OXYGEN

29 May
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Jude 1:17.20-25

Remember, my dear friends, what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you to expect. But you, my dear friends, must use your most holy faith as your foundation and build on that, praying in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves within the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to give you eternal life. When there are some who have doubts reassure them; when there are some to be saved from the fire, pull them out; but there are others to whom you must be kind with great caution, keeping your distance even from outside clothing which is contaminated by vice.

Glory be to him who can keep you from falling and bring you safe to his glorious presence, innocent and happy. To God, the only God, who saves us through Jesus Christ our Lord, be the glory, majesty, authority and power, which he had before time began, now and for ever. Amen.
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Mark 11:27-33

Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem, and as Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘What authority have you for acting like this? Or who gave you authority to do these things?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you a question, only one; answer me and I will tell you my authority for acting like this. John’s baptism: did it come from heaven, or from man? Answer me that.’ And they argued it out this way among themselves: ‘If we say from heaven, he will say, “Then why did you refuse to believe him?” But dare we say from man?’ – they had the people to fear, for everyone held that John was a real prophet. So their reply to Jesus was, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.’
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When there are some who have doubts, reassure them,; when there are some to be saved from the fire, pull them out.

I attended a wedding yesterday, one that was held on a very large scale. It was an interesting event because for the first time in a long time, I saw a lot of familiar faces from the time when I was in the university. It was also very moving as I recalled how each of those people played a part on my spiritual journey – through shared experiences, cell group sessions, talks, praise and worship sessions, or retreats. When I read the first reading for today, I was reminded of them, and how they have, in some way or another, been a source of support for me as I grew in my faith.

I have been involved in a number of camps and retreats. In the beginning when I was inexperienced as a facilitator, the thought of having to share my faith and to journey with others was a scary one. It was also especially difficult when I was experiencing emotional struggles and feeling spiritually low. In one of Henri Nouwen’s most famous works – The Wounded Healer, he speaks about how we can bring about healing by sharing about our own woundedness, and how God has been with us in our struggles.

Jesus is our chief role model as the wounded healer. Through His suffering and persecution, He gave hope and strength to his people. Through His death on the cross, He left an indelible mark of love for eternity.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: Lord, we pray for the courage to share our brokenness with others so as to bring about healing.

Thanksgiving: Lord, we thank You for allowing us to serve You even when we feel that we are unable to.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 30 May – Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15; Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity