OXYGEN

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