Nothing is known for certain about the life of St Thomas, apart from the Gospel account. Tradition holds that he preached the Gospel in India.

- The Weekday Missal
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Ephesians 2:19-22

You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.
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John 20:24-29

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him:

‘You believe because you can see me.
Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’
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You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors; you are citizens like all the saints

Recently in the news, our Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew spoke about how immigrants are coming to Singapore and adopting our values of having fewer children. When they watch their neighbours and see that if they have two children, they will lose out because each child costs so much in terms of fees for kindergarten, ballet classes, music classes…, and they come to realise that in Singapore, it is better to settle for one child.

Many of us reading this are citizens living in our own country. We do not understand what it means to be immigrants living in a country that we are not born. But when we look at our spiritual life, we get a sense of what it means to be an immigrant.

In God’s family, all who are baptised in the name of the Trinity become citizens of God’s kingdom, part of God’s household. We have the same rights as everyone else, and with the same rights come the same responsibilities.

Our citizenship is not based on our knowledge of God’s kingdom, nor is it based on how long we have lived here. It is based on only one thing, that is our faith in Jesus Christ, our relationship with Him. The closer we are to Him, the better we realise our responsibilities and the gifts that He has given us to live them out.

In today’s gospel reading, we see St. Thomas refusing to believe that Jesus has risen. Jesus, on His part, did whatever He could to enable Thomas to believe in the Resurrection. The Lord appeared before Thomas in flesh and blood and allowed Thomas to put his finger into the holes in His hands, and his hand into His side.

In the same way, Jesus does whatever He can to help us to believe in Him. This is not because He wants to prove sceptics wrong, but because He wants to help us to live out our responsibilities as God’s children. It is very hard to not believe and do the things that are required of us. If we do not believe, we are not motivated to live by faith. But if we believe, things can change in an unbelievable way.

It is not only God that helps us to believe, but also our fellow citizens. As brothers and sisters in God’s household, it is our responsibility to help our fellow brethren in times that their faith is failing. Just as immigrants in Singapore look to their neighbours and adopt their values, so too do Christians look to their Christian brethren and adopt their values.

Let us take a few moments to ponder about how my life as a Christian is helping or not helping other Christians to live a life of faith.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to believe. Please help my unbelief. Amen.

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

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 04 Jun – Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12.17-20; Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

We celebrate the feast of the princes of the apostles, from whom we derive our Christian faith. The Lord stood by them and gave them power, so that through them the whole message might be proclaimed for all the world to hear.

- The Weekday Missal
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Peter (c.1–64) was a professional fisherman. He was the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Given the name Simon, he was renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. He later became a bishop and was the first pope. He was also a miracle worker.

Paul (c.3–c.65) was a Jewish Talmudic student and a Pharisee. He was a tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted the Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of St. Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus, Syria, to arrest another group of faithful, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting him, causing his conversion to Christianity.

He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling, preaching, and teaching. His letters to the churches he help found form a large percentage of the New Testament. He knew and worked with many of the earliest saints and Fathers of the Church. He died a martyr for the faith.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11

King Herod started persecuting certain members of the Church. He beheaded James the brother of John, and when he saw that this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread, and he put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turns. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard the Church prayed to God for him unremittingly.

On the night before Herod was to try him, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with double chains, while guards kept watch at the main entrance to the prison. Then suddenly the angel of the Lord stood there, and the cell was filled with light. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him. ‘Get up!’ he said ‘Hurry!’ – and the chains fell from his hands. The angel then said, ‘Put on your belt and sandals.’ After he had done this, the angel next said, ‘Wrap your cloak round you and follow me.’ Peter followed him, but had no idea that what the angel did was all happening in reality; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed through two guard posts one after the other, and reached the iron gate leading to the city. This opened of its own accord; they went through it and had walked the whole length of one street when suddenly the angel left him. It was only then that Peter came to himself. ‘Now I know it is all true’ he said. The Lord really did send his angel and has saved me from Herod and from all that the Jewish people were so certain would happen to me.’
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2 Timothy 4:6-8.17-18

My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.

The Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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Matthew 6:13-19

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’
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… when [King Herod] saw this pleased the Jews he decided to arrest Peter as well.

In the 2007 mini-series comic book “Captain America: The Chosen”, the fictional American superhero tells a corporal fighting in the Middle East, about how he, Steve Rogers, was chosen to undergo the process that made him a superhero. Steve was a skinny bespectacled young man selected as a control for a group of muscular young men who were going to form a team of superheroes once they all underwent the process.

As the procedure went on, Steve gradually became the only subject left. The others, used to always getting their way found that they couldn’t control their emotions once the chemicals and hormones were injected into their systems. But Steve, being a humble and lowly person all his life, adapted perfectly to the chemicals, and this led to power being bestowed on him to become Captain America.

In today’s first reading, we see what happens when power is given to someone like King Herod. When he executed James he found that the Jews liked it and, wanting to continue to bask in the limelight, he went on to arrest Peter as well.
Conversely, in the readings of today’s solemnity for Sts. Peter and Paul, we find that both were capable of receiving the power bestowed on them by God, and using it for the purpose that they were given – Peter to be the rock of the Church, and Paul to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Throughout the history of the Israelites, and indeed the world, we see that God does bestow power on the unworthy that He chooses, and not all these unworthy eventually turn out to be worthy. Some, blinded by the power and influence they have, sought to do things according to their own desire. Examples include Kings Saul and Solomon.

So my friends, just because God has chosen to give us power to do something, we must always take care not to let it go to our heads. We must be like Paul, who fought the good fight to the end. We must be like Peter who humbly followed wherever God called Him to go. It is not because of anything that we have that God gave us this power, so we must always listen to God in order to find out exactly what He wants us to do with it.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all persons in positions of power, that they may humbly acknowledge the Source of this power, and use it for His greater glory.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for choosing to entrust us with power, and the constant guidance to do what is right.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 30 Jun – Amos 5: 14-15.21-24; Matthew 8:28-34; Memorial for the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
Thu, 01 Jun – Amos 7:10-17; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 02 Jun – Amos 8:4-6.9-12; Matthew 9:9-12
Sat, 03 Jun – Ephesians 2:19-22 John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sun, 04 Jun – Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12.17-20; Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Peter the apostle and Paul the teacher of the Gentiles have brought us to know the law of the Lord.

- Entrance Antiphon
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Peter (c.1–64) was a professional fisherman. He was the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Given the name Simon, he was renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. He later became a bishop and was the first pope. He was also a miracle worker.

Paul (c.3–c.65) was a Jewish Talmudic student and a Pharisee. He was a tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted the Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of St. Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus, Syria, to arrest another group of faithful, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting him, causing his conversion to Christianity.

He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling, preaching, and teaching. His letters to the churches he help found form a large percentage of the New Testament. He knew and worked with many of the earliest saints and Fathers of the Church. He died a martyr for the faith.

- Patron Saint Index
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Acts of the Apostles 3:1-10

Once, when Peter and John were going up to the Temple for the prayers at the ninth hour, it happened that there was a man being carried past. He was a cripple from birth; and they used to put him down every day near the Temple entrance called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from the people going in. When this man saw Peter and John on their way into the Temple he begged from them. Both Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us.’ He turned to them expectantly, hoping to get something from them, but Peter said, ‘I have neither silver nor gold, but I will give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!’ Peter then took him by the hand and helped him to stand up. Instantly his feet and ankles became firm, he jumped up, stood, and began to walk, and he went with them into the Temple, walking and jumping and praising God. Everyone could see him walking and praising God, and they recognised him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. They were all astonished and unable to explain what had happened to him.
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Galatians 1:11-20

The Good News I preached is not a human message that I was given by men, it is something I learnt only through a revelation of Jesus Christ. You must have heard of my career as a practising Jew, how merciless I was in persecuting the Church of God, how much damage I did to it, how I stood out among other Jews of my generation, and how enthusiastic I was for the traditions of my ancestors.

Then God, who had specially chosen me while I was still in my mother’s womb, called me through his grace and chose to reveal his Son in me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans. I did not stop to discuss this with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were already apostles before me, but I went off to Arabia at once and later went straight back from there to Damascus. Even when after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and stayed with him for fifteen days, I did not see any of the other apostles; I only saw James, the brother of the Lord, and I swear before God that what I have written is the literal truth.
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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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God… chose to reveal His Son to me, sot hat I might preach the Good News about him to the pagans.

In 1997, within the space of a week, two famous Christians in the world passed away. Princess Diana of Wales died on Aug 31, while Mother Teresa of Calcutta died on Sep 5. Both played a significant role in helping others. Diana used her worldly influence to ban the use of anti-personnel landmines, while Teresa worked in the slums of Calcutta to serve the poorest of the poor. They were two people from two different worlds, but united in the common goal of serving others.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. They were contemporaries with hugely different backgrounds and missions in life. Peter was a lowly fisherman, called by Jesus Christ to follow Him, and ended up with the mission of spreading Christianity among the Jewish people. Paul was a Roman citizen and a Pharisee who initially persecuted the Church but, after encountering Jesus Christ, ended up with the mission of spreading Christianity among non-Jews. They were two people from two different worlds, but united in the common goal of spreading the Gospel.

This reminds me of yet another pair of friends – St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier. Both of them were Jesuit priests who dedicated their lives to God and His Church. St. Ignatius was the Superior General of the Jesuits who stayed at the headquarters of the Society of Jesus delegating his fellow Jesuits to spread the Gospel throughout Europe. St. Francis Xavier was sent to spread the Gospel to Asia and reached as far as Japan. We owe the presence of Christianity in Southeast Asia to the work of St. Francis Xavier.

In every time and age, God raises up people and sends them on a mission to bring His presence to everyone in the world. Not just the believers, but the non-believers too. Ignatius to the Christians in Europe, St. Francis Xavier to the non-Christians in Asia. Diana to the politically and worldly affluent, Teresa to the lowest dregs of society. And of course, Peter to the Jews, and Paul to the Gentiles.

On this solemnity, we celebrate the God who never forgets any one of us. We celebrate the God who has carved our names in the palm of His hand. Under Christ, there is no Greek or Jew, rich or poor, slave or free. There can be only one status – child of God.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for the grace to be able to see each person as a child of God, fellow brethren who share the same heavenly Father, the same Creator. Lord, help us to see others through Your eyes.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for being one of us.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 29 Jun – Acts of the Apostles 12:1-11; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Matthew 16:13-19; Solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul, Apostles
Wed, 30 Jun – Amos 5: 14-15.21-24; Matthew 8:28-34; Memorial for the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church
Thu, 01 Jun – Amos 7:10-17; Matthew 9:1-8
Fri, 02 Jun – Amos 8:4-6.9-12; Matthew 9:9-12
Sat, 03 Jun – Ephesians 2:19-22 John 20:24-29; Feast of St Thomas, Apostle
Sun, 04 Jun – Isaiah 66:10-14; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12.17-20; Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

We celebrate the birthday of John the Baptist, the man specially chosen by God to be the herald and to prepare the people for His coming.

- The Weekday Missal
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Isaiah 49:1-6

Islands, listen to me,
pay attention, remotest peoples.
The Lord called me before I was born,
from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

He made my mouth a sharp sword,
and hid me in the shadow of his hand.
He made me into a sharpened arrow,
and concealed me in his quiver.

He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel)
in whom I shall be glorified’;
while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain,
I have exhausted myself for nothing’;

and all the while my cause was with the Lord,
my reward with my God.
I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord,
my God was my strength.

And now the Lord has spoken,
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
to gather Israel to him:

‘It is not enough for you to be my servant,
to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel;
I will make you the light of the nations
so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’
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Acts of the Apostles 13:22-26

Paul said: ‘God deposed Saul and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose.” To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour, whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel. Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal.”

‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you.’
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Luke 1:57-66.80

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’, and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.
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What will this child turn out to be?

As a child, whenever adults asked me: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I often responded with what I thought the adults wanted to hear. I wanted to be a doctor, I said. Growing up there was a period when I wanted to be an astronomer, but I was quickly dissuaded from it as it’s not possible study astronomy in Singapore.

I continued to love reading about outer space, but I went through much of my growing years without a life ambition. I remember in junior college, being one of three people in my class of 25, who did not have a plan for a future career. When it came to choosing a subject concentration in university, I chose a subject that I was good at, not what I wanted because I still didn’t know what I wanted. By the time I graduated, I still didn’t know, but I did know what I didn’t want – a career in the subject I specialised in!

That was when I set out to discover my vocation in life. It began with exploring the priesthood and religious life. It was a journey that helped me to discover a love for writing, and eventually finding my place in Catholic media.

When I read about John the Baptist, I kind of envy him in a sense. Here was a chap who already had his path in life set out for him. Or was it? John was consecrated for a mission – to prepare the Israelites for the coming of the Christ. I am sure that John must have prayed and thought long and hard about how in the world he was supposed to go about doing this.

We know from historians and scholars that John probably belonged to the Essenes, a Jewish religious group that lived in communities dedicated to asceticism, voluntary poverty, and abstinence from worldly pleasures. But that way of life alone was not enough to determine what was John’s specific calling. I believe John also went through a long and gradual process of discovering his calling in life. But when he found it, he threw himself completely into the work that God had chosen for him, and he was rewarded with the unique honour of having been the one to baptise Jesus Christ.

In following God’s call to my specific vocation, I too have had the unique honour of meeting Christ in others. For that, I am thankful. But my journey has not ended, and neither has yours.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all who are searching for a future. May they listen to what God has in mind for them.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Jesuits who helped me and many others to discern our calling in life.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 25 Jun – 2 Kings 25:1-12; Matthew 8:1-4
Sat, 26 Jun – Lamentations 2:2.10-14.18-19; Matthew 8:5-17
Sun, 27 Jun – 1 Kings 19:16.19-21; Galatians 5:1.13-18;Luke 9:51-62; Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

From his mother’s womb, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and many will rejoice at his birth.

- Entrance Antiphon
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Jeremiah 1:4-10

The word of the Lord was addressed to me, saying,

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
before you came to birth I consecrated you;
I have appointed you as prophet to the nations.’

I said, ‘Ah, Lord; look, I do not know how to speak: I am a child!’

But the Lord replied,
‘Do not say, “I am a child.”
Go now to those to whom I send you
and, say whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to protect you –
it is the Lord who speaks!’

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me:

‘There! I am putting my words into your mouth.
Look, today I am setting you
over nations and over kingdoms,
to tear up and to knock down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’
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1 Peter 1:8-12

You did not see Jesus Christ, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.

It was this salvation that the prophets were looking and searching so hard for; their prophecies were about the grace which was to come to you. The Spirit of Christ which was in them foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would come after them, and they tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances all this was to be expected. It was revealed to them that the news they brought of all the things which have now been announced to you, by those who preached to you the Good News through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, was for you and not for themselves. Even the angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.
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Luke 1:5-17

In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron. Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.

Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there. And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.

Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense. The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear. But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John. He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.’
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Before you came to birth I consecrated you

Have you ever been to a consecration ceremony, say of a new church building, or maybe an altar? In my line of work, I’ve had several opportunities to be present at such an event and, without fail, what strikes me is the thought, “Wow! This [building or altar] is set apart for the use of worshipping God.” That’s what to consecrate means actually – to set something apart specially for the purpose of serving God. Hence a consecrated person means someone who has been set apart specially to serve God.

In today’s gospel reading we see a special event taking place. The angel of God has been dispatched to tell Zechariah that his son to be borne by his barren wife, Elizabeth, has already been consecrated to God before he was born. And the angel gives Zechariah specific instructions on bringing up his child, all in preparation for that special mission which God has in store for him.

That mission given to John the Baptist is to announce the coming of the Christ, and to prepare the way in the hearts of the people to receive Christ into their midst.

Today we celebrate the vigil Mass of the birth of St. John the Baptist. We celebrate it because we see in John what we should see in all of us. We, like John, and like Jeremiah in the first reading, have been consecrated by God from birth. As Christians, we have been set apart for a special mission in life – to spread the Good News and prepare the hearts of non-believers for the day that Christ will come to dwell in their midst.

Perhaps this is why the Catholic Church encourages married couples to have their children baptised at birth, a symbol of the consecration to the service of God. Perhaps this is also why the Church encourages Catholic parents to bring their children up in the Catholic faith. It is not so much so that they will not stray from the Church in future, but because each consecrated person needs to be properly prepared to discover, to accept, and to carry out the mission that God has for him or her – the mission we call our vocation.

Today we keep in mind all young Catholic parents who struggle to bring up their children in the Catholic faith.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for Catholic parents as they prepare the next generation of Catholics who will bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to non-believers, and prepare their hearts to receive Christ.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for having consecrated us from before our birth, setting us aside for that special mission that forms part of His plan for all of us.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 24 Jun – Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts of the Apostles 13:22-26; Luke 1:57-66.80; Solemnity of The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
Fri, 25 Jun – 2 Kings 25:1-12; Matthew 8:1-4
Sat, 26 Jun – Lamentations 2:2.10-14.18-19; Matthew 8:5-17
Sun, 27 Jun – 1 Kings 19:16.19-21; Galatians 5:1.13-18;Luke 9:51-62; Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Heart Of The Shepherd
We celebrate the love of Christ the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep.

- The Sunday Missal

The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus’ physical heart as the representation of His divine love for humanity. The origin of the devotion is derived from a French Catholic nun, St. Marguerite Marie Alacoque, who said she learnt the devotion from Jesus in visions.

The Sacred Heart is often depicted in Christian art as a flaming heart shining with divine light, pierced by the lance-wound, surrounded by a crown of thorns, surmounted by a cross, and bleeding. The wounds and crown of thorns allude to the manner of Jesus’ death, while the fire represents the transformative power of love.

The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart has been in the Catholic liturgical calendar since 1856, and is celebrated 19 days after Pentecost, and always falls on a Friday.

Christ, in His appearances to Margaret Mary, allegedly promised 12 blessings to those who practise devotion to His Sacred Heart. They are:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge in life and especially in death.
5. I will abundantly bless all their undertakings
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise speedily to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.
10. I will give to priests the power to touch the most hardened hearts.
11. Persons who propagate this devotion shall have their names eternally written in my Heart.
12. In the excess of the mercy of my Heart, I promise you that my all powerful love will grant to all those who will receive Communion on the first Fridays, for nine consecutive months, the grace of final repentance: they will not die in my displeasure, nor without receiving the sacraments; and my Heart will be their secure refuge in that last hour.

- Wikipedia
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Ezekiel 34:11-16

The Lord God says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view. As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from wherever they have been scattered during the mist and darkness. I shall bring them out of the countries where they are; I shall gather them together from foreign countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in every inhabited place in the land. I shall feed them in good pasturage; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing ground; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest–it is the Lord who speaks. I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them.
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Romans 5:5-11

The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man – though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die – but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.
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Luke 5:3-7

Jesus spoke this parable to the scribes and Pharisees:

‘What man among you with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it, would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call together his friends and neighbours? “Rejoice with me,” he would say “I have found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous men who have no need of repentance.’
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I shall be a true shepherd to them.

I believe that the greatest grief that any child can render to their parents is through the act of disowning them. It may seem rude and demonstrate a lack of filial piety but indeed such is the same amount of heart pain and grief that we cause whenever we commit offences and grief against the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

God loves us so much but through the sin of Adam, we lost that original friendship that God desired for us. Nonetheless at the appropriate time, God sent His only Son to come and show us the way to restore this relationship.

It is strange that despite all these actions and commandments, we as creatures of God choose to ignore and disregard them and persist in our sinful actions. However God’s love is always waiting for us to return to Him and our choice of not doing so will be our own accusation at our death. God’s divine mercy is always present but restitution also needs to be made to His Divine Justice.

The image of God the true shepherd is indeed a comforting one for it reminds us that God is always watching out for us. While sometimes we may wander off in our own sinful ways, He always puts before us a way to return to the fold. I invite you to take a moment to think of the many times that you have wilfully chosen to wander away from God and ask God for forgiveness to make repatriation to His Sacred Heart who has suffered from all these wounds.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Jesus, we pray for the many graces to continue to be Your faithful children.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the 12 promises that the devotion to the Sacred Heart will bring about.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 12 Jun – Isaiah 61:9-11; Luke 2:41-51; Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sun, 06 Jun – 2 Samuel 12:7-10; Galatians 2:16.19-21; Luke 7:36-8:3; Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Priesthood Of Melchizedek
Like Melchizedek of old we bring bread and wine to the altar and Christ transforms it into His own Body and Blood for the life of the multitude of the redeemed.

- The Sunday Missal
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Genesis 14:18-20

Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. He pronounced this blessing:

‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, creator of heaven and earth,
and blessed be God Most High for handing over your enemies to you.’

And Abram gave him a tithe of everything.
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1 Corinthians 11:23-26

This is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death.
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Luke 9:11-17

Jesus made the crowds welcome and talked to them about the kingdom of God; and he cured those who were in need of healing.

It was late afternoon when the Twelve came to him and said, ‘Send the people away, and they can go to the villages and farms round about to find lodging and food; for we are in a lonely place here.’ He replied, ‘Give them something to eat yourselves.’ But they said, ‘We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we are to go ourselves and buy food for all these people’ For there were about five thousand men. But he said to his disciples, ‘Get them to sit down in parties of about fifty.’ They did so and made them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, raised his eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them; then he broke them and handed them to his disciples to distribute among the crowd. They all ate as much as they wanted, and when the scraps remaining were collected they filled twelve baskets.
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Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, raised His eyes to heaven, and said the blessing over them

I noticed that during the Consecration during the Mass, some celebrants look upwards and I often wonder what is going through their heads. Many times I have looked back to see whether there are any words on the ceiling or perhaps they were experiencing a vision I could not see. I have been disappointed all the time as I only get to see white ceiling. Over the years, however, I have learnt that they are fulfilling their role as the mediator between heaven and earth.

Today’s feast reminds us of the importance of the Holy Eucharist in our lives. It should serve as a wake-up call for all those who take the Eucharist for granted. The historical significance for this feast dates back to the year 1263 where Pope Urban IV had to investigate claims of a Eucharistic miracle of a bleeding Host.

I ask the reader to take a moment to think back on the times when they have doubted the presence of Christ during the Consecration and in their lives. Such doubts may strengthen our faith but we should not let them be entrenched in our lives such that we begin to lose our faith in God.

Like Jesus who gave thanks to God the Father before He performed the miracles of the loaves, we need to also give thanks to God for the trials that come into our lives. It is certainly not easy but we have the Eucharist to strengthen us. Every time we receive Holy Communion, let us ask God to be the centre of our lives and free us from all doubt and fear.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Jesus, let your Presence in the Eucharist makes us grow in holiness.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the vocation of Holy Orders.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 07 Jun – 1 Kings 17:1-6; Matthew 5:1-12
Tue, 08 Jun – 1 Kings 17:7-16; Matthew 5:13-16
Wed, 09 Jun – 1 Kings 18:20-39; Matthew 5:17-19; Memorial for St Ephrem, Deacon & Doctor of the Church
Thu, 10 Jun – 1 Kings 18:41-46; Matthew 5:20-26
Fri, 11 Jun – Ezekiel 34:11-16; Romans 5:5-11; Luke 15:3-7; Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
Sat, 12 Jun – Isaiah 61:9-11; Luke 2:41-51; Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Sun, 06 Jun – 2 Samuel 12:7-10; Galatians 2:16.19-21; Luke 7:36-8:3; Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time

This day is called the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary because on it Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, whom, as the angel had told her, God had blessed with a son in her old age.

- Patron Saint Index
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Zephaniah 3:14-18

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,
Israel, shout aloud!
Rejoice, exult with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem!
The Lord has repealed your sentence;
he has driven your enemies away.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;
you have no more evil to fear.
When that day comes, word will come to Jerusalem:
Zion, have no fear,
do not let your hands fall limp.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.
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Luke 1:39-56

Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

And Mary said:

‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my saviour;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
– according to the promise he made to our ancestors –
of his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
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The Lord, the king of Israel is in your midst

I always look forward to checking the letters in the mailbox and the emails that come into my inbox because they carry a message for me. It could be a message that I may be looking out for or information that will better my life. As I reflect upon today’s readings, I cannot help but wonder at how similar a letter and Mary’s visitation is.

Both had a message for the recipient and the message that Mary brought to Elizabeth was one of joy and hope. Mary made the journey to visit her cousin Elizabeth to rejoice over the latter’s conception of John the Baptist. In return, the fetal John the Baptist rejoiced at the arrival of the Jesus in the womb of Mary for Mary was the vessel in which the Good News was to be brought into the world.

World communication today is getting faster with the ability for information to reach us even in the most remote places yet we often feel unfulfilled and unhappy at the message that comes to us because either it means more work for us or it brings forth more trouble.

Perhaps it will be good for us to consider how we can be like Mary and bring Jesus to all around us so that the people of us would be rejoicing that they have heard the Word of God in their midst. Through a life of prayer and contemplation, our actions will bring forth works that are life-giving and great hope to all around us. While I hope that these people save me from the embarrassment of shouting in joy upon receiving the message of Good News, it is not within my control to deny the expression of joy of God in His servants.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Mother Mary, hear our prayer as we trust ourselves to your protection.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for those whom follow Mary’s example and bring the joy of God to all around them.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 01 Jun – 2 Peter 3:12-15.1-18; Mark 12:13-17; Memorial for St Justin, Martyr
Wed, 02 Jun – 2 Timothy 1:1-3.6-12; Mark 12:18-27; Memorial for Ss Marcellinus & Peter, Martyrs
Thu, 03 Jun – 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Mark 12:28-34; Memorial of Ss Charles Lwanaga & Companions, Martyrs
Fri, 04 Jun – 2 Timothy 3:10-17; Mark 12:35-37
Sat, 05 Jun – 2 Timothy 4:1-8; Mark 12:38-44; Memorial for St Boniface, Bishop & Martyr
Sun, 06 Jun – Genesis 14:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Luke 9:11-17; Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord (Corpus Christi)

There are two alternatives for today’s second reading and Gospel passage, namely the ones designated for Year C and those normally used in Year A. Both are acceptable options. Today’s OXYGEN uses the readings for Year A.

The Day Of Pentecost
Today we celebrate the great day of Pentecost when Christ filled the Church with the power of His Spirit and sent it out into the world to bring His peace, joy and forgiveness to all mankind.

- The Sunday Missal
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Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11

When Pentecost day came round, they had all met in one room, when suddenly they heard what sounded like a powerful wind from heaven, the noise of which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak foreign languages as the Spirit gave them the gift of speech.

Now there were devout men living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled, each one bewildered to hear these men speaking his own language. They were amazed and astonished. ‘Surely’ they said ‘all these men speaking are Galileans? How does it happen that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; people from Mesopotamia, Judaea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya round Cyrene; as well as visitors from Rome – Jews and proselytes alike – Cretans and Arabs; we hear them preaching in our own language about the marvels of God.’
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1 Corinthians 12:3-7.12-13

No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ unless he is under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them. The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose. Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit because all these parts, though many, make one body, so it is with Christ. In the one Spirit we were all baptised, Jews as well as Greeks, slaves as well as citizens, and one Spirit was given to us all to drink.
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John 20:19-23

In the evening of the first day of the week, the doors were closed in the room where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood among them. He said to them, ‘Peace be with you’, and showed them his hands and his side. The disciples were filled with joy when they saw the Lord, and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you.

‘As the Father sent me,
so am I sending you.’

After saying this he breathed on them and said:

‘Receive the Holy Spirit.
For those whose sins you forgive,
they are forgiven;
for those whose sins you retain,
they are retained.’
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The particular way in which the Spirit is given to each person is for a good purpose.

I have a T-shirt in my wardrobe that reads “Same Same but Different” which I bought in one of my overseas trips. What struck me about the tagline was that despite the massive consumerism we witness in this world, most products are similar. For example, a popular line of handphones may sell covers of different colours but the important features that differentiate the phone remains similar. In the same way, the readings of today tell us that the motivation behind our actions is similar despite the variety of ways in which they manifest themselves.

It is certainly remarkable to see how people of diverse talents and interests can gather together in one building to ensure an active participation in the Mass by the congregation. We need to be careful that we do not fall into the sin of vain-glory where the motivation of our actions but that it is driven by the Holy Spirit.

The test for us to determine whether our actions are genuine will stem from the boldness that we carry out our actions. Others can tell whether our actions are derived from love or pride. We need to engage in our own silent prayer where we listen to what God is calling us to do and be brave enough to follow this through.

This task is certainly not easy but the Holy Spirit will always guide us in our actions and be our Comforter. The first step is for us to take and when we do so, God will certainly keep us safe.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Jesus, let us be bold witnesses of your love.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the things that we take for granted.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 24 May – 1 Peter 1:3-9; Mark 10:17-27
Tue, 25 May – 1 Peter 1:10-16; Mark 10:28-31; Memorial for St Bede the Venerable, Priest & Doctor of the Church; Memorial for St Gregory VII, Pope; Memorial for St Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin
Wed, 26 May – 1 Peter 1:18-25; Mark 10:32-45; Memorial for St Philip Neri, Priest
Thu, 27 May – 1 Peter 2:2-5.9-12; Mark 10:46-52; Memorial for St Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop
Fri, 28 May – 1 Peter 4:7-13; Mark 11:11-26
Sat, 29 May – Jude 17:20-25; John 11:27-33
Sun, 30 May – Proverbs 8:22-31; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15; Solemnity of the Most Blessed Trinity

The Spirit Of Life
The Spirit gives unity to our separation, life to our dry bones, hope to our weakness. By the work of the Spirit we are renewed.

- The Sunday Missal
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Genesis 11:1-9

Throughout the earth men spoke the same language, with the same vocabulary. Now as they moved eastwards they found a plain in the land of Shinar where they settled. They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them in the fire.’ (For stone they used bricks, and for mortar they used bitumen). ‘Come,’ they said ‘let us build ourselves a town and a tower with its top reaching heaven. Let us make a name for ourselves, so that we may not be scattered about the whole earth.’

Now the Lord came down to see the town and the tower that the sons of man had built. ‘So they are all a single people with a single language!’ said the Lord. ‘This is but the start of their undertakings! There will be nothing too hard for them to do. Come, let us go down and confuse their language on the spot so that they can no longer understand one another.’ The Lord scattered them thence over the whole face of the earth, and they stopped building the town. It was named Babel therefore, because there the Lord confused the language of the whole earth. It was from there that the Lord scattered them over the whole face of the earth.
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Romans 8:22-27

From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free. For we must be content to hope that we shall be saved – our salvation is not in sight, we should not have to be hoping for it if it were – but, as I say, we must hope to be saved since we are not saved yet – it is something we must wait for with patience.
The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God.
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John 7:37-39

On the last day and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood there and cried out:

‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to me!
Let the man come and drink who believes in me!’

As scripture says: From his breast shall flow fountains of living water.

He was speaking of the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive; for there was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
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It was from there that the Lord scattered them over the whole face of the earth.

My friends who had attended World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney were telling me the cacophony of languages present in the venue where they were gathered to attend the Mass that the Pope presided over. It touched the hearts of some of them as they wondered how God’s Holy Spirit has moved throughout the Earth and drawn children from different countries to profess the same faith. I guess that this must be due to the motivations in which these followers have chosen to motivate their actions.

The first reading tells us that it was out of pride and self-love that the people began to construct the tower of Babel. They wanted to erect a physical monument to bear witness to their greatness. In our world today, we often erect structures of pride in the form of prestige, position and power in the workplace and sadly, of all places, in the Church.

These man-made creations certainly have no place in the Christian faith and certainly go against the will of God. The first reading tells us that God decided to confuse men’s language so as to destroy their pride and so it is if we begin any movement without putting God in the centre of our actions.

The second reading reminds us that God’s Holy Spirit is there to assist us if we have difficulty praying. This is especially comforting in times of distress when our words fail to convey the depth of our emotions. It is when we finally realise that we cannot control everything and we surrender our will to God that the Holy Spirit can take charge of our life.

As a friend in the aviation industry once remarked to me, the auto-pilot (our own will and desires) needs to be switched off before the real pilot (God the Holy Spirit) can take over. Only when we surrender our will and let God take control will we be able to taste the sweetness in the fountains of living waters flowing out of Jesus’ breast.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the many talents that the Holy Spirit has given to us to sanctify the world.

Upcoming Readings:
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 1:15-17.20-26

One day Peter stood up to speak to the brothers – there were about a hundred and twenty persons in the congregation: ‘Brothers, the passage of scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit, speaking through David, foretells the fate of Judas, who offered himself as a guide to the men who arrested Jesus – after having been one of our number and actually sharing this ministry of ours. Now in the Book of Psalms it says:

Let his camp be reduced to ruin,
Let there be no one to live in it.

And again:

Let someone else take his office.

‘We must therefore choose someone who has been with us the whole time that the Lord Jesus was travelling round with us, someone who was with us right from the time when John was baptising until the day when he was taken up from us – and he can act with us as a witness to his resurrection.’

Having nominated two candidates, Joseph known as Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias, they prayed, ‘Lord, you can read everyone’s heart; show us therefore which of these two you have chosen to take over this ministry and apostolate, which Judas abandoned to go to his proper place.’ They then drew lots for them, and as the lot fell to Matthias, he was listed as one of the twelve apostles.
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John 15:9-17

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘As the Father has loved me,
so I have loved you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.
I have told you this
so that my own joy may be in you
and your joy be complete.
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.’
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Then they drew lots for them…

As a child, when I first went with my Chinese relatives to celebrate Cheng Meng (tomb-sweeping day), a Chinese cultural practice of honouring the day, I remember offering some items in honour of the deceased, and afterwards, we would jostle a couple of sticks. If they landed in a certain way, then the dead was pleased with our offering. At that time, I remember thinking – isn’t it a matter of luck?

When I first read the passage in today’s first reading, I was quite surprised to find out that the apostles drew lots for Judas’ replacement. Isn’t that a matter of luck? To my surprise, I found out that throughout the Old Testament, drawing lots or using some form of seemingly luck-based method has often been used to determine God’s will.

The difference between drawing lots in the case of choosing Matthias, and say drawing lots in a lottery, is the intent. In this case, prayer accompanied the drawing of lots. The apostles did their best to narrow down the available choices, and then they prayed to God to reveal His will as to who should replace Judas. They drew lots and in this manner, allowed God to reveal His will.
And God chose Matthias.

As a replacement for Judas and in being one of the Twelve Apostles, Matthias therefore shared in the same mission as the other eleven Apostles – to go out and bear fruit that lasts, and to love one another.

Whenever we celebrate Mass, we remember our baptismal promises, and we remember that like the apostles, God has chosen us by virtue of our baptism to go out and bear fruit, and to love one another.

Let us spend some moments in quiet today as we recall how we have lived out this commandment.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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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:
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

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

Philip was a disciple of St. John the Baptist, and a convert. He was one of the Twelve Apostles, and brought St. Nathanael to Christ. He was a confidant of Jesus’. Little is known about him, but scriptural episodes give the impression of a shy, naïve, but practical individual. He preached in Greece and Asia Minor, and died a martyr for the faith.

- Patron Saint Index

James the Lesser was the cousin of Jesus, and brother of St. Jude Thaddeus. He was raised in a Jewish home of the time with all the training in Scripture and Law that was part of that life. He was a convert, and one of the Twelve Apostles. He was one of the first to have visions of the risen Christ.

He was the first bishop of Jerusalem. He met with St. Paul the Apostle to work out Paul’s plans for evangelization. He supported the position that Gentile converts did not have to obey all Jewish religious law, though he continued to observe it himself as part of his heritage. He may have been a vegetarian. He was a just and apostolic man known for his prayer life and devotion to the poor.

He was martyred for his faith in c.62 when he was thrown from a pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem, and then stoned and beaten with clubs while praying for his attackers. Having been beaten to death, a club almost immediately became his symbol, leading to his patronage of fullers and pharmacists, both of whom use clubs in their professions.

He is reported to have spent so much time in prayer that his knees thickened, and looked like a camel’s. Soon after the Crucifixion, James said he would fast until Christ returned; the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, and fixed a meal for James Himself.

- Patron Saint Index
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1 Corinthians 15:1-8

Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established; because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you – believing anything else will not lead to anything.

Well then, in the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve. Next he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died; then he appeared to James, and then to all the apostles; and last of all he appeared to me too; it was as though I was born when no one expected it.
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John 14:6-14

Jesus said to Thomas:

‘I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one can come to the Father except through me.
If you know me, you know my Father too.
From this moment you know him and have seen him.’

Philip said, ‘Lord, let us see the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’

‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip,’ said Jesus to him ‘and you still do not know me?

‘To have seen me is to have seen the Father,
so how can you say, “Let us see the Father”?
Do you not believe
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?
The words I say to you I do not speak as from myself:
it is the Father, living in me, who is doing this work.
You must believe me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;
believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever believes in me
will perform the same works as I do myself,
he will perform even greater works,
because I am going to the Father.
Whatever you ask for in my name I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask for anything in my name,
I will do it.’
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… because the gospel will save you only if you keep believing exactly what I preached to you

I recall with great fondness of how in my childhood days my grandmother would tell me of the many historical encounters she had during World War II and how they manage to survive the post-war period of turbulence and confusion. Her memories are kept alive in the persons of my father, my uncles and aunties, despite her being illiterate. There was an element of oral tradition that is similar to what St. Paul mentions in the first reading of today.

St. Paul acquired his immense scripture knowledge through his own intellectual formation and through the sharing of the teaching of Jesus by the apostles. He always admitted that he was the last to have Jesus appear to him and that he considers it a privilege. This is something worthy for us to consider especially in what we hear in the Gospel reading of today where Philip asks Jesus to let the apostles see the Father. There is a seemingly lack of faith even right until the Last Supper from what we read. Jesus gently chides Philip by revealing to him that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are one and that to see one is to see the other.

I would like to invite the reader to apply this in our lives as we go about our actions. Perhaps we can reach a stage where those around us can say that to see us is to see what Christianity stands for. It is not easy for us to reach that stage but we should try. The process will in itself bring light to all around us and enable us to discover that the apostles spread the message not only through word but through their actions. It is such behaviour that we should strive to emulate and embody in our whole life as a Christian.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: St. Philip and St. James, pray for us

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the examples of Saints to guide us in our actions.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 04 May – Acts of the Apostles 14: 19-28; John 14: 27-31
Wed, 05 May – Acts of the Apostles 15:1-6; John 15:1-8
Thu, 06 May – Acts of the Apostles 15:7-21; John 15:9-11
Fri, 07 May – Acts of the Apostles 15:22-31; John 15:12-17
Sat, 08 May – Acts of the Apostles 16:1-10; John 15:18-21
Sun, 09 May – Acts of the Apostles 15:1-2.22-29; Revelations 21:10-14; John 14:23-29; Sixth Sunday of Easter

The annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Gabriel the archangel that she was to be the Mother of God (Luke 1), the Word being made flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The feast probably originated about the time of the Council of Ephesus (c. 431), and is first mentioned in the Sacramentary of Pope Gelasius (d. 496).

The Annunciation has been a key topic in Christian art in general, as well as in Roman Catholic Marian art, particularly during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. It is represented in art by many masters, among them Fra Angelico, Hubert Van Eyck, Ghirlandajo, Holbein the Elder, Lippi, Pinturicchio, and Del Sarto.

This feast is celebrated on Mar 25, nine months before the feast of the Nativity of Jesus (Christmas) on Dec 25.

The Annunciation is also mentioned twice in the Quran, the holy book for the Muslims.

- Patron Saint Index, Wikipedia
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Isaiah 7:10-14;8:10

The Lord spoke to Ahaz and said, ‘Ask the Lord your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.’ ‘No,’ Ahaz answered ‘I will not put the Lord to the test.’

Then he said:
Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men
without trying the patience of my God, too?
The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means ‘God is with us.’
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Hebrews 10:4-10

Bulls’ blood and goats’ blood are useless for taking away sins, and this is what Christ said, on coming into the world:

You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,
prepared a body for me.
You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;
then I said,
just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,
‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’

Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.
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Luke 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.
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…let what you have said be done to me.

Once upon a time, a young man who was discerning whether he had a vocation to the priesthood was praying in a chapel. He had made up his mind that he would open up the Bible and the first verse that caught his eye would be the one that would determine his actions. The first time he opened the Bible, his eye fell on the verse: “The Son of Man is destined to suffer grievously…” The young aspirant closed the Bible and consoled himself by saying that surely God could not have meant this passage for him. Again he strove once more to open up his Bible and the young man fainted when he saw the verse: “Go and do likewise.”

In our daily lives, we often believe that what we want is often what God wants for us. This means that our prayers would often be petitions that would seek to benefit us materially. Like the abovementioned young man, we often discover that God has different plans for us. It is with this theme in mind that we should approach the readings of today. Mary’s obedience to God’s plans required her to submit her will to God. This is not as easy as it looks. I am sure all of us can recount a time where we have refused to listen either to our parents, teachers and those who are in authority over us because their demands did not coincide with what we wanted in our lives.

This is where the evangelical counsel of obedience comes into our life. A counsel, as opposed to a precept, is a choice made by a believer to choose a particular way of life to become closer to achieving the goal of Christian perfection. In contrast, a precept is a mandatory commandment of God that we must obey.

Mary’s submission of her will to God is now remembered by all who recited the Angelus. It reminds us of the need to die to our selves and follow the words of the Psalmist in today’s readings: “You do not ask for sacrifice and offerings, but an open ear.” Let us open up our ears to hear the voice of God in the silence of our hearts.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Lord, help us to draw closer to Your will through the giving up of worldly pleasures.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for those who have publicly professed their intention to live out the evangelical counsels.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 26 Mar – Jeremiah 20:10-13; John 10:31-42
Sat, 27 Mar – Ezekiel 37:21-28; John 11:45-56
Sun, 28 Mar – Isaiah 50:4-7; Philippians 2:6-11; Luke 22:14-23.56 (or 23:1-49); Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion