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.’
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

Do you love me more than these

Earlier this week, we talked about our basic instincts – wrath, greed, lust, pride, sloth, envy, gluttony and how the devil tempts us to damnation by blurring the lines of morality. Small sins blend into bigger sins which in turn, compound into the sins that lead to the damnation of our Christian soul.

The examples of slippage are so innocuous that we’re all guilty of it, on a daily basis. We’re guilty of snapping impatiently at our loved ones when we’ve had a bad day. Compound this over several years and the result is a bitter, resentful marriage. We’re guilty of craving fine things and expensive food. Compound this over a few years and we’ve mortgaged our souls to the pursuit of material things. We’re vain and seek glory and recognition for our accomplisments. Compound this over some years and we’ve sown the seeds of resentment and discord amongst our teammates and peers.

The power of compounding.

Similarly, Jesus asks Peter – do you love me – three times. Why does Jesus do that?

It’s likely Jesus is trying to show Peter that he has been forgiven and this undoes Peter’s earlier denial of Jesus (Matt 26:69-75). Peter’s conscience is cleansed and he is forgiven. Peter is the rock on which God builds His Church. As members of His Church, we are also cleansed, when we seek forgiveness for our sins.

Jesus’ repeated questioning, “do you love me” is also a reflection of our commitment to our faith. On a daily basis, Jesus asks us, “do you love me more than these”, of the choices that we make. Do our actions and the decisions we make reflect our love for Him?

Like Peter, we are supposed to answer, “yes” despite the drudgery of our daily grind, the temptations we face and the challenges that can shake our resolve. How do we stay on the course, when a loved one is lying ill and we have no one else to turn to for help? We affirm our love for Him and submit our challenges to His will. How do we say no, to the easy gains gotten from less than scrupulous practices?  We pray to Him for strength to walk away from things not worth pursuing.

It is through our daily affirmation of our love for Him, that we gain the strength to walk this narrow path of faith.

“… do you love me more than these… Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” (John 21:15)

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
_____________________

Prayer: we pray for the strength and discipline to affirm to ourselves and to the Lord, daily, our commitment to our faith.

Thanksgiving: we give thanks for the elders in our church who are commissioned to keep us on the straight and narrow path of our faith.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 11 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 11:21-26;13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13; Memorial for St Barnabas, Apostle
Sun, 12 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7.12-13; John 20:19-23; Pentecost Sunday

St. Ephrem (306-373) was baptized at age 18. He helped to evangelize Nisibis, Mesopotamia. He may have attended the Council of Nicaea in 325. He was a deacon and preacher, and had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 363 Nisibis was ceded to Persia, and great persecution of Christians began. St. Ephrem led an exodus of the faithful to Edessa, where he founded a theological school. He helped introduce the use of hymns in public worship, wrote poems and hymns, and used them to fight Gnosticism and Arianism. In 1920, St. Ephrem was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.

- Patron Saint Index
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 22:30.23:6-11

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.’
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

Courage… as you have borne witness to me here in Jerusalem, so must you do in Rome

I travel a lot and often, that means that I have to write these Reflections up in the air, on long flights, the only place where I can find some quiet and my Blackberry does not work. I can be a little self-conscious. Because of that, I don’t carry my Catholic Bible with me when I travel.

My Bible was a gift from my parents and has all kinds of wonderful footnotes on the context, culture and politics of that time. I don’t bring it with me because I’m afraid of how I’ll be perceived by other travellers. I don’t carry it with me because I don’t want to seem ‘uncool’ to people I might bump into on business trips. The trouble with doing that though, is that I lose the depth of analysis and reference that comes with actually having my Catholic Bible with me and the Reflection suffers. So much for being ‘cool’!!

Contrast that with the story of Paul. He was the fiercest persecutor of the Jews before he meets the Lord on his way to Damascus. He is struck down and blinded by a light, and stumbles into Damascus where he stays, blind for three days. Imagine the confusion and the thoughts that must be swirling in his head. Having had his vision restored, Paul begins to evangelize fervently despite the apparent contradiction to his previous beliefs – “All who heard were astonished. Is this not the one who cast out in Jerusalem, all those calling upon His Name? Did he not come here to bring them bound before the chief priests” (Acts 9:21).

Paul embarks on a road-tour, traveling through the cities along the trade routes and ports of the time, preaching His message. He speaks in synagogues on the Sabbath and fearlessly debates the resurrection of Christ to a staunchly Jewish crowd (Acts 13:13-41). All along his road-tour, Paul encounters persecution from the angry Jewish establishment. He gets thrown in prison,  he is the cause of riots, he is beaten. Yet he goes on led by the Lord – “do not be afraid but continue speaking and do not be silent, for many people in this city are mine. I am with you, so no one will harm you’ (Acts 18:9-10). Paul fearlessly evangelizes God’s message – all the way to Rome, the seat of all culture and power in the pagan world.

Imagine meeting Paul at the end of our long road – what would we say to him? How would we even be able to talk about our own efforts of spreading His word, when compared with the work that Paul achieved in his lifetime?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
_____________________

Prayer: we pray for the strength, faith and resilience of the first apostles. May we learn to bear our witness as fearlessly as they did.

Thanksgiving: we give thanks for Paul, the apostle of the pagans, who spread the good news so that down to our generation, we might also be called His people.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 10 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19
Sat, 11 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 11:21-26;13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13; Memorial for St Barnabas, Apostle
Sun, 12 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7.12-13; John 20:19-23; 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.
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

In every way I have shown you, that by so working hard one must help the weak, remembering the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving

I have a friend who derives her ‘strength’ from trying to ‘fix’ others and then ‘confiding’ to people about it. She takes over a situation on the pretext that she wants to help, but things are done her way based on what she perceives as best for her agenda. She also expects recognition for her efforts and should you forget to tell her, she will not-so-discreetly broadcast it herself. This ‘false generosity’ is the reason why our friendship has not flourished. I don’t respond well to insincerity – nobody does. And because time is such a scarce commodity, I find myself investing less and less of it with her. How do you justify being with someone if you think their motives are to use you to glorify themselves?

When we were given our apostolic mission to help the weak, how are we supposed to actually go about doing it? How do we ensure we don’t become sidetracked and prioritize our own agendas and glorify ourselves instead? We see this happen in church, in the office place, in schools, amongst circles of friends. This sort of behavior sows the seeds of politics. And when there is politics, there is no peace.

Paul says, to his elders “keep watch over yourselves…” (Acts 20:28). Yet when one is given authority and responsibility, it is very easy to go astray and do things according to what we want rather than work intently on listening to what is God’s will. Happiness lies more in giving than in receiving, but how do we make sure that we don’t also fall into the easy trap of feeling bitter and angry, when our efforts are not given due recognition?

I think we take our cues from Christ himself.

In Jesus time, a traditional gesture of welcome was to order a servant to wash the feet of the traveler. Jesus washed his apostles’ feet in order to give them (and us) an indelible example of what is expected of us, if we mean to follow in his footsteps – “the servant is no greater than his master, nor is the messenger greater than he who sent him” (John 13:16).

When we are put in a position of responsibility to lead or help someone, taking Jesus’ example, we are first to humble ourselves instead of imposing our agendas onto those of whom we are responsible and accoutable to. Jesus emptied himself on the cross for our salvation. There is no greater example of servant-leadership that we can ask for.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
_____________________

Prayer: we pray for the strength and humility to set aside our own agendas, not to seek our glory but the glory of God in our daily affairs.

Thanksgiving: we give thanks for the example that Christ has provided for us, of what it means to be servant-leader.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 09 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 22:30;23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church
Fri, 10 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19
Sat, 11 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 11:21-26;13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13; Memorial for St Barnabas, Apostle
Sun, 12 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7.12-13; John 20:19-23; Pentecost Sunday

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.’
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

I pray for them … I am no longer in the world but they are in the world

I struggle to write Reflections. There is always something to distract you when you set your heart on doing God’s work. It seems like from the MOMENT you declare “here I am, Lord” and commit to the process, that is the moment the devil sends a torrent of distractions. We are not of this world but we live in it and are buffeted each day by its noise and temptations. The devil doesn’t send distractions in the form of a demon with a red face, a pointy stick and horns. The devil’s distractions appeal to our basic instincts – wrath, greed, lust, pride, sloth, envy, gluttony. Most of us are guilty of at least a clutch, if not all of these, in some shape or form.

CS Lewis’ ‘Screwtape Letters’ offers us a perspective of the path to damnation from the devil’s point of view. The Screwtape Letters are a series of thirty-one letters written by a senior devil (Screwtape) to a junior devil (Wormwood) detailing advice on how to secure the soul of a Christian man. Wormwood, the inexperienced devil, is full of grand plans to get the Christian to commit evil. Screwtape, the more experienced devil, suggests instead that the surest path to hell is a slow, gradual one – small sins committed regularly, compound in time into larger sins. When the lines of morality grow grey and blur, it is easy to falter.

Life in today’s world is so noisy, so busy that it is easy to be distracted and stray from God’s narrow road. In addition, God speaks to us not in Dolby THX but in “the murmur of a gentle breeze” (1 Kings 19:11-12). To hear Him, we have to quieten ourselves and be still.

When Jesus offers up his priestly prayer in John 17, he prayed that we would ‘know’ God. This knowing comes when we still ourselves to meditate on His word, persevere in prayer and extend ourselves in fellowship to a community of Christians. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he describes “those walking according to the flesh tend towads the flesh; those led by the spirit, to what is spirit… your existence is not in the flesh, but in the spirit because the Spirit of God is within you. If you did not have the Spirit of Christ, you would not belong to him” (Romans 8:5-9). In order for the gospel within us to bear fruit, we need to believe but we also need to live it on a daily basis – faith made whole by living and living inspired by love.

After our conversion, we are given this life to work out our apostolic mission – and this is where Screwtape nails it. The path to hell boils down to how we utilize that scarce commodity called time, the time we are given to live out our lives as Christians. The decisions we make, whether we give our time to God or fritter it away on basic instincts, is a daily battle for our Christian souls fought between God and the devil. Which way we choose, on a daily basis, determines which side has gained an upper hand.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
_____________________

Prayer: We pray for courage, strength and perseverance to stand up to our basic instincts on a daily basis.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the Holy Spirit who inspires us with wisdom and discernment, to separate the useless pursuits from fruitful labors that are pleasing to Him.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 08 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38; John 17:11-19
Thu, 09 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 22:30;23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church
Fri, 10 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19
Sat, 11 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 11:21-26;13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13; Memorial for St Barnabas, Apostle
Sun, 12 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7.12-13; John 20:19-23; Pentecost Sunday

St. Norbert (1080-1134) had been born to the nobility and raised around the royal court. There he developed a very worldly view, taking holy orders as a career move when he joined the Benedictines. A narrow escape from death led him to a conversion experience, and taking his vows seriously.

He founded a community of Augustinian canons, starting a reform movement that swept through European monastic houses. St. Norbert also reformed the clergy in his see, using force when necessary. He worked with St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Hugh of Grenoble to heal the schism caused by the death of Pope Honorius II, and for heresy in Cambrai, France with the help of St. Waltmann. He is one of the patron saints of peace.

- Patron Saint Index
_____________________

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.
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

The hour is coming… when you will be scattered… and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me

I used to work in an office all on my own. A lot of my peers thought it strange and looking back now, I wonder how I lasted as long as I did. To dull the loneliness, I kept a frantic work pace so I wouldn’t have to think about it. I prayed constantly. Those 3 years on my own were the loneliest, hardest 3 years I’ve experienced – and they were right in the middle of the global financial crisis. I remember being close to despair many times.

Where were my friends, you wonder? I think fraternal friendship can be ‘fair-weather’. Time is a scarce resource and we spare it only for those closest to us. Some people help you when they feel they get can get something out of you. Some friends tell you, as the disciples did to Jesus in today’s reading, that they believe in you and will not desert you but they’re never found when you truly need them. Words mean nothing, when not backed by actions. Struggle is the best test of a friendship. When the chips are down, who you call and who comes to your aid, are the friends you know will stick by you and never waver even when you have nothing to give.

We see examples of how, the Holy Spirit inspires friends to come to the aid of the apostles all through the book of Acts. We are not told much about the people who gave the apostles shelter – they were ordinary folk from all walks of life. We know only that the Holy Spirit touched these men and women in order to fulfil God’s plan. City by city, as we chart the spread of God’s word from Jerusalem to Rome, we must marvel at how the Holy Spirit moves men and women to step forward and say, “here I am, Lord”.

In my quiet moments of despair, I know He was there with me, keeping me strong. And as He did with the apostles, I know He sent family and friends to help me along my way, to encourage me and keep me going. During my most fearful moments, I know He was there supporting me.

I thank God for all the people who stepped forward and helped me through that period of my life – parents, siblings, cousins, members of His household who supported my family and I when we simply could not have helped ourselves. I thank God for all my friends and loved ones here in HK for all their acts of kindness, no matter how small. Thank you for even just checking in on me.

When the chips are down and we feel empty and spent, just look around. He is there in the kind words of the people around us. He is there, in the faces of the members of His household who step forward and give us a hug, who listen to us, who make time for us and take us into their fold. He is there in the faces of our family who want to help us if we let them in.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
_____________________

Prayer: we pray for those who are suffering from loneliness and depression. We pray the Holy Spirit will touch them and those around them to help them get through it.

Thanksgiving: I give thanks for the fellowship of the members in my parents’ church. My parents’ lives are richer and fuller because of your fellowship. We are blessed to be able to count you as family.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 07 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27; John 17:1-11
Wed, 08 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38; John 17:11-19
Thu, 09 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 22:30;23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church
Fri, 10 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19
Sat, 11 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 11:21-26;13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13; Memorial for St Barnabas, Apostle
Sun, 12 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7.12-13; John 20:19-23; Pentecost Sunday

The Spirit Of Prayer And Praise
Christ prayed in the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the source of the prayer and praise of the whole Church. The Spirit of God is resting on us as we offer this sacrifice of praise today.
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14

After Jesus was taken up into heaven the apostles went back from the Mount of Olives, as it is called, to Jerusalem, a short distance away, no more than a sabbath walk; and when they reached the city they went to the upper room where they were staying; there were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James. All these joined in continuous prayer, together with several women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
_____________________

1 Peter 4:13-16

If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed. It is a blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God resting on you. None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer; but if anyone of you should suffer for being a Christian, then he is not to be ashamed of it; he should thank God that he has been called one.
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

Be glad to share in the sufferings of Christ because on the day his glory is revealed, you will also rejoice

One of my favorite verses in the Bible, is the ‘parable of the farmer’ –

“Does the ploughman do nothing but plough, loosen the earth, pulverize the clods with a harrow? After leveling the soil, does he not begin to sow caraway and scatter cumin, wheat and barley and put spelt as the border? For his God instructs him on what to do, He gives him guidance and discretion too” – Isaiah 28:24-26

I think of a harvest the same way I think our forefathers in faith would have thought of the Church and their mission.

A harvest is a struggle, seasonal, full of variables not within our grasp. Seeds are sown; maybe they’ll take root, maybe they won’t. A harvest is about timing – is the soil ready for the seed? Is the weather conducive? Are there pests and weeds? Sometimes a harvest is about reading the signs – is it time to sow or reap? Where do we sow, and how much do we reap?

In the Acts of the Apostles, we see the first stirrings of the Church. Like the start of the harvest, the seeds of the Church are sown, conversion by conversion. Luke brings us from the Church’s first humble steps in Jerusalem, with the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the Apostles, to the spreading of God’s word through Judea, Samaria and all along the coast, to Paul’s journeys through Asia, Greece and finally to the palace of the Roman emperor itself.

Their mission sounds exciting but the reality of their daily grind must have been excruciating. How exhausting to be constantly trying to convert disbelievers. The early apostles had to stand up to the criticism of the Jewish establishment of the time which probably means they were outcasts and stigmatized. They were persecuted by the Romans, so would have been fearful for their lives. Then there is the subject of travel and logistics. Paul was shipwrecked, cold, tired and hungry – yet he still kept going.

The apostles traveled by land and by sea sowing the seeds of God’s church, with nothing but the knowledge that “I saw the Lord before me at all times; He is by my side that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body too will live in hope… You have made known to me the paths of life, and your presence will fill me with joy” – Acts 2:25-28.

As we go about the daily grind of our own faith journeys, difficult as they are sometimes let us give thanks for the opportunity that trials give us to flex our faith muscles. “… Be glad to share in the sufferings of Christ because on the day his glory is revealed, you will also rejoice” – 1 Peter 4:13

(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
_____________________

Prayer: Lord we pray for your grace to discern your plans. Show us how to stay focus on you and how to place you the centre of our lives

Thanksgiving: We thank you Lord for sustaining us each day. For our family and friends who have been our pillar of support.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 06 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8; John 16:29-33; Memorial for St Norbert, Bishop
Tue, 07 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27; John 17:1-11
Wed, 08 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38; John 17:11-19
Thu, 09 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 22:30;23:6-11; John 17:20-26; Memorial for St Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church
Fri, 10 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 25:13-21; John 21:15-19
Sat, 11 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 11:21-26;13:1-3; Matthew 10:7-13; Memorial for St Barnabas, Apostle
Sun, 12 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11; 1 Corinthians 12:3-7.12-13; John 20:19-23; 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.
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

The Father loves you for loving me and believing

I struggle with love and rejection. Yet it is God’s grace, faith and wisdom that sustain me daily. Recently the rejections come in the form of job applications. It is like a slap on my face that questions my ability and credentials. However I must admit I have not found a job that I really wanted. Maybe I am praying for a job that allows me to contribute my experience and still have time to serve the Lord. I am also exploring the option of being self-employed. With the latter option, I have to face the nagging of my mother, who has not given me the opportunity to venture this path. Usually she will harp of the negativity that really makes me really unhappy. The anxiety and stress that she places upon me is tremendous.

As a result, I turn to my friends for solace. I realised that I could be downloading my issues to them and intruding into their space. I am having a struggle with my friend whose friendship I treasure. But we have come to a stage where there is tension in the friendship. I pray to God for the above 2 issues and ask in His name whatever the outcome let it be for His glory. I can only change myself – to be more compassionate, loving and to be a better listener.

In the Gospel, Jesus invites us to ask anything in his name for our prayers to be answered. And as we ask, we will receive and our joy will be complete. As beloved children, our Father love us from the heart and unconditionally.

How many of us truly come before God and open our hearts to receive him? Do you believe that in his time He will answer our prayers? With God all things are possible – Mathew 19:20

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
_____________________

Prayer: Lord we pray for your grace to discern your plans. Show us how to stay focus on you and how to place you the centre of our lives

Thanksgiving: We thank you Lord for sustaining us each day. For our family and friends who have been our pillar of support.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 05 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14; 1 Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11; Seventh Sunday of Easter; World Communication Sunday

One of 22 Ugandan martyrs, St. Charles Lwanga is the patron of youth and Catholic action in most of tropical Africa. He protected his fellow pages aged 13 to 30 from the homosexual demands of the Bagandan ruler, Mwanga, and encouraged and instructed them in the Catholic faith during their imprisonment for refusing the ruler’s demands.

For his own unwillingness to submit to the immoral acts and his efforts to safeguard the faith of his friends, Charles was burned to death at in 1886, by Mwanga’s order. When Pope Paul VI canonized these 22 martyrs in 1964, he referred to the Anglican pages martyred for the same reason.

- http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1403
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 18:9-18

At Corinth one night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid to speak out, nor allow yourself to be silenced: I am with you. I have so many people on my side in this city that no one will even attempt to hurt you.’ So Paul stayed there preaching the word of God among them for eighteen months.

But, while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a concerted attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal.
‘We accuse this man’ they said ‘of persuading people to worship God in a way that breaks the Law.’ Before Paul could open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ‘Listen, you Jews. If this were a misdemeanour or a crime, I would not hesitate to attend to you; but if it is only quibbles about words and names, and about your own Law, then you must deal with it yourselves-I have no intention of making legal decisions about things like that.’ Then he sent them out of the court, and at once they all turned on Sosthenes, the synagogue president, and beat him in front of the court house. Gallio refused to take any notice at all.

After staying on for some time, Paul took leave of the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut off, because of a vow he had made.
_____________________

John 16:20-23

Jesus said to his disciples:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
you will be weeping and wailing
while the world will rejoice;
you will be sorrowful,
but your sorrow will turn to joy.
A woman in childbirth suffers,
because her time has come;
but when she has given birth to the child she forgets the suffering
in her joy that a man has been born into the world.
So it is with you: you are sad now,
but I shall see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy,
and that joy no one shall take from you.
When that day comes,
you will not ask me any questions.’
_____________________

No one shall take your joy from you

This is certainly one of my rollercoaster uncertainty periods of my life. The job search continues and it is certainly filled with disappointment and anxiety. The jobs that I am keen on, I am surprised that I am not even granted an interview. I want to be in a job where I am able to serve my talents with a sincere heart, without sacrificing my time for God and family. Lots of my dreams are still unfulfilled. It is confirmed that my grandma has dementia, and it is matter of time that she will not remember us. My heart sunk when I heard the news. How did someone so close to me come to this stage? Imagine all of us have working so hard in our life to reach this stage eventually where we are helpless and are at the mercy of others. Yet I am thankful that I am able to spend time with her during this period.

In the Gospel of today, Jesus reminds us that though a woman suffers during childbirth, she forgets her suffering at the sight of her child. There is immense joy of seeing her child brought born into the world. We weep and wail at Jesus death. Yet it is his resurrection that we are redeemed from our sins and we are given a new lease our live. No one can take our joy from us. That is God’s gift to each and every one of his as He loves us unconditionally.

I know I will see the light at the end of the tunnel. God will give us something good beyond our imagination as what we see in our world is finite. I will get through this period and emerge stronger and wiser. In trust we seek, in faith we find. Maybe God wants me to go through this period to allow me to learn certain valuable lessons. I am going to deepen my prayer life, to surrender and trust in Him. I choose to be happy and thankful with what I have today. I will waste no time fretting and will enjoy the uncertainty with Jesus. Patiently will I wait for his hand to guide me in this journey.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
_____________________

Prayer: Lord sustain us in our journey with your grace and love. Help us to make choices that is align to your will.

Thanksgiving: We thank you Lord for our family and friends who are our pillar of support and encouragement.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 04 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 05 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14; 1 Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 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
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

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.
_____________________

Matthew 28:16-20

The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’
_____________________

Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

When I was younger, I often read Christian books that painted a picture of what Heaven would be like. There would be all the good people there and you could eat and drink and do whatever you wanted. You would be rich beyond your wildest dreams. And all the bad people won’t be there. All the good things you ever done would be told to everyone and you would be rewarded for all the difficulties you had to go through while alive. This is the promise of the future for Christians, where justice would be served, and all the good people rewarded, and all the bad people punished. But is it true?

In today’s first reading, the disciples are seen asking the Lord whether the time had come for Him to restore the kingdom to Israel. They wanted justice to be done, but what is the Lord’s reply? It is not for them to know times and dates that the Father had set. In the second reading, we see St. Paul writing to the Ephesians about what rich glories await the saints. He wrote this to inspire the Ephesians to keep on being faithful to God and His teachings. Throughout the Bible we see prophets speaking and writing to the people of Israel to remain faithful to God and His commands because God’s promises will be fulfilled in time. But is it true?

Yes, it’s true. But not in the way we usually think. It’s true because God’s promises have always come true, and God doesn’t lie. But it’s not in the way we think because 2,000 years ago, Jesus’ disciples thought that the Lord was going to restore the kingdom to Israel, but it still hasn’t happened in the way they thought that it would. This is why St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians and asked that the Lord give them a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring to them full knowledge of Him.

This is key, and in the gospel reading, Jesus similarly tells His disciples to make disciples of all nations, to baptise them in the name of the Holy Trinity, and to teach them to observe His commandments. This is because in observing the Lord’s commandments, we will come to full knowledge of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father whom Jesus came to make known to us.

It has never been about the glory of men and women. It has always been about the glory of God. So if you’re holding fast to a promise that you will be glorified for all the suffering you endure in life, you have to ask the question: Is it true?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
_____________________

Prayer: May the Lord bless us with a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, and to bring to us full knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for revealing His wisdom to men’s fools.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 03 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:9-18; John 16:202-23; Memorial for Ss Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyr
Sat, 04 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 05 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14; 1 Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11; Seventh Sunday of Easter; World Communication Sunday

Justin (c.100–165) was a pagan philosopher who converted at the age of 30 by reading the Scriptures and witnessing the heroism and faith of martyrs. He used his philosophical and oratorial skills to dispute with pagans and explain the faith, becoming one of the first great Christian apologists. He opened a school of public debate in Rome, Italy. All this naturally brought him to the attention of the authorities, and he died a martyr.

- Patron Saint Index
_____________________

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.
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

The Spirit of truth will lead you to the complete truth

It is hard at times to discern the will of Lord when we are busy with our daily activities. It is through total silence and staying still can we hear HIM. For the past month, I have allocated 15 min of my time before I sleep just to spend time with the lord. This could be praying to him, spending time reflecting the day and acknowledging his presence or just staying in silence. At times I feel the heat within me when I am praying. It is amazing the insights that come by. It could be in the form of a biblical scripture or an incident that shows the lord’s presence. It is by the grace of the Holy Spirit that allows one to be aware of his presence.

In the Gospel of today, Jesus reminds us that with the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will be able to see the complete truth. This could be clearer direction in where we are heading, or why things happen the way it is in our lives. Whatever is communicated to us it is by the grace of the Holy Spirit which is sent by the lord. He will glorify the Lord as we too will do so when we have been touched and healed by the Lord.

As children of God, we are blessed abundantly. Yet at times through our past experiences where we have been hurt or unjustly treated, we harbour grudges and are not willing to forgive and repent. As a result, this could be an obstacle that prevents us from drawing closer to God. We may also be stubborn and insist of doing things our way due to our ego and the need to be right.

Are you willing to let go and listen to him? Are you willing to forgive and move on? Are you willing to testify for his glory?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
_____________________

Prayer: Lord create in us a pure heart and a steadfast spirit. Allow us to be still and to surrender our lives to you.

Thanksgiving: We thank you Lord for your unconditional love. Strengthen us in faith and sustain us daily.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 02 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 03 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:9-18; John 16:202-23; Memorial for Ss Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyr
Sat, 04 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 05 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14; 1 Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 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.
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

The Spirit of Truth will be my witness

At the recent Prayer retreat I attended in April this year, it was very difficult to hear Jesus. There was spiritual warfare the week before the retreat and it was a struggle for me. It was only on the 2nd day of the retreat did I realise what was the cause of my inability to experience Jesus. As we were praying in silence, emotions of fear, anger, bitterness, uncertainty all surfaced up for me. I realised too that I have always been asking Jesus for things, but very seldom I took the time to listen to Him. I saw how self-centred, selfish and broken I was in front of HIM, yet He continues to love me unconditionally. It was really humbling facing this truth and I lifted the entire situation to Him. My heart was open and I saw how He worked through me for the rest of the retreat.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can’t help but to share how the Lord has worked in our life. In the first reading, the Lord opened Lydia’s heart and she accepted what Paul was saying. She wanted Paul to stay in home so that she could sit at his feet and hear more about Jesus. She would have probably invite more people to meet Paul and to listen him testify about the Lord.

In the Gospel, we are reminded that Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to be with us. When we are filled with the Spirit by his grace, we want to know more about the Lord. We want to be in fellowship with others. We have so much to share and to learn from each other – not only those who have walked with the Lord for a long time, but also those for whom the good news is brand new.

Are you ready to open your heart to the Lord? Are you ready to experience the joy and love He has for you? In child-like faith, ask Him to show you.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
_____________________

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your grace and love. Use us as an instrument for your glory. Bless us abundantly so that we can be a blessing to others.

Thanksgiving: We thank you Lord for loving us unconditionally and moulding us in your likeliness.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 31 May – Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16; Luke 1:39-56; Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wed, 01 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15; Memorial for St Justin, Martyr
Thu, 02 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 03 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:9-18; John 16:202-23; Memorial for Ss Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyr
Sat, 04 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 05 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14; 1 Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11; Seventh Sunday of Easter; World Communication Sunday

The Spirit of Truth
We celebrate the coming of Christ’s Spirit of truth on the Church, the source of the Church’s proclamation of the Christian message to the world.

- The Sunday Missal
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8.14-17

Philip went to a Samaritan town and proclaimed the Christ to them. The people united in welcoming the message Philip preached, either because they had heard of the miracles he worked or because they saw them for themselves. There were, for example, unclean spirits that came shrieking out of many who were possessed, and several paralytics and cripples were cured. As a result there was great rejoicing in that town.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, and they went down there, and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, for as yet he had not come down on any of them: they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
_____________________

1 Peter 3:15-18

Reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. But give it with courtesy and respect and with a clear conscience, so that those who slander you when you are living a good life in Christ may be proved wrong in the accusations that they bring. And if it is the will of God that you should suffer, it is better to suffer for doing right than for doing wrong.

Why, Christ himself, innocent though he was, had died once for sins, died for the guilty, to lead us to God. In the body he was put to death, in the spirit he was raised to life.
_____________________

John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘If you love me you will keep my commandments.
I shall ask the Father,
and he will give you another Advocate
to be with you for ever,
that Spirit of truth
whom the world can never receive
since it neither sees nor knows him;
but you know him,
because he is with you, he is in you.
I will not leave you orphans;
I will come back to you.
In a short time the world will no longer see me;
but you will see me,
because I live and you will live.
On that day you will understand that I am in my Father
and you in me and I in you.
Anybody who receives my commandments and keeps them
will be one who loves me;
and anybody who loves me will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him and show myself to him.’
_____________________

He will give you another Advocate

Silence is golden. It is only recently did I discover the impact of this statement. Spending some quiet moments daily allows me to hear the inner voice more clearly. I am able to see how the small things that happen daily are by the grace of God. Take for instance, though at times I am tired of my mum’s nagging, I see the unconditional love that she has for me, the way she takes care of me. Last week when I fell sick and coughing badly, she boiled soup and bought cough drops for me. Meals prepared were filled with tender loving care. Whenever I travel, mum will ensure I have all the sufficient stuff – medicine, currency, clothes etc. When I was having communication issues with my friend, the Lord showed me a book “Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti”. In that book, it showed me where I need to grow and have a better understanding of how men and women deal with issues in life. Through the daily reflections from Fr William Goh, I am able to hear and understand the bible better. At times the voice even addresses the issues in my life.

In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us if we love him, we will keep his commandments. He assures us that he and the Father are one. Whoever loves Jesus, will be loved by the Father too. Hence Jesus loves us and will show himself to those who love him. This is done through us grace and by the Holy Spirit. When we sanctify Jesus in our hearts, we are confessing that our lives are no longer our own. We belong to him. We are telling him that we are telling him that we intend to love him daily by our words and actions.

Will there be any difference if we put Jesus in our lives? Will you be more peaceful? Will you be aware of the promptings of the Holy Spirit? Will you be able to say no to temptations?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Patricia Ang)
_____________________

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your grace and love. Use us as an instrument for your glory. Bless us abundantly so that we can be a blessing to others.

Thanksgiving: We thank you Lord for loving us unconditionally and moulding us in your likeliness.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 30 May – Acts of the Apostles 16:11-15; John 15:15:26-16:4
Tue, 31 May – Zephaniah 3:14-18 or Romans 12:9-16; Luke 1:39-56; Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wed, 01 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 17:15.22-18:1; John 16:12-15; Memorial for St Justin, Martyr
Thu, 02 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:17-23; Matthew 28:16-20; Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Fri, 03 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:9-18; John 16:202-23; Memorial for Ss Charles Lwanga & Companions, Martyr
Sat, 04 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28; John 16:23-28
Sun, 05 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 1:12-14; 1 Peter 4:13-16; John 17:1-11; Seventh Sunday of Easter; 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.
_____________________

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.’
_____________________

My choice withdrew you from the world

Whenever I say grace before my meals in public, especially in front of my colleagues, I always feel out of place. Some of them would stop eating and wait for me. Others might continue what they’re doing but no longer speak as freely until I am done. Only after I’m finished, will there be a sense of relief on their part (and mine) that the “awkward moment” has passed.

Saying grace is merely one of the many examples in which I have felt out of place being a Catholic. There are many times when I have wished I could go along with the crowd and accept popular values. I wish I could accept cohabitation so that friends of mine who are cohabitating do not think I reject them, and thereby distant themselves from me, just because I reject such a lifestyle. There are so many times when I wished I was not a Catholic so that I could laugh with the crowd, agree with them, and be embraced by them.

The fact is I do have a choice. I can reject my Catholic beliefs and identity to blend into the secular world if I want to. I can be embraced by the crowd if I want to. But I don’t want to do this and it’s not because I’m afraid that God will punish me if I do. I don’t want to because I believe that the teachings in my faith are truths that will liberate me and lead me to the fullness of life that my heart seeks. I have tasted this liberation and life whenever I have chosen to die to myself and follow these teachings, increasing my conviction in their veracity.

Yet, this does not mean that the journey is easy. Every time I have to acknowledge my Catholic identity and uphold my faith, I experience rejection from others. Some reject me because they simply reject anything “Catholic”. Some reject because they are unwilling to be challenged to move out of their comfort zone. Others reject unintentionally, where they reject because they equate disagreement as rejection.

Rejection is always painful; nonetheless, let us be comforted that continual rejection from the world serve as constant affirmations that we are with our God.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
_____________________

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to be encouraged that I am with you whenever I am away from the world.

Thanksgiving: We thank God for family and friends who do not reject us, even when they disagree with us.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 29 May – Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8.14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21; Sixth Sunday of Easter

Augustine (d. 605) was a monk and abbot of St. Andrew’s abbey in Rome. He was sent by Pope Gregory the Great with 40 brother monks, including St. Lawrence of Canterbury to evangelize the British Isles in 597. Before he reached the islands, terrifying tales of the Celts sent him back to Rome in fear, but Gregory told him he had no choice, so he went. He established and spread the faith throughout England; one of his earliest converts was King AEthelberht who brought 10,000 of his people into the Church.

He was ordained a bishop in Gaul (modern France) by the Archbishop of Arles. He became Bishop of Canterbury, and was the first Archbishop of Canterbury. He helped re-establish contact between the Celtic and Latin churches, though he could not establish his desired uniformity of liturgy and practices between them. He worked with St. Justus of Canterbury. The Anglican Archbishops of Canterbury are still referred to as occupying the Chair of Augustine.

- Patron Saint Index
_____________________

Acts of the Apostles 15:22-31

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.’

The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the letter. The community read it and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them.
_____________________

John 15:12-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘This is my commandment:
love one another,
as I have loved you.
A man can have no greater love
than to lay down his life for his friends.
You are my friends,
if you do what I command you.
I shall not call you servants any more,
because a servant does not know
his master’s business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.
You did not choose me:
no, I chose you;
and I commissioned you
to go out and to bear fruit,
fruit that will last;
and then the Father will give you
anything you ask him in my name.
What I command you is to love one another.’
_____________________

Unsettled your minds

Lately, I have been so consumed with my studies and placements that I have not spent much time with my mother. This has resulted in feelings of guilt and worries that she might be unhappy with me. Yet, I was unaware that I was living in this constant state of guilt and worries. All I knew was that I felt unsettled and was thereby easily irritated and unhappy.

Just a few days ago, my mum kissed me out of the blue and said, “You’re such a lovely daughter. I love you.” This gesture took me by surprise as I had not articulated my insecurities to her. Yet, there she was affirming me of how she delighted in me and loved me. What also surprised me was how I instantly felt a sense of peace and relief wash over me. It was as if something in my chest and mind had been lifted, as if someone had pressed the “reset” button and my irritation and tension dissolved. It was only then that I became aware that my unsettled state was caused by insecurities of how she felt about me.

In today’s first reading, the people in Antioch were also unsettled. Just as how I was insecure of whether or not I was pleasing and “doing enough” in my mother’s eyes, perhaps they too were insecure about whether they were pleasing and “doing enough” in the Apostles eyes. Just as how my mother’s affirmation brought me relief, peace and encouragement, they too were delighted and encouraged upon receiving the letter from the apostles.

My brothers and sisters, when people around you are irritated, grumpy, or negative, it might be that they too are unsettled by insecurities of where they stand in your eyes. Will you attack and reject them for being in that state? Or will you look beyond how they are behaving and encourage them with your love?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
_____________________

Prayer: Father, help me to be generous and charitable in encouraging others.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for showing us in your quiet ways that love is not something that is earned, but is a gift that is freely given and received. Help us to love freely.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 28 May – Acts of the Apostles 16:1-10; John 15:18-21
Sun, 29 May – Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8.14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21; Sixth Sunday of Easter