OXYGEN

07 Dec – Memorial for St Ambrose, Bishop, Doctor of the Church

Ambrose (c.340–397) was born to the Roman nobility. He was the brother of St. Marcellina and St. Satyrus. He was educated in the classics, Greek, and philosophy at Rome, Italy. He was a poet and a noted orator. He was a convert to Christianity, and governor of Milan, Italy.

When the Bishop of Milan died, a dispute over his replacement led to violence. Ambrose intervened to calm both sides; he impressed everyone involved so much that though he was still an unbaptized catechumen, he was chosen as the new bishop. He resisted, claiming that he was not worthy, but he assented to prevent further violence. On Dec 7, 374, he was baptized, ordained as a priest, and consecrated as bishop. He immediately gave away his wealth to the Church and the poor, both for the good it did, and as an example to his flock.

He was a noted preacher and teacher, a Bible student of renown, and writer of liturgical hymns. He stood firm against paganism and Arianism. His preaching helped convert St. Augustine of Hippo, whom Ambrose baptized and brought into the Church. Ambrose’s preaching brought Emperor Theodosius to do public penance for his sins.

During his time as bishop, he also called and chaired several theological councils, many devoted to fighting heresy. He welcomed St. Ursus and St. Alban of Mainz when they fled Naxos to escape Arian persecution, and then sent them on to evangelize in Gaul and Germany. He was proclaimed a great Doctor of the Latin Church by Pope Boniface VIII in 1298.

The title “Honey Tongued Doctor” was initially bestowed on Ambrose because of his speaking and preaching ability; this led to the use of a beehive and bees in his iconography, symbols which also indicate wisdom. This led to his association with bees, beekeepers, chandlers, wax refiners, etc.

- Patron Saint Index
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Isaiah 35:1-10

Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,
let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,
let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,
let it rejoice and sing for joy.

The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it,
the splendour of Carmel and Sharon;
they shall see the glory of the Lord,
the splendour of our God.

Strengthen all weary hands,
steady all trembling knees
and say to to all faint hearts,
‘Courage! Do not be afraid.

‘Look, your God is coming,
vengeance is coming,
the retribution of God;
he is coming to save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
the ears of the deaf unsealed,
then the lame shall leap like a deer
and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy;

for water gushes in the desert,
streams in the wasteland,
the scorched earth becomes a lake,
the parched land springs of water.

The lairs where the jackals used to live
become thickets of reed and papyrus.

And through it will run a highway undefiled
which shall be called the Sacred Way;
the unclean may not travel by it,
nor fools stray along it.

No lion will be there
nor any fierce beast roam about it,
but the redeemed will walk there,
for those the Lord has ransomed shall return.

They will come to Zion shouting for joy,
everlasting joy on their faces;
joy and gladness will go with them
and sorrow and lament be ended.
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Luke 5:17-26

Jesus was teaching one day, and among the audience there were Pharisees and doctors of the Law who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem. And the Power of the Lord was behind his works of healing. Then some men appeared, carrying on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as the crowd made it impossible to find a way of getting him in, they went up on to the flat roof and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their gaith he said, ‘My friend, your sins are forgiven you.’ The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. ‘Who is this man talking blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply. ‘What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven you” or to say “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’, – he said to the paralysed man – ‘I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.’ And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

They were all astounded and praised God, and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen strange things today.’
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Seeing their faith he said, “My friend, your sins are forgiven.”

I recall one of my significant experiences while on vacation in Vietnam. I was crawling through a tunnel, one of the hundreds constructed by the local people during the Vietnam War. It does not sound like a big deal, but believe me, the feeling of pure claustrophobia in an enclosed space with no ventilation and barely enough space for the body is very strong indeed.

Tired and breathless, I wanted to give up and get out. But my friend in front of me cheerfully said, “Let’s move on.” I had no choice but to follow suit and I finally emerged, a hundred metres’ crawl further, with this feeling of euphoria that I have pushed past my physical limits.

I think I can draw a sort of analogy between my experience and today’s gospel reading. I would have given up trying if my friend had not decided to push on. The paralysed man in the gospel would almost definitely not have received healing if not for the men who carried him to Jesus.

This story, like many others in the gospels, lends itself well to Ignatian contemplation. During my reflection, I was struck by the men who were carrying the stretcher. Who were they? They were most probably the family members or friends of the paralysed man. Having none of the machinery or technology we enjoy in the present age, it must have been a heavy physical burden to carry a man in that manner, much lest lift him onto the roof and lower him down afterwards. They must have really wanted to have him healed, and only one reason could have motivated them – love.

In the midst of coping with the demands of working life, I am getting more appreciative of the support and love that a community of faith offers. A simple sharing of one’s faith and experiences with another can be a very edifying encounter.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: Father, we pray that you will bless the various communities that we belong to, so that we may continue to grow in faith and love.

Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of family and friends.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 08 Dec – Genesis 3:9-15.20; Ephesians 1:3-6.11-12; Luke 1:26-38; Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception of The Blessed Virgin Mary
Wed, 09 Dec – Isaiah 40:25-31; Matthew 11:28-30; Memorial for St John Diego, Hermit
Thu, 10 Dec – Isaiah 41:13-20; Matthew 11:11-15
Fri, 11 Dec – Isaiah 48:17-19; Matthew 11:16-19; Memorial for Damascus I, Pope
Sat, 12 Dec – Zechariah 2:14-17; Luke 1:26-38; Memorial for Our Lady of Guadalupe
Sun, 13 Dec – Zephaniah 3:14-18; Philippians 4:4-7; Matthew 11:16-19; Third Sunday of Advent