OXYGEN

21 May – Memorial for St. Bernadine of Siena, Priest

Bernadine (1381-1444) was a Friar Minor, a priest, an itinerant preacher, and a 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.

Bernadine’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.

Bernadine 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.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27

From Miletus Paul sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus. When they arrived he addressed these words to them:

‘You know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I have not hesitated to do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.

‘And now you see me a prisoner already in spirit; I am on my way to Jerusalem, but have no idea what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecution await me. But life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.

‘I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will ever see my face again. And so here and now I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.’
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John 17:1-11

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Father, the hour has come:
glorify your Son
so that your Son may glorify you;
and, through the power over all mankind that you have given him,
let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth
and finished the work that you gave me to do.
Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me
with that glory I had with you
before ever the world was.
I have made your name known
to the men you took from the world to give me.
They were yours and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now at last they know
that all you have given me comes indeed from you;
for I have given them the teaching you gave to me,
and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you,
and have believed that it was you who sent me.
I pray for them;
I am not praying for the world
but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you:
all I have is yours
and all you have is mine,
and in them I am glorified.
I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.’
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Indeed I put no value on my life; if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus

It is my sister’s birthday today. I think God gave me my sister to show me that it is ok to take some risks, even if it means taking a detour along our journey in life. Some years ago, my sister very courageously decided that she wanted to pursue her passion in the culinary arts. At the time, I thought it was a colossally bad idea and told her so. We were in the middle of a global financial crisis. Everyone knows that you hunker down and work hard during a crisis. You don’t quit your job to pursue your dreams. Still, she prayed hard about it and somehow felt it was her calling to go. So she pushed on despite my protests. As it turns out, she had a real flair for it, graduated and got a job at a top restaurant in London. Looking back, I could have been more supportive instead of flying off the handle the way I did. I look at things through the harsh filter of math. Pursuing one’s passion in the culinary arts did not make mathematical sense to me. The way I saw it, when you did the numbers, it simply did not add up.

I’m glad she took time out to do it. She showed me that there are other ‘ways’, besides ‘my way’. She showed me that our journey in life doesn’t just have to follow a single highway to its very end. It’s ok to take some risks, to get off the well-worn road, take a detour and follow your calling. And just because we get off that highway, it doesn’t mean we can’t get back on, or that things will end poorly. She showed me that we just have to have faith that things eventually work themselves out.

In today’s first reading, we see Paul getting ready to set off for Jerusalem again. Paul himself knew through a vision, that this was going to be a colossally bad idea. “But now I am going to Jerusalem, chained by the Spirit, without knowing what will happen to me there. Yet in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that imprisonment and troubles await me” (Acts 20:22). Most of us would’ve just backed out and not bothered. Not Paul. “Indeed I put no value on my life; if only I can finish my race and complete the service to which I have been assigned by the Lord Jesus” (Acts 20:24). Led by the Spirit, Paul made choices that defied logic. Like all the heroes of faith before him – Abraham, Noah, Moses, Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel – Paul was not afraid to follow the prompting of the Spirit, to see through to fulfillment, God’s promises.

In order to know God, it’s sometimes necessary to make choices that open the door to uncertainty, risk and even certain failure. Eternal life starts here on earth, being at one with Him, trusting Him, experiencing the peace, joy and love that come from faith that He will guide our way. It takes courage to walk His way. Often His way can look illogical – Noah building his ark, Abraham leaving his home at his old age, Moses giving up being an Egyptian prince to live a nomadic life – but it all serves a higher purpose, His purpose.

Is there a calling we have not heeded or responded to, that is tugging at our hearts? Do we ignore it because we’re afraid to try, afraid to fail, afraid to get off the comfortable path we have put ourselves on? Maybe we would be happier and more at peace, if we pursued it?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
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Prayer: I pray for the same courage my sister had, to take the detours along our journey of life. I pray for her faith and courage to follow my heart’s calling and to heed it.

Thanksgiving: I give thanks for the people who are my family. I give thanks for their love, support and tolerance when I am being difficult, bossy and think I know all the answers.

21 May
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Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.’ ‘Then how were you baptised?’ he asked. ‘With John’s baptism’ they replied. ‘John’s baptism’ said Paul ‘was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him-in other words Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of these men.

He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. He did this for three months.
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John 16:29-33

His disciples said to Jesus, ‘Now you are speaking plainly and not using metaphors! Now we see that you know everything, and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them:

‘Do you believe at last?
Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already –
when you will be scattered,
each going his own way and leaving me alone.
And yet I am not alone,
because the Father is with me.
I have told you all this
so that you may find peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but be brave: I have conquered the world.’
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I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace. You will have trouble in the world, but courage! I have overcome the world

I suffer from migraines. Lately, they have become more common and more violent. A migraine is a severe, pulsating headache. Put bluntly, it feels like a large spike is being hammered into the top of your head while the skin on your face is being pulled backwards against itself. A migraine is usually accompanied by nausea, photo-sensitivity and incontinence. You can’t see, hear, eat, sleep or work. You can’t function. You’re powerless to do anything except lie down, turn off all the lights, pray and wait till it passes. Before it happens, a migraine ‘announces’ itself. First you feel tired. Then you start to see shadows and your face gets numb and icy. When the pain finally comes, it pounds down on you, in unrelenting waves.

I had a migraine attack this week. It happened while I was on my way back from Shanghai. I remember praying and scrambling for the holy water my mother had given me and using it to wash down all the drugs I take each time this happens. I don’t know how I endured the journey to the airport, the flight itself or the cab-ride home. My boyfriend tells me I was crumpled over in the bathroom, crying, when he got home. It has passed now and I am fine this morning. But I only have a vague memory of how I got home.

When I am ill, God becomes an almost tangible force. When I am incapacitated, I feel Him taking over. Things happen as if on ‘autopilot’ and somehow, I know to reach for medication, to pull myself together, to keep moving even if all I want to do is throw up. I feel Him in the depths of my pain when I am doubled over on the bathroom floor. I feel Him in the relief between the waves of pain. I feel Him when the pain subsides and I am soaked through with cold sweat. I know He is there, guiding me through it, putting me through the motions of what I have to do. Despite the pain, I feel a kind of peace. I know He will make me well – and He has every single time. It’s when I am ill, that I feel Him the strongest. I know He is the strength that lets me endure whatever it is I have to endure. I know the pain will pass because He overcomes all things.

“I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace… I have overcome the world” – John 16:33. Jesus, on the eve of his sacrifice, would have known what was in store for him yet he faced it with peace. And so do I. Faith is to hold on fast to the hope you will get well, to hold on without wavering even when you’re in despair and the pain is beyond what you can bear. Faith is to hold on and feel the peace that comes from knowing you will get well and that God is walking with you. When I am ill, is when I feel Him the strongest.

“Fear not for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned neither will the flames consume you. For I am your savior, I Yahweh, your God”. – Isaiah 43: 1-3.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
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Prayer: We pray for all those who are sick, who are despairing, we pray that they find peace in the midst of their suffering. We pray that God comes to them, to give them strength, clarity, peace.

Thanksgiving:  We give thanks for those who take care of us, who keep us safe and loved, when we’re ill and can’t take care of ourselves. We give thanks for all the care-givers, for their patience and unwavering love and support.

20 May – 7th Sunday of Easter; World Communications Sunday

Christ Forgives Our Sins

Today we say Yes to the Lord who comes to forgive us our sins, and we praise him who shows such mercy to the poor and the weak.

- The Sunday Missal
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Acts of the Apostles 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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1 John 4:11-16

My dear people,
since God has loved us so much,
we too should love one another.
No one has ever seen God;
but as long as we love one another
God will live in us
and his love will be complete in us.
We can know that we are living in him
and he is living in us
because he lets us share his Spirit.
We ourselves saw and we testify
that the Father sent his Son
as saviour of the world.
If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God lives in him, and he in God.
We ourselves have known and put our faith in
God’s love towards ourselves.
God is love
and anyone who lives in love lives in God,
and God lives in him.
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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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No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love comes to its perfection in us

Two weeks ago, my father had his 70th birthday party. Going home for it gave me a chance to reflect on people’s capacity for love and generosity. My parents have been married for 40yrs. That’s a really long time, in today’s context. I believe marriage is a team event. Building a family is a team event. At my father’s 70th birthday party, all our extended family were present – uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, parish members – everyone showed up. I remember the roles each of them have played in helping my parents stay together and helping us to keep our family together. I remember how everyone held us in their love all the times that he was ill. I remember the compassion with which everyone reached out to us, when we weren’t sure if he was going to make it. I remember all the prayers, the candles lit, the masses offered up, the goodwill and the love everyone extended to us. I remember the people who stopped by just to see if we were ok, sometimes with take-out to make sure we had something to eat while my mother watched over him. I remember the phone calls, the nice SMS messages. I remember every kind gesture offered, the hugs or just the hands clasped around ours when we were frightened he wouldn’t make it.

My father seems to have been ill a lot through the years. I think we’ve soldiered on this long because of the love and generosity of our extended family and the friends we’ve been so blessed to have. Every family has its low points and its high points. Our trials were easier to bear because we had each other and everyone else to hold on to. Our victories were sweeter, because we had each other and everyone else to celebrate them with. It was wonderful to see everyone at my father’s birthday. As much as it was a celebration of him, I think it was also a celebration of the love and generosity that have been extended to our family through the years.

The same it is with our Church. We each have a role to play in God’s plan for His family. And like building a family and keeping it together, building His church is a team event. When Jesus prayed his priestly prayer, he prayed we would all stand together as a family – “I pray not only for these but also for those who through their word will believe in me. May they all be one as you Father are in me and I am in you… I have given them the Glory you have given me that they may be one as we are one. I in them, and you in me. Thus shall they reach perfection in unity and the world shall know that you have sent me and that I have loved them just as you loved me”.

God never promised us the road would be easy. Quite the contrary, “Truly, I say to you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices” (John 16:20). He said we would meet with persecution and tribulations – “I have given them your word and the world has hated them because they are not of the world” (John 17:14). But our crosses are easier to bear because we have one another – Our Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and us all together. For that, we give thanks. “No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love comes to its perfection in us” – 1 John 4:12

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
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Prayer: We pray for those who are ill, lonely, depressed and isolated. We pray God brings them comfort, friendship and solace to get them through their difficult periods.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the love and support of family, friends and parish members who have helped us to build our family and to keep it together all these years.

19 May
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Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28

Paul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers.

An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way.

When Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God’s grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way he refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
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John 16:23-28

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.
I have been telling you all this in metaphors,
the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors;
but tell you about the Father in plain words.
When that day comes you will ask in my name;
and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you,
because the Father himself loves you for loving me
and believing that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world
and now I leave the world to go to the Father.’
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Ask in my name

When I go shopping, and about to buy something, I always ask myself if I want the item or do I need the item. Maybe sub consciously, I could persuade myself from it being a ‘want’ to being a ‘need’ and I will eventually buy it. I am sure many of you felt this as well, you cannot go marketing or groceries shopping when you are hungry, we will end up making a lot more unnecessary purchases than initially intended and no, sometimes a market list will not help.

In today’s first reading, Apollos clearly knew what he needed. His believe in Jesus Christ is only limited to his experience with John the Baptist. Apollos’ persistence and passion with the Lord led him to the disciples which brought Him closer to the closest followers of Christ then. What more could one ask for than to be welcomed and gathered around by those who have seen Christ themselves.

Lord Jesus is the Way, however, the everyday route we take in life presents so many ways that we find it so complex. Some would find the easiest way out, some would take up any challenges ahead of them, some would just be indifferent and care less about whichever path is chosen. Which one will lead you to a God-centred life? Which one will be life-giving to yourself and to those around you? Which is right? If you ask me, I will simply just say, all will. It is about how we eventually find Jesus at the end of each path, and it ultimately depends on us having the need to search for Him.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Constantly guide me O Lord, so I may find the Way wherever I am, whatever I do, whoever I meet.

Thanksgiving: You lit up the path for me to walk on, You carry me when I am tired and You are beside me when I am down. You are my God.

18 May – Memorial for St. John I, Pope and Martyr

John (d. 526) was a priest in Rome, and became the 53rd pope in 523. Italy’s ruler then, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian. For a while he left the 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 though John and Justin I had plotted against him. While returning to Rome, John was kidnapped and imprisoned by Theodoric’s soldiers. He died of thirst and starvation while in custody in Ravenna, Italy.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 18:9-18

At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.

But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal. ‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves-I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.’ Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all.

After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.
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John 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.
A woman in childbirth suffers,
because her time has come;
but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering
in her joy that a man has been born into the world.
So it is with you: you are sad now,
but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,
and that joy no one shall take from you.
When that day comes,
you will not ask me any questions.’
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She forgets the suffering

Some weeks ago right after Easter Sunday, there was a current affairs talk show on Australian television called ‘Q and A’. It featured a rather mild and open debate between the Catholic Cardinal George Pell and an atheist Richard Dawkins, author of many books, of which the latest ‘The God Delusion’. Needless the explain, the exchange was centred around the existence of God or if He is a made up comfort for us humans. In this part of the world, it is always the non-believers versus the Catholics. We seldom come across debates over the higher being believed by other religions like Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism or Judaism. You can find the podcast ‘QnA’ on iTunes if you are interested in greater details.

Perhaps we Catholics really do take the Lord’s words to Paul literally by speaking out and not allow ourselves be silenced. Whenever a world or national issue is being discussed, somehow the Catholic Church has an opinion about it. Sometimes, it can be an encouraging consideration but most times, it may just be too intruding and unacceptable for a secular thinking. When people, like the Jews in today’s first reading, do not believe or could not accept the simple yet strict teachings in the way of Christ, they become defensive and always have their point of view in response to the Church. The Church’s views have not waivered much for hundreds of years, what makes us think that the moral and social compass of the Church would be any different today?

Therefore, the constant monitoring by the world of the Church’s actions and the behaviour of her people becomes a focus in many religious dialogues. We may weep and suffer through the criticisms, but because we rely in the hope and cares of our Lord Jesus, we forget the suffering, and in hope, we find joy. Experiencing the joy and immense happiness which God promise us, we will not question Him any further why He did what He did, with our lives, and our world, because He has given us His promise.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: O Lord, fill me with your graces to be the salt of the earth, so that those around me thirst for You through my good deeds.

Thanksgiving: It can be a struggle to believe that You my Father truly exist, but I give thanks for some little moments which made me believe that somehow, You are there for me.

17 May – Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
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Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’

Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’

As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’
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Ephesians 1:17-23

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
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Mark 16:15-20

Jesus showed himself to the Eleven, and said to them: ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’

And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
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When the Holy Spirit comes on you

I was deeply touched by a priest’s homily about the encounter between Jesus and the woman who was being stoned for adultery. Most of us would be familiar with the scene where Jesus bends down and writes something in the sand. There are varying interpretations of why Jesus did that action which appears out of context. To this particular priest, He did it so that the attention will be shifted from the woman to himself, so that in that way, He could lift the burden of shame from the woman and put it upon Himself. This widened my perspective of Jesus as miracle worker to one who loves me so much that He will readily take over my worst burdens, even if I feel that I am totally undeserving. How can one not follow Christ after seeing His love in such a manner?

Jesus assures us that He will always be with us, till the end of the age. He ensured that His disciples received the Holy Spirit after He left them and before they went off on their mission to spread His word. To this very day, the Holy Spirit is alive and active in each of us.

My dear readers, are we able to discern the presence of the Spirit in our lives? I know that the Spirit is the only source for my Oxygen reflections lately, as I have been feeling totally bogged down and uninspired, feeling too unmotivated even to think about praying. I can only leave it to the Spirit to do the writing, and interestingly, I am relying on the writing to help me persevere through difficult times. The Spirit is not tangible to our human senses, but His work definitely is, if we open ourselves to Him.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: We pray for grace-filled quiet moments where we can contemplate the love of Christ and the work of the Spirit in all things.

Thanksgiving: We thank the Lord for loving us beyond human comprehension.

16 May
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Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1

Paul’s escort took him as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin Paul as soon as they could.

So Paul stood before the whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech:

‘Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.

‘Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. Nor is he dependent on anything that human hands can do for him, since he can never be in need of anything; on the contrary, it is he who gives everything – including life and breath – to everyone. From one single stock he not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire earth, but he decreed how long each nation should flourish and what the boundaries of its territory should be. And he did this so that all nations might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him. Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, as indeed some of your own writers have said:
“We are all his children.”
‘Since we are the children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man.

‘God overlooked that sort of thing when men were ignorant, but now he is telling everyone everywhere that they must repent, because he has fixed a day when the whole world will be judged, and judged in righteousness, and he has appointed a man to be the judge. And God has publicly proved this by raising this man from the dead.’

At this mention of rising from the dead, some of them burst out laughing; others said, ‘We would like to hear you talk about this again.’ After that Paul left them, but there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman called Damaris, and others besides.

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
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John 16:12-15

Jesus said:

‘I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me,
since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.’
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From one single stock

When I read the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles today, Paul spoke of how God created all and sets up everything around one single motive. It is from this one motive which our Lord Father create an environment so we can get into a closer relationship with Him, and still with a freedom to reject Him because He loves us, so we learn to know who our creator and to whom our life belongs to, at the same time being aware that we can stray further from Him as well. I cannot help but to read ‘stock’ as if I am working in the kitchen. A basic stock and a good one, is the basis of all sauces, soups and dishes that becomes an excellent compliment to a fine dish on a plate.

We are reminded that we come from one Father and we are all His children whom He loves and gives like no other. In return, he is judging us by the way we live here on Earth. It is quite difficult to understand how our Father creates us and gives us life, giving us the freedom to accept Him or not, and later probably to punish us if we chose not to. I sometimes find it contradicting. Perhaps, Jesus did not actually die on the cross and rose from the dead within our current generation. There are definitely no media or Facebook page reporting a death and resurrection of a Son of God. If we need a physical prove every hundred years, so that we believe, what will the world be like? There will be about 20 ‘virgin Marys’ by now, 20 ‘Jesus’, 20 crucifixions. We will probably treat the coming of Christ like an Eclipse every millennium.

We will have to learn to see the world full of people imitating our Blessed Mother of God, Mary every day; the man on the street who love and gives so generously like Jesus did every day; the suffering through the crosses we bear everyday; and the hope and joys that comes out of it like our Brother’s resurrection everyday. If we truly open our eyes and hearts to see all that, it is just the same motive, the same purpose which our Father has intended since the beginning of time. It is still the single excellent stock at work, no change in recipes, it is just about how different our palette is, how we want our dish to taste, and ask ourselves, are we working towards to being the fine dish He wants us to be.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: O Lord, fill me with your graces to be the salt of the earth, so that those around me thirst for You through my good deeds.

Thanksgiving: It can be a struggle to believe that You my Father truly exist, but I give thanks for some little moments which made me believe that somehow, You are there for me.

15 May
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Acts of the Apostles 16:22-34

The crowd joined in and showed their hostility to Paul and Silas, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, following his instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Don’t do yourself any harm; we are all here.’ The gaoler called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas, and escorted them out, saying, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They told him, ‘Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.’ Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his family. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household. Afterwards he took them home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to belief in God.
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John 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Now I am going to the one who sent me.
Not one of you has asked, “Where are you going?”
Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this.
Still, I must tell you the truth:
it is for your own good that I am going
because unless I go,
the Advocate will not come to you;
but if I do go,
I will send him to you.
And when he comes,
he will show the world how wrong it was,
about sin,
and about who was in the right,
and about judgement:
about sin: proved by their refusal to believe in me;
about who was in the right: proved by my going to the Father and your seeing me no more;
about judgement: proved by the prince of this world being already condemned.’
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Become a believer in the Lord Jesus

Last year in twenty-eleven, I attended two church weddings and the rest were traditional Chinese weddings where the groom had to fetch the bride. Both form of celebrations are very different but very enjoyable to be able to share that special day of my friends. Personally, I always find a lot of comfort and some kind of tranquillity before the bridal march to the altar. I would sit there and wonder how beautiful it is for God to witness the union of two very special souls, of His creation. Among the congregation of family and dearest friends, there will be mingling of believers and non-believers of Jesus Christ. The presence of love literally surrounds everyone in God’s house.

This year twenty-twelve, more friends are tying the knot. There will be more church weddings coming my way and while we are still in the Easter season, I also noticed a couple of friends getting baptised, believing in our Lord Jesus. Some are also enrolling themselves in the Engagement Encounter experience to prepare themselves for a beautiful marriage. How beautiful it is to have God surrounding you and truly accompanying us in our different stages of life and to return the favour, we praise Him wholeheartedly and openly to all our loved ones.

In today’s reading, God loves His disciples and also to the gaoler who watched over them. He saved Paul and Silas form the chains, giving them freedom and salvation. He even extended the graces to the gaoler, through Paul, who intervened in his suicide attempt. God is our saviour, and that salvation continues beyond the gaoler himself, God’s spirit and generosity touched the gaoler’s whole family. Our Lord Jesus’ resurrection opens our eyes on judgement, evil and life giving. He died so we can live; He rose so we have eternity.

I have just been invited to read the second reading at my friend’s wedding in June this year. I was honoured and very happy to be part of the great celebration. Were there moments where we recall that our believe in Lord Jesus, gives us so much joy which overshadows all the dull moments of life? Because, that is what the love and graces of our Father is all about.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: The great name of your Son, Jesus is so great that everyone have heard of Him. Happy are those who believe and praise Him in the deepest of our hearts.

Thanksgiving: Blessings to all who have found their love partner and may they encounter God in every aspects of their relationship.

14 May – Feast of St Matthias, Apostle

Matthias (d. 80) was an Apostle. As he could bear witness to the Resurrection of Jesus, he was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. He preached the Gospel for more than 30 years in Judaea, Cappadocia, Egypt, and Ethopia. He is remembered for preaching the need for mortification of the flesh with regard to all its sensual and irregular desires. He was martyred in Colchis in AD 80 by stoning.

- 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 his camp be reduced to ruin,
Let there be no one to live in it.

And again:

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

Recently, I watched a pro-life video on the net. It was a young mother narrating, with the use of hand-written placards, how she came to have her baby. She was at first really excited, until doctors told her that there was something wrong with her child. After the little boy was delivered, she saw that he not only had a severe cleft lip and palate, he also had no eyes. Besides experiencing the discomfort of the public when she brings him out, she was also blamed for not aborting her baby for his abnormalities. However, she bore with it and her baby’s cheerful personality actually won him many fans. The mother did not regret her decision to keep him, and continues loving him and taking care of him.

We celebrated Mother’s Day over the weekend, and indeed, the calling of a mother is something that goes beyond her personal choice. There are probably many things that she does not particularly like doing, but she does them anyway, out of love for her child.

Jesus said in today’s gospel reading that we did not choose Him, rather, He chose us. He chose us because He loves us, and His main command to us is to love others. This is the mission of our lives – to make God known to others through our love for them. It may seem like an awfully daunting mission, but God will grant us what we need to carry on. It is the same with the apostles and the young mother, who were given the strength and resources to persevere through difficult, and sometimes extraordinary circumstances.

Even if we choose to turn our backs on Him, God will never stop loving and choosing us. Each time we feel that hope is gone, let us remember to turn to Jesus in faith, knowing that He will give us what we need.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: We pray for the joy of Christ in our hearts.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the uplifting love of our Lord.

13 May – Sixth Sunday of Easter

Jesus, Friend Of Outcasts

To bring help to outcasts, Jesus himself had to become an outcast and ‘stay outside in places where nobody lived’.

- The Sunday Missal
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Acts of the Apostles 10:25-26.34-35.44-48

As Peter reached the house Cornelius went out to meet him, knelt at his feet and prostrated himself. But Peter helped him up. ‘Stand up,’ he said ‘I am only a man after all!’ Then Peter addressed them: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

While Peter was still speaking the Holy Spirit came down on all the listeners. Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter were all astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should be poured out on the pagans too, since they could hear them speaking strange languages and proclaiming the greatness of God. Peter himself then said, ‘Could anyone refuse the water of baptism to these people, now they have received the Holy Spirit just as much as we have?’ He then gave orders for them to be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterwards they begged him to stay on for some days.
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1 John 4:7-10

My dear people,
let us love one another
since love comes from God
and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God,
because God is love.
God’s love for us was revealed
when God sent into the world his only Son
so that we could have life through him;
this is the love I mean:
not our love for God,
but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.
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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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Anybody of any nationality

Many have said that the first impression on others is usually the most accurate and giving the good first impression will be a lasting and perhaps a great start to a relationship. However, for me, it takes a lot more than just the first impression to convince and judge if the personality is one that I can form a strong relationship with. I used to believe that my first impression of someone is rather accurate, but over the past few years, I have learnt that people can be very pretentious, it takes a while for me to actually see through their behaviour and bad personality gradually emerges over time. Vice versa, there are moments where I jump into conclusions early and did not give myself a chance to know the other better. I often fall into a dilemma where I misjudged one’s character and struggle to find a solution where I either want to have no contact with the person or find ways to strengthen my friendship with the other. The former is usually more difficult and leading me to tell lies just to get away from the other person’s bad personality.

How generous is our Almighty Father above that He, as the Holy Spirit, descends on anybody of any nationality. It is funny how the world, regardless of job interviews, networking seminars, social meetings, project group mates or in any situation where you have to bring out a great first impression to others and that is so important for advancement. Whereas, our Lord showers His blessings on all who accepts Him in return and that is good enough for Him.

The generosity and love, which God has no limits in showering on His people, is so immense that it puts our daily behaviour to shame. I truly find it very difficult to have a relationship with someone who does not respect me, who puts me down, and sometimes treating me with racist remarks. It is not possible for me to even have a proper conversation with such an acquaintance and the first thing that comes to mind is to stay away from him or her. Today’s second reading and Gospel continuously sends out the message of how God’s love is for all. Also, how He is readily available for us to reach out to.

How can I have a heart so big and warm like our Lord’s? If we are to call ourselves Christians, and to be followers of His commandments, to ‘Love One Another’ sounds simple but it is perhaps one of the most challenging action.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: I ask for the wisdom and patience to understand and judge my neighbours with the correct ‘lenses’ which the good Lord has prescribed for me.

Thanksgiving: I give thanks for the close friends and family who dare to criticise me and tell me of my faults, and also to encourage me when they see the willingness and passion in me.