St. Ignatius (1491-1556) was wounded in the leg by a cannonball at the siege of Pampeluna on 20 May 1521, an injury that left him partially crippled for life. During his recuperation the only books he had access to were The Golden Legend, a collection of lives of the saints, and the Life of Christ by Ludolph the Carthusian. These books, and the time spent in contemplation, changed him.

On his recovery he took a vow of chastity, hung his sword before the altar of the Virgin of Montserrat, and donned a pilgrim’s robes. He lived in a cave for a year, contemplating the way to live a Christian life. His meditations, prayers, visions and insights led to forming the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus.

- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 26:11-16.24

The priests and prophets addressed the officials and all the people, ‘This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.’ Jeremiah, however, replied to the people as follows:

‘The Lord himself sent me to say all the things you have heard against this Temple and this city. So now amend your behaviour and actions, listen to the voice of the Lord your God: if you do, he will relent and not bring down on you the disaster he has pronounced against you. For myself, I am as you see in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its citizens, since the Lord has truly sent me to you to say all these words in your hearing.’

The officials and all the people then said to the priests and prophets, ‘This man does not deserve to die: he has spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God.’

Jeremiah had a protector in Ahikam son of Shaphan, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
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Matthew 14:1-12

Herod the tetrarch heard about the reputation of Jesus, and said to his court, ‘This is John the Baptist himself; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.’

Now it was Herod who had arrested John, chained him up and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. For John had told him, ‘It is against the Law for you to have her.’ He had wanted to kill him but was afraid of the people, who regarded John as a prophet. Then, during the celebrations for Herod’s birthday, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company, and so delighted Herod that he promised on oath to give her anything she asked. Prompted by her mother she said, ‘Give me John the Baptist’s head, here, on a dish.’ The king was distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he ordered it to be given her, and sent and had John beheaded in the prison. The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl who took it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took the body and buried it; then they went off to tell Jesus.
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Innocent blood

Have you ever been blamed for a job which you never laid your hands on? My work environment is extremely fast paced. Things have to be delivered on time to guests. Sloppy presentations are not acceptable. It is very challenging to upkeep the reputation of a six-star hotel. So, you can imagine the precision and standard required at my workplace. It is all about making things happen. There are few occasions when I was assumed to have done something and had to pick up the pieces to finish a task which I was unfamiliar with, to continue a job which was done badly and to re-do it properly. When it was time to deliver, I was accused of spending too much time or using the wrong items. I would usually not bring the matter up, but if it affects my performance and causes me to be seen as incompetent, I will approach my supervisor at the end of my shift.

Today’s passages tell of two prophets, Jeremiah and John the Baptist, who share with the people about God. They are non-violent innocent servants of God whom the people felt threatened by and who were accused of sprouting nonsense. However, their consequences were different; Jeremiah was not handed to the authorities and was not put to death. For John, his death came as a result of fulfilling a birthday wish.

At work, we fight to survive and maintain our true capabilities, so that no one can undermine us, such that when something goes terribly wrong, others have the confidence that you are likely to be an innocent party in the situation. Likewise, if we are to defend our faith, believe in the confidence which has been given to us through prayers and from the Holy Spirit. Strong faith is to maintain the bonds between us and our Lord. Evil is around us and will find its way to spoil the innocence of Christianity.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray for a more harmonious society and worldly visions so that the good will prevail and no innocent blood be spilled.

Thanksgiving: You have given me strength and confidence in overcoming the difficult moments at work and school, may your Holy Spirit continue to show a bright path for me.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

An adult convert, St. Peter (406-450) fought paganism and heresy, enforced reforms, and built several churches and ornate altars in his see. A preacher with outstanding language skills, he was given the name ‘Chrysologus’, referring to his ‘golden word’. 176 of his sermons have survived; it is the strength of these beautiful explanations of the Incarnation, the Creed, the place of Mary and John the Baptist in the great plan of salvation, etc., that led to his being proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1729.

- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 26:1-9

At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘The Lord says this: Stand in the court of the Temple of the Lord. To all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the Temple of the Lord you must speak all the words I have commanded you to tell them; do not omit one syllable. Perhaps they will listen and each turn from his evil way: if so, I shall relent and not bring the disaster on them which I intended for their misdeeds. Say to them, “The Lord says this: If you will not listen to me by following my Law which I put before you, by paying attention to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send so persistently to you, without your ever listening to them, I will treat this Temple as I treated Shiloh, and make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.”’

The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah say these words in the Temple of the Lord. When Jeremiah had finished saying everything that the Lord had ordered him to say to all the people, the priests and prophets seized hold of him and said, ‘You shall die! Why have you made this prophecy in the name of the Lord, “This Temple will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, and uninhabited”?’ And the people were all crowding round Jeremiah in the Temple of the Lord.
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Matthew 13:54-58

Coming to his home town, Jesus taught the people in their synagogue in such a way that they were astonished and said, ‘Where did the man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? This is the carpenter’s son, surely? Is not his mother the woman called Mary, and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Jude? His sisters, too, are they not all here with us? So where did the man get it all?’ And they would not accept him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is only despised in his own country and in his own house’, and he did not work many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
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They would not accept him

One of man’s greatest fear and anxiety is not to be accepted by those around them. Rejection can cause depression and gradually lead to loneliness. Most of us would like to be part of the majority, the ‘In’ crowd so that it gives us security and make us feel accepted in the community. Does following the crowd make us secure and lead on to the right goals in life? I remembered when World Youth Day was held in Sydney in 2008, being a Catholic was a proud thing. News about the grandeur of the week-long event was splashed all over the newspapers and on television. If you recall, I reflected about me attending a rally on ‘legalising abortion’. Then, the Catholic church was seen as being too vocal and opposing the majority and perhaps saying that ‘I am Catholic’ may lead to rejection in the communities we were in. There were a couple of times when others ask me, ‘What is your religion?’ I would initially say, ‘I am Christian’ then follow-on with ‘I’m Catholic’. Then I was asked again, ‘Are you Christian or Catholic?’ I never expected for it to have such a distinctive difference to others, I just generalized that all are Christians, regardless if one is a Protestant or Catholic.

Today’s passages tell us of the rejection which Jeremiah and Jesus’ experienced. They are not the only two whom the people felt threatened by or disagreed with, because their preaching contradicted what the people had believed for years. There was also Paul, John the Baptist and many more martyrs over the centuries who stood up for their believe in God. Up till today, there are Christians being persecuted just because the offenders could not accept the faith these Christians have. Our Lord Jesus is the martyr of martyrs, an innocent Man who died with much pain on the cross because He was rejected by His own people. He was disappointed and afraid but He had strength from God the Father to go through the way of the cross, and He had done it for the people then and the future Christians, so that our sins are forgiven and have died with Christ.

How do we handle rejections? Do we tell lies and do things which are out of ourselves just to get accepted by those around us? Do we reject God just to be accepted by others or do we accept and believe in God that could have us get rejected by others? The Church occasionally bring up issues that are not pleasant or defy the secular beliefs of the world, it can be a constant struggle for us Catholics to be seen as conservative and even as a joke to others.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Let us pray that we gather the strength from the Holy Spirit, the gifts which God has given us to stay by His side and not fear any rejections that come our way. We also pray for the martyrs who are exceptional examples for us to be a proud believer of God.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord for accepting me into Your family, a great big family which constantly shows all reasons to love and a family that lasts forever and ever into Your kingdom.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

29 Jul – Memorial for St Martha

Jesus liked to stay at the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, his friends at Bethany, when he was in Judaea. One of these visits has ever remained dear to Christian memory. On that occasion Martha, busily serving the Master, asked Him to persuade Mary to help her. Jesus explained to her that certain souls, called by God, should choose a better part still — the primary duty of listening to Him and contemplating Him.

After His Ascension, she was seized by the Jews, together with many other Christians. They were put on board a ship without sails or oars, and left helpless on the open sea. But God guided the ship, and they all arrived safely at Marseilles. Martha, after having won the love and admiration of the Marseilles people by the sanctity of her life and her wonderful charity, withdrew with several virtuous women to a spot remote from men, where she lived for a long time, greatly renowned for her piety and prudence.

- http://www.catholicculture.org/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2006-07-29
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Jeremiah 18:1-6

The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, can not I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.’
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John 11:19-21

Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:

‘I am the resurrection.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’

‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.
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Potter’s hand

A couple of weeks ago, the newspapers had a section on fortune telling according to the Chinese calendar. A ‘weight’ is assigned to the years, months and days. You have to add-up the weights based on your date of birth. It is said that the larger the weight for the males, the better and lower the weight for the females, the better. The week after, again I came across paragraphs of predictions based on one’s birth date and time. These are predictions based on Chinese soothsayers and are very similar to the horoscope pages. I must admit that I actually read the recent ‘fortune’ on myself for the fun and perhaps to laugh about. I have never believed them and will never believe in these published destinies. My faith definitely does not encourage us to believe and have our minds dwell in what is being written by these fortune tellers. It is just like opening the fortune cookie at the end of the meal that tells you that you will strike it rich in two days.

In today’s readings, who we are is very much controlled and molded by God our Father. He is the potter, we are the clay. God is perfection and He wants us to be perfect. The newspaper predictions I mentioned earlier were all about what we are to achieve or are lacking in the secular world; the wealth and difficulties we will come across during our presence on earth. God looks way beyond what is on earth. It is not about the present, in fact, there is no time and space with God. We live our lives for our eternal presence in the kingdom of heaven. We are given choices, either to live faithfully and let God mold us right, or to shape ourselves in a way which distances us from the Father. God will always be there to start afresh with us and not give up on us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells another parable similar to the ‘darnel and wheat’ parable where all will be judged at the end of time. We tend to think that we build our own futures, that we make the right decisions and what we have achieved or lost today was our own doing. My relationship with God is probably a Sunday affair and the decisions I made at work or stepping up the ladder to be the ‘top-man’ of the company is built-up by me. How are we disciples of the kingdom of heaven? Do we allow ourselves to be the clay and leave ourselves in the hands of our potter God; to be a righteous and loving Christian doing our best in carrying out God’s will?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: You are the potter, I am the clay O Lord; I am yours to be moulded and be discarded if I am wrong, because You always start afresh with me to make it all right.

Thanksgiving: Almighty Father, thank you for being around me so I am not easily swayed or disturbed by the evil things around me because I know you are near.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 30 Jun – Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

By tradition Joachim and Anne are considered to be the names of the parents of Mary, the Mother of God. We have no historical evidence, however, of any elements of their lives, including their names. Any stories about Mary’s father and mother come to us through legend and tradition. It was the parents of Mary who nurtured Mary, taught her, brought her up to be a worthy Mother of God. It was their teaching that led her to respond to God’s request with faith, “Let it be done to me as you will.” It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Jesus. It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand by the cross as her son was crucified and still believe. Such parents can be examples and models for all parents.

- http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=22
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Jeremiah 13:1-11

The Lord said this to me, ‘Go and buy a linen loincloth and put it round your waist. But do not dip it in water.’ And so, as the Lord had ordered, I bought a loincloth and put it round my waist. A second time the word of the Lord was spoken to me, ‘Take the loincloth that you have bought and are wearing round your waist; up! Go to the Euphrates and hide it in a hole in the rock.’ So I went and hid it near the Euphrates as the Lord had ordered me. Many days afterwards the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go to the Euphrates and fetch the loincloth I ordered you to hide there.’ So I went to the Euphrates, and I searched, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. The loincloth was spoilt, good for nothing. Then the word of the Lord was addressed to me, Thus says the Lord: In the same way I will spoil the arrogance of Judah and Jerusalem. This evil people who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the dictates of their own hard hearts, who have followed alien gods, and served them and worshipped them, let them become like this loincloth, good for nothing. For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I had intended the whole House of Judah to cling to me – it is the Lord who speaks – to be my people, my glory, my honour and my boast. But they have not listened.’
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Matthew 13:31-35

Jesus put another parable before the crowds, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the biggest shrub of all and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches.’

He told them another parable, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’

In all this Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; indeed, he would never speak to them except in parables. This was to fulfil the prophecy:

I will speak to you in parables
and expound things hidden since the foundation of the world.
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The kingdom of heaven is like the yeast

It’s been quite a while since I served regularly in a prayer group or church ministry. The training period I’m in right now gives me little control over the time I want to put aside to join a ministry and be part of parish life. Sometimes I feel I have much to offer and want to share my experiences with others and to learn from others’ life experiences. But I am crippled by my uncertain weekly timetable.

At times, I feel like I’m not doing my part in building the Church or growing with the parish as I only attend Sunday Masses and am out of church within ten minutes. Perhaps this is because I missed the experience of a parish community in which close bonds bring fellow brothers and sisters together to grow in spirituality. Despite this, I try to be a positive influence to others outside of church where secular influences are more obvious. How we reply and respond to situations and issues reveals our character and forms the impressions we give to others.

In today’s Gospel passage, we are reminded to build the Kingdom of God like a mustard seed or to be influential like yeast. We are small and insignificant to begin with, but with the Holy Spirit we can grow in knowledge and character which will impress so many others and make us very significant and attractive. This way, we can draw more people to God.

It is crucial that we always reflect and find ways to improve and become better persons so that we can influence others more and be that testament for our Lord. Let us try not to follow the flow of selfish men but, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ‘leaven’ all those around us.

When we step back into the world outside our church community, our relationship with God is a ministry in itself, continuously building the Kingdom and being influential Catholics to all those around us. With God, there is no fear and we are never inadequate in His eyes. If we are still that mustard seed unable to grow, then let us, with the Holy Spirit, turn it around so that we can be the biggest shrub of all.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Austin Leong)
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Prayer: Dearest Lord, lead me closer to finding a community or ministry; and guide me to be of Christian influence to others so that they may see You in me.

Thanksgiving: Praise you, Lord Jesus, for the teachings You show me every day in which I have learnt to be a stronger and more influential person.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 27 Jun – Jeremiah 14:17-22; Matthew 13:36-43
Wed, 28 Jun – Jeremiah 15:10.16-21; Matthew 13:44-46
Thu, 29 Jun – 1 John 4:7-16; John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42; Memorial for St Martha
Fri, 30 Jun – Jeremiah 26:1-9; Matthew 13:54-58; Memorial for St Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor
Sat, 31 Jun – Jeremiah 26:11-16.24; Matthew 14:1-12; Memorial for St Ignatius of Loyola, Priest
Sun, 01 Aug – Ecclesiastes 1:2;2:21-23; Colossians 3;1-5.9-11; Luke 12:13-21; Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Coming from a noble yet religious background, St. Bridget (1302-1373) was friend and counsellor to many priests and theologians of her day. As chief lady-in-waiting to Queen Blanche of Namur, she counselled and guided the Queen and King Magnus II. She was harassed by others at the court for pursuing a religious life.

She eventually renounced her title of princess and became the foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines), chastening and counselling kings and Popes Clement VI, Urban VI, and Gregory XI. St. Bridget encouraged all who would listen to meditate on the Passion, and of Jesus Crucified.

- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 3:14-17

Come back, disloyal children – it is the Lord who speaks – for I alone am your Master. I will take one from a town, two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and these shall feed you on knowledge and discretion. And when you have increased and become many in the land, then – it is the Lord who speaks – no one will ever say again: Where is the ark of the covenant of the Lord? There will be no thought of it, no memory of it, no regret for it, no making of another. When that time comes, Jerusalem shall be called: The Throne of the Lord; all the nations will gather there in the name of the Lord and will no longer follow the dictates of their own stubborn hearts.
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Matthew 13:18-23

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘You are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once. The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing. And the one who received the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’
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In rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it

This year’s Bible Sunday was a day I will never forget. That day’s gospel was on the parable of the Good Samaritan. I’ve heard the story so many times but that day, as the priest proclaimed the gospel, my tears just kept flowing. The word of God penetrated deep into my heart. Suddenly, I understood what God meant to say in my life.

When we hear the word of God with our ears, our lives remains unchanged. But when we hear the word with our ears and attentive hearts, our lives will to change. The same word speaks differently to each one and that’s the beauty of it. Even when we do not understand right away, we need to reflect on the words. It could be a word or a phrase. “The unreflected life is the life not worth living,” said Socrates.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Let us reflect on our lives and His word and listen to what He is trying to say. His words will help us understand who He is and how much He loves us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Marianne Tan)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, we offer our will and intellect, help us to listen, believe and live Your word in our daily lives.

Thanksgiving: Lord, You never stop loving us. Thank you.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 24 Jun – Jeremiah 7:1-11; Mathew 13:24-30; Memorial for St Charbel of Makhluf, Priest
Sun, 25 Jun – Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13; Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

There is actually very little solid information about her, and both scholars and traditions differ on the interpretation of what we do know.

She was a friend and follower of Jesus. Filled with sorrow over her sin, she anointed Christ, washed his feet with her hair. He exorcised seven demons from her. She was the first to have been visited by the Risen Christ. While there are several arguments about her life after the Crucifixion, the Greek Church maintains that she retired to Ephesus with the Blessed Virgin Mary and lived there the rest of her life.

Some things we do know for certain – Mary wasn’t Jesus’ wife or mistress, she wasn’t the mother of His child, and she didn’t found a royal dynasty or separate branch of Christianity.

- http://www.carr.org/~meripper/saints/saints-m.htm
- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 2:1-3. 7-8. 12-13

The word of the Lord was addressed to me saying, “Go and shout this in the hearing of Jerusalem:

“‘The Lord says this:
I remember the affection of your youth,
the love of your bridal days:
you followed me through the wilderness,
through a land unsown.
Israel was sacred to the Lord,
the first-fruits of his harvest;
anyone who ate of this had to pay for it,
misfortune came to them -
it is the Lord who speaks.’

“I brought you to a fertile country
to enjoy its produce and good things;
but no sooner had you entered than you defiled my land,
and made my heritage detestable.
The priests have never asked, ‘Where is the Lord?’
Those who administer the law have no knowledge of me.
The shepherds have rebelled against me;
the prophets have prophesied in the name of Baal,
following things with no power in them.

“You heavens, stand aghast at this,
stand stupefied, stand utterly appalled
- it is the Lord who speaks -
since my people have committed a double crime:
they have abandoned me,
the fountain of living water,
only to dig cisterns for themselves,
leaky cisterns
that hold no water.”
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Matthew 13:10-17

The disciples went up to Jesus and asked, “Why do you talk to the crowds in parables?” “Because,” he replied, “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them. For anyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled:

You will listen and listen again, but not understand,
see and see again, but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse,
their ears are dull of hearing and they have shut their eyes
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted
and be healed by me.

But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly, many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.”
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You will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and see again, but not perceive

Helen Keller’s words come to mind: “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Reading today’s gospel passage brought back memories. Once, I met a blind man on the streets, I deliberated for a long time before asking if he needed help. The conversation went something like this, “Hello uncle, may I help you?” He replied politely and confidently, “It’s okay, my house is here. (Pointing at a building)” I described the building just to make sure and he replied again, “Yes, that’s the one.” I was puzzled on how he knew that was his house. Though he didn’t have his sight, he knew. He was aware, he perceived.

Parables renew our senses and give us new thoughts and insights that bring us closer to the truth. Jesus speaks in parables so that everyone can understand. He made it simple so that the intellectual and common people can relate. Till today, the parables are relevant and essential for us. What is Jesus saying to us today?

Let us welcome the parables into our lives and see it unfold with openness and desire to understand what is happening in and around us. We pray to see and hear beyond our sight and sound.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Marianne Tan)
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Prayer: Dear Lord, renew and heighten our senses, help us to see with Your eyes and hear with Your ears.

Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for never failing to remind us when we forget You, for teaching us and showing us the way.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 23 Jun – Jeremiah 3:14-17; Matthew 13:18-23; Memorial for St Bridget of Sweden, Religious
Sat, 24 Jun – Jeremiah 7:1-11; Mathew 13:24-30; Memorial for St Charbel of Makhluf, Priest
Sun, 25 Jun – Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13; Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

St. Lawrence (1559-1619) joined the Capuchin Friars in 1575. He studied theology, the Bible, French, German, Greek, Spanish, Syriac, and Hebrew. He was an effective and forceful preacher in any of his several languages, founded convents and wrote catechisms.

As the chaplain of the army of the Holy Roman Empire in 1601, he led the army into battle against the Turks carrying only a crucifix, and defeated them. Later, he carried out important and successful diplomatic peace missions. He was the spiritual director of the Bavarian army. St Lawrence was proclaimed Apostolic Doctor of the Church by Pope John XXIII in 1959.

- Patron Saint Index
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Jeremiah 1:1.4-10

The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, of a priestly family living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin.
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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Matthew 13:1-9

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’
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Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop

In 2009, I attended a faith formation programme called “School of Witness” (SOW). During the six weeks, I was like a seed, planted again to know God in a new way to know Him as a loving God. My roots grew deeper as He revealed His healing to me. During this time of formation, we had to share our life’s testimony with others. It was daunting and since God gave me my life to share, He would empower me to speak.

Like seeds, we need the right conditions to grow. The basic components of water, air and sunlight sustain plants and trees. Likewise for us, one of the basic components for our faith is prayer. Prayer will help our roots be firm in Jesus, such that when the rain or wind comes we stand with stability. Two ways we can pray and develop a connection with God is speaking and listening to Him like a friend and reflecting on the word of God.

We pray to fall on rich soil and to hold firm to the basic component of prayer and let our roots in Jesus strengthen.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Marianne Tan)
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Prayer: Lord, teach me to pray unceasingly.

Thanksgiving: Thank You Lord for the grace to come to You in prayer.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 22 Jun – Song of Songs 3:1-4 or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; John 20:1-2.11-18; Memorial for St Mary Magdelene
Fri, 23 Jun – Jeremiah 3:14-17; Matthew 13:18-23; Memorial for St Bridget of Sweden, Religious
Sat, 24 Jun – Jeremiah 7:1-11; Mathew 13:24-30; Memorial for St Charbel of Makhluf, Priest
Sun, 25 Jun – Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13; Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

According to tradition, Apollinaris was a native of Antioch in the Roman Province of Syria. He was made the first Bishop of Ravenna by St. Peter during the persecutions of Emperor Vespasian (or Nero, depending on the source),

On his way out of the city he was identified, arrested as being the leader, tortured and martyred by being run through with a sword. Centuries after his death, he appeared in a vision to St. Romuald. He was a noted miracle worker, and is considered especially effective against gout and epilepsy.

- Wikipedia
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Micah 7:14-15.18-20

With shepherd’s crook, O Lord, lead your people to pasture,
the flock that is your heritage,
living confined in a forest
with meadow land all around.
Let them pasture in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came out of Egypt
grant us to see wonders.

What god can compare with you: taking fault away,
pardoning crime,
not cherishing anger for ever
but delighting in showing mercy?
Once more have pity on us,
tread down our faults,
to the bottom of the sea
throw all our sins.
Grant Jacob your faithfulness,
and Abraham your mercy,
as you swore to our fathers
from the days of long ago.
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Matthew 12:46-50

Jesus was speaking to the crowds when his mother and his brothers appeared; they were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother.’
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Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven, he is my brother and sister and mother

Most of the missionaries I’ve met belong to a community of the Institute for World Evangelisation (ICPE). I’m amazed by their lives and the way they live, giving themselves totally to God and His people and with such joy and peace. It was a blessing to meet the founders of the community and to listen to them share about how God has led their lives.

A strong point the founders shared was on vision and doing the will of God. Throughout the session, three words sank in my heart: “My little part”. I know my will, my wants, my desires but I still wonder and ask God, what is my little part? Where can I do His will? God gave an answer through the very missionaries I met who have placed Him first in their lives.

Then the question comes, how do we place God as our first priority? The answer is in making a radical commitment to seek Him first. There are many ways to seek God, through the sacraments, going to our room to pray, reading the bible, taking a walk, writing, etc. Each person is special and God calls us in our own special way. He knows us through and through, He knows what is best for us and He is calling us to prayer. In prayer we will know His will for us. He loves us, stretches out His hands towards us and assures us we are part of His family.

Let us change our priority to seek the Lord in our lives. In knowing Him, we will do the will of our Father in heaven.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Marianne Tan)
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Prayer: We pray for the desire to make God our first priority, to recommit our lives again.

Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for placing the missionaries in our lives to share You and for giving us hope.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 21 Jun – Jeremiah 1:1.4-10;Matthew 13:1-9; Memorial for St Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest & Doctor of the Church
Thu, 22 Jun – Song of Songs 3:1-4 or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; John 20:1-2.11-18; Memorial for St Mary Magdelene
Fri, 23 Jun – Jeremiah 3:14-17; Matthew 13:18-23; Memorial for St Bridget of Sweden, Religious
Sat, 24 Jun – Jeremiah 7:1-11; Mathew 13:24-30; Memorial for St Charbel of Makhluf, Priest
Sun, 25 Jun – Genesis 18:20-32; Colossians 2:12-14; Luke 11:1-13; Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Carmel was the place where the prophet Elijah proclaimed the faith of Israel in the one God, the meeting place of God and his people. During the Crusades, Christian hermits established themselves in caves on the mountain. In the thirteenth century, they joined together in a religious community known as the Carmelites. Mount Carmel overlooks the plains of Galilee, not far from Nazareth, and is particularly under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

- The Weekday Missal
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Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8

Hezekiah fell ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, ‘The Lord says this, “Put your affairs in order, for you are going to die, you will not live.”’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and addressed this prayer to the Lord, ‘Ah, Lord, remember, I beg you, how I have behaved faithfully and with sincerity of heart in your presence and done what is right in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah shed many tears.

Then the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, ‘Go and say to Hezekiah, “The Lord, the God of David your ancestor, says this: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will cure you: in three days’ time you shall go up to the Temple of the Lord.” I will add fifteen years to your life. I will save you from the hands of the king of Assyria, I will protect this city.”’

‘Bring a fig poultice,’ Isaiah said, ‘apply it to the ulcer and he will recover.’ Hezekiah said, ‘What is the sign to tell me that I shall be going up to the Temple of the Lord?’ ‘Here’ Isaiah replied’’ ‘is the sign from the Lord that he will do what he has said. Look, I shall make the shadow cast by the declining sun go back ten steps on the steps of Ahaz.’ And the sun went back the ten steps by which it had declined.
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Matthew 12:1-8

Jesus took a walk one sabbath day through the cornfields. His disciples were hungry and began to pick ears of corn and eat them. The Pharisees noticed it and said to him, ‘Look, your disciples are doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath.’ But he said to them, ‘Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry – how he went into the house of God and how they ate the loaves of offering which neither he nor his followers were allowed to eat, but which were for the priests alone? Or again, have you not read in the Law that on the sabbath day the Temple priests break the sabbath without being blamed for it? Now here, I tell you, is something greater than the Temple. And if you had understood the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the blameless. For the Son of Man is master of the sabbath.’
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For the Son of Man is master of the Sabbath

I work in a section of a ministry where we do a lot of planning for educational initiatives. When an initiative has been in place for a number of years, there would be a number of changes which had been put in place in order to resolve certain implementation issues. Often when current practices are questioned, we would find that because everyone was too focused on correcting structural issues, they lost sight of the original intent of the initiative.

In a similar way, the practice of keeping the Sabbath holy has its original intent as a day which is “holy and set apart for the praise of God, His work of creation and His saving actions on behalf of Israel” (Catechism of the Catholic Church n. 1171). In short, it is a day of grace and rest from work. To the Pharisees, strict observance of the Law required them to refrain from all kinds of work, which supposedly included picking ears of corn. A focus on such minute, unimportant detail made it seem like the Pharisees placed the Law above everything else, including mercy and kindness.

I heard of a story about a boss who refused to give his subordinate the day off to attend to the wake of her deceased mother, simply because there was no allowance for compassionate leave in the organisation. This is an example of a blind observance of rules with a disregard for the needs of others. If we find ourselves challenged in such situations where it seems to be law versus mercy, let us demonstrate the will and courage to choose the better part.

The Catholic Church, with its long history, has in place a vast number of rituals and observances. People from both inside and outside of the Church often question their purpose, and sometimes I wonder if the detractors had bothered to find out about the intent of those rituals before criticising them. The way I see it, adherence to religious practices can have only one purpose – to lead believers to an adherence to the ways of God.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: We pray for the grace and obedience to follow the way of the Lord.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the religious practices instituted by the Church.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 17 Jun – Micah 2:1-5; Matthew 12:14-21
Sun, 11 Jun – Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:24-28; Mark 10:38-42; Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Born in 1218. He studied in Paris and become professor there. He joined the Franciscan Order and eventually became Minister General in 1257. He endeavoured to reconcile the Franciscan spirit with the administrative demands of a world-wide order. His writings reveal a profound spirituality. He was appointed Cardinal Bishop of Albano, and attended the Council of Lyons, which attempted to reconcile the Churches of East and West. He died in 1274.

- The Weekday Missal
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Isaiah 26:7-9.12.16-19

The path of the upright man is straight,
you smooth the way of the upright.
Following the path of your judgements,
we hoped in you, O Lord,
your name, your memory are all my soul desires.

At night my soul longs for you
and my spirit in me seeks for you;
when your judgements appear on earth
the inhabitants of the world learn the meaning of integrity.

O Lord, you are giving us peace,
since you treat us
as our deeds deserve.

Distressed, we search for you, O Lord;
the misery of oppression was your punishment for us.
As a woman with child near her time
writhes and cries out in her pangs,

so are we, O Lord, in your presence:
we have conceived, we writhe
as if we were giving birth;
we have not given the spirit of salvation to the earth,
no more inhabitants of the world are born.

Your dead will come to life,
their corpses will rise;
awake, exult,
all you who lie in the dust,
for your dew is a radiant dew
and the land of ghosts will give birth.
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Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus exclaimed, ‘Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.’
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My yoke is easy and my burden light

There is a song by Carrie Underwood which I particularly like. It is one of the rare contemporary pop songs that tell a story through its lyrics. The song starts off about a young single mother who is driving home with her baby in her car. Unfortunately, she loses control of the car along the way, and in desperate fear that she might lose her life and also that of her child, she prays for Jesus to take the wheel – Jesus take the wheel/Take it from my hands/Coz I can’t do this on my own.

In the few lines of today’s gospel passage, we are invited to surrender our lives to Jesus. There is no coercion, no threat of punishment, no command, just a simple invitation to let Jesus take the driver’s seat in our daily lives. In today’s secular, individualistic world, we like to be in control of things and of our own lives. Perhaps that is why, compared to the poorer and less advantaged generations before us, we find it harder to accept Jesus’ invitation. A lot of times, it seems that comfort and rest can be found in many material things – in the visits to the spa, in a holiday abroad, and so on.

But physical rest does not necessarily equate with spiritual rest. Knowingly or unknowingly, the stresses and burdens of life, plus our sinfulness, accumulate, and we feel that we have no one to turn to. There always seems to be a million and one things to worry about. I am usually reluctant and fearful about surrendering to God, as if hanging on to the worry will help me feel more in control. But I do know that, those times when I found the courage to surrender to God, He always surprises me.

Although I still tend to have the niggling doubt at the back of my mind that there can be a God who has such unconditional love for us, I am trying to find that trust that the saints and the disciples had – a kind of unwavering confidence that they are loved by God.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: We pray for the zeal of discipleship.

Thanksgiving: We thank God for rewarding the efforts of those who serve You wholeheartedly.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 16 Jun – Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8; Matthew 12:1-8; Memorial for Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Sat, 17 Jun – Micah 2:1-5; Matthew 12:14-21
Sun, 11 Jun – Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:24-28; Mark 10:38-42; Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Born in the kingdom of Naples in 1550, he became a soldier, and led a dissolute life for some years. Horrified by the misery of the sick he saw in a hospital, he devoted his life to their care. He was ordained and foundeda religious congregation to establish hospitals and run them. He did not spare himself in this work, and died in 1614.

- The Weekday Missal
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Isaiah 10:5-7.13-16

The Lord of hosts says this:

Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger,
the club brandished by me in my fury!
I sent him against a godless nation;
I gave him commission against a people that provokes me,
to pillage and to plunder freely
and to stamp down like the mud in the streets.
But he did not intend this,
his heart did not plan it so.
No, in his heart was to destroy,
to go on cutting nations to pieces without limit.

For he has said:

‘By the strength of my own arm I have done this
and by my own intelligence, for understanding is mine;
I have pushed back the frontiers of peoples
and plundered their treasures.
I have brought their inhabitants down to the dust.
As if they were a bird’s nest, my hand has seized
the riches of the peoples.
As people pick up deserted eggs
I have picked up the whole earth,
with not a wing fluttering,
not a beak opening, not a chirp.’

Does the axe claim more credit than the man who wields it,
or the saw more strength than the man who handles it?
It would be like the cudgel controlling the man who raises it,
or the club moving what is not made of wood!
And so the Lord of Hosts is going to send
a wasting sickness on his stout warriors;
beneath his plenty, a burning will burn
like a consuming fire.
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Matthew 11:25-27

Jesus exclaimed, ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
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Revealing them to mere children

As a teacher, in the course of working with students, especially teenagers, one invariably comes across those who like to pride themselves on knowing things that a teacher does not.

I do not know why, but I just get immensely irritated whenever that happens. I guess somewhere deep in my mind I harbour this notion that students are not in a position to tell teachers what to do, even if they do know more than the teacher does.

It is interesting how true the statement “what goes round comes round” is. As I reflect on this issue, I realise with some horror and shame that I myself often like to “show off” to others my superiority in knowledge and abilities. No doubt, wisdom is a precious and much-sought after gift. People usually do not want to appear silly in front of others, and those who are considered intelligent and wise are often highly regarded. But when we know more things, there is also the danger that we will develop a pride in our knowledge, such that it prevents us from fully listening to what God has to say.

Humility is the key to receiving the truth and wisdom of God’s grace. The New Advent site (www.newadvent.org) defines humility as “a quality by which a person considering his own defects has a lowly opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God’s sake”. Someone who is pure and humble of heart will be fully open and dependent on God who is infinitely wiser and greater than we can ever be. Let us strive to constantly re-examine ourselves and rid ourselves of pride and stubbornness, so that the truths of God’s kingdom may be revealed to us.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: Dear God, we pray for the gift of a child-like simplicity and faith in You.

Thanksgiving: We thank God for the role models of holiness and humility in our lives.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 15 Jun – Isaiah 26:7-9.12.16-19; Matthew 11:28-30; Memorial for St Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
Fri, 16 Jun – Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8; Matthew 12:1-8; Memorial for Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Sat, 17 Jun – Micah 2:1-5; Matthew 12:14-21
Sun, 11 Jun – Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:24-28; Mark 10:38-42; Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Born in 973, Henry became Duke of Bavaria on his father’s death in 995, and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1014. He was married, but had no children. He was ardent for the reform of the Church, took part in synods, founded monasteries, appointed bishops of integrity. With his wife he lived a semi-monastic life of prayer and discipline.

- The Weekday Missal
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Isaiah 7:1-9

In the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, Razon the king of Aram went up against Jerusalem with Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to lay siege to it; but he was unable to capture it.

The news was brought to the House of David. ‘Aram’ they said ‘has reached Ephraim.’ Then the heart of the king and the hearts of the people shuddered as the trees of the forest shudder in front of the wind. The Lord said to Isaiah, ‘Go with your son Shear-jashub, and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool on the Fuller’s Field road, and say to him:

‘“Pay attention, keep calm, have no fear,
do not let your heart sink
because of these two smouldering stumps of firebrands,
or because Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah
have plotted to ruin you, and have said:
Let us invade Judah and terrorise it
and seize it for ourselves,
and set up a king there,
the son of Tabeel.
The Lord says this:
It shall not come true; it shall not be.
The capital of Aram is Damascus,
the head of Damascus, Razon;
the capital of Ephraim, Samaria,
the head of Samaria, the son of Remaliah.
Six or five years more
and a shattered Ephraim shall no longer be a people.
But if you do not stand by me,
you will not stand at all.”’
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Matthew 11:20-24

Jesus began to reproach the towns in which most of his miracles had been worked, because they refused to repent.

‘Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard on Judgement day with Tyre and Sidon as with you. And as for you, Capernaum, did you want to be exalted as high as heaven? You shall be thrown down to hell. For if the miracles done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been standing yet. And still, I tell you that it will not go as hard with the land of Sodom on Judgement day as with you.’
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Because they refused to repent

A couple of Sundays ago, the reading was about Jesus’ pardon of a sinful woman at a Pharisee’s house. I was struck by the priest’s emphasis on the fact that those who are forgiven much will be able to love much, and conversely, those who are forgive little will love little. It was a new insight I received, that love has its roots in an awareness of one’s sinful nature.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus rebuked the people whom He preached to and worked miracles for. Instead of responding to him, they remained indifferent and did not repent and accept His teachings. There are many instances in the Gospel where people’s lives are transformed after they experience healing, either through the words or physical touch, from Jesus. Yet, there is also the reality of another group of people who are resistant to conversion.

Herein lies the importance of reconciliation. It is only when we are fully aware of our human sinfulness, that we can understand the enormity of Jesus’ love, and the extent of His forgiveness, which has no boundaries and no condition. God forgives us even before we repent, and also does not require us to do great works to merit that forgiveness. It is up to us to accept that forgiveness, confess the wrong, and repent. Then we can truly love others, because we recognise that He loved us first.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Edith Koh)
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Prayer: We pray for greater awareness of our sinfulness.

Thanksgiving: We thank God for loving us for who we are.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 14 Jun – Isaiah 10:5-7.13-16; Matthew 11:25-27; Memorial for St Camillus de Lellis, Priest
Thu, 15 Jun – Isaiah 26:7-9.12.16-19; Matthew 11:28-30; Memorial for St Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
Fri, 16 Jun – Isaiah 38:1-6.21-22.7-8; Matthew 12:1-8; Memorial for Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Sat, 17 Jun – Micah 2:1-5; Matthew 12:14-21
Sun, 11 Jun – Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:24-28; Mark 10:38-42; Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China’s relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly.

The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and 1930. Most of them (eighty-seven) were born in China and were children, parents, catechists or laborers, ranging from nine years of age to seventy-two. This group includes four Chinese diocesan priests.

The thirty-three foreign-born martyrs were mostly priests or women religious, especially from the Order of Preachers, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, the Friars Minor, Jesuits, Salesians and Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese soldier who accompanied Bishop John Gabriel Taurin Dufresse (Paris Foreign Mission Society) to his martyrdom in Beijing. Augustine was baptized and not long after was ordained as a diocesan priest. He was martyred in 1815 with 119 companions. Among their number was an eighteen year old boy, Chi Zhuzi, who cried out to those who had just cut off his right arm and were preparing to flay him alive: “Every piece of my flesh, every drop of my blood will tell you that I am Christian.”

Beatified in groups at various times, these 120 martyrs were canonized in Rome on October 1, 2000.

- http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2010-07-09
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Hosea 14:2-10

The Lord says this:

Israel, come back to the Lord your God;
your iniquity was the cause of your downfall.
Provide yourself with words
and come back to the Lord.
Say to him, ‘Take all iniquity away
so that we may have happiness again
and offer you our words of praise.
Assyria cannot save us,
we will not ride horses any more,
or say, “Our God!” to what our own hands have made,
for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.’
– I will heal their disloyalty,
I will love them with all my heart,
for my anger has turned from them.
I will fall like dew on Israel.
He shall bloom like the lily,
and thrust out roots like the poplar,
his shoots will spread far;
he will have the beauty of the olive
and the fragrance of Lebanon.
They will come back to live in my shade;
they will grow corn that flourishes,
they will cultivate vines
as renowned as the wine of Helbon.
What has Ephraim to do with idols any more
when it is I who hear his prayer and care for him?
I am like a cypress ever green,
all your fruitfulness comes from me.

Let the wise man understand these words.
Let the intelligent man grasp their meaning.
For the ways of the Lord are straight,
and virtuous men walk in them,
but sinners stumble.
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Matthew 10:16-23

Jesus instructed the Twelve as follows: ‘Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.

‘Beware of men: they will hand you over to sanhedrins and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to speak or what to say; what you are to say will be given to you when the time comes; because it is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking in you. ‘Brother will betray brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all men on account of my name; but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved. If they persecute you in one town, take refuge in the next; and if they persecute you in that, take refuge in another. I tell you solemnly, you will not have gone the round of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.’
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It is not you who will be speaking; the Spirit of your Father will be speaking to you

I find it very sad whenever I hear of people whom say they rather write thousands and thousands of lines than go up to stage and do a speech. I believe that it is due to the fact that it can be overwhelming to have to speak to such a large crowd that may make them forget their lines! However, I believe it is different for those called to proclaim the word of God.

Generally for anyone to say something they must at least show some sense of belief in the words. For us as Christians, we are called to use words to bring others to Christ. The words we speak from our own strength are sometimes not sufficient and we become disheartened and unhappy over our inability to become effective witnesses of Christ. I have learnt that we need to spend time in prayer to connect to God and allow Him to permeate every facet of our life. God must enter from the conscious realm to the unconscious so that our Christianity becomes a way of life.

When we allow God to be in the centre of our life, we are able to speak His words with conviction and belief. It is the Holy Spirit that guides our tongue to use words that draw people to want to know more about Jesus. We are God’s instruments to bring about the sweet sounding music of the Good News of the Lord to the world and those whom we love.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Lord, help us to remember that it is You whom we depend on for our very lives and existence.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 10 Jun – Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 10:24-33
Sun, 11 Jun – Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37; Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Born in 1890, at Ancona in Italy, of a poor Italian family. She was stabbed to death by a youth who was attempting to rape her. Before she died, in hospital, she declared: ‘I forgive him for the love of Jesus, and I pray that he may come with me to Paradise.’ She was canonised in 1950.

- The Weekday Missal
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Hosea 8:4-7.11-13

Thus says the Lord:

They have set up kings, but not with my consent,
and appointed princes, but without my knowledge.
Out of their own silver and gold they have made idols,
which are doomed to destruction.
I spurn your calf, Samaria,
my anger blazes against it.
(How long will it be before they purge themselves of this,
the sons of Israel?)
A workman made the thing,
this cannot be God!
Yes, the calf of Samaria shall go up in flames.
They sow the wind, they will reap the whirlwind;
their wheat will yield no ear,
the ear will yield no flour,
or, if it does, foreigners will swallow it.

Ephraim has built altar after altar,
they have only served him as occasion for sin.
Were I to write out the thousand precepts of my Law for him,
they would be paid no more attention than those of a stranger.
They love sacrificing; right, let them sacrifice!
They love meat; right, let them eat it!
the Lord takes no pleasure in these.
He is now going to remember their iniquity
and punish their sins;
they will have to go back to Egypt.
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Matthew 9:32-37

A man was brought to Jesus, a dumb demoniac. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke and the people were amazed. ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel’ they said. But the Pharisees said, ‘It is through the prince of devils that he casts out devils.’

Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the kingdom and curing all kinds of diseases and sickness.

And when he saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’
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The harvest is rich but the labourers are few

I once attended a vocation camp meant for young men who were considering joining the priestly and religious life. One of the questions that struck me was what happens if we choose to disregard the call of God and continue to pursue our own desires and dreams. The response given was that while the person will not meet any harm, he will certainly face some disquiet and unhappiness within his soul.

The first reading tells us that God intends to punish the Israelites because they refused to obey His words and have become as hardened as their ancestors whom built and worshipped the golden calf. The Jewish people were God’s chosen people and hence they should be dependent on Him to protect them from all harm. They wilfully chose to ignore this role and instead chose the way of idolatry. They accepted the consequences that follow from the choice in which they make. I feel that this is similar to the situation of a call to religious and priestly life.

There is a dire need for shepherds to minister to God’s people and I believe that the seed of vocation has been sown in the hearts of many people. However this seed often gets choked in the thorns of materialism and the cares of the world.

Let us take some time today to ask God to allow young men and women to respond to His call and for ourselves to be receptive to this way of life if it is our calling. Let us not try to run away from what we were created to do.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, and melt the cold hearts of those who refuse to acknowledge your presence.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who have generously responded to the path that God has asked them to take.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 07 Jun – Hosea 10:1-3.7-8.12; Matthew 10:1-7
Thu, 08 Jun – Hosea 11:1-4.8-9; Matthew 10:7-15
Fri, 09 Jun – Hosea 14:2-10; Matthew 10:16-23; Memorial for Ss Anthony Zhao Rong, Priest and Companions, Martyrs
Sat, 10 Jun – Isaiah 6:1-8; Matthew 10:24-33
Sun, 11 Jun – Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37; Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time