OXYGEN

28 Aug – Memorial for St Augustine, Bishop, Doctor of the Church

After investigating and experimenting with several philosophies, St. Augustine (354-430) became a Manichaean for several years; it taught of a great struggle between good and evil, and featured a lax moral code. A summation of his thinking at the time comes from his Confessions: “God, give me chastity and continence – but not just now.”

Augustine finally broke with the Manichaeans and was converted by the prayers of his mother and the help of Saint Ambrose of Milan, who baptized him. Upon the death of his mother he returned to Africa, sold his property, gave the proceeds to the poor, and founded a monastery. He founded religious communities and fought heresies. His later thinking can also be summed up in a line from his writings:

Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.

- Patron Saint Index
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1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Brothers, we urge you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus to make more and more progress in the kind of life that you are meant to live: the life that God wants, as you learnt from us, and as you are already living it. You have not forgotten the instructions we gave you on the authority of the Lord Jesus.

What God wants is for you all to be holy. He wants you to keep away from fornication, and each one of you to know how to use the body that belongs to him in a way that is holy and honourable, not giving way to selfish lust like the pagans who do not know God. He wants nobody at all ever to sin by taking advantage of a brother in these matters; the Lord always punishes sin of that sort, as we told before and assured you. We have been called by God to be holy, not to be immoral; in other words, anyone who objects is not objecting to a human authority, but to God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
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Matthew 25:1-13

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven will be like this: Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible: the foolish ones did take their lamps, but they brought no oil, whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a cry, “The bridegroom is here! Go out and meet him.” At this, all the bridesmaids woke up and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, “Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out.” But they replied, “There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves.” They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed. The other bridesmaids arrived later. “Lord, Lord,” they said, “open the door for us.” But he replied, “I tell you solemnly, I do not know you.” So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.’
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…[T]he kind of life that you are meant to live.

What kind of life does God want us to live? Obey the commandments? Be a servant of Christ in a religious vocation? Must I evangelise and share the Good News to others? There are many other questions we ask ourselves everyday, as Christians, how we want to live as God would have wanted. Truly, today’s reading simply is a call for us to be holy. Then again, how is it to be holy?

The letter to the Thessalonians reminds us of the fragility of our body and to keep away from fornication and immorality. Our body is the temple of our Lord. Today, the secular mentality of ‘Sex sells’ is so widespread; it harms and is probably one of the unavoidable temptations that constantly appear each day in the media.

In the past months, many photos of students in uniforms displaying intense affection in public have been submitted to online newspapers. I believe these articles are published with the motivation to increase readership because it is related to sex. However, to indulge in fornication is an objection to God’s call to being holy.

To come across such temptations are a constant struggle for most of us. Always do pray for the Holy Spirit within us and also for our partners, that we are able to see beyond the temptation which leads us to defy God and fall into immorality. Objecting the call to be holy is to reject God, and we truly do not want to give up on the power of the Holy Spirit which the Lord Father has given to us. The willpower which Jesus has in the desert that was so strong to turn away the temptations brought to Him by the devil.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: O Lord, let me turn away from the temptation which is unfaithful and immoral, so to be closer to You and answer Your call for me to be holy.

Thanksgiving: You were there whenever I struggle in my views and actions about immorality. You were there to take me away from falling further into disobedience. I thank You.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 29 Aug – Jeremiah 1:17-19; Mark 6:17-29; Memorial of the Beheading of St John the Baptist
Sun, 30 Aug – Deuteronomy 4:1-2.6-8; James 1.17-18.21-22.27; Matthew 7:1-8.14-15.21-23; Twenty-Second Sunday of Ordinary Time