Ezekiel 37:21-28

The Lord says this: ‘I am going to take the sons of Israel from the nations where they have gone. I shall gather them together from everywhere and bring them home to their own soil. I shall make them into one nation in my own land and on the mountains of Israel, and one king is to be king of them all; they will no longer form two nations, nor be two separate kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and their filthy practices and all their sins. I shall rescue them from all the betrayals they have been guilty of; I shall cleanse them; they shall be my people and I will be their God. My servant David will reign over them, one shepherd for all; they will follow my observances, respect my laws and practise them. They will live in the land that I gave my servant Jacob, the land in which your ancestors lived. They will live in it, they, their children, their children’s children, for ever. David my servant is to be their prince for ever. I shall make a covenant of peace with them, an eternal covenant with them. I shall resettle them and increase them; I shall settle my sanctuary among them for ever. I shall make my home above them; I will be their God, they shall be my people. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord, the sanctifier of Israel, when my sanctuary is with them for ever.’
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John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him, but some of them went to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees called a meeting. ‘Here is this man working all these signs’ they said ‘and what action are we taking? If we let him go on in this way everybody will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy the Holy Place and our nation.’ One of them, Caiaphas, the high priest that year, said, ‘You do not seem to have grasped the situation at all; you fail to see that it is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed.’ He did not speak in his own person, it was as high priest that he made this prophecy that Jesus was to die for the nation – and not for the nation only, but to gather together in unity the scattered children of God. From that day they were determined to kill him. So Jesus no longer went about openly among the Jews, but left the district for a town called Ephraim, in the country bordering on the desert, and stayed there with his disciples.

The Jewish Passover drew near, and many of the country people who had gone up to Jerusalem to purify themselves looked out for Jesus, saying to one another as they stood about in the Temple, ‘What do you think? Will he come to the festival or not?’
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They will no longer form two nations, nor be two separate kingdoms

More so than the other synoptic gospels, there is something very special about the Gospel according to John. It was written much later than the other synoptic gospels which sought to pass on the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ. John’s gospel, however, sought to delve into the meaning behind the Good News, and the person of Jesus and His actions. So whenever we read John’s gospel, we need to be reminded that John used a lot of symbolism in the language, and that the Jesus in his version of the gospel was very often more concerned about the spiritual realm than about the physical realm.

In today’s first reading, Ezekiel prophesies that God will bring the nation of Israel together under one rule. Taken literally, most, if not all, prophecies do not come true. This is because prophecies are made with a deeper meaning behind them, often understood only on hindsight. And, on hindsight, Ezekiel was not referring to the nation of Israel at all, but rather, the kingdom of Heaven – the universal Church.

In the gospel reading, Caiaphas was concerned about protecting the physical temple and the physical nation. But speaking as high priest of the Jews, he too made a prophesy, that is, he spoke for God, in a message that is in line with Ezekiel’s in the first reading – that God would bring His scattered people together through the death of Jesus.

But is it true that Christianity teaches that the spirit is good and the body is bad? For this is what I seem to be saying here today. No, this is not true, but still many people believe in this. In recent years, there has been an interest in what is known as Theology of the Body, which teaches us to find God in the body. It reminds us that as humans, we are neither body alone nor spirit alone. Rather, we are embodied spirits.

Likewise, the Church today is more than just a spiritual entity that exists mystically. It also exists physically as an institution and, like us humans – for the Church is made up of humans – the physical institution has many flaws, so many that some of us have become disillusioned with it over time.

“This is not what the Church should be,” we protest. But often we forget that the Church is a pilgrim Church. It is a work-in-progress. Ezekiel’s prophesy has not yet come to pass. God is still working within and without the Church to bring together all His scattered people through the person of Jesus Christ.

Let us then keep in mind today, the many Christians who are disillusioned with the Church, that we may love and accept the Church for all its flaws and weaknesses, as we accept ourselves and our loved ones for all our flaws and weaknesses.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus, I ask You to forgive me when I sin against Your Church, for it is Your Body that I am doing harm towards.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the phase of disillusionment that most church workers go through, for it helps strengthen and deepen our faith in God.

Upcoming Readings:
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

Jeremiah 20:10-13

Jeremiah said:
I hear so many disparaging me,
‘“Terror from every side!”
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!’
All those who used to be my friends
watched for my downfall,
‘Perhaps he will be seduced into error.
Then we will master him
and take our revenge!’
But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero;
my opponents will stumble, mastered,
confounded by their failure;
everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs.
But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice,
who scrutinise the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
Sing to the Lord,
praise the Lord,
for he has delivered the soul of the needy
from the hands of evil men.
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John 10:31-42

The Jews fetched stones to stone him, so Jesus said to them, ‘I have done many good works for you to see, works from my Father; for which of these are you stoning me?’ The Jews answered him, ‘We are not stoning you for doing a good work but for blasphemy: you are only a man and you claim to be God.’ Jesus answered:

‘Is it not written in your Law:
I said, you are gods?
So the Law uses the word gods
of those to whom the word of God was addressed,
and scripture cannot be rejected.
Yet you say to someone the Father has consecrated and sent into the world,
“You are blaspheming,”
because he says, “I am the son of God.”
If I am not doing my Father’s work,
there is no need to believe me;
but if I am doing it,
then even if you refuse to believe in me,
at least believe in the work I do;
then you will know for sure
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’

They wanted to arrest him then, but he eluded them.

He went back again to the far side of the Jordan to stay in the district where John had once been baptising. Many people who came to him there said, ‘John gave no signs, but all he said about this man was true’; and many of them believed in him.
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Denounce him! Let us denounce him!

In the news recently, at the time of writing this reflection, Senior Pastor Rony Tan was called up by the Internal Security Department investigation video clips found on the megachurch’s website. The video clips showed the Christian pastor of Lighthouse Evangelism interviewing two church members who were ex-Buddhists. The pastor’s comments were deemed highly inappropriate and unacceptable by the Ministry of Home affairs as they “trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists”. The pastor has since issued a public apology and removed the video clips from the website.

In a sense, my heart goes out to Pastor Rony Tan. Here is a man who strongly believes in what he believes and speaks it. But due to the pressure put on him, he is forced to relent and apologise. Whatever is going on inside of him must be tearing him up. On the one hand, this is something he truly believes in. On the other hand, he could be in serious trouble should he continue to speak what he believes.

In another instance, a friend of mine was recently asked to leave the Catholic organisation where he has worked for a number of years. The reason given was the inability to work with others. In truth, it was because he felt that the direction that the organisation was taking went against his beliefs, which he believes to be Catholic. In other words, the Catholic organisation, he believes, is betraying its beliefs. So he spoke up and suffered the consequences of being asked to leave.
In both of today’s readings, Jeremiah and Jesus get into trouble with the authorities of their time for speaking out publicly what they believe to be God’s word. Jeremiah was a prophet heavily persecuted by the government of his time, and Jesus was the Son of God put to death. They stuck to their beliefs and suffered for it.

The crux of today’s readings is found in the determination of the two persons in their desire to speak God’s word as revealed to them, although Jeremiah was more reluctant. Both believed that God would save them, and both placed their hopes in God. For Jesus, there was something more. He said to the people who called Him a blasphemer: If you don’t believe in me, then at least believe in my good deeds.

Most of us, in our lifetimes, will not be able to determine whether what we believe in is really right or wrong. We have guides, moral or otherwise, in the form of laws, the Church and her teachings, and authoritative figures. Ultimately however, what one person believes in is probably different from what another believes in, even if both happen to come from the same religion, because our perception of it can be quite different.

The question I ask of you today is: How much are you willing to suffer for what you believe in? What will you compromise when pressurised by others and by the authorities?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we are weak-willed human beings and we ask for Your Holy Spirit to fill us with courage whenever we are being persecuted for what we believe in.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord that, for the most part, we live in countries in which we are free to practise our faith.

Upcoming Readings:
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

Daniel 3:14-20.24-25.28

King Nebuchadnezzar said, ‘Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, is it true that you do not serve my gods, and that you refuse to worship the golden statue I have erected? When you hear the sound of horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, or any other instrument, are you prepared to prostrate yourselves and worship the statue I have made? If you refuse to worship it, you must be thrown straight away into the burning fiery furnace; and where is the god who could save you from my power?’ Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ‘Your question hardly requires an answer: if our God, the one we serve, is able to save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your power, O king, he will save us; and even if he does not, then you must know, O king, that we will not serve your god or worship the statue you have erected.’ These words infuriated King Nebuchadnezzar; his expression was very different now as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He gave orders for the furnace to be made seven times hotter than usual, and commanded certain stalwarts from his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the burning fiery furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar sprang to his feet in amazement. He said to his advisers, ‘Did we not have these three men thrown bound into the fire?’ They replied, ‘Certainly, O king.’ ‘But,’ he went on ‘I can see four men walking about freely in the heart of the fire without coming to any harm. And the fourth looks like a son of the gods.’

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, ‘Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: he has sent his angel to rescue the servants who, putting their trust in him, defied the order of the king, and preferred to forfeit their bodies rather than serve or worship any god but their own.’
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John 8:31-42

To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said:

‘If you make my word your home
you will indeed be my disciples,
you will learn the truth
and the truth will make you free.’

They answered, ‘We are descended from Abraham and we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, “You will be made free”?’ Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
everyone who commits sin is a slave.
Now the slave’s place in the house is not assured,
but the son’s place is assured.
So if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.
I know that you are descended from Abraham;
but in spite of that you want to kill me
because nothing I say has penetrated into you.
What I, for my part, speak of
is what I have seen with my Father;
but you, you put into action
the lessons learnt from your father.’

They repeated, ‘Our father is Abraham.’ Jesus said to them:

‘If you were Abraham’s children,
you would do as Abraham did.
As it is, you want to kill me
when I tell you the truth
as I have learnt it from God;
that is not what Abraham did.
What you are doing is what your father does.’

‘We were not born of prostitution,’ they went on ‘we have one father: God.’ Jesus answered:

‘If God were your father, you would love me,
since I have come here from God;
yes, I have come from him;
not that I came because I chose,
no, I was sent, and by him.’
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If God were your father, you would love me

In neighbouring Malaysia, there has been an ongoing battle between the Church and the government over who has the right to use the word “Allah” which means “God”. The government says that only Muslims have the right to use it, while the Church says that Malay and Arab Christians have been using the word for centuries.

To an observer, it is clear that it is all about politics for the Malaysian government, who want to win the support of the Muslim majority by sidelining the Christian minority. It is an example of an insecure government that needs to politicise religion in order to win favour.
In today’s first reading, King Nebuchadnezzer has set himself up as the god of his country. He demands that all those under his rule worship him as god, and all who refuse are eliminated. The three young men in the passage refuse, choosing to worship the real God who they know is not Nebuchadnezzer. As a result of their choice to obey God at even the cost of their lives, their faith was justified and even Nebuchadnezzer came to realise that the God of the three young men is real, alive, and actively working in their lives.

In the gospel passage, Jesus points out to the Jews, that despite being descended from Abraham, they do not share his heart or his spirit. That is to say, the God that they worship is not the true God. This is seen in their actions of wanting to eliminate Jesus, just as King Nebuchadnezzer wanted to eliminate the three young men who refused to worship him. Their insecurity leads them to want to commit an act that is in direct disobedience to one of God’s commandments – do not kill.

In Christianity, obedience is vital. It was Adam’s disobedience to God that brought about Man’s fall. It was Abraham’s obedience to God that justified his faith. And it was Mary’s and Jesus’ obedience to God that redeemed mankind.

Today, let us take some time to ponder on whether or not we too have been insecure in our faith in God and thus chosen to disobey His commandments? Have we used religion towards our own ends or towards God’s ends?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for all Christians who fail to see how they are misusing their religion and ask for the Holy Spirit to enlighten us in the error of our ways, for the Father to forgive us, and for the Son to show us the way.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for Christians who inspire us through their obedience to God.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 25 Mar – Isaiah 7:10-14;8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38; Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
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

St. Turibius (1538-1606) was born a noble and became a lawyer, and then a professor of law at Salamanca. He was ordained in 1578, and was a judge of the Court of the Inquisition at Granada. He was later appointed Archbishop of Lima, Peru on May 15, 1579. He founded the first seminary in the Western hemisphere, and fought for the rights of the natives against the Spanish masters. He also organized councils and synods in the New World.

Prayer to St. Turibius
Lord, through the apostolic work of St. Turibius and his unwavering love of truth, you helped your Church to grow. May your chosen people continue to grow in faith and holiness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

- Patron Saint Index
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Numbers 21:4-9

The Israelites left Mount Hor by the road to the Sea of Suph, to skirt the land of Edom. On the way the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in this wilderness? For there is neither bread nor water here; we are sick of this unsatisfying food.’

At this God sent fiery serpents among the people; their bite brought death to many in Israel. The people came and said to Moses, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us with the Lord to save us from these serpents.’ Moses interceded for the people, and the Lord answered him, ‘Make a fiery serpent and put it on a standard. If anyone is bitten and looks at it, he shall live.’ So Moses fashioned a bronze serpent which he put on a standard, and if anyone was bitten by a serpent, he looked at the bronze serpent and lived.
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John 8:21-30

Again Jesus said to the Pharisees:

‘I am going away;
you will look for me
and you will die in your sin.
Where I am going, you cannot come.’
The Jews said to one another, ‘Will he kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ Jesus went on:

‘You are from below; I am from above.
You are of this world; I am not of this world.
I have told you already:
You will die in your sins.
Yes, if you do not believe that I am He,
you will die in your sins.’

So they said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus answered:

‘What I have told you from the outset.
About you I have much to say
and much to condemn;
but the one who sent me is truthful,
and what I have learnt from him
I declare to the world.’

They failed to understand that he was talking to them about the Father. So Jesus said:

‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will know that I am He
and that I do nothing of myself:
what the Father has taught me is what I preach;
he who sent me is with me,
and has not left me to myself,
for I always do what pleases him.’

As he was saying this, many came to believe in him.
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We are sick of this unsatisfying food

I like eating instant noodles. There was one time when I was living alone and for two weeks, I ate instant noodles for every meal, and after that, I was sick of it. That’s when I learnt how to make ‘giam chye arh’ – salted vegetable in duck soup. I ate that with rice for the rest of the period, and it was good. I have since been asked to cook it for family dinners, but I only eat it once in a while. Guess we can’t have too much of a good thing.

When the Israelites left Egypt, they had meat in the form of quail, and bread in the form of manna, to eat every day. Understandably, they got sick of eating the same food every day and complained about it. But when fiery serpents came to their camp, they realised that there were worse fates than having to eat the same food every day, and were grateful to have their lives when God rescued them from the serpents.

Not so long ago, there was a news article about a millionaire who was bored with his wealth. He is not the first, nor will he be the last. There are many people who have spent much of their time acquiring wealth, fame, fortune, and pleasures, but ultimately get bored of these; they become unsatisfying.

In economics, there is something called the law of diminishing returns. This means that it takes more and more of the same substance to bring the same amount of pleasure or happiness to a consumer. It’s kind of like how an addiction works – an addict needs more and more of the same substance to get the same high. Eventually, if a person can become so consumed with obtaining that high or that pleasure that they attempt something dangerous or unhealthy. Perhaps this is what Jesus means when he says that “you will die in your sins”.

On the other hand, there are also some people who after finding dissatisfaction in their search for pleasure and happiness, find a new kind of high in religion. Every religion teaches its adherents to do good for others. This brings about a different kind of happiness that I’m sure all of us have experienced. It’s an inner glow that does not get unsatisfying. It makes us forget ourselves and focus on giving ourselves to others.

In essence, the way of the world teaches us to focus on ourselves, our pleasures, our needs, our happiness. And we try and try to acquire more and more of this only to find it unsatisfying. But in religion, where we are taught to do good to others, the focus becomes not ourselves, but others. We might have less in life, but we are happier people. We become less worldly and become more ‘other-worldly’.

This is the secret to happiness, the secret that Jesus came to reveal to us, and He did so all through His public ministry which ended by Him giving His life to us when He was lifted up on the cross.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray that more people may learn that the secret to happiness is found in giving ourselves to others, in the example of Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for revealing to us the secret of happiness and inviting us to share it with others.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 23 Mar – Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30;
Wed, 24 Mar – 1 Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95; John 8:31-42
Thu, 25 Mar – Isaiah 7:10-14;8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38; Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
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

Blessings from the team in the name of God! We hope that the Lenten journey is a fruitful one thus far.

Oxygen has a few traditions. One of which is that come Easter, we send out a call for volunteers to write reflections for the Easter Vigil. As there are seven readings that night, the call is for seven volunteers.

My brothers and sisters, here is something for you to pray and reflect on as a way to cap off the Lenten journey and move on to the season of Easter. If you wish to answer this summons, you can simply leave a comment.

We look forward to your insights and sharings!

Cheers and God bless!
In Christ,
Aloysius (for the Oxygen Team)

Daniel 13:1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62

In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim. He had married Susanna daughter of Hilkiah, a woman of great beauty; and she was God-fearing, because her parents were worthy people and had instructed their daughter in the Law of Moses. Joakim was a very rich man, and had a garden attached to his house; the Jews would often visit him since he was held in greater respect than any other man. Two elderly men had been selected from the people that year to act as judges. Of such the Lord said, ‘Wickedness has come to Babylon through the elders and judges posing as guides to the people.’ These men were often at Joakim’s house, and all who were engaged in litigation used to come to them. At midday, when everyone had gone, Susanna used to take a walk in her husband’s garden. The two elders, who used to watch her every day as she came in to take her walk, gradually began to desire her. They threw reason aside, making no effort to turn their eyes to heaven, and forgetting its demands of virtue. So they waited for a favourable moment; and one day Susanna came as usual, accompanied only by two young maidservants. The day was hot and she wanted to bathe in the garden. There was no one about except the two elders, spying on her from their hiding place. She said to the servants, ‘Bring me some oil and balsam and shut the garden door while I bathe.’

Hardly were the servants gone than the two elders were there after her. ‘Look,’ they said ‘the garden door is shut, no one can see us. We want to have you, so give in and let us! Refuse, and we will both give evidence that a young man was with you and that was why you sent your maids away.’ Susanna sighed. ‘I am trapped,’ she said ‘whatever I do. If I agree, that means my death; if I resist, I cannot get away from you. But I prefer to fall innocent into your power than to sin in the eyes of the Lord.’ Then she cried out as loud as she could. The two elders began shouting too, putting the blame on her, and one of them ran to open the garden door. The household, hearing the shouting in the garden, rushed out by the side entrance to see what was happening; once the elders had told their story the servants were thoroughly taken aback, since nothing of this sort had ever been said of Susanna.

Next day a meeting was held at the house of her husband Joakim. The two elders arrived, in their vindictiveness determined to have her put to death. They addressed the company: ‘Summon Susanna daughter of Hilkiah and wife of Joakim.’ She was sent for, and came accompanied by her parents, her children and all her relations. All her own people were weeping, and so were all the others who saw ; her. The two elders stood up, with all the people round them, and laid their hands on the woman’s head. Tearfully she turned her eyes to heaven, her heart confident in God. The elders then spoke. ‘While we were walking by ourselves in the garden, this woman arrived with two servants. She shut the garden door and then dismissed the servants. A young man who had been hiding went over to her and they lay down together. From the end of the garden where we were, we saw this crime taking place and hurried towards them. Though we saw them together we were unable to catch the man: he was too strong for us; he opened the door and took to his heels. We did, however, catch this woman and ask her who the young man was. She refused to tell us. That is our evidence.’

Since they were elders of the people, and judges, the assembly took their word: Susanna was condemned to death. She cried out as loud as she could, ‘Eternal God, you know all secrets and everything before it happens; you know that they have given false evidence against me. And now have I to die, innocent as I am of everything their malice has invented against me?’

The Lord heard her cry and, as she was being led away to die, he roused the holy spirit residing in a young boy named Daniel who began to shout, ‘I am innocent of this woman’s death!’ At which all the people turned to him and asked, ‘What do you mean by these words?’ Standing in the middle of the crowd he replied, ‘Are you so stupid, sons of Israel, as to condemn a daughter of Israel unheard, and without troubling to find out the truth? Go back to the scene of the trial: these men have given false evidence against her.’

All the people hurried back, and the elders said to Daniel, ‘Come and sit with us and tell us what you mean, since God has given you the gifts that elders have.’ Daniel said, ‘Keep the men well apart from each other for I want to question them.’ When the men had been separated, Daniel had one of them brought to him. ‘You have grown old in wickedness,’ he said ‘and now the sins of your earlier days have overtaken you, you with your unjust judgements, your condemnation of the innocent, your acquittal of guilty men, when the Lord has said, “You must not put the innocent and the just to death.” Now then, since you saw her so clearly, tell me what tree you saw them lying under?’ He replied, ‘Under a mastic tree.’ Daniel said, ‘True enough! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God has already received your sentence from him and will slash you in half.’ He dismissed the man, ordered the other to be brought and said to him, ‘Spawn of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you, lust has led your heart astray! This is how you have been behaving with the daughters of Israel and they were too frightened to resist; but here is a daughter of Judah who could not stomach your wickedness! Now then, tell me what tree you surprised them under?’ He replied, ‘Under a holm oak.’ Daniel said, ‘True enough! Your lie recoils on your own head: the angel of God is waiting, with a sword to drive home and split you, and destroy the pair of you.’

Then the whole assembly shouted, blessing God, the saviour of those who trust in him. And they turned on the two elders whom Daniel had convicted of false evidence out of their own mouths. As prescribed in the Law of Moses, they sentenced them to the same punishment as they had intended to inflict on their neighbour. They put them to death; the life of an innocent woman was spared that day.
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John 8:12-20

Jesus said to the people:

‘I am the light of the world;
anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark;
he will have the light of life.’

At this the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’

Jesus replied:

‘It is true that I am testifying on my own behalf,
but my testimony is still valid,
because I know
where I came from and where I am going;
but you do not know
where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by human standards;
I judge no one,
but if I judge, my judgement will be sound,
because I am not alone:
the one who sent me is with me;
and in your Law it is written
that the testimony of two witnesses is valid.
I may be testifying on my own behalf,
but the Father who sent me is my witness too.’

They asked him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered:

‘You do not know me,
nor do you know my Father;
if you did know me,
you would know my Father as well.’

He spoke these words in the Treasury, while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.
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I am innocent of this woman’s death!

When my mother was going to Kerala for a short holiday earlier this year, she told me that she would be visiting a shrine of St. Alphonsa. Historical evidence has shown that Christianity has been in India since the first century; the Gospel brought there by St. Thomas the Apostle.

However, St. Alphonsa is only the second person of Indian origin to be canonised by the Catholic Church, and this was in 2008. When one looks at the thousands saints canonised by the Church, one is astonished that most of them come from European countries, with much fewer in Asian countries even though Christianity has been present in some of them for a long time. Why do you think this is so?

In the first reading of today, the young prophet Daniel cries out in the face on an unfair trial by the Jewish leaders: I am innocent of this woman’s death. His call is later echoed by Pontius Pilate at Jesus’ unfair trial by the Jewish leaders: I am innocent of this man’s death. So why is it that we hail the prophet Daniel, but condemn Pilate?

We, being human, have a tendency to judge people by our own standards. We see a person as holy or unholy based on the person’s deeds, and the fruits of their actions. That is, after all, the only way we can tell the holiness of a person. But Jesus does not look at a person’s deeds; He looks at our hearts. And He can because He is God. That is why there are those who are considered holy by other people, but God does not give them a second look; and there are those who are condemned by other people, but God favours them.

A look in the life of Jesus tells us this is so. Jesus often spent time among prostitutes, lepers, tax collectors and the outcast. He preferred the company of the poor to the company of the rich and powerful. This is not to say that the poor are holier than the rich and powerful, but perhaps it might be possible to say that the poor are more aware of their dependency on God than the rich and powerful are for the latter tend to, but not always, depend on their wealth and influence and this, as we all know, has a tendency to corrupt even the most virtuous person.

An example of this is the two judges in today’s first reading. They were chosen from among the people and looked upon highly by them. But their power and influence got to their heads and lured by that power, they fell victim to it. People in the Church are no different simply because we are all sinners, and there is great power to be held in the Church.

So let us who have power in the Church in one form or another, be on guard against the Evil One who seeks to corrupt all with the lure of worldly power and riches.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray for our lay leaders, religious, parish priests, our archbishop, and the pope, that they may not be lured by the power that they have been given and instead use that power for the glory of God’s kingdom.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for good and responsible leaders who know that they are dependent on God for everything that they have.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 23 Mar – Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30; Memorial for St Turbibius de Mogravejo, Bishop
Wed, 24 Mar – 1 Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95; John 8:31-42
Thu, 25 Mar – Isaiah 7:10-14;8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38; Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
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

The Lord Who Has Wiped Out Our Past Sinfulness

The utter completeness of Christ’s forgiveness is almost incredible. When he says to us “Neither do I condemn you”, the past is dead, snuffed out like a wick, forgotten. Laughter and song fill our hearts. It seems like a dream.
- The Sunday Missal
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Isaiah 43:16-21

Thus says the Lord,
who made a way through the sea,
a path in the great waters;
who put chariots and horse in the field
and a powerful army
which lay there never to rise again,
snuffed out, put out like a wick:

No need to recall the past,
no need to think about what was done before.
See, I am doing a new deed,
even now it comes to light; can you not see it?
Yes, I am making a road in the wilderness,
paths in the wilds.

The wild beasts will honour me,
jackals and ostriches,
because I am putting water in the wilderness
(rivers in the wild)
to give my chosen people drink.
The people I have formed for myself
will sing my praises.
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Philippians 3:8-14

I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him. I am no longer trying for perfection by my own efforts, the perfection that comes from the Law, but I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith. All I want is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and to share his sufferings by reproducing the pattern of his death. That is the way I can hope to take my place in the resurrection of the dead. Not that I have become perfect yet: I have not yet won, but I am still running, trying to capture the prize for which Christ Jesus captured me. I can assure you my brothers, I am far from thinking that I have already won. All I can say is that I forget the past and I strain ahead for what is still to come; I am racing for the finish, for the prize to which God calls us upwards to receive in Christ Jesus.
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John 8:1-11

Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in full view of everybody, they said to Jesus, ‘Master, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery, and Moses has ordered us in the Law to condemn women like this to death by stoning. What have you to say?’ They asked him this as a test, looking for something to use against him. But Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. As they persisted with their question, he looked up and said, ‘If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Then be bent down and wrote on the ground again. When they heard this they went away one by one, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman, who remained standing there. He looked up and said, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir’ she replied. ‘Neither do I condemn you,’ said Jesus ‘go away, and do not sin any more.’
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Neither do I condemn you

For each of us, I believe, there is a particular sin that habitually or continually plagues us. It could be a case of emotional or physical lust. It could be an adulterous relationship we know we shouldn’t be in. It could be a case of a short fuse that harms relationships. It could be hypocrisy or self-righteousness.

Some of us find ourselves going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and confessing an old sin. Perhaps it was an abortion done many years ago. Or it could be something we did or did not do at a crucial situation. It could be a failed relationship that we were a part of.

No matter what sin it is, we often think that that sin is more serious than any other sin. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tries to show us that an adulterous relationship is no more serious than the self-righteousness displayed by the Pharisees.

Some of us are so trapped by our particular sin(s) that even though God does not condemn us, we condemn ourselves or perhaps feel that others will condemn us if they knew. What’s important is to know that God does not condemn us for our sins. He knows that we are human, so He became human to show us that it is possible to be free from sin.

To being free from sin means more than just going for confession and receiving absolution for our sins. It means no longer being burdened by it. It means, as St. Paul puts it in the second reading, to forget the past and to strain ahead for what is still to come. It means that if others condemn us for our sin, it is their problem, because God does not condemn us.

If you have a sin that you cannot forgive yourself for, I invite you write it down on a piece of paper, fold it up, and offer it to God and ask for His forgiveness. Then place it somewhere in your room where you don’t frequently look. Every time henceforth you think of this sin, think also of the piece of paper and be reminded that God has forgiven you already.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for those who have difficulty forgiving themselves. Please let them experience Your grace and learn what forgiveness means.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for His compassion.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 22 Mar – Daniel 13:1-9.15-17.19-30.33-62; John 8:1-11
Tue, 23 Mar – Numbers 21:4-9; John 8:21-30; Memorial for St Turbibius de Mogravejo, Bishop
Wed, 24 Mar – 1 Daniel 3:14-20.91-92.95; John 8:31-42
Thu, 25 Mar – Isaiah 7:10-14;8:10; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38; Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
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

Jeremiah 11:18-20

The Lord revealed it to me; I was warned. O Lord, that was when you opened my eyes to their scheming. I for my part was like a trustful lamb being led to the slaughter-house, not knowing the schemes they were plotting against me, ‘Let us destroy the tree in its strength, let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name may be quickly forgotten!’

But you, the Lord of Hosts, who pronounce a just sentence,
who probe the loins and heart,
let me see the vengeance you will take on them,
for I have committed my cause to you.
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John 7:40-52

Several people who had been listening to Jesus said, ‘Surely he must be the prophet’, and some said, ‘He is the Christ’, but others said, ‘Would the Christ be from Galilee? Does not scripture say that the Christ must be descended from David and come from the town of Bethlehem?’ So the people could not agree about him. Some would have liked to arrest him, but no one actually laid hands on him.

The police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees who said to them, ‘Why haven’t you brought him?’ The police replied, ‘There has never been anybody who has spoken like him.’ ‘So’ the Pharisees answered ‘you have been led astray as well? Have any of the authorities believed in him? Any of the Pharisees? This rabble knows nothing about the Law – they are damned.’ One of them, Nicodemus – the same man who had come to Jesus earlier – said to them, ‘But surely the Law does not allow us to pass judgement on a man without giving him a hearing and discovering what he is about?’ To this they answered, ‘Are you a Galilean too? Go into the matter, and see for yourself: prophets do not come out of Galilee.’
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… prophets do not come out of Galilee

Have you ever encountered people who have quoted scripture to you in an attempt to convert you? They might be trying to convert you into accepting their particular church’s teaching, or they might be trying to convert your mindset about certain issues through scripture. Perhaps you have done this before?

Don’t get me wrong, I do not think that there is anything wrong with quoting scripture. However, I do think that that it is important for us to first have an honest examination of our hearts and motivations. Specifically, do we do so out of love for God or for ourselves?

In today’s Gospel, we can see that there were some people who questioned Jesus’ identity because scripture had stated that the Christ should come from Bethlehem. Such questioning in itself is good if these people were truly trying to discern who Jesus was. However, when the Pharisees quoted Scripture, they were not genuinely interested in knowing the truth about Jesus. Rather, they were quoting scripture out of vanity and to gain control over the situation. Their pride and self-righteousness led to their hearts being closed to the truth. The consequence? They failed to recognise God standing before them.

What about us? When we quote scripture or things of our faith, do we do so with opened or closed hearts? If our hearts are opened, we would not insist on “winning arguments”. Instead, we would adopt an attitude of humility and be open to the possibility that we might be wrong. On the other hand, if our hearts are closed, we would probably grow impatient and indignant with the person who fails to see things from our point of view.

Before we discuss issues with others, let us always pray for our hearts to be open to the truth and for the humility to accept that our perception of God’s ways may not be accurate. The failure to do so may lead to us rejecting Christ who stands before us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord, please help me to always be humble enough to acknowledge that I may be wrong.

Thanksgiving: Thank You Lord for always being ready to teach those who are humble.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 21 Mar – Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45; Fifth Sunday of Lent

Joseph is a descendant of the house of David. A layman and a carpenter, he was the earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and foster and adoptive father of Jesus Christ. He was a visionary who was visited by angels, and is noted for his willingness to immediately get up and do what God told him.

Prayer to St. Joseph
Blessed Joseph, husband of Mary, be with us this day.
You protected and cherished the Virgin;
loving the Child Jesus as your Son,
you rescued Him from the danger of death.
Defend the Church, the household of God,
purchased by the blood of Christ.

Guardian of the Holy Family,
be with us in our trials.
May your prayers obtain for us
the strength to flee from error
and wrestle with the powers of corruption
so that in life we may grow in holiness
and in death rejoice in the crown of victory.
Amen.

- Patron Saint Index
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2 Samuel 7:4-5.12.14-16

The word of the Lord came to Nathan:

‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: “When your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Yet I will not withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’
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Romans 4:13.16-18.22

The promise of inheriting the world was not made to Abraham and his descendants on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consists in faith. That is why what fulfils the promise depends on faith, so that it may be a free gift and be available to all of Abraham’s descendants, not only those who belong to the Law but also those who belong to the faith of Abraham who is the father of all of us. As scripture says: I have made you the ancestor of many nations – Abraham is our father in the eyes of God, in whom he put his faith, and who brings the dead to life and calls into being what does not exist.

Though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars. This is the faith that was ‘considered as justifying him.’
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Matthew 1:16.18-21.24

Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.

This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph; being a man of honour and wanting to spare her publicity, decided to divorce her informally. He had made up his mind to do this when the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you must name him Jesus, because he is the one who is to save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do.
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The promise of inheriting the world was not made… on account of any law but on account of the righteousness which consist in faith.

About half a year ago, I was interviewing a religious Sister about her work in interfaith dialogue. That was when I learnt that there was an important different between the words ‘religion’ and ‘faith’. Rightfully speaking, there can be interreligious dialogue, that is dialogue between people of different religions, but there cannot be interfaith dialogue, since the Christian meaning of the word ‘faith’ refers to a relationship between a person and the God of Jesus Christ. Since then I have been pondering what she said, reading the scriptures’ use of the word faith.

Today, on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we see in the three readings, faith – the faith which is the relationship between God and His people through key individuals such as Abraham, David, and Joseph.

In the first reading, we see God’s promise to David that one of his offspring will be the one to build a house for His name – something which David wanted to do. In the physical sense, David’s son Solomon really did build a temple for the Lord, but the prophecy from Nathan also extended to the spiritual sense. This prophecy is fulfilled through Jesus.

In the second reading, we see St. Paul make a distinction between religion and faith. He refers to religion as the Law, that is, the Jewish religion, and he tells us that the promise made to Abraham was not made on account of religion – rules, beliefs, and practices of the Jewish people – but on faith, which is the ongoing relationship between God and the Jewish people, and all who are descendants of Abraham.

In the gospel reading, we see Joseph, a God-fearing man and a man of honour. Knowing that Mary was pregnant, Joseph wanted to follow the Law (which was his religion) and divorce Mary. But Joseph as a individual was not only a religious man, he was also a man of faith, that is, he had a personal relationship with God.

It is through his personal relationship with Joseph that God appears in his dream to give him instructions to take Mary home as his wife. So Joseph did by faith what religion told him otherwise – he took a woman pregnant with a child that was not his, into his own home.

Too often we confuse being a religious person with being a person of faith. A person may be a good Catholic, for example, by obeying all the Church’s rules, assenting to all Her doctrines, and worshipping God in the Catholic sense. But if this person has no personal relationship with God, religious or not, this person has no faith.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray for all religious Christians that we may enter a personal relationship with you, a faith that will carry us through life. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord who took on human form to reveal the Father.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 20 Mar – Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53
Sun, 21 Mar – Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45; Fifth Sunday of Lent

Cyril (315-386) was raised a Christian in Jerusalem. He was well-educated, especially in religion. He was ordained a priest by St. Maximus, and was a great instructor of catechumens. His instructions are still source documents for the Church’s early teachings. He became Bishop of Jerusalem in 348. He was exiled three times by the Arians, usually on some trumped up charge like selling church furniture, but actually on theological grounds. He attended the Council of Seleucia in 359, and the Council of Constantinople in 381. He is a Greek Father of the Church, and a Doctor of the Church.
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Exodus 32:7-14

The Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go down now, because your people whom you brought out of Egypt have apostatised. They have been quick to leave the way I marked out for them; they have made themselves a calf of molten metal and have worshipped it and offered it sacrifice. “Here is your God, Israel,” they have cried “who brought you up from the land of Egypt!”’ the Lord said to Moses, ‘I can see how headstrong these people are! Leave me, now, my wrath shall blaze out against them and devour them; of you, however, I will make a great nation.’

But Moses pleaded with the Lord his God. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘why should your wrath blaze out against this people of yours whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with arm outstretched and mighty hand? Why let the Egyptians say, “Ah, it was in treachery that he brought them out, to do them to death in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth”? Leave your burning wrath; relent and do not bring this disaster on your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, your servants to whom by your own self you swore and made this promise: I will make your offspring as many as the stars of heaven, and all this land which I promised I will give to your descendants, and it shall be their heritage for ever.’

So the Lord relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
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John 5:31-47

Jesus said to the Jews:

‘Were I to testify on my own behalf,
my testimony would not be valid;
but there is another witness who can speak on my behalf,
and I know that his testimony is valid.
You sent messengers to John,
and he gave his testimony to the truth:
not that I depend on human testimony;
no, it is for your salvation that I speak of this.
John was a lamp alight and shining
and for a time you were content to enjoy the light that he gave.
But my testimony is greater than John’s:
the works my Father has given me to carry out,
these same works of mine testify
that the Father has sent me.
Besides, the Father who sent me
bears witness to me himself.
You have never heard his voice,
you have never seen his shape,
and his word finds no home in you
because you do not believe in the one he has sent.

‘You study the scriptures,
believing that in them you have eternal life;
now these same scriptures testify to me,
and yet you refuse to come to me for life!
As for human approval, this means nothing to me.
Besides, I know you too well: you have no love of God in you.
I have come in the name of my Father
and you refuse to accept me;
if someone else comes in his own name
you will accept him.
How can you believe,
since you look to one another for approval
and are not concerned
with the approval that comes from the one God?
Do not imagine that I am going to accuse you before the Father:
you place your hopes on Moses,
and Moses will be your accuser.
If you really believed him
you would believe me too,
since it was I that he was writing about;
but if you refuse to believe what he wrote,
how can you believe what I say?’
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You look to one another for approval and are not concerned with the approval that comes from the one God

Every Lent I try to fast from something. Typically, I fast from indulgences like cakes, ice-creams, chocolates and so forth. This year, however, I decided to fast from something non-tangible. I decided to fast from human approval.

Seeking human approval is a rather common human experience as most of us desire to be accepted by others. Rejection is one of the most painful psychological experiences; hence, it is quite natural for us to want to do things to avoid this feeling of rejection. Unfortunately, however, we can never please everyone. Even if we succeed in pleasing most people, are we truly happy with ourselves? Or are we also ashamed that we have compromised what we believed in?

Whenever I live for human approval (and the feeling of being accepted), I may be filled with momentary joy; yet, this joy is never complete. Instead, it is always combined with a sense of regret and anger at myself for being too cowardly to stand up for my convictions.

Conversely, when I seek God’s approval (which, at times, may require the foregoing of human approval), I might experience a sense of sorrow for I know that I may lose a friendship or lose the feeling of being liked by others. However, together with this sorrow is a feeling of peace – a peace that assures me that I have done the right thing, a peace that tells me that I have been true to myself and to God, a peace that reminds me of what is truly important: union with God, not man; a peace that I would not trade anything for.

My brothers and sisters, whether we seek human approval or God’s approval, there would probably always be mixed feelings. Would you rather have joy mixed with a sense of regret? Or would you rather have the sorrow at potentially losing human approval but combined a sense of peace of knowing that you have done what is right?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Holy Spirit, please change my heart so that one day I can be like Jesus and say, “As for human approval, this means nothing to me”.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Holy Spirit for always changing our hearts whenever we allow Him to.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 19 Mar – 2 Samuel 7:4-5.12-14.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24 or Luke 2:41-51; Solemnity of St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sat, 20 Mar – Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53
Sun, 21 Mar – Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45; Fifth Sunday of Lent

St. Patrick (387-390 – 461-464) was kidnapped from the British mainland when he was about 16, and shipped to Ireland as a slave. He was sent to the mountains as a shepherd, and spent his time in prayer. After six years of this life, he had a dream in which he was commanded to return to Britain. Seeing it as a sign, he escaped.

He studied in several monasteries in Europe. He was a priest, then a bishop. He was sent by Pope St. Celestine to evangelize England, then Ireland, during which his chariot driver was St. Odran, and St. Jarlath was one of his spiritual students.

In 33 years, he effectively converted Ireland. In the Middle Ages, Ireland become known as the “Land of Saints”, and during the Dark Ages, its monasteries were the great repositories of learning in Europe, all a consequence of Patrick’s ministry.

Christ shield me this day:
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me

- Saint Patrick, from his breastplate

- Patron Saint Index
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Isaiah 49:5-18

Thus says the Lord:

At the favourable time I will answer you,
on the day of salvation I will help you.
(I have formed you and have appointed you
as covenant of the people.)
I will restore the land
and assign you the estates that lie waste.
I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out’,
to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’

On every roadway they will graze,
and each bare height shall be their pasture.
They will never hunger or thirst,
scorching wind and sun shall never plague them;
for he who pities them will lead them
and guide them to springs of water.
I will make a highway of all the mountains,
and the high roads shall be banked up.

Some are on their way from afar,
others from the north and the west,
others from the land of Sinim.
Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth!
You mountains, break into happy cries!
For the Lord consoles his people
and takes pity on those who are afflicted.

For Zion was saying, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
the Lord has forgotten me.’
Does a woman forget her baby at the breast,
or fail to cherish the son of her womb?
Yet even if these forget,
I will never forget you.
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John 5:17-30

Jesus said to the Jews, ‘My Father goes on working, and so do I.’ But that only made them even more intent on killing him, because, not content with breaking the sabbath, he spoke of God as his own Father, and so made himself God’s equal.

To this accusation Jesus replied:

‘I tell you most solemnly,
the Son can do nothing by himself;
he can do only what he sees the Father doing:
and whatever the Father does the Son does too.
For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything he does himself,
and he will show him even greater things than these,
works that will astonish you.
Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life,
so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses;
for the Father judges no one;
he has entrusted all judgement to the Son,
so that all may honour the Son
as they honour the Father.
Whoever refuses honour to the Son
refuses honour to the Father who sent him.
I tell you most solemnly,
whoever listens to my words,
and believes in the one who sent me,
has eternal life;
without being brought to judgement
he has passed from death to life.
I tell you most solemnly,
the hour will come – in fact it is here already –
when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and all who hear it will live.
For the Father, who is the source of life,
has made the Son the source of life;
and, because he is the Son of Man,
has appointed him supreme judge.
Do not be surprised at this,
for the hour is coming when the dead will leave their graves
at the sound of his voice:
those who did good will rise again to life;
and those who did evil, to condemnation.
I can do nothing by myself;
I can only judge as I am told to judge,
and my judging is just,
because my aim is to do not my own will,
but the will of him who sent me.’
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The Lord has abandoned me, the Lord has forgotten me.

I’m sure that at one point or another in our lives, all of us have experienced this feeling of being abandoned or forgotten by God. Even Jesus experienced this great loneliness and feeling of abandonment when He hung on the cross!

What do you do when you feel that God has forgotten you or when you feel that He is too far away to pay attention to your struggles, your desires, your emotions, and your state of affairs? For some people I know, their attitude is that since God is not there for them, they will do things their way and this sometimes leads to sinful attitudes being played out. When they eventually taste the consequences of their sins, regret sets in and they end up in greater pain, guilt, and agony.

For me, when I feel that God is not with me, I often feel that I have to become my own god. That is, I need to be in control of every situation in my life. Yet, this makes me worry about whether or not I have taken care of matters well and I end up feeling empty and burnt out from all my efforts to keep track of everything.

As you can see, for many of my friends and I, whenever we feel that the Lord has abandoned us, we tend to turn our backs on Him. Jesus, however, never turned His back on God. Even though He felt that His Father had abandoned Him, He still opened His heart to God and cried out, “Father, into Your hands, I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46). Regardless of how He felt, Jesus never turned His back on His Father because He trusted not in His feelings, but in God’s promise that He will never forget us (Isaiah 49:15).

My brothers and sisters, the next time you feel that God has abandoned or forgotten you, I would like to encourage you to trust in His word, and not your feelings. God has promised that He will never forget you. He has not forgotten your dreams, your hopes, your desires, and your sufferings. He is with you – even if He does not feel near to you. Let us therefore use challenging moments as opportunities to strengthen our will to trust in God’s word, not in our human feelings.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Holy Spirit, the next time I feel that God is not with me, please remind me that it is an opportunity to trust in God’s word, and not in my feelings.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to Jesus for showing us that God’s word, and not our feelings, is truth.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 18 Mar – Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47; Memorial for St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Fri, 19 Mar – 2 Samuel 7:4-5.12-14.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24 or Luke 2:41-51; Solemnity of St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sat, 20 Mar – Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53
Sun, 21 Mar – Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45; Fifth Sunday of Lent

Ezekiel 47:1-9.12

The angel brought me to the entrance of the Temple, where a stream came out from under the Temple threshold and flowed eastwards, since the Temple faced east. The water flowed from under the right side of the Temple, south of the altar. He took me out by the north gate and led me right round outside as far as the outer east gate where the water flowed out on the right-hand side. The man went to the east holding his measuring line and measured off a thousand cubits; he then made me wade across the stream; the water reached my ankles. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across the stream again; the water reached my knees. He measured off another thousand and made me wade across again; the water reached my waist. He measured off another thousand; it was now a river which I could not cross; the stream had swollen and was now deep water, a river impossible to cross. He then said, ‘Do you see, son of man?’ He took me further, then brought me back to the bank of the river. When I got back, there were many trees on each bank of the river. He said, ‘This water flows east down to the Arabah and to the sea; and flowing into the sea it makes its waters wholesome. Wherever the river flows, all living creatures teeming in it will live. Fish will be very plentiful, for wherever the water goes it brings health, and life teems wherever the river flows. Along the river, on either bank, will grow every kind of fruit tree with leaves that never wither and fruit that never fails; they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary. And their fruit will be good to eat and the leaves medicinal.’
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John 5:1-3.5-16

There was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now at the Sheep Pool in Jerusalem there is a building, called Bethzatha in Hebrew, consisting of five porticos; and under these were crowds of sick people – blind, lame, paralysed – waiting for the water to move; One man there had an illness which had lasted thirty-eight years, and when Jesus saw him lying there and knew he had been in this condition for a long time, he said, ‘Do you want to be well again?’ ‘Sir,’ replied the sick man ‘I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is disturbed; and while I am still on the way, someone else gets there before me.’ Jesus said, ‘Get up, pick up your sleeping-mat and walk.’ The man was cured at once, and he picked up his mat and walked away.

Now that day happened to be the sabbath, so the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; you are not allowed to carry your sleeping-mat.’ He replied, ‘But the man who cured me told me, “Pick up your mat and walk.”’ They asked, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Pick up your mat and walk”?’ The man had no idea who it was, since Jesus had disappeared into the crowd that filled the place. After a while Jesus met him in the Temple and said, ‘Now you are well again, be sure not to sin any more, or something worse may happen to you.’ The man went back and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had cured him. It was because he did things like this on the sabbath that the Jews began to persecute Jesus.
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They will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary

One thing I like to do at the end of each year is to reflect on how the year has been and to ponder the significant events that took place. When I reflected on how 2009 was for me, I can see how rapidly I have grown spiritually and as a person. I know I may come across as prideful for saying this. However, I know that my growth and the fruits that came along with it would not have been possible without God. I know that without God, I am nothing. But with God, my life has been so much more fruitful than I can ever imagine.

Many of us think that speaking of our achievements is a proud thing to do. Yes, it is prideful if we speak of them for our own glory. However, if we speak of our achievements to give glory to God, it is not a proud gesture. Instead, it is a powerful way of proclaiming to the world that our God is alive and that He truly has the power to change us and help us bear fruit in our current day and age.

Instead of trying to conceal God’s fruits in us in fear that we might appear proud or boastful, I encourage you to share these fruits with the people around you. Doing so is a powerful way of bringing hope to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Doing so enables us to testify to the world that our God is very much alive and at work in our world today. As a Christian song goes, “Christ has no body now but yours”. Let us therefore share with the world what Christ has done and is doing in our lives.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord, help me to stop my attitude of “false humility” and instead proclaim the wonderful fruits in my life for Your glory.

Thanksgiving: Thank You Lord, for helping me to bear much fruit in my life.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 17 Mar – Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30; Memorial for St Patrick, Bishop
Thu, 18 Mar – Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47; Memorial for St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Fri, 19 Mar – 2 Samuel 7:4-5.12-14.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24 or Luke 2:41-51; Solemnity of St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sat, 20 Mar – Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53
Sun, 21 Mar – Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45; Fifth Sunday of Lent

Isaiah 65:17-21

Thus says the Lord: Now I create new heavens and a new earth, and the past will not be remembered, and will come no more to men’s minds. Be glad and rejoice for ever and ever for what I am creating, because I now create Jerusalem ‘Joy’ and her people ‘Gladness.’ I shall rejoice over Jerusalem and exult in my people. No more will the sound of weeping or the sound of cries be heard in her; in her, no more will be found the infant living a few days only, or the old man not living to the end of his days. To die at the age of a hundred will be dying young; not to live to be a hundred will be the sign of a curse. They will build houses and inhabit them, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
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John 4:43-54

Jesus left Samaria for Galilee. He himself had declared that there is no respect for a prophet in his own country, but on his arrival the Galileans received him well, having seen all that he had done at Jerusalem during the festival which they too had attended.

He went again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a court official there whose son was ill at Capernaum and, hearing that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judaea, he went and asked him to come and cure his son as he was at the point of death. Jesus said, ‘So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents!’ ‘Sir,’ answered the official ‘come down before my child dies.’ ‘Go home,’ said Jesus ‘your son will live.’ The man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way; and while he was still on the journey back his servants met him with the news that his boy was alive. He asked them when the boy had begun to recover. ‘The fever left him yesterday’ they said ‘at the seventh hour.’ The father realised that this was exactly the time when Jesus had said, ‘Your son will live’; and he and all his household believed.

This was the second sign given by Jesus, on his return from Judaea to Galilee.
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The man believed what Jesus had said and started on his way

A friend once told me that whenever we pray, we generally surrender our fears, worries, dreams, desires, and all of our being to God. In that moment, we feel free, peaceful, and happy. In that moment, we let go of everything and allow God to be God. Yet, the minute we end our prayer, we have a tendency to take back all that we had just surrendered and return to our usual worries, fears, again attempt to control everything in our lives. Once prayer ends, we resume our role as our own gods.

Like us who encounter God in prayer (or through other activities), the court official in today’s Gospel encountered Jesus. Yet, unlike us who immediately resume our previous states of worries and doubts after meeting Jesus, the court official took on a new state. He believed when Jesus spoke and he continued to believe after his encounter with Jesus. As a result, God rewarded his faith by giving him what he desired.

Isaiah reminds us in today’s first reading that God has created new heavens and a new earth. He said that the past will no longer be remembered. How many of us believe that when we encounter Jesus, we are encountering a new state and a new life? How many of us believe in Jesus power to grant us this new life?

My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray for the grace to believe in the power of Jesus to help us and to change our lives. Let us pray for the grace to believe – not just while praying – but to continue believing that after offering our prayers to Him, Jesus is at work, and we can turn back to our usual routines with a trust in His power, mercy, and help.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, grant me the grace to always believe (in prayer and after prayer) in Your power to help me, Your mercy and desire to help me, and Your continual love and presence in my life.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to God for the opportunities in our life to exercise our faith and trust in Him.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 16 Mar – Ezekiel 47:1-9.12; John 5:1-16
Wed, 17 Mar – Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30; Memorial for St Patrick, Bishop
Thu, 18 Mar – Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47; Memorial for St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Fri, 19 Mar – 2 Samuel 7:4-5.12-14.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24 or Luke 2:41-51; Solemnity of St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sat, 20 Mar – Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53
Sun, 21 Mar – Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45; Fifth Sunday of Lent

Joshua 5:9-12

The Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have taken the shame of Egypt away from you.’ Hence that place has been called Gilgal until now.

The Israelites pitched their camp at Gilgal and kept the Passover there on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening in the plain of Jericho. On the morrow of the Passover they tasted the produce of that country, unleavened bread and roasted ears of corn, that same day. From that time, from their first eating of the produce of that country, the manna stopped falling. And having manna no longer, the Israelites fed from that year onwards on what the land of Canaan yielded.
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2 Corinthians 5:17-21

For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It is all God’s work. It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God.
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Luke 15:1-3.11-32

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them:

He also said, ‘A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.

‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father.

‘While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.

‘Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. “Your brother has come” replied the servant “and your father has killed the calf we had fattened because he has got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out to plead with him; but he answered his father, “Look, all these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed your orders, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property – he and his women – you kill the calf we had been fattening.”

‘The father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”’
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I no longer deserve to be called your son.

Some time ago, I experienced friction with my mum where we both felt that the other was very calculating. I remember complaining to my brother about these issues. After listening to me, my brother, in his love and wisdom, gently told me this: “Dad and mum have given everything to us. They have given us the best of everything without counting the cost of what they have spent on us since the day we were conceived. It is a privilege for us to be generous with them because we can never repay them for all that they have done for us.”

These words have slowly been changing my heart and my relationship with my mum. Like the youngest son in today’s Gospel, I had a tendency to view our relationship as a transaction (e.g., you do this for me, and I do that for you. Whatever it is, what we do for each other must balance out somehow).

But my brother is right. My parents have given me everything. They have given me their youth, their energy, their time, their love, their protection, their guidance, and ultimately – they have given me their lives. There is no way I can ever repay them. How foolish I was to think that I could somehow “balance” out what I have received and repay them in the same amount. How foolish I was to think that I could “earn” all that had been lavished on me.

It is this same ignorance (and pride) that I have applied to my relationship with God. So often, I have been afraid of receiving God’s abundant blessings because every time God did something nice for me, I felt that I needed to “repay” Him back by being an even better person. For example, I might increase my prayer time or tell Him that I love Him a few more times. Yet, all these efforts drained me for they were not motivated out of freedom and love, but were motivated by a wrong desire to “earn” or “be made worthy” of God’s love and blessings.

As we can see in today’s Gospel, for most of us, our parents (i.e., our earthly parents and our Heavenly Father) give themselves completely to us. While we may wish to keep the relationship at a contractual/transactional level (i.e., by showing them that we deserve that love because of certain things we do), this is not the way for a family to live. Families are not defined the way our consumerist society is defined for we cannot buy or earn love. Instead, families are covenantal. In covenantal relationships, it requires the exchange of persons. In other words, we receive our parents completely, and all we can do in response is to give ourselves to them completely – without counting the cost.

Regardless of what we do, we will never “deserve” to be called the sons or daughters of  either our parents or our Heavenly Father. All we can do is to say thank you and to express our gratitude to them through our love  every day. In spite of how well or poorly your earthly parents may have or be treating you, as followers of Christ, what can you do today to give yourself abundantly to (i) God, and (ii) your parents?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord, please help me to love my family abundantly so that we can grow to become a family that reflects Your love in this world.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the people in our lives who have given themselves to us in abundance.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 15 Mar – Isaiah 65:17-21; John 4:43-54
Tue, 16 Mar – Ezekiel 47:1-9.12; John 5:1-16
Wed, 17 Mar – Isaiah 49:8-15; John 5:17-30; Memorial for St Patrick, Bishop
Thu, 18 Mar – Exodus 32:7-14; John 5:31-47; Memorial for St Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Fri, 19 Mar – 2 Samuel 7:4-5.12-14.16; Romans 4:13.16-18.22; Matthew 1:16.18-21.24 or Luke 2:41-51; Solemnity of St Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sat, 20 Mar – Jeremiah 11:18-20; John 7:40-53
Sun, 21 Mar – Ezekiel 37:12-14; Romans 8:8-11; John 11:1-45; Fifth Sunday of Lent