Spirit’s work in us be most effective. And with Jesus as our life, all things become possible.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, intellectually, I know I must take on Your identity and focus on You, instead of always thinking about what I want and focusing on myself. Help me to experience this at an emotional and spiritual level, Lord, so that I may not just know this, but live this.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Holy Spirit for making us into Christ’s image, whenever we allow Him to.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

03 Jul - Feast of St Thomas, Apostle

Thomas (d. 72) was ready to die with Jesus when Christ went to Jerusalem, but he is best remembered for doubting the Resurrection until allowed to touch Christ’s wounds. He preached in Parthia, Persia and India, though he was so reluctant to start the mission that he had to be taken into slavery by a merchant headed that way.

He eventually gave in to God’s will, was freed, and planted the new Church over a wide area. He formed many parishes and built many churches along the way. An old tradition says that Thomas baptised the wise men from the Nativity into Christianity.

His symbol is the builder’s square. There are several stories that explain it:
-    he built a palace for King Guduphara in India
-    he built the first church in India with his own hands
-    it is representative of building a strong spiritual foundation as he had complete faith in Christ (though initially less in the Resurrection)
he offered to build a palace for an Indian king that would last forever; the king gave him money, which Thomas promptly gave away to the poor; he explained that the palace he was building was in heaven, not on earth.

- Patron Saint Index
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Ephesians 2:19-22

You are no longer aliens of foreign visitors; you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.
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John 20:24-29

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. When they said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you,’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to them:

‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
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My Lord and my God!

Faith is an incredible part of one’s experience and it certainly requires a lot of human incredibility to believe in it. There have been times when I have been like Thomas who questioned the claims made by others and refused to believe until I could verify the fact with my own senses. Whilst such an approach could be chosen for matters of the world, it certainly will not be applicable in matters of faith.

Thomas the apostle has often been known as ‘Doubting Thomas’ because he doubted that Jesus had appeared before the rest of the apostles. However, I am sympathetic towards him because this was difficult for him to accept given the situation that they were in. Thomas was filled with a healthy scepticism as he did not want to jump into conclusions. Yet he held a strong faith and declared his faith when Jesus appeared before him.

In our daily lives, it seems that our faith is often tested by the elements of the world. The struggle is intense and often the roots of our faith get shaken and sometimes weakened. We yearn for something tangible and visible to sustain us in such moments. I have discovered that the Holy Eucharist is God’s way of telling me that He is present in the world today. The inner silence and quiet that experienced before the Blessed Sacrament strengthens my faith and it is this faith that makes me cry out “My Lord and my God” during the Consecration.

As we go about our own lives, let us always remember that St. Thomas showed us that our faith does have real and tangible signs that we are called to manifest in all those whom we meet.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Lord, we pray that our faith increase and be strengthened amidst the hustle and bustle of our lives.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who sustain our faith.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 04 Jul - Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

02 Jul
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Genesis 22:1-19

It happened that God put Abraham to the test. ‘Abraham, Abraham,’ he called. ‘Here I am’ he replied. ‘Take your son,’ God said ‘your only child Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain I will point out to you.’

Rising early next morning Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. he chopped wood for the burnt offering and started on his journey to the place God had pointed out to him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then Abraham said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there; we will worship and come back to you.’

Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, loaded it on Isaac, and carried in his hands the fire and the knife. Then the two of them set out together. Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. ‘Father’ he said. ‘Yes, my son’ he replied. ‘Look,’ he said ‘here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham answered, ‘My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.’ Then the two of them went on together.

When they arrived at the place God had pointed out to him, Abraham bult an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son Isaac and put him on the altar on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hands and seized the knife to kill the son.

But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven. ‘Abraham, Abraham’ he said. ‘I am here’ he replied. ‘Do not raise your hand against the boy’ the angel said. ‘Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your son, your only son.’ Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt-offering in place of his son. Abraham called this place ‘The Lord provides’, and hence the saying today: On the mountains the Lord provides.

the angel of the Lord called Abraham a second time from heaven. ‘I sear by my own self - it is the Lord who speaks - because you have done this, because you have not refused me your son, your only son, I will shower blessings on you, I will make your descendants as many as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants shall gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, as a reward for your obedience.’

Abraham went back to his servants, and together they set out for Beersheba, and he settled in Beersheba.
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Matthew 9:1-8

Jesus got in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ And at this some scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven”, or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ - he said to the paralytic - ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.
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When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven”

What does it mean to you to have faith? For me, I have often associated faith with a feeling of awe and complete trust that God is real and watching closely over me. Unfortunately, this feeling never lasts and there will always be periods of dryness where God feels far away. During such moments, I often think that since I cannot feel God, He must be far away from me and cannot see me. As a result, I convince myself that it is “okay” to slacken in my walk with Christ, it becomes more acceptable for me to sin and to give in to daily temptations.

Thankfully, God is ever forgiving and merciful and never gives up on me. He constantly reminds me not to rely solely on ‘feelings’, but to also realize that He is more than the feelings of awe that I get at times. So, what then does faith mean? Today’s readings provide some answers.

In the first reading, we see Abraham willing to sacrifice his only son out of obedience to God. If God asked us to sacrifice our only child, will we do it? Or maybe in a less dramatic example: If God asked us to sacrifice certain things in our lives that hold us back from following Him fully, will we? I think that it will be very hard for us to do. Yet, Abraham did it. Although he did not want to lose his beloved and only son, he had faith that God was God; thus God knew better than him. In this reading, then, Abraham’s faith in God was expressed through his obedience.

In the Gospel, on the other hand, the paralytic’s friends expressed their faith in God when they carried him to Jesus. They heard about Jesus’ power to heal and believed that Jesus would be able to heal their friend; hence, they carried their friend all the way to lay him before Jesus.

My dear friends, what do these two readings teach us about our personal faith in Jesus? The first reading shows us that faith can take the form of obedience to God’s will, even if it opposes our own will. The second reading reminds us that to have faith means to come before Jesus with our petitions. Together, these two readings demonstrate that true faith requires action. Both Abraham and the group of friends took action in spite of not knowing what the outcome would believe. They had faith in God and took action as a result of this. As a result of their faith, God poured out His blessings, mercy, and fulfilled their desires.

Therefore, let us learn from these biblical figures. Let us present our problems, anxieties, hopes, and dreams before our Lord. And always be ready to obey Him, regardless of the suffering it may cost us. For to truly be men and women of faith, we must not just say, “Lord, I have faith”, but must also take actions in faith.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Holy Spirit, make me a child of true faith. Help me not to just say “Lord, I have faith”, but to also take actions in faith that my God will always be there to take care of me.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to God for we are confident that our actions in faith will be met with abundant blessings and love from Him.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 03 Jul - Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sat, 04 Jul - Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

01 Jul
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Genesis 21:5.6-20

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham gave a great banquet on the day Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah watched the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. ‘Drive away that slave-girl and her son,’ she said to Abraham; ‘this slave-girl’s son is not to share the inheritance with my son Isaac.’ This greatly distressed Abraham because of his son, but God said to him, ‘Do not distress yourself on account of the boy and your slave-girl. Grant Sarah all she asks of you, for it is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. But the slave-girl’s son I will also make into a nation, for he is your child too.’ Rising early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water and, giving them to Hagar, he put the child on her shoulder and sent her away.

She wandered off into the wilderness of Beersheba. When the skin of water was finished she abandoned the child under a bush. Then she went and sat down a distance, about a bowshot away, saying to herself, ‘I cannot see the child die.’ So she sat at a distance; and the child wailed and wept.

But God heard the boy wailing, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. ‘What is wrong, Hagar?’ he asked, ‘Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s cry where he lies. Come, pick up the boy and hold him safe, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well, so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

God was with the boy. He grew up and made his home in the wilderness, and he became a bowman.
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Matthew 8:28-34

When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side of the lake, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs - creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’ Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go then,’ and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.
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If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs

The other day I was just thinking that the devils are always out there trying to battle for our soul. Each day, we face so many trials and temptations from the devils. This made me feel rather disheartened. After all, if they keep trying, wouldn’t they one day succeed in taking my soul? With the countless temptations and taunting to abandon my cross (avoid the pains of the cross), wouldn’t I eventually cave in?

Sometimes, I think to myself that if I didn’t try to follow God, maybe the devils would leave me alone and not tempt me. This would, in turn, mean that I don’t have to struggle so hard. However, I am also aware that this would imply that I have accepted defeat and, since I chose to give up on God during my life, I probably would have lost any hope of being with God at the end of my life.

The verse above from today’s Gospel reading really strikes me. It shows how powerful Jesus is such that without even saying anything, the devils were already pleading to Him. Jesus’ response was a simple “Go then”, and the devils immediately obeyed.

Hence, if like me, you are feeling worried that one day the devil might win the battle for your soul, I hope you will find encouragement in today’s Gospel. Let us never give up on our daily crosses, for just as temptation is real, Jesus’ redeeming power and graces are also real. If we must surrender, let us choose to surrender not to the devil, but to God.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, forgive me for my little faith and cowardly heart. Help me to grow in my faith and to believe in Your power to save me from any struggles that I face.

Thanksgiving: Lord Jesus Christ, I love You and thank You for never giving up on me, even though I am so small and cowardly.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 02 Jul - Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 03 Jul - Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sat, 04 Jul - Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

30 Jun - Memorial for the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

These holy men and women are also called the “Protomartyrs of Rome”. They were accused of burning Rome by Nero, who burned Rome to cover his own crimes. Some martyrs were burned as living torches at evening banquets, some crucified, and others were fed to wild animals. These martyrs died before Sts. Peter and Paul, and are called “disciples of the Apostles. . . whom the Holy Roman church sent to their Lord before the Apostles’ death”.

- http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3385
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Genesis 19:15-29

The angels urged Lot, ‘Come, take your wife and these two daughters of yours, or you will be overwhelmed in the punishment of the town.’ And as he hesitated, the men took him by the hand, and his wife and his two daughters, because of the pity they Lord felt for him. They led him out and left him outside the town.

As they were leading him out he said, ‘Run for your life. Neither look behind you nor stop anywhere on the plain. Make for the hills if you would not be overwhelmed.’ ‘No, I beg you, my lord,’ Lot said to them ‘your servant has won your favour and you have shown great kindness to me in saving my life. But I could not reach the hills before this calamity overtook me, and death with it. The town over there is near enough to flee to, and is a little one. Let me make for that - is it not little? - and my life will be saved.’ He answered, ‘I grant you this favour too, and I will not destroy the town you speak of. Hurry, escape to it, for I can do nothing until you reach it.’ That is why the town is named Zoar.

As the sun rose over the land and Lot entered Zoar, the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord. He overthrew these towns and the whole plain, with all the inhabitants of the towns, and everything that grew there. But the wife of Lot looked back, and was turned into a pillar of salt.

Rising early in the morning Abraham went to the place where he had stood before the Lord, and looking towards Sodom and Gomorrah, and across all the plain, he saw the smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnance.

Thus it was that when God destroyed the towns of the plain, he kept Abraham in mind and rescued Lot out of disaster when he overwhelmed the towns where Lot lived.
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Matthew 8:23-27

Jesus got into the boat followed by his disciples. Without warning a storm broke over the lake, so violent that the waves were breaking right over the boat. But he was asleep. So they went to him and woke him saying, ‘Save us, Lord, we are going down!’ And he said to him, ‘Why are you so frightened, you men of little faith?’ And with that he stood up and rebuked the winds and the seas; and all was calm again. The men were astounded and said, ‘Whatever kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him.’
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He kept Abraham in mind.

Typically, when a man and a woman get together, they no longer make a decision based solely on their personal preference but instead, learn to consider the feelings, needs, and desires of their partner. For example, if a friend asks them if they wanted to go on a trip, they would check with their partner if their partner is alright with it. This is not merely “reporting” to their partner as though their partner rules over them. Rather, it is a demonstration of love and respect for another person’s feelings.

Similarly, when God decided to destroy the towns of the plain, He kept Abraham in mind. He did not make a decision based solely on what He wanted to do, but also considered what Abraham wanted. In doing so, He shows that He is not a tyrant who does as He pleases, but He is a God who cares for His people’s feelings, needs, and desires.

Do we realize that just as God kept Abraham in mind, He also keeps our personal needs, desires, and wishes in mind before He acts? Nothing escapes our Lord’s notice: He knows our dreams, our needs, what makes us happy, and what makes us sad. He incorporates all of these before He makes any decision that may implicate us. Hence, if you are feeling frightened by a situation in your life and you feel unsure of where God is in the midst of it all, remember that God is in control.

God may not have intentionally caused situations to happen in your life. Sins – whether it be our sins or others’ sins – affect us. But God knows everything – He has considered everything about you before He allowed you to walk into the situations you face in life. God is so much in control that He can even take a nap, if He wishes.

Let us therefore surrender our fears to God. Let us surrender our need for certainty and trust that God has taken care of everything and will continue to take care of us, no matter how difficult our situation may appear.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord, I trust that You will take care of me all the days of my life. Help me to also take care of Your needs, desires, and wishes.

Thanksgiving: Thank You Lord for always considering my personal needs and desires before You do anything that might affect me. You are so good to me even though I fail to recognize Your goodness. Thank You my Lord.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 01 Jul - Genesis 21:5.8-20; Matthew 8:28-34
Thu, 02 Jul - Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 03 Jul - Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sat, 04 Jul - Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

29 Jun - Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles

Peter (c.1–64) was a professional fisherman. He was the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Given the name Simon, he was renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. He later became a bishop and was the first pope. He was also a miracle worker.

Paul (c.3–c.65) was a Jewish Talmudic student and a Pharisee. He was a tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted the Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of St. Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus, Syria, to arrest another group of faithful, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting him, causing his conversion to Christianity.

He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling, preaching, and teaching. His letters to the churches he help found form a large percentage of the New Testament. He knew and worked with many of the earliest saints and Fathers of the Church. He died a martyr for the faith.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ - and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true,’ he said. ‘The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happened to me.’
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2 Timothy 4:6-8.17-18

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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Matthew 16:13-19

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’
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I have kept the faith.

In the past few months, I have been going through a difficult period in my faith in the Church. Many times, I doubted the authority of the Church. I had no doubt that the Holy Spirit was with the Church and in the Church, because I believe that the Church would not have survived as long as it has if God has not been with it. But what I doubted was whether the Church today is what Jesus intended it to be. I found myself constantly asking questions like: Could the Church have developed differently, better from the way it did?

I am sure that I am not the first person, nor will I be the last person, to ask questions like this. From today’s second reading, in St. Paul’s letter to Timothy, we get an inkling that Paul must have had difficulties as a Christian, perhaps not the kind of difficulties that you and I face, but difficulties nonetheless. The important thing to take home from his letter is how he responded to these difficulties –he fought the good fight to the end; he ran the race to the finish; he kept the faith.

If there is one thing we can be sure of, it is Jesus’ promise to Peter as rock of the Church – that His Spirit will be with us always, and that the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. The Church is holy; it is divine, because God is present in it.

I still have doubts about it, but they don’t matter so much anymore. What matters is that the Church as we have it today, is the way that the Church developed, and since it is God who made it, it must have been the best way to do it.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to accept the Church for what it is, as You have made it, and help us help the Church to do all that it is supposed to do. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the Church.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 30 Jun - Genesis 19:15-29; Matthew 8:23-27; Memorial for the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Wed, 01 Jul - Genesis 21:5.8-20; Matthew 8:28-34
Thu, 02 Jul - Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 03 Jul - Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sat, 04 Jul - Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

28 Jun - Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles (Vigil Mass)

Peter (c.1–64) was a professional fisherman. He was the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Given the name Simon, he was renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. He later became a bishop and was the first pope. He was also a miracle worker.

Paul (c.3–c.65) was a Jewish Talmudic student and a Pharisee. He was a tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted the Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of St. Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus, Syria, to arrest another group of faithful, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting him, causing his conversion to Christianity.

He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling, preaching, and teaching. His letters to the churches he help found form a large percentage of the New Testament. He knew and worked with many of the earliest saints and Fathers of the Church. He died a martyr for the faith.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 3:1-10

Once, when peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man say Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.
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Galatians 1:11-20

The Good news I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal this Son to me, so that I might preach the Good news about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have just written in the literal truth.
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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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Their word goes forth through all the earth. (from the Responsorial Psalm)

I once said to a friend who has been involved in apologetics (a branch of Christianity that focuses on defence of the faith) that more people are converted to Christianity through personal testimonies than through intellectual arguments and philosophical discussions. This does not mean that apologetics is any less important. I read in a book that said that there are three basic stages of evangelization and catechetics:

1.    The original proclamation of the gospel
2.    Education in the faith “aroused” by that proclamation
3.    Becoming proclaimers ourselves through witnessing to the gospel

Personal testimonies and preaching the gospel, as well as apolegetics and catechism are two different stages catering to different audiences – the unconverted and the converted.

Today we celebrate the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, two apostles that existed at the same time, preaching the same faith, but with entirely opposite methods and audiences. Peter was an apostle mainly to the Jews, to people who already believed in God and to whom God has revealed Jesus Christ, His only Son. Peter was the rock, the foundation on whom Jesus built His Church.

Paul, on the other hand, was Apostle to the Gentiles, people who did not believe in God, people who were not ‘chosen’ by God to receive Jesus Christ as one of their own. But yet, through Paul, God made known the presence of His Son Jesus Christ.

Both focused first on proclaiming the Gospel, then educating the converted in the faith, forming them to become proclaimers of the Gospel through their witness. The idea behind this is simply balance. Just as St. Paul was there to balance St. Peter (and vice versa), so too does the Church today encompass the many different types of Christians – conservative and liberal, traditional and progressive, etc.

If we can come to see that we are all parts of the same Body of Christ, all serving the same Head, we can do much more together instead of fighting among ourselves.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to accept my fellow Christians who are different from me. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the diversity of the Christian people.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 29 Jun - Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Matthew 16:13-19; Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles
Tue, 30 Jun - Genesis 19:15-29; Matthew 8:23-27; Memorial for the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Wed, 01 Jul - Genesis 21:5.8-20; Matthew 8:28-34
Thu, 02 Jul - Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 03 Jul - Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sat, 04 Jul - Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

28 Jun - Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Lord Who Gives Life
The Lord made us to live. Death is totally opposed to God, who is life itself. And yet Christ accepted death in order that we might live. He took our poverty to make us rich.

- The Sunday Missal
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Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24

Death was not God’s doing,
he takes no pleasure in the extinction of the living.
To be - for this he created all;
the world’s created things have health in them,
in them no fatal poison can be found,
and Hades holds no power on earth;
for virtue is undying.
Yet God did make man imperishable,
he made him in the image of his own nature;
it was the devil’s envy that brought death into the world,
as those who are his partners will discover.
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2 Corinthians 8:7.9.13-15

You always have the most of everything - of faith, of eloquence, of understanding, of keeness for any cause, and the biggest share of our affection - so we expect you to put the most into this work of mercy too. Remember how generous the Lord Jesus was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty. This does not mean that to give relief to others you ought to make things difficult for yourselves: it is a question of balancing what happens to be your surplus now against their present need, and one day they may have something to spare that will supply your own need. That is how we strike a balance: as scripture says: The man who gather much had none too much, the man who gathered little did not go short.
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Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside. Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jarisu by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, ‘My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hands on her to make her better and save her life.’ Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him.

Now there was a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she had spent all she had without being any the better for it, in fact, she was getting worse. She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak. ‘If I can touch even his clothes,’ she had told herself ‘I shall be well again.’ And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Immediately aware that power had gone out from him Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ His disciples said to him ‘You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, “Who touched me?” ‘But he continued to look round to see who had done it. Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. ‘My daughter,’ he said ‘your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.’

While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, ‘Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?’ But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, ‘Do not be afraid; only have faith.’ And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly. He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.’ But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, ‘Talitha, kum!’ which means ‘Little girl, I tell you to get up.’ The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.
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It is a question of balancing what happens to be your surplus now against their present need

I used to give $2 at every offertory collection in church. On days when I forgot to bring $2, I would not donate, and would secretly feel happy that I saved $2. What was I saving up for? I guess it’s the Asian mentality of saving up for a rainy day and also saving up so that I can buy something I’ve always wanted to.

However, a friend’s challenged me when he told me what he has learnt from donating 10 percent of his income to the church (and the poor) every month. He said that when we are able to give 10 percent without reservations, we become more generous in helping others who are in need. To allay my fears, he also shared with me that he has comfortably (although carefully) survived on 90 percent of his income.

After I took up a part-time job, I decided to try to donate more to the church. I haven’t managed to donate 10 percent every month, but I have donated much more than I used to. And my friend is right; this experience has taught me much.

First, by giving to God more generously, the offertory part of mass has come alive for me. In the past, people used to offer their best animals to God, in gratitude to Him. Now that I am offering more than I used to, I too am able develop a heart of gratitude: I am more grateful that God has blessed me with a good job and financial security; hence, offering a part of my salary to Him is my way of thanking Him and remembering that everything good in my life comes from Him.

Second, I now feel more responsible for the welfare of those who are less fortunate e.g. the poor. God has been kind to me to let me be born to a good country like Singapore where I do not have to worry about where my next meal will come from. If I was born in a poor country, I would probably be wishing that someone from a developed country would have mercy on me and feed me. Since God has blessed me, I now feel more responsible to take care of His other children who are less fortunate. In this small gesture of donating a bit more than I used to, I experience the meaning of being one body in Christ more intimately.

Third, giving more helps me to depend more on God to take care of me during rainy days. Just as I am helping others while I have enough, I hope God will also help me through others’ donation if I am ever in need.

My brothers and sisters, I am not saying that you must donate 10 percent of your salary upon my sharing. At the end of the day, it is between you and God to decide for yourself how much you can realistically give back to Him, based on your current financial situations and needs. Nonetheless, if there is no real crucial need at the moment, I would like to encourage you to consider giving more of what is important to you to God. In doing so, God will definitely bless you with more than you can bless yourself with.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to offer more of what is dear to me, to You.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to those who supported us financially, emotionally, and spiritually during our times of need.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 28 Jun - Acts of the Apostles 3:1-10; Galatians 1:11-20; John 21:15-19; Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles (Vigil Mass)
Mon, 29 Jun - Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Matthew 16:13-19; Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles
Tue, 30 Jun - Genesis 19:15-29; Matthew 8:23-27; Memorial for the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
Wed, 01 Jul - Genesis 21:5.8-20; Matthew 8:28-34
Thu, 02 Jul - Genesis 22:1-19; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 03 Jul - Ephesians 2:19-22; John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sat, 04 Jul - Genesis 27:1-5.15-29; Matthew 9:14-17; Memorial for St Elizabeth of Portugal
Sun, 05 Jul - Ezekiel 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Mark 6:1-6; Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

27 Jun - Memorial for St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and Doctor of the Church

Cyril (376–444) was the nephew of Theophilus the Patriarch. He was a monk and a priest who became Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt in 412, and later the Patriarch of Alexandria. He suppressed the Novatians. He worked at the Council of Ephesus. He fought against Nestorius who taught the heresy that there were two persons in Christ.

He was a catechetical writer, and wrote a book opposing Julian the Apostate. He is a Greek Father of the Church, and is a Doctor of the Church.

- Patron Saint Index
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Genesis 18:1-15

The Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oak of mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and bowed to the ground. ‘My lord,’ he said ‘I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water will be brough; you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servant’s direction. They replied, ‘Do as you say.’

Abraham hastened to the tent to find Sarah. ‘Hurry,’ he said ‘knead three bushels of flour and make loaves.’ Then running to the cattle Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking cream, milk and the calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.

‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘She is in the tent’ he replied. Then his guest said, ‘I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will then have a son.’ Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well on in years, and Sarah had ceased to have her monthly periods. So Sarah laughed to herself, thinking, ‘Now that I am past the age of child-bearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again!’ But the Lord asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will have a son.’ ‘I did not laugh’ Sarah said, lying because she was afraid. But he replied, ‘Oh yes, you did laugh.’
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Matthew 8:5-17

When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralysed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soliders under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowehere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven; but the subjects of the kingdom will be turned out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ And to the centurion Jesus said, ‘Go back, then; you have believed, so let this be done for you.’ And the servant was cured at that moment.

And going into Peter’s house Jesus found Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.

That evening they brought him many who were possessed by devils. He cast out the spirits with a word and cured all who were sick. This was to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah:

He took our sicknesses away and carried our diseases for us.
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For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me

Are you a leader? Or are you a follower? Most people tend to draw more negativity when being said that they are more of a ‘follower’. This is untrue, behind every leader are the very supportive followers that aid in achieving what the leader has set out to do. So, in most successful organizations, faith among people works both ways. The employees have faith in their good bosses to keep the organization afloat which in turn keeps them employed and provides security with wages paid on time. The bosses also must have faith in the staff he/she employs such that they have autonomy to provide good support to him.

In today’s Gospel reading, the centurion is well aware of his position as a follower as well as a leader. He sees both sides of authority, to receive orders and to give orders. This Gospel reading not only shows his faith in our Lord Jesus, but also the care he has for his servant. He could have let his servant remain in great pain and have him replaced by another. Servants to the soldiers are perhaps quite dispensable in those days.

The amazing faith the centurion has in Jesus was to know that He need not be there to cure his servant, but only to have faith and believe in what Jesus can do, and then to carry on that faith through healing his servant.

Jesus himself is also on both sides of authority, to do the will of God the Father, and to communicate the Father to everyone. Let us ask ourselves then, are we like the centurion who sees both sides of how faith works in our everyday life? Our faith in God is good and we build on that, but are we also to use that strength and believe given to us, so that we influence the love onto our close friends and neighbours.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, help me build up my faith in you. Often I waver and am hesitant in having to believe in You, may You guide me to have the great faith like the centurion.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for cares and support I receive from my bosses and those whom I have authority over.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 28 Jun - Wisdom 1:13-15;2:23-24; 2 Corinthians 8:7.9.13-15; Mark 5:21-43; Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

26 Jun
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Genesis 17:1.9-10.15-22

When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am El Shaddai. Bear yourself blameless in my presence.

‘You shall maintain my Covenant, yourself and your descendants after you, generation after generation. Now this is my Covenant which you are to maintain between myself and you, and your descendants after you: all your males must be circumcised.

‘As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai, but Sarah. I will bless her and moreover give you a son by her. I will bless  her and nations shall come out of her; kings of peoples shall descend from her.’ Abraham bowed to the ground, and he laughed, thinking to himself, ‘Is a child to be born to a man one hundred years old, and will Sarah have a child at the age of ninety?’ Abraham said to God, ‘Oh, let Ishmael live in your presence!’ But God replied, ‘No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son whom you are to name Isaac. With him I will establish my Convenant, a Covenant in perpetuity, to be his God and the God of his descendants after him. For Ishmael too I grant you your request: I bless him and I will make him fruitful and greatly increased in numbers. He shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. But my Convenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear you at this time next year.’ When he had finished speaking to Abraham God went up from him.
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Matthew 8:1-4

After Jesus had come down from the mountain large crowds followed him. A leper now came up and bowed low in front of him, ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘if you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And his leprosy was cured at once. Then Jesus said to him, ‘Mind you do not tell anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering prescribed by Moses, as evidence for them.’
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Abraham bowed to the ground, and he laughed, thinking to himself…

“Seriously? Are you serious? You got to be kidding me!” Are there moments where you thought to yourself that what is happening in front of you was just too good to be true? I recalled the time, six years ago, when I applied to an Australian university after passing well with a diploma. I knew I hadn’t any problem scoring in my final exams as there was consistency in my results.

So, I was looking through my results of my three years in the polytechnic and realized that I actually did pretty well. I have always been an average student since my primary school days. I was pretty much a failure in Junior College, but this time around, my academic results showed encouragement which I have never felt since Primary One. Still staring at the six semesters of results, I actually laughed and just felt quite unbelievable and gave thanks to God.

Good things do not happen by coincidence. They happen because they is given. They are given because they were promised to us. Sometimes we asked for it, and we are given. What about times when we did not ask for it and yet we have been given?

I believed I prayed for good results, and yes I was given. I don’t remember praying for an overseas education, just perhaps advancement, and six years later, I find myself experiencing (given) a lot more than I had wished for. Just last week, a friend shared with me and in relation to prayers and requests to our God, she said “Be careful of what you wished for in your prayers.”

In today’s first reading, Abraham prayed for a son but little did he expect God to not only blessed him with Ishmael (father of the 12 princes) but gave him another son through Sarah, Isaac who will be blessed with the line of kingship. A once-barren couple had been given great numbers of descendants who had received blessings from God that has magnified beyond what they had prayed for.

As for the leper, he walked right up and asked to be cured by Jesus and without hesitation, he was cured of the disease. A once sickly man was cured because he asked for it.

Such goodness and graces given by God can only be obvious and sometimes magnified because of the failure and suffering happened before that. This is quite true, not only through sharing my own personal experience but so is it revealed in the Word of God today.

Dear friends, do not view suffering as an arduous journey in life, but perhaps towards something which could bring you to experience the Graces of our Lord, and when that time comes, we will be able to laugh with joy and even amazement.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, see me through times of hardships, I lift up my intentions and requests: _________ . I look to the day when I can see that You have given it to me, with your love, like Your love in Your Son, Jesus.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for all the laughter and good times.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 27 Jun - Genesis 18:1-15; Matthew 8:5-17; Memorial for St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and Doctor of the Church
Sun, 28 Jun - Wisdom 1:13-15;2:23-24; 2 Corinthians 8:7.9.13-15; Mark 5:21-43; Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time