OXYGEN

12 Jul – Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time; Bible Sunday

The Missionary Church

‘Go, tell my people,’ is the command we have been given by God. And the message is the most stupendous one imaginable: that God has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings from heaven in Christ.

- The Sunday Missal
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Amos 7:12-15

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, said to Amos, ‘Go away, seer; get back to the land of Judah; earn your bread there, do your prophesying there. We want no more prophesying in Bethel; this is the royal  sanctuary, the national temple.’ ‘I was no prophet, neither did I belong to any of the brotherhoods of prophets,’ Amos replied to Amaziah. ‘I was a shepherd, and look after sycamores: but it was the Lord who took me from herding the flock, and the Lord who said, “Go, prophesy to my people Israel.”‘
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Ephesians 1:3-14

‘Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heave in Christ.
Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,
to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,
determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ
for his own kind purposes,
to make us praise the glory of his grace,
his free gift to us in the Beloved
in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.
Such is the richness of the grace
which he has showered on us
in all wisdom and insight.
He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,
the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning
to act upon when the times had run their course to the end:
that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head, everything in the heavens and everything on earth.

And it is in him that we were claimed as God’s own,
chosen from the beginning,
under the predetermind plan of the one who guides all things as he decides by his own will;
chosen to be,
for his greater glory,
the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.
Now you too, in him,
have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,
and have believed it:
and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise,
the pledge of our inheritance
which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own,
to make his glory praised.
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Mark 6:7-13

Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals but, he added, ‘Do not take a spare tunic.’ And he said to them, ‘If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a signtto them.’ So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.
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… [T]hrough his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.

A writer who writes inspiring articles, a choir member with a good voice who does praise and worship, a lector who makes the readings come live as she reads to the congregation – what do these people have in common? They are all using the gifts given to them and serving our Lord for his glory.

There may be a tendency for those who are serving to be a bit complacent at times or even to think that these gifts are their own gifts, and makes them feel proud and high and mighty. But always remember when God gives these gifts, if you don’t use them they will always be diminished. Yet also remember never to show off these gifts, just do it humbly.

God sent his beloved Son Jesus, who is holy and faultless to come down to this earth as a human being to die on our cross, so that we His children on earth whom He loves could gain our freedom and have our sins forgiven. The richness of the grace is showered upon us in all wisdom and insight. Do we take what he has done for granted? The trials and tribulations that we face daily cannot be compared to what Jesus suffered on the cross for us. How can we serve Him for His glory?

Let’s start by spending time with him daily. Read the bible, one chapter a day, read and reflect. Take a moment, pause and just ask him to guide. Abide in the Lord, use the gifts He has given to serve Him. Step forward and join the various ministries in church with your gifts. Grow the community in fellowship, prayers and with your gifts, serve Him for His glory. Pray and ask Him to guide you. Invite the Lord to your lives, seek Him daily, ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit and to sustain you. Spread the word around. Be a person who humbly serve and love the people around you.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
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Prayer: Lord, we pray that when we face obstacles in our lives, let us be reminded that Jesus died on the cross so that our sins may be forgiven. Let us lead a life worth living by walking a closer path and trusting in You.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the blessings that He has have given us. Bless us abundantly so that we can be a blessing to the people that we meet.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 13 Jul – Exodus 1:8-14.22; Matthew 10:34-11:1; Memorial for St Henry
Tue, 14 Jul – Exodus 2:1-15; Matthew 11:20-24; Memorial for St Camillus de Lellis, priest
Wed, 15 Jul – Exodus 3:1-6.9-12; Matthew 11:25-27; Memorial for St Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church
Thu, 16 Jul – Exodus 3:13-20; Matthew 11:28-30; Memorial for Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Fri, 17 Jul – Exodus 11:10-12:14; Matthew 12:1-8
Sat, 18 Jul – Exodus 12:37-42; Matthew 12:14-21
Sun, 19 Jul – Jeremiah 23:1-6; Ephesians 2:13-18; Mark 6:30-34; Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time