OXYGEN

20 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 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.

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 to his disciples:

“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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To an unknown God.

I have often wondered how it is that people of other religions have witnessed miracles from “their gods”. It used to make me doubt if my God is really the one and only God. After all, if He was the one true God, how does one then explain the miracles witnessed by other religions?

Bringing my questions to my spiritual director, a priest, he reminded me that it is possible for other religions to witness miracles because Jesus said that He is the truth, the way, and the life. Hence, wherever truth exists, God exists; therefore, God can work miracles in other religions too, as long as truth abounds. Nevertheless, we believe that as Christians we hold the full truth and will therefore experience fullness of life.

Therefore, when we meet an agnostic friend (i.e., someone who believes in a God but isn’t sure which religion is the true religion), or even friends from other religions, let us not discount the fact that they too might experience God in their daily lives. Let us never grow proud or self-righteous in our religion that we start to think of ourselves as better than others.

Instead, humbly recognizing that God has blessed us with the full truth of Himself through privileged circumstances (e.g., being born into a Christian home or opening our hearts to know Him at various points in our lives), let us also seek to bless others with the full truth of who God is, in a manner that is always loving and never in a self-conceited or arrogant way.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to always remember to speak the truth in love, as you told us too. If I am to speak the truth in pride or arrogance, help me to refrain from even speaking as that form of attitude may close others’ hearts from ever wanting to get to know you.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to Paul for showing us, through His example, that it is possible to speak the truth with love.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 21 May – Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23 or Ephesians 4:1-13; Mark 16:15-20; The Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 22 May – Acts 18:9-18; John 16:20-23; Memorial for St. Rita of Cascia, Religious
Sat, 23 May – Acts 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 24 May – Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11-19; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 43rd World Communication Sunday