Rita (1386-1457) was the daughter of Antonio and Amata Lotti, a couple known as the Peacemakers of Jesus; they had Rita late in life. From her early youth, Rita visited the Augustinian nuns at Cascia, Italy, and showed interest in a religious life. However, when she was 12, her parents betrothed her to Paolo Mancini, an ill-tempered, abusive individual who worked as town watchman, and who was dragged into the political disputes of the Guelphs and Ghibellines. Disappointed but obedient, Rita married him when she was 18, and was the mother of twin sons. She put up with Paolo’s abuses for 18 years before he was ambushed and stabbed to death. Her sons swore vengeance on the killers of their father, but through the prayers and interventions of Rita, they forgave the offenders.

Upon the deaths of her sons, Rita again felt the call to religious life. However, some of the sisters at the Augustinian monastery were relatives of her husband’s murderers, and she was denied entry for fear of causing dissension. Asking for the intervention of St. John the Baptist, St. Augustine of Hippo, and St. Nicholas of Tolentino, she managed to bring the warring factions together, not completely, but sufficiently that there was peace, and she was admitted to the monastery of St. Mary Magdalen at age 36.

Rita lived 40 years in the convent, spending her time in prayer and charity, and working for peace in the region. She was devoted to the Passion, and in response to a prayer to suffer as Christ, she received a chronic head wound that appeared to have been caused by a crown of thorns, and which bled for 15 years.

She was confined to her bed the last four years of her life, eating little more than the Eucharist, teaching and directing the younger sisters. Near the end, she had a visitor from her home town who asked if she’d like anything. Rita’s only request was a rose from her family’s estate. The visitor went to the home, but it being January, knew there was no hope of finding a flower; there, sprouted on an otherwise bare bush, was a single rose blossom.

Among the other areas, Rita is well-known as a patron of desperate, seemingly impossible causes and situations. This is because she has been involved in so many stages of life – wife, mother, widow, and nun, she buried her family, helped bring peace to her city, saw her dreams denied and fulfilled – and never lost her faith in God, or her desire to be with Him.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31

On our arrival in Rome Paul was allowed to stay in lodgings of his own with the soldier who guarded him.

After three days he called together the leading Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, ‘Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. They examined me and would have set me free, since they found me guilty of nothing involving the death penalty; but the Jews lodged an objection, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation to make against my own nation. That is why I have asked to see you and talk to you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.’

Paul spent the whole of the two years in his own rented lodging. He welcomed all who came to visit him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete freedom and without hindrance from anyone.
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John 21:20-25

Peter turned and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them – the one who had leaned on his breast at the supper and had said to him, ‘Lord, who is it that will betray you?’ Seeing him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘What about him, Lord?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.’ The rumour then went out among the brothers that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus had not said to Peter, ‘He will not die’, but, ‘If I want him to stay behind till I come.’

This disciple is the one who vouches for these things and has written them down, and we know that his testimony is true.

There were many other things that Jesus did; if all were written down, the world itself, I suppose, would not hold all the books that would have to be written.
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If I want him to stay behind till I come, what does it matter to you? You are to follow me.

A few days ago, I wrote about God’s master plan and our vocation, that is, our purpose in life. My own journey towards discovering my vocation has been rather long, filled with ups and downs. I began my vocation journey with the Franciscan friars, then with the diocesan seminary, and finally with the Jesuits. I am forever grateful to one diocesan priest and the Jesuits for helping me to find my true vocation in life, rather than trying to recruit me to join their religious order.

About five years ago, I discerned that my vocation is to be a writer. Later on, it was fine-tuned into a Catholic writer, and after World Youth Day in 2008, I learnt that I was called to work in Catholic media. This is not the end of my journey towards discovering my vocation. There is plenty more that God has yet to reveal to me.

In today’s gospel reading, we see the issue of vocations being raised at the Last Supper. Peter wanted to know what was to happen to the disciple Jesus loved, and Jesus, in nicer words than mine, says to Peter, “Butt out. It isn’t your business what plans I have for him. Your vocation is to follow me, and that’s all you need to know.”

That is good advice, because very often in my own spiritual journey, I have found myself wanting to emulate others. Originally I wanted to become a priest because I encountered priests whom I admired. I also encountered other people journeying towards priesthood and I wanted to be like them since I could partly identify myself with them. But alas, that is not what God has been calling me to. That was not to be my vocation. It took me years to finally realise this and to close the door towards priesthood as my vocation – something I managed to do so only last year.

In the first reading, we see that circumstances ordained by God had allowed Paul to reach Rome and fulfil his vocation of bringing the Good News to the world. Rome was the centre of the world, and anyone who was anybody came to Rome. And it was here that Paul was given complete freedom to work without hindrance from anyone for the Lord.

Finding our vocation can be a tremendously liberating experience. It frees us to say ‘no’ to what we are not called to, and frees us to say ‘yes’ to carrying out our life’s mission. And, as part of life, the journey is just as important as the destination.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all Christians discerning their vocation in life, that they may pay attention to the signs that God reveals to them through their circumstances in life, and through people around them.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the fun and exciting journey towards discovering our own vocation in life.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 22 May – Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8.16-20 or Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39; Vigil Mass of Pentecost
Sun, 23 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26; Pentecost Sunday

Cristóbal Magallanes Jara (1869-1927) was the son of Mexican farmers. As parish priest for his home town of Totatiche, he helped found schools and carpentry shops and the planning of hydrological works including the La Candelaria dam.

He took special interest in the evangelization of the indigenous Huichol people and was instrumental in the founding of the mission in the indigenous town of Azqueltán.

Magallanes Jara wrote and preached against armed rebellion, but was falsely accused of promoting the Cristero Rebellion. Arrested en route to celebrate Mass, he gave his few remaining possessions to his executioners and gave them absolution. Without a trial, he was martyred with Saint Agustín Caloca in Colotlán, Jalisco.

His last words to his executioners were “I die innocent, and ask God that my blood may serve to unite my Mexican brethren.”

- Wikipedia
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Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21

King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in. When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected; but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive. Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue. But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’
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John 21:15-19

Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

‘I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you
and take you where you would rather not go.’
In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’
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Follow me

There is a story of the time when Christians were being persecuted in Rome, and Christians were fleeing the city for their lives. Peter, the first pope and leader of the disciples of Christ, was among them. Along the road out of Jerusalem, he met Jesus going towards Rome and asked the Lord where He was going. Jesus responded, “I am going to be crucified again.” Peter, on hearing this, at once turned back, realising that the cross was to be for him too.

Today’s first reading gives us the details of how Paul came to end up in Rome. Paul’s case could have been settled in Jerusalem, but being a Roman citizen, he made an appeal for his case to be tried by the Roman emperor.

In today’s gospel reading, we see an interesting scene of Jesus asking Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Jesus seemed to be deliberately testing him, but the reason for the threefold questioning was to get Peter to affirm his love for Jesus three times. This was the number of times that Peter denied the Lord on the night before His death.

It is interesting to note that Jesus’ mission for Peter was different from the other disciples’, which was to go out to the whole world and preach the Good News. But for Peter, Jesus gave him specific instructions to feed His flock.

It was completely different for Paul’s case, who made several missionary journeys to preach the Good News, and to set up church communities in various parts of Asia. But perhaps what is most striking is that despite the differences between the two Apostles, they both started their missions in Jerusalem, and ended them in Rome, the centre of the civilised world then.

This was how God’s plan came to fruition, for to bring the two eminent Apostles to Rome to bear witness for Him, the Good News came to be known all through the civilised world.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, sometimes we do not understand why things happen, and why things don’t. Help us to accept that You are in charge and in total control, and that all things happen because You have willed it to. Give us the grace to accept this and to obey Your Spirit.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for giving us living examples through people who obey Your Spirit and go wherever they are led.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 22 May – Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31; John 21:20-25; Memorial for St Rica of Cascia, Religious
Sat, 22 May – Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8.16-20 or Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39; Vigil Mass of Pentecost
Sun, 23 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26; Pentecost Sunday

Bernadine (1381-1444) was a Friar Minor, a priest, an itinerant preacher, and a theological writer. His preaching skills were so great, and the conversions so numerous, that he has become associated with all areas of speaking, advertising, public relations, etc.

Bernadine’s charismatic preaching filled the piazze of Italian cities. Thousands of listeners flocked to hear him and to participate in dramatic rituals, which included collective weeping, bonfires of vanities, and exorcisms. He was a renowned peacemaker, in the Franciscan tradition, who tried to calm feuding clans and factions in the turbulent political world of the Renaissance. His preaching visits would often culminate in mass reconciliations, as listeners were persuaded to exchange the bacio di pace, or kiss of peace.

Bernadine was sensitive to the demands of secular life, and tried to negotiate between Christian ethics and a conflicting code of honour that stressed retaining face in a public world. He argued that the catalyst of civil discord in the urban setting was malicious gossip, which led to insults, and, too often, vendetta by aggressive males. His surprising allies in his peacekeeping mission were the women who comprised the majority of his audience.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 20:30,23:6-11

Since the tribune wanted to know what precise charge the Jews were bringing, he freed Paul and gave orders for a meeting of the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin; then he brought Paul down and stood him in front of them. Now Paul was well aware that one section was made up of Sadducees and the other of Pharisees, so he called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. It is for our hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.’ As soon as he said this a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was split between the two parties. For the Sadducees say there is neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, while the Pharisees accept all three. The shouting grew louder, and some of the scribes from the Pharisees’ party stood up and protested strongly, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?’ Feeling was running high, and the tribune, afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered his troops to go down and haul him out and bring him into the fortress.

Next night, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem, now you must do the same in Rome.’
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John 17:20-26

‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
Father, may they be one in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me
and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.’
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Father, may they be one in us

One thing my fiancée has taught me is the importance of family unity. Sure there may be internal struggles and conflict, as is common with any family, but when a member is in trouble from external sources, the whole family comes together to defend him, regardless of whether the member has been right or wrong.

Initially I could not accept this. Initially I believed that if the family member was in the wrong, he or she should not be defended, but gradually, by example, my fiancée showed me how to be family – that even if the member has been in the wrong, family unity comes first. Right and wrong can be handled later within the family.

This is the lesson that Jesus was trying to pass on to His disciples in today’s gospel reading. In His prayer to the Father, He prayed for the unity of the disciples, that they would come together and be united in love. Sure there would be internal disagreements and conflicts as any community has, but when someone attacks them from outside, Jesus prayed that they would stand together as one, regardless of who has been right. Let their unity in love be a witness for the world, Jesus implies. The same unity in love as a witness can be found in married couples.

Why is this unity so important? In today’s first reading, we see Paul shrewdly using the internal strife and conflict between the Pharisees and the Sadducees against each other, tearing apart the Sanhedrin.

Sadly throughout the history of the Church today, there has been much disunity. We read in Church history that whenever there has been disunity, there has been excommunication, and we might sometimes conclude that the Church is quite petty in its beliefs. We forget that excommunication has always been the last resort and attempt to bring those who strayed back into the fold. We also forget that we are looking at history through a telescope. What might have taken decades to excommunicate, we assume happened in a short period.

When individuals threaten the unity of the Church through their misguided teachings, the Church does all it can to help them come back into the fold, failing which, excommunication is the last resort. It is meant to be a show of the Church’s unity against all who try to teach otherwise. Paul, in yesterday’s reading, mentioned: Even from your ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them.

Finally, excommunication is meant as a last resort for the Church to tell a person that, “Hey, you’re going off the straight and narrow path by causing disunity in the Church with your teachings and beliefs. We want you to come back to us, but not at the cost of our unity. Come back when you’ve realised your mistake and renounced it.” And when excommunicated people do come back, there is great rejoicing in the Church when they do.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Lord, we pray that we may never go so far off the straight and narrow path as to cause disunity within the Church.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the medicinal effect of excommunication.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 21 May – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19; Memorial for Ss Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Sat, 22 May – Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31; John 21:20-25; Memorial for St Rica of Cascia, Religious
Sat, 22 May – Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8.16-20 or Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39; Vigil Mass of Pentecost
Sun, 23 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26; Pentecost Sunday

Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38

Paul addressed these words to the elders of the church of Ephesus:

‘Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the overseers, to feed the Church of God which he bought with his own blood. I know quite well that when I have gone fierce wolves will invade you and will have no mercy on the flock. Even from your own ranks there will be men coming forward with a travesty of the truth on their lips to induce the disciples to follow them. So be on your guard, remembering how night and day for three years I never failed to keep you right, shedding tears over each one of you. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified.

‘I have never asked anyone for money or clothes; you know for yourselves that the work I did earned enough to meet my needs and those of my companions. I did this to show you that this is how we must exert ourselves to support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who himself said, “There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”’

When he had finished speaking he knelt down with them all and prayed. By now they were all in tears; they put their arms round Paul’s neck and kissed him; what saddened them most was his saying they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.
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John 17:11-19

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,
keep those you have given me true to your name,
so that they may be one like us.
While I was with them,
I kept those you had given me true to your name.
I have watched over them
and not one is lost
except the one who chose to be lost,
and this was to fulfil the scriptures.
But now I am coming to you
and while still in the world I say these things
to share my joy with them to the full.
I passed your word on to them,
and the world hated them,
because they belong to the world
no more than I belong to the world.
I am not asking you to remove them from the world,
but to protect them from the evil one.
They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.
Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’
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And now I commend you to God…

Whenever my father goes grocery shopping, our family always ends up with enough food to feed an army. This is something he picked up from my grandfather, his father-in-law, who used to buy groceries for the family. Now when my father does it, he takes my grandfather’s habits. A while ago, I brought a couple of friends to my new place. Before going over, I wanted to make sure that the empty flat had enough snacks and drinks to feed my guests, so I went grocery shopping and came away with a large bag of snacks and drinks. When one of my friends took a look inside, he quipped, “How many were you planning to feed? An army?”

His quip brought a smile to my face, because it reminded me how much I am like my father. As I write this, I am currently in a state of transition. I am between houses. I am moving, bit by bit, into my new flat, and as you can imagine, having a place of my own for my first time requires taking on much responsibility. But I am confident that I can do it, because my parents have long prepared me for this.

In both of today’s readings, we see Paul and Jesus giving their final words of advice before their respective departure. In both cases, the respective leaders spent three years with their flocks, teaching them by example. When the time came for them to leave, both commended their followers to God whom they trusted not to let their flocks go astray.

All of us, at some point of time in our lives, will find ourselves responsible for others in our care. It’s not a Christian thing; it’s part of life. For most people, it will be our children for whom we are responsible. Some of us have others to be responsible for because of our work or other sort of service. As leaders, as people responsible for guiding them along the straight and narrow path, we first have to be walking that road. We cannot possibly teach someone to do something that we ourselves are not doing. We must lead by our example, for that is the best way to teach.

And there will come the point of time that we have to let go, just as my parents now have to let go of me, just as Paul and Jesus had to let go of their respective flocks. We commend them to God, trusting that we have taught them well by our example, and trusting that God will keep them along the straight and narrow path, and that one day, some time in future, they too will do the same for those they are responsible for.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to lead and teach others under our care by our example. May we develop and practice the virtues and values that we wish them to have.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for our parents, teachers, guardians, role models, and all who have help mould us into the people we are today.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 20 May – Acts of the Apostles 22:30-23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Bernardine of Siena, Priest
Fri, 21 May – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19; Memorial for Ss Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Sat, 22 May – Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31; John 21:20-25; Memorial for St Rica of Cascia, Religious
Sat, 22 May – Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8.16-20 or Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39; Vigil Mass of Pentecost
Sun, 23 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26; Pentecost Sunday

John (d. 526) was a priest in Rome, and became the 53rd pope in 523. Italy’s ruler then, Theodoric the Goth, was an Arian. For a while he left the Catholics alone, but in later life he became suspicious of everyone, imagining conspiracies and attempts to seize his throne. He tried to involve Pope John in his political machinations. John led a delegation to Constantinople to negotiate with Emperor Justin I; he was the first pope to travel to Constantinople, and while there crowned Justin. The mission was successful, but Theodoric though John and Justin I had plotted against him. While returning to Rome, John was kidnapped and imprisoned by Theodoric’s soldiers. He died of thirst and starvation while in custody in Ravenna, Italy.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27

From Miletus Paul sent for the elders of the church of Ephesus. When they arrived he addressed these words to them:

‘You know what my way of life has been ever since the first day I set foot among you in Asia, how I have served the Lord in all humility, with all the sorrows and trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews. I have not hesitated to do anything that would be helpful to you; I have preached to you, and instructed you both in public and in your homes, urging both Jews and Greeks to turn to God and to believe in our Lord Jesus.

‘And now you see me a prisoner already in spirit; I am on my way to Jerusalem, but have no idea what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit, in town after town, has made it clear enough that imprisonment and persecution await me. But life to me is not a thing to waste words on, provided that when I finish my race I have carried out the mission the Lord Jesus gave me – and that was to bear witness to the Good News of God’s grace.

‘I now feel sure that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will ever see my face again. And so here and now I swear that my conscience is clear as far as all of you are concerned, for I have without faltering put before you the whole of God’s purpose.’
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John 17:1-11

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Father, the hour has come:
glorify your Son
so that your Son may glorify you;
and, through the power over all mankind that you have given him,
let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him.
And eternal life is this:
to know you,
the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
I have glorified you on earth
and finished the work that you gave me to do.
Now, Father, it is time for you to glorify me
with that glory I had with you
before ever the world was.
I have made your name known
to the men you took from the world to give me.
They were yours and you gave them to me,
and they have kept your word.
Now at last they know
that all you have given me comes indeed from you;
for I have given them the teaching you gave to me,
and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you,
and have believed that it was you who sent me.
I pray for them;
I am not praying for the world
but for those you have given me,
because they belong to you:
all I have is yours
and all you have is mine,
and in them I am glorified.
I am not in the world any longer,
but they are in the world,
and I am coming to you.’
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I have glorified you on earth and finished the work that you gave me to do.

Some people have told me that I am a philosophical person. I do not understand what that means because I have a problem with big words. I just don’t ‘get’ what they mean. But I have, for many years, questioned the meaning of life, and I would like to share with you what I have put together so far.

God has a master plan which He put to action since the beginning of time. This plan involves many people, in fact, everyone that has ever lived, are living now, and will ever live. God has, in stages, revealed His plan to us through prophets and lastly through Jesus Christ. God, being love itself, wants to share with us, His creatures, the joy of being part of His plan. He wants this so much that He allows us to make choices (free will) that affect the various outcomes of His plan – though not the final outcome.

In order to further His plan, God needs our help. He has created each one of us with a specific purpose in mind, and to help us achieve that purpose, He has given us the tools we need. In life, we call these tools gifts or talents (the Christian term being ‘charisms’). When we use these talents, we experience fulfilment and joy. This too is a gift from God, a kind of way for us to know that we are doing what we are supposed to be doing.

In both of today’s readings, we see that Paul and Jesus had accomplished their respective purposes in life and were ready to return to the Lord. In the first reading, we see that Paul’s vocation journey hasn’t been easy, but he was receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and was able to discern his own end, which he was more than happy to follow (I’m guessing it gave him great fulfilment to do so).

In the gospel reading, Jesus shows us that the Father sent Him to earth with a specific mission and gave Him all that He needed to fulfil it. This too is true for us.

God doesn’t tell us outright what our purpose is. He gives us charisms and He has given us intellect and reason to discover for ourselves what that purpose is. This purpose is called our ‘vocation’, and it can be really fun and exciting to discover it for ourselves. God loves us and He gives us the joy of finding it out for ourselves, in addition to the fact that the journey of discovery is a wonderful, and sometimes painful, learning experience for us.

For the most part, we remain on earth until we have accomplished our purpose, and then we are taken back to the Lord to reap the rewards of our lives on earth. But what happens if we die before accomplishing our purpose? That happens sometimes because we do not actively seek out our vocation or are simply unaware of it. It doesn’t mean that we will go to Hell or anything like that. We simply miss out a lifetime opportunity to help advance God’s plan, and at the same time, receive the fulfilment that comes with it.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all people that we may be receptive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in leading us to discover our lifetime vocation, and so find our purpose in life.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the gifts of free will, charisms, and vocations.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 19 May – Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38; John 17:11-19
Thu, 20 May – Acts of the Apostles 22:30-23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Bernardine of Siena, Priest
Fri, 21 May – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19; Memorial for Ss Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Sat, 22 May – Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31; John 21:20-25; Memorial for St Rica of Cascia, Religious
Sat, 22 May – Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8.16-20 or Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39; Vigil Mass of Pentecost
Sun, 23 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26; Pentecost Sunday

Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a Holy Spirit.’ ‘Then how were you baptised?’ he asked. ‘With John’s baptism’ they replied. ‘John’s baptism’ said Paul ‘was a baptism of repentance; but he insisted that the people should believe in the one who was to come after him-in other words Jesus.’ When they heard this, they were baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus, and the moment Paul had laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on them, and they began to speak with tongues and to prophesy. There were about twelve of these men.

He began by going to the synagogue, where he spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. He did this for three months.
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John 16:29-33

His disciples said to Jesus, ‘Now you are speaking plainly and not using metaphors! Now we see that you know everything, and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them:

‘Do you believe at last?
Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already –
when you will be scattered,
each going his own way and leaving me alone.
And yet I am not alone,
because the Father is with me.
I have told you all this
so that you may find peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but be brave: I have conquered the world.’
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… he spoke out boldly and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God

I am, by nature, an intellectual person. I have the need to think and to make sense of things before I can accept them. This often makes it difficult for me to accept some other things, among which include certain social norms. When I sometimes refuse to obey certain social norms because I do not understand the logic behind them or cannot make sense of them, I am sometimes told off for not having EQ (emotional quotient) or am socially incompetent (which could very well be true).

As I continue to grow in wisdom and experience, I find that some things just cannot properly be expressed in words. Yet, in personally going through these experiences, I am learning.
In today’s gospel reading, we see that the disciples are having difficulty understanding Jesus who, apparently, has been speaking in metaphors. It was hard for Jesus to get his disciples to understand something which cannot be put into words, but needs to be personally experienced. This thing in particular is the kingdom of God, which the gospels are not lacking in metaphors and parables which Jesus used to try to describe.

In the first reading, we see that Paul is also an intellectual person as he explains to the Ephesians the link between the Holy Spirit and the baptism that Jesus asked His disciples to administer. At the end of the reading, we see him going to the synagogue to argue persuasively about the kingdom of God. Today’s reading doesn’t tell us how successful he was, but in the Bible the passage goes on to say that he argued until the listeners’ hearts were hardened into unbelief.

This is not the only place where Paul experienced little success. He encountered the same difficulty in Athens, where few of the Greek intellectuals believed him. Why was Paul unable to convert people with his arguments? Was it because he was a lousy speaker? Or was it because he was trying to express in words something that is simply impossible to put into words?

Yes, my friends, the kingdom of heaven has to be experienced personally. This is faith that we’re talking about, and faith is a personal relationship with God. This faith always develops from a conversion experience. By this I don’t mean that a person converts into becoming a Christian, which is to say that every Christian has faith (this isn’t true). Rather, a conversion experience rightfully refers to an experience by which one is drawn closer to God. This is why even baptised Christians can and still do undergo conversion experiences.

Faith is one of those things that cannot be adequately put into words. It can be shared, it can be shown, and it can be developed, but you can’t pass your faith onto another person simply by describing to the person what faith is, or worse, by winning arguments. Rather we share our faith with others by telling them how our personal relationship with God makes us better people or helps us in life.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray that we may develop the skills needed to share our faith better with others, instead of trying to win arguments.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the gift of faith.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 18 May – Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27; John 17:1-11; Memorial for St John I, Pope & Martyr
Wed, 19 May – Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38; John 17:11-19
Thu, 20 May – Acts of the Apostles 22:30-23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Bernardine of Siena, Priest
Fri, 21 May – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19; Memorial for Ss Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Sat, 22 May – Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31; John 21:20-25; Memorial for St Rica of Cascia, Religious
Sat, 22 May – Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8.16-20 or Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39; Vigil Mass of Pentecost
Sun, 23 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26; Pentecost Sunday

The Spirit And The Bride

The Church is wedded to Christ in the love of the Spirit and looks forward to the final fulfilment of that love in the glory of heaven

- The Sunday Missal
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Acts of the Apostles 7:55-60

Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. ‘I can see heaven thrown open’ he said ‘and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.’ At this all the members of the council shouted out and stopped their ears with their hands; then they all rushed at him, sent him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses put down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul. As they were stoning him, Stephen said in invocation, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and said aloud, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’; and with these words he fell asleep.
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Revelations 22:12-14.16-17.20

I, John, heard a voice speaking to me: ‘Very soon now, I shall be with you again, bringing the reward to be given to every man according to what he deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Happy are those who will have washed their robes clean, so that they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and can come through the gates into the city.’

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to make these revelations to you for the sake of the churches. I am of David’s line, the root of David and the bright star of the morning.

The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ Let everyone who listens answer, ‘Come.’ Then let all who are thirsty come: all who want it may have the water of life, and have it free.

The one who guarantees these revelations repeats his promise: I shall indeed be with you soon. Amen; come, Lord Jesus.
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John 17:20-26

Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said:

‘Holy Father,
I pray not only for these,
but for those also
who through their words will believe in me.
May they all be one.
Father, may they be one in us,
as you are in me and I am in you,
so that the world may believe it was you who sent me.
I have given them the glory you gave to me,
that they may be one as we are one.
With me in them and you in me,
may they be so completely one
that the world will realise that it was you who sent me
and that I have loved them as much as you loved me.
Father, I want those you have given me
to be with me where I am,
so that they may always see the glory you have given me
because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Father, Righteous One,
the world has not known you,
but I have known you,
and these have known that you have sent me.
I have made your name known to them
and will continue to make it known,
so that the love with which you loved me may be in them,
and so that I may be in them.’
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May they all be one.

A few years ago, I had an intellectual argument about the ‘catholic church’. Does this term refer to only those in the Catholic Church, or does it consist of all Christians? These past few months have been a time for me to reflect on what it means to believe in the “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church”. As I renewed my baptismal vows during Mass on Easter, I considered deeply what this meant and whether I truly believed it.

When we talk about the ‘catholic church’, we are usually referring to the universal (which is what ‘catholic’ means) church. But when we talk about the Catholic Church (with capital ‘C’s), we don’t always have that in mind.

The Catholic Church is an institution that exists in the world, with its charities and organisations, and its members which comprise priests, religious, and laity. The Catholic Church, we often seem to say, is a community of Christians who worship God in a certain way, and believe a certain set of doctrines. If a particular Christian does not attest to a certain doctrine, or chooses to worship God in a way that isn’t recognised by the Catholic Church, we either say the person is a ‘bad Catholic’ or not even a Catholic.

In other words, by our actions and words, we often give the impression that the Catholic Church isn’t the ‘catholic church’.

Today’s Gospel reading tells us that Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father, that all who come to believe in the words of the Apostles may be so completely one as He is with the Father. Do we see that unity among Christians, or even just among Catholics, today?

In the first reading, Stephen dies for the church, becoming its first martyr. He dies because he spoke the truth that people didn’t want to hear. With his dying breath, Stephen asked the Lord to pardon those who murdered him. He did so out of love as commanded by Jesus: to love one another as He has loved us.

So what is the ‘catholic church’ then? Is it limited to only the Catholic Church, or does the ‘catholic church’ extends beyond the limits of the Catholic Church?

We can find the answer in today’s second reading. See what Jesus says in the Book of the Apocalypse. It tells us that the Spirit and the Bride welcome all who listens, all who are thirsty and want the water of life. Let us spend some time reflecting on what this means for us as Christians.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray that all who listen, and all who are thirsty for the water of life, may be united in our shared desire for You.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 17 May – Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8; John 16:29-33
Tue, 18 May – Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27; John 17:1-11; Memorial for St John I, Pope & Martyr
Wed, 19 May – Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38; John 17:11-19
Thu, 20 May – Acts of the Apostles 22:30-23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Bernardine of Siena, Priest
Fri, 21 May – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19; Memorial for Ss Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs
Sat, 22 May – Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20.30-31; John 21:20-25; Memorial for St Rica of Cascia, Religious
Sat, 22 May – Genesis 11:1-9 or Exodus 19:3-8.16-20 or Ezekiel 37:1-14 or Joel 3:1-5; Romans 8:22-27; John 7:37-39; Vigil Mass of Pentecost
Sun, 23 May – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; Romans 8:8-17; John 14:15-16.23-26; Pentecost Sunday

Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28

Paul came down to Antioch, where he spent a short time before continuing his journey through the Galatian country and then through Phrygia, encouraging all the followers.

An Alexandrian Jew named Apollos now arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, with a sound knowledge of the scriptures, and yet, though he had been given instruction in the Way of the Lord and preached with great spiritual earnestness and was accurate in all the details he taught about Jesus, he had only experienced the baptism of John. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak boldly in the synagogue, they took an interest in him and gave him further instruction about the Way.

When Apollos thought of crossing over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote asking the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived there he was able by God’s grace to help the believers considerably by the energetic way he refuted the Jews in public and demonstrated from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
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John 16:23-28

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name.
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.
Ask and you will receive, and so your joy will be complete.
I have been telling you all this in metaphors,
the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in metaphors;
but tell you about the Father in plain words.
When that day comes you will ask in my name;
and I do not say that I shall pray to the Father for you,
because the Father himself loves you for loving me
and believing that I came from God.
I came from the Father and have come into the world
and now I leave the world to go to the Father.’
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Ask and you will receive

Being a cradle Catholic, all I recalled in my journey growing up is just attending church every Sunday. I did not understand the Bible, the significance of the Catholic teachings and traditions. It was only attending the Alpha course several years ago did I awake in my search of the Catholic faith.

By the grace of God I was awed and humbled by the experiences that I encountered along the way. The sharing sessions among the guests during the Alpha courses are inspirational and heart-warming; the warmth and fellowship that I know from the church members, and discovering the ability to write for his glory.

He touched me with experiences from the heart. But I also realised my knowledge in the Church and the Bible is weak. As I asked him how I can learn and deepen the knowledge, He showed me – through Alpha and CaFE (Catholic Faith Experience) courses, Bible courses and now through this DAFF (Diploma in Adult Faith Formation) course. It is a journey which I am thankful for His presence and His guidance.

I can relate to Apollos in the first reading. In fact, our roles are reversed. He was a man who was eloquent in his speaking and he had a sound knowledge of the scriptures. He had the head knowledge but limited in the heart experience. It was by God’s grace that he was able to experience and to help believers further. In the Gospel, the Lord tells His disciples to ask anything in His name and all their joy will be complete. He also reminds them how much God loves each of us and we must love His Son Jesus.

Is it truly possible to ask and to receive? Yes it is. Yet we ourselves must be ready to receive the grace and blessings. To do so, we could spend some time each day, to pray and mediate on the word. Be still and let the silence dwell in us. Stay focused on the Lord and invite Him to be part of your life.

The prayers that you ask for, surrender them to the Lord and ask in His name. In time you will know whether things are meant for you. For all the closed doors, there is a reason for it, for the unanswered prayers, maybe it is not the time for you to receive yet. For all the answered prayers, give thanks to the Lord.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
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Prayer: Lord, continue to be the light to shine in our lives. Remove fear and doubt in our lives. Allow us to be still and continue to show us the way.

Thanksgiving: We thank You Lord for always being there for us. Shower us with your blessing and love in our journey with You.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 16 May – Acts of the Apostles 7:.55-60; Revelations 22:12-14.16-17.20; John 16:23-28; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 44th World Communication Sunday

Christ’s Eternal Glory

We celebrate today Christ’s ascension to His eternal glory in heaven and express our Christian hope that where He, our Head, has gone before us, we, His Body, will one day follow, to live for ever in the Kingdom of our Father.

- The Sunday Missal
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Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’

Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’

As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’
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Ephesians 1:17-23

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
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Luke 24:46-53

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.

‘And now I am sending down to you what the Father has promised. Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high.’

Then he took them out as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God.
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… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…

It has not been an easy week for me. It began when a good friend passed a comment on my personality, and I reiterated by telling him not to drag me into a situation which he is very sensitive over. At that moment, I felt that I just wanted to stay away from him, and I was upset with him for not listening to both sides of the situation and jumping to his conclusion.

The next morning, I made it a point to forgive my friend, and I was filled with peace. As I dwelled on the Lord through prayer, reading, and listening to music, I was so thankful for His presence. The Lord started my day with an email telling me to have faith, to trust in Him, and to continue to seek Him. On the way to work, I heard a voice telling me to be still.

I ended the day by with a reading of “Fostering/Hindering Christian Maturity” by Luisa M. Saffioitti. The article was like a conversation with God as He used it to talk to me. I could relate completely with the article, and I am awed by it. When one is filled with the Holy Spirit, we become more aware of the things around us. When we allow our Lord to take charge of our lives, just surrender all to Him.

In today’s first reading, the Lord showed Himself alive after His death. For 40 days He appeared before His disciples, telling them about the kingdom of God. He told them that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them, and they would be witnesses all around the world. In the gospel reading, Christ rose from the dead on the third day, and the disciples were witness to this, and were told to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins to all nations.

To be filled with the Holy Spirit produces fruits of love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. One would be filled with joy and always seek to proclaim the goodness of God. Yet some of us can experience it, and others not. Why? Faith is gift from God. Take heed that anything is possible with the Lord. If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, say a prayer and ask Him to show you the way. You will be amazed at what He is able to show you, and lead you in this journey. Let us take faith and trust in God.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
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Prayer: Fill us, Lord, with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Allow us to open ourselves to You, to love You with our heart, our soul and our mind. In times of tension, we thank You for allowing us to stay focused on You. When we surrender the situation that we are facing, may the peace dwell upon us.

Thanksgiving: We thank You, Lord, for dying on the cross for our sins. May we continue to be filled with the Spirit daily and to testify Your works to others.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 14 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17; Feast of St Matthias, Apostle
Sat, 15 May – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 16 May – Acts of the Apostles 7:.55-60; Revelations 22:12-14.16-17.20; John 16:23-28; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 44th World Communication Sunday

Nereus and Achilleus (d. 98) were soldiers in the imperial Roman army, and members of the Praetorian Guard. They were converts to Christianity and baptized by St. Peter the Apostle. They were exiled for their faith, suffered with St. Flavia Domitilla, and were martyred together by beheading.

- Patron Saint Index

Pancras (c. 290) was a 14-year-old orphan brought to Rome by his uncle St. Dionysius. He was a convert to Christianity, and was martyred with St. Nereus, St. Achilleus, and St. Domitilla for publicly proclaiming his faith.

Pope St. Vitalian sent his relics from the cemetery of Calepodius in Rome to the British Isles as part of the evangelization of England, so they would have the relics of the Church at large, and to install in altars in new churches. St. Augustine of Canterbury dedicated the first church in England to St. Pancras, and subsequent churches throughout England are similarly named after him.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1

Paul’s escort took him as far as Athens, and went back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin Paul as soon as they could.

So Paul stood before the whole Council of the Areopagus and made this speech:

‘Men of Athens, I have seen for myself how extremely scrupulous you are in all religious matters, because I noticed, as I strolled round admiring your sacred monuments, that you had an altar inscribed: To An Unknown God. Well, the God whom I proclaim is in fact the one whom you already worship without knowing it.

‘Since the God who made the world and everything in it is himself Lord of heaven and earth, he does not make his home in shrines made by human hands. Nor is he dependent on anything that human hands can do for him, since he can never be in need of anything; on the contrary, it is he who gives everything – including life and breath – to everyone. From one single stock he not only created the whole human race so that they could occupy the entire earth, but he decreed how long each nation should flourish and what the boundaries of its territory should be. And he did this so that all nations might seek the deity and, by feeling their way towards him, succeed in finding him. Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, as indeed some of your own writers have said:

“We are all his children.”

‘Since we are the children of God, we have no excuse for thinking that the deity looks like anything in gold, silver or stone that has been carved and designed by a man.

‘God overlooked that sort of thing when men were ignorant, but now he is telling everyone everywhere that they must repent, because he has fixed a day when the whole world will be judged, and judged in righteousness, and he has appointed a man to be the judge. And God has publicly proved this by raising this man from the dead.’

At this mention of rising from the dead, some of them burst out laughing; others said, ‘We would like to hear you talk about this again.’ After that Paul left them, but there were some who attached themselves to him and became believers, among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman called Damaris, and others besides.

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
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John 16:12-15

Jesus said:

‘I still have many things to say to you
but they would be too much for you now.
But when the Spirit of truth comes
he will lead you to the complete truth,
since he will not be speaking as from himself
but will say only what he has learnt;
and he will tell you of the things to come.
He will glorify me,
since all he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.
Everything the Father has is mine;
that is why I said:
All he tells you
will be taken from what is mine.’
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… it is he who gives everything…

If someone were to ask you “Who are you?”, my reply would be I am a child of God. As I sit and reflect on my life, I am truly thankful for all He has given me – the love and support of my family, encouragement and fellowship of my friends, and the opportunity to serve the Lord in whatever ways that I can.

This year I wanted to deepen my knowledge of the Catholic faith and to take my writing to the next level for His glory. The Lord, by His grace and love, allowed me to do the Diploma in Adult Faith Formation course (DAFF). It is a two-year programme and this is the first year the course is held in town. There are lots of readings and assignments to be done, but I am thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow with him.

In the first reading, Paul spoke to the people about worshipping idols. He told the people to repent for ultimately, they will be judged in righteousness. He reminded them too that it is God who gives us everything which includes life and breath to everyone and it is in Him that we live, move and exist. When we are filled with the Spirit, we stay focused on the Lord. Whatever we do, we seek to glorify Him.

What is it like to be filled with the Spirit? Focus on the cross, pray and ask the Lord to show you. Stay away from the television, the Internet, the newspapers and the noise around you. Spend quiet moments with Him and let yourself be still. As children of God, our Father wants to give us the best, yet in His time and in His will.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
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Prayer: Lord, teach us how to be still and discern Your plans for us. Allow us to be open to receive Your blessings and also to testify for Your glory.

Thanksgiving: We thank You Lord for the opportunities to serve You, for our family and our friends being there for us. Allow us to appreciate the people around us.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 13 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28;10:19-23 or Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 14 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17; Feast of St Matthias, Apostle
Sat, 15 May – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 16 May – Acts of the Apostles 7:.55-60; Revelations 22:12-14.16-17.20; John 16:23-28; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 44th World Communication Sunday

Acts of the Apostles 16:22-34

The crowd joined in and showed their hostility to Paul and Silas, so the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be flogged. They were given many lashes and then thrown into prison, and the gaoler was told to keep a close watch on them. So, following his instructions, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Late that night Paul and Silas were praying and singing God’s praises, while the other prisoners listened. Suddenly there was an earthquake that shook the prison to its foundations. All the doors flew open and the chains fell from all the prisoners. When the gaoler woke and saw the doors wide open he drew his sword and was about to commit suicide, presuming that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted at the top of his voice, ‘Don’t do yourself any harm; we are all here.’ The gaoler called for lights, then rushed in, threw himself trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas, and escorted them out, saying, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They told him, ‘Become a believer in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, and your household too.’ Then they preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his family. Late as it was, he took them to wash their wounds, and was baptised then and there with all his household. Afterwards he took them home and gave them a meal, and the whole family celebrated their conversion to belief in God.
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John 16:5-11

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Now I am going to the one who sent me.
Not one of you has asked, “Where are you going?”
Yet you are sad at heart because I have told you this.
Still, I must tell you the truth:
it is for your own good that I am going
because unless I go,
the Advocate will not come to you;
but if I do go,
I will send him to you.
And when he comes,
he will show the world how wrong it was,
about sin,
and about who was in the right,
and about judgement:
about sin: proved by their refusal to believe in me;
about who was in the right: proved by my going to the Father and your seeing me no more;
about judgement: proved by the prince of this world being already condemned.’
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Become a believer in the Lord Jesus…

Who is Jesus? Why did He have to die for our sins? Do you believe in Him? Sometimes, it can be quite difficult sharing our faith with non-Christians. Yet one simply way of testifying is sharing our personal experiences of how the Lord has worked in our lives.

I was talking to an ex-colleague about my faith, and she commented that whenever I talk about the Lord, she sees so much joy in me. She is keen to know more about Jesus but her parents object to her accepting Christ. I told her to continue to pray about this and one day the Lord will move her parents into accepting the faith. In the meantime, I send her biblical and Christian emails whenever I can. I also encouraged her to ask questions about the faith.

In today’s first reading, we see that despite being lashed and thrown into prison, Paul and Silas continued to pray and sing God’s praises while the other prisoners listened to them. Would you have done the same as Paul and Silas? I cannot say the same for me. I may have just surrendered and asked the Lord if this was the price to pay for believing in Him.

The Lord, in response, freed all the prisoners through an earthquake. Seeing that the prisons were opened, the gaoler though that the prisoners had escaped and was about to commit suicide when Paul stopped him. Both Paul and Silas then preached the word of the Lord to him and his family. They believed and the family was baptised.

Does it take something major in our lives to make us turn to God? Does it take someone falling seriously ill and being healed? How about finding a life partner or the ideal job? Not necessary. All it takes is something as simple as a 15-minute reflection at the end of each day to give thanks to God for the small things in life, such as coming back to a home-cooked meal, thankfulness for one’s family, finding the love of one’s life who makes you smile and inspires you, and the church community for allowing us to grow in faith.

Step out today and become a believer of the Lord Jesus.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
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Prayer: Lord, grant us the childlike faith to see Your revelation. When things don’t go our way, allow us to pray and trust in You for You know best.

Thanksgiving: We thank You Lord for the experiences in our lives that mould us to be better people and growing in maturity.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 12 May – Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15; Memorial for Ss Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs
Thu, 13 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28;10:19-23 or Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 14 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17; Feast of St Matthias, Apostle
Sat, 15 May – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 16 May – Acts of the Apostles 7:.55-60; Revelations 22:12-14.16-17.20; John 16:23-28; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 44th World COmmunication Sunday

Acts of the Apostles 16:11-15

Sailing from Troas we made a straight run for Samothrace; the next day for Neapolis, and from there for Philippi, a Roman colony and the principal city of that particular district of Macedonia. After a few days in this city we went along the river outside the gates as it was the sabbath and this was a customary place for prayer. We sat down and preached to the women who had come to the meeting. One of these women was called Lydia, a devout woman from the town of Thyatira who was in the purple-dye trade. She listened to us, and the Lord opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying. After she and her household had been baptised she sent us an invitation: ‘If you really think me a true believer in the Lord,’ she said ‘come and stay with us’; and she would take no refusal.
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John 15:26-16:4

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘When the Advocate comes,
whom I shall send to you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who issues from the Father,
he will be my witness.
And you too will be witnesses,
because you have been with me from the outset.

‘I have told you all this that your faith may not be shaken.
They will expel you from the synagogues,
and indeed the hour is coming
when anyone who kills you
will think he is doing a holy duty for God.
They will do these things
because they have never known
either the Father or myself.
But I have told you all this,
so that when the time for it comes
you may remember that I told you.’
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The Spirit of Truth will be… my witness

During one of my Alpha introduction to Christianity courses, I recall a session where the speaker told us to picture the Lord standing outside a door with no door knob. The knob faces inwards towards our hearts, and only we can open the door for the Lord from our end. It is only when we are ready to invite the Lord in will He become part of our lives.

I just did that and it’s really amazing to find how the Lord has been with me all these years. I am thankful for how He has shaped my character from someone who doesn’t want to mention her religion into someone who testifies openly for Him. From someone who was a Sunday Catholic, I now look forward to attending daily Mass whenever I can. From someone who is clueless about the religion, I have grown to serve the Lord as a writer.

When we open our hearts to welcome the Lord, He will show us the many blessings in our lives.

In today’s first reading, the Lord opened Lydia’s heart to accept what Paul was saying. In turn, she professed to be a true believer of the Lord and invited the apostles to stay with her. In the gospel reading, the Lord invites us to be witnesses of the faith.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we become witnesses to the miracles the Lord performs daily in our lives. Yet, we will also meet people who will criticise us and attempt to ridicule our faith. These people think that by doing this, they are helping us. Yet the Lord reminds us to stand firm in our faith and proclaim the Good News.

How can we be witness to our Faith? Let us give thanks to the Lord for He is good. As we sing praises of Him, let us be thankful for the things around us. We can’t wait to share the joy and miracles on how the Lord has worked together with us in our lives, so let us testify the small stories in our lives since nothing beats a personal testimony from the heart. He is using us as an instrument to reach out to others. May we all be witness to the Spirit of Truth.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
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Prayer: Allow us to be still and to open our heart. Dwell in us Lord, and strengthen us in our faith journey.

Thanksgiving: Lord, we give You thanks for all the blessings You have given us in our lives. Continue to guide and protect us.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 11 May – Acts of the Apostles 16:22-34; John 16:5-11
Wed, 12 May – Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15; Memorial for Ss Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs
Thu, 13 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28;10:19-23 or Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 14 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17; Feast of St Matthias, Apostle
Sat, 15 May – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 16 May – Acts of the Apostles 7:.55-60; Revelations 22:12-14.16-17.20; John 16:23-28; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 44th World COmmunication Sunday

The OXYGEN team wishes all mothers a very blessed Mothers’ Day. For they truly personify the radiant glory of God in our lives

The Radiant Glory of God
The Holy Spirit is the radiant glory of God that enlightens the Church and guides it on its way through the world in all its decision.

- The Sunday Missal
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Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2.22-29

Some men came down from Judaea and taught the brothers, ‘Unless you have yourselves circumcised in the tradition of Moses you cannot be saved.’ This led to disagreement, and after Paul and Barnabas had had a long argument with these men it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas and others of the church should go up to Jerusalem and discuss the problem with the apostles and elders.

Then the apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas, both leading men in the brotherhood, and gave them this letter to take with them:

‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us; and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter. It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials: you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.’
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Revelations 21:10-14.22-23

In the spirit, the angel took me to the top of an enormous high mountain and showed me Jerusalem, the holy city, coming down from God out of heaven. It had all the radiant glory of God and glittered like some precious jewel of crystal-clear diamond. The walls of it were of a great height, and had twelve gates; at each of the twelve gates there was an angel, and over the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; on the east there were three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. The city walls stood on twelve foundation stones, each one of which bore the name of one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

I saw that there was no temple in the city since the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb were themselves the temple, and the city did not need the sun or the moon for light, since it was lit by the radiant glory of God and the Lamb was a lighted torch for it.
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John 14:23-29

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him,
and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
Those who do not love me do not keep my words.
And my word is not my own:
it is the word of the one who sent me.
I have said these things to you while still with you;
but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you everything
and remind you of all I have said to you.
Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you,
a peace the world cannot give,
this is my gift to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me say: I am going away, and shall return.
If you loved me you would have been glad to know that I am going to the Father,
for the Father is greater than I.
I have told you this now before it happens,
so that when it does happen you may believe.’
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The Holy Spirit… will remind you of all I have said to you

The past two weeks have indeed been stressful. There were lots of proposals to be written, events to run, deadlines to be met. I was so exhausted each day as I returned back from work. To make matters worse, my maid and my mother were constantly arguing over my issues concerning my grandma. It was indeed very frustrating. Coincidently, I recently bought two Praise and Worship CDs. Listening to the music filled me with me the sense of serenity and joy dwelling in God’s presence. I also spent quiet moments just to be by myself. It was good to feel the peace within me.

In the gospel reading of today, Jesus invites us to keep His word and allow God to make His home in us. The Trinity consists of God the Father, His son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit: God created the world and loved it so much that He sent His only Son Jesus to die for us, while the Holy Spirit speaks to us in His unique way if we are prepared to listen to Jesus.

When we are filled with the presence of God, we are filled with peace – which is a gift from God. There will not be a struggle when our hearts are free from trouble or fear. All there is will be a growing faith and trust in the Lord.

I am thankful for the friends that are with me, whenever I am troubled. Sometimes nothing beats being a listening ear to a friend who is in need. There are times when we are being used as an instrument for the Lord to reach out to others. The image of God is with the people around us, especially the poor, the suffering, those who are ill, the orphans and the marginalised. Spend some time just to talk to these people, offer them a listening a ear, talk to them. Your presence matters. May the Lord’s peace dwell within you always.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
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Prayer: Lord, whenever we feel a struggle in our lives, allow us to say focus on You and pray to surrender and let Your will be done in our lives.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for Your love and conforming our hearts to holiness.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 10 May – Acts of the Apostles 16:11-15; John 15:26-16:4
Tue, 11 May – Acts of the Apostles 16:22-34; John 16:5-11
Wed, 12 May – Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15; Memorial for Ss Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs
Thu, 13 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Hebrews 9:24-28;10:19-23 or Ephesians 1:17-23; Luke 24:46-53; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 14 May – Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17.20-26; John 15:9-17; Feast of St Matthias, Apostle
Sat, 15 May – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 16 May – Acts of the Apostles 7:.55-60; Revelations 22:12-14.16-17.20; John 16:23-28; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 44th World COmmunication Sunday

Acts of the Apostles 16:1-10

From Cilicia Paul went to Derbe, and then on to Lystra. Here there was a disciple called Timothy, whose mother was a Jewess who had become a believer; but his father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy, and Paul, who wanted to have him as a travelling companion, had him circumcised. This was on account of the Jews in the locality where everyone knew his father was a Greek.

As they visited one town after another, they passed on the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, with instructions to respect them.

So the churches grew strong in the faith, as well as growing daily in numbers.

They travelled through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been told by the Holy Spirit not to preach the word in Asia. When they reached the frontier of Mysia they thought to cross it into Bithynia, but as the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them, they went through Mysia and came down to Troas.

One night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian appeared and appealed to him in these words, ‘Come across to Macedonia and help us.’ Once he had seen this vision we lost no time in arranging a passage to Macedonia, convinced that God had called us to bring them the Good News.
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John 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If the world hates you,
remember that it hated me before you.
If you belonged to the world,
the world would love you as its own;
but because you do not belong to the world,
because my choice withdrew you from the world,
therefore the world hates you.
Remember the words I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master.
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too;
if they kept my word, they will keep yours as well.
But it will be on my account that they will do all this,
because they do not know the one who sent me.’
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But it will be on my account that they do all this

As I write these OXYGEN reflections, I have noticed that whenever I approach writing with the mind frame of “Come on Jean, think of something smart to say about these bible passages”, I tend to feel pressured and worn out even before writing. There is only so much I know about living a Christian life. My resources are limited and life experiences too scarce to draw on for these sharings.

Thankfully, by God’s grace, whenever I find myself feeling pressured by the need to write a good reflection, I immediately stop and pray. Through prayer, I remember that it is not I who is reaching out to you (the readers), rather it is God who uses me to reach out to you. I remember that God is the one who is in charge of the outcome and I am only an instrument of His. Remembering my role and God’s role, I then write freely and joyfully as I trust the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me.

In my reflections over the past week, I have written much about how we are called to keep our eyes on Jesus and not ourselves, to let go of our past and trust that God is doing a new thing in us, to accept Jesus’ full joy into our hearts… If you have been following these reflections, you would have noticed that there is a common underlying theme: to let go of ourselves and instead live in Christ.

What does it mean to let go of ourselves and to live in Christ? I believe it requires a certain sense of renouncing ourselves (e.g. our ego, our fears, our doubts, our desire for self-glorification, etc), and a living in the Holy Spirit (e.g. by trusting in God’s promises, by following the direction that God points us towards, by being open to new experiences that God wants to bring into our lives, etc).

As I have shared today, letting go of myself while writing these reflections have required me to surrender the outcome of my reflections to God. Therefore, whether or not these reflections have spoken to, challenged, or ministered to you is no longer my concern; it is now God’s responsibility. My concern is simply to trust that God is in control and to be His instrument, in this case, to let Him use me to transmit His message.

As Jesus says in today’s Gospel, when we live in Him, whatever happens to us will be on His account. We no longer have to take things personally or worry about outcomes. Knowing that Jesus is in control, we are free to detach ourselves from all unnecessary burdens and simply live for God – the one who protects us from harm, watches over us, and make our lives fruitful for His glory.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to have a heart like John the Baptist. May I always decrease so that Jesus can increase (John 3:30).

Thanksgiving: Thank you Jesus, for letting me be a child in Your arms.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 09 May – Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2.22-29; Revelations 21:10-14; John 14:23-29; Sixth Sunday of Easter