The Father Who Draws Us To Himself

Elijah was drawn to the mountain of God by the Lord who gave him food and drink. The Father is drawing us to himself by offering us the bread of life at this Mass.

- The Sunday Missal
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1 Kings 19:4-8

Elijah went into the wilderness, a day’s journey, and sitting under a furze bush wished he were dead. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’ Then he lay down and went to sleep. But and angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’ He look round, and there at his head was a scone baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. But the angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said ‘Get up and eat, or the journey will be too long for you.’ So he got up and ate an drank, and strengthened by that food he walked for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.
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Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for you to be set free when the day comes. Never have grudges against others, or lose your temper, or raise your voice to anybody, or call each other names, or allow any sort of spitefulness. Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ.

Try, then, to imitate God, as children of his that he loves, and follow Christ by loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.
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John 6:41-51

The Jews were complaining to each other about Jesus, because he had said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ ‘Surely this is Jesus son of Joseph’ they said. ‘We know his father and mother. How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus said in reply, ‘Stop complaining to each other.

‘No one can come to me
unless he is drawn by the Father who sent me,
and I will raise him up at the last day.
It is written in the prophets:
They will all be taught by God,
and to hear the teaching of the Father,
and learn from it,
is to come to me.
Not that anybody has seen the Father,
except the one who comes from God:
he has seen the Father.
I tell you most solemnly,
everybody who believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life.
Your fathers ate the manna in the desert
and they are dead;
but this is the bread that comes down from heaven,
so that a man may eat it and not die.
I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.’
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Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.

A friend of mine once confided in me that she wanted God to end her life as she felt too tired of carrying her crosses. The burdens were so great and each day she felt crushed by her sorrows. Death was/is alluring to her as it represents the end of suffering. Perhaps this is how Elijah felt when he too asked God to take his life in today’s first reading.

However, God’s response to Elijah was to ask him (through the angel) to eat and get up for the journey ahead. Instead of lambasting Elijah for giving up, he provided Elijah with strength (through the form of food). When this was not good enough, God again made sure Elijah woke up and ate more, so that he could continue his journey.

My friends, whenever you feel tempted to give up on life, do you hear a taunting voice telling you that you are weak? Do you hear a voice that condemns you as worthless and cowardly? If so, know that these voices do not come from God. Just as God understood Elijah’s weary heart and did not taunt Elijah, so God’s understands your struggles in a very intimate manner and would never taunt or condemn you. Instead, God will keep providing the manna that you need in life to keep you heading towards your goal.

Whenever we feel tempted to give up, let us come to a loving God who understands our sorrows and never rejects us. Let us trust in our God who holds us close to Him and provides us with all that we need to keep us going in our journey. Just as the angel provided Elijah with bread that kept him going for forty days and forty nights, so too Jesus will continue to provide us with His heavenly bread which will keep us going every day, for as long as our journey takes.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, even though I have fallen in despair and felt defeated so many times in my life, You have never given up on me. Again and again, You keep me going and help me to overcome one battle at a time. I believe that You are with me in my battles today. Thank You for loving me and doing all You can to help me get to Heaven.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Holy Spirit for marking us with His seal to keep us going so that we may be set free when the day comes.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 10 Aug – 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12:24-26; Feast of St Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
Tue, 11 Aug – Deuteronomy 31:1-8; Matthew 18:1-5;10.12-14; Memorial for St Clare, Virgin
Wed, 12 Aug – Deuteronomy 34:1-12; Matthew 18:15-20; Memorial for St Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious Founder
Thu, 13 Aug – Joshua 3:7-11.13-17; Mathew 18:21-19:1; Memorial for St Pontian, Pope, Martyr and St Hippolytus, Priest, Martyr
Fri, 14 Aug – Joshua 24:1-13; Matthew 19:3-12; Memorial for St Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr
Fri, 14 Aug – 1 Chronicles 15:3-4.15-16;16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57; Luke 11:27-28; Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Vigil Mass)
Sat, 15 Aug – Apocalypse 11:19;12:1-6.10; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Luke 1:39-56; Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sun, 16 Aug – Proverbs 9:1-6; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58; Lay Apostalate Sunday; Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time

This feast celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Presentation is the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts. In many Western liturgical churches, Vespers (or Compline) on the Feast of the Presentation marks the end of the Epiphany season.

This feast is also known by other traditional names including Candelmas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, and the Meeting of the Lord. Prior to the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, Candlemas marked the end of the Christmas and Epiphany season.

The Western term ‘Candlemas’ (or Candle Mass) referred to the practice whereby a priest on Feb 2 (forty days after Christmas) blessed beeswax candles with an aspergilium (liturgical implement used to sprinkle holy water) for use throughout the year, some of which were distributed to the faithful for use in the home.

Since the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, this feast has been referred to as the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, with references to candles and the purification of Mary de-emphasized in favour of the Prophecy of Simeon the Righteous. Pope John Paul II connected the feast day with the renewal of religious vows.

- Wikipedia

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Malachi 3:1-4

The Lord God says this: Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will suddenly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed by the Lord as in former days, as in the years of old.

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Hebrews 2:14-18

Since all the children share the same blood and flesh, Christ too shared equally in it, so that by his death he could take away all the power of the devil, who had power over death, and set free all those who had been held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death. For it was not the angels that he took to himself; he took to himself descent from Abraham. It was essential that he should in this way become completely like his brothers so that he could be a compassionate and trustworthy high priest of God’s religion, able to atone for human sins. That is, because he has himself been through temptation he is able to help others who are tempted.

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Luke 2:22-40

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You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel

Today’s readings remind me of the proverb “One man’s meat is another man’s poison”. It is indeed interesting to see how Simeon mentions this in the Gospel today. I believe that Simeon could see what Jesus was expecting of his followers: total and unconditional love to all around us. This commandment would indeed prove to be difficult to be accepted by some of the people living during that period of time.

Jesus Himself lived out this commandment and it was encapsulated in his actions, teachings and behaviour. He never failed to demonstrate to everyone the love that everybody should have access to as a child of God.

Unlike the religious and political leaders of his time who belonged to an exclusive group of people, He always went down to the ground to minister to the poorest of the poor and to experience the hardships and pains that all of us had to go through. His actions were the light to all who lived in the darkness of pain and sin. This, the author of the second reading tells us, is what enables Him to be a “compassionate and trustworthy high priest” because He went through the same amount of temptations as we did.

Simeon foresaw that not many people can accept this kind of expectation that Jesus sets for His followers and that it will eventually lead to a major division within Israel. History tells us of how Christianity flourished despite persecution whilst Israel was destroyed by the Romans due to the rebellion. Similarly, the path of light and the path of darkness are set before us and the choice is left to us on how we desire to follow Him.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
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Prayer: Lord, we pray for the strength to continue to bear your light in a world of darkness.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all who instruct the Catholic faith to non-believers.

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Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 03 Feb – Hebrews 12:1-4, Mark 5:21-43; St Blaise, Bishop & Martyr, St Angsar, Bishop
Wed, 04 Feb – Hebrews 12:4-7, Mark 6:1-6
Thu, 05 Feb – Hebrews 12:18-19, Mark 6:7-13, St Agatha, Virgin & Martyr
Fri, 06 Feb – Hebrews 13:1-8, Mark 6:14-29, Sts Paul Miki & companions, Martyrs in Japan
Sat, 07 Feb – Hebrews 13:15-17, Mark 6:30-34
Sun, 08 Feb – Job 7:1-4, Psalm 146, 1 Corinthians 9:16-19. 22-23, Mark 1:29-39; Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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St. Angela Merici (1474-1540) became a Franciscan tertiary at the age of 15. She received a vision telling her that she would inspire devout women in their vocation.

In Crete, during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she was struck blind. Her friends wanted to return home, but she insisted on going on, visiting the shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm as if she had her sight. On the way home, while praying before a crucifix, her sight was restored at the same place where it had been lost.

In 1535, she gathered a group of girl students and began what would become the “Institute of St. Ursula” (the Ursuline Sisters), founded to teach children, beginning with religion and later expanding into secular topics; her first schools were in Desenazno and Brescia.

- Patron Saint Index

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Hebrews 10:1-10

Since the Law has no more than a reflection of these realities, and no finished picture of them, it is quite incapable of bringing the worshippers to perfection, with the same sacrifices repeatedly offered year after year. Otherwise, the offering of them would have stopped, because the worshippers, when they had been purified once, would have no awareness of sins. Instead of that, the sins are recalled year after year in the sacrifices. Bulls’ blood and goats’ blood are useless for taking away sins, and this is what he said, on coming into the world:You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,
prepared a body for me.
You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;
then I said,
just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,
‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’

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

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Mark 3:31-35

The mother and brothers of Jesus arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, ‘Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.’ He replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking round at those sitting in a circle about him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.’

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God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.

Today’s readings centre on human obedience to God’s will. It is good if we can tell God, “Here I am! I am coming to obey your will” for this shows desire and openness to doing God’s will. However, as we have all heard the phrase “talk is cheap”, how then can we truly put our words into action?

First, we need to know what God’s will is for us. This is tricky since God is not physically available to our senses and most of the time (or all the time), we will not hear Him instruct us on what to do in an audible fashion. Indeed, even Jesus Himself did not always hear his Father telling Him what to do audibly. However, He knew what He had to do because He always spent time in prayer.

If we read the Gospels, we can pick out many occasions when Jesus made time for prayer (e.g. Luke 22:41). Prayer is a time when Jesus could be in communion with His Father. Through prayer, Jesus knew His Father better and as a result, was able to recognize His Father in the midst of His everyday activities. Hence, in order to know God’s will for us, we must make time for Him.

Upon knowing what God’s will is, we must then do it. This is often extremely challenging and can cause us great suffering. Even Jesus was in great pain when He knew what He had to undergo, leading to Him saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me” (Luke 22:42). However, despite the fear and sorrow within Him, He allowed Himself to go through a painful death as long as it was His Father’s will. He always put His Father’s will before His own (e.g. “Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42)).

Dear brothers and sisters, do we simply tell God we will do His will but not spend time to find out what His will is? Do we claim we will do His will, but upon knowing the suffering that may come along with it, reject His will? Let us ask for the Holy Spirit’s strengthening so that we can fulfil God’s will for us in our lives, regardless of any suffering that may be involved. 

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord, I want to do your will but I am afraid of the sufferings that may accompany it. Forgive my weak heart and strengthen me with your love and grace so that I will bear any sufferings in my life, as long as it is in accordance with your will.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to Jesus for doing His Father’s will even though He did not want to do it.

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Upcoming Readings:

Wed, 28 Jan – Hebrews 10:11-18. Mark 4:1-20, St Thomas Aquinas, priest & Doctor of the Church
Thu, 29 Jan – Hebrews 10:19-25. Mark 4:21-25
Fri, 30 Jan – Herbrews 10:19-25. Mark 4:26-34
Sat, 31 Jan – Hebrews 11:1-2. 8-19, Mark 4:26-34; St John Bosco, priest
Sun, 01 Feb - Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 94, 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, Mark 1:21-28; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

St. Paul (3-65) was a Jewish Talmudic student and a Pharisee. He was a tent-maker by trade. Saul the Jew hated and persecuted Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of St. Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus to arrest another group of them, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ. The experience had a profound spiritual effect on him, causing his conversion to Christianity. He was baptised, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began travelling and preaching. He died a martyr for his faith.

- Patron Saint Index
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As this is the Year of St. Paul, the Congregation for Divine Worship instructs that one Mass may be celebrated today in each church for the Conversion of St. Paul. In this case, the second reading of the Mass is taken from the Third Ordinary Sunday.

Peace,
Dan
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Acts 9:1-22

Meanwhile Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he might find. It happened that while he was travelling to Damascus and approaching the city, suddenly a light from heaven shone all round him. He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ he asked, and the answer came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’ The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one.  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing at all, and they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand.  For three days he was without his sight and took neither food nor drink.

There was a disciple in Damascus called Ananias, and he had a vision in which the Lord said to him, ‘Ananias!’ When he replied, ‘Here I am, Lord,’  the Lord said, ‘Get up and go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying, and has seen a man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.’

But in response, Ananias said, ‘Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and all the harm he has been doing to your holy people in Jerusalem.  He has come here with a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.’ The Lord replied, ‘Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’

Then Ananias went. He entered the house, and laid his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ It was as though scales fell away from his eyes and immediately he was able to see again. So he got up and was baptised,  and after taking some food he regained his strength. After he had spent only a few days with the disciples in Damascus, he began preaching in the synagogues, ‘Jesus is the Son of God.’ All his hearers were amazed, and said, ‘Surely, this is the man who did such damage in Jerusalem to the people who invoke this name, and who came here for the sole purpose of arresting them to have them tried by the chief priests?’ Saul’s power increased steadily, and he was able to throw the Jewish colony at Damascus into complete confusion by the way he demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ.
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1 Corinthians 7:29-31

Brothers: our time is growing short. Those who have wives should live as though they had none, and those who mourn should live as though they had nothing to mourn for; those who are enjoying life should live as though there were nothing to laugh about; those whose life is buying things should live as though they had nothing of their own; and those who have to deal with the world should not become engrossed in it. I say this because the world as we know it is passing away.
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Mark 16: 15-18

Jesus showed himself to the Eleven themselves and said to them, ‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.  He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned.  These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues;  they will pick up snakes in their hands and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’
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Chosen instrument

I used to think that all achievements I had with regards to my work were due to my own credit. Since I was the one who put in effort, I did not see why anyone else should share credit for my work. However, in the last few years, I realized how wrong I was. During my darkest moments where I was anxious and suffered from mind blocks, it was my family and friends who prayed for me, encouraged me, and gave me hope and strength to keep going. I now believe that whatever results I get is not just my work, but is also the shared efforts of those who accompanied me in my journey.

Today, we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul (earlier known as Saul). In the first reading, we see that the Lord changed St. Paul’s heart towards Him and, as a result, was able to employ St. Paul to preach the Good News to the Gentiles, kings, and Israelites. However, what is also interesting is that God first needed the help of Ananias in order to change St. Paul’s heart.

Although we remember St. Paul for his powerful preaching and for converting the hearts of Gentiles, we must not forget those who equipped St. Paul with the passion and faith to preach the Good News. Ananias is one of those who, through his obedience to the Lord, equipped St. Paul with greater faith and trust in our Lord. St. Paul might not have been as passionate in his preaching if Ananias had not fulfilled the vision that God granted St. Paul.

With this in mind, let us express our gratitude to those who have equipped us with the necessary skills, wisdom, and passion needed to perform well in certain tasks. Let us also remember that God calls different people to perform different tasks. While some of us may be called to do dramatic works like St. Paul, others may be called to do background tasks like Ananias. Regardless of what we’re called to, let us be contented that we are all working together for our Lord, and all our works (big or small) have an effect on each other in the grander scheme of things.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord, I am your chosen instrument. Help me to fulfil your will in my life.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to St. Paul for being God’s instrument to show us what we can do when we are in union with our Lord. We also give thanks to Ananias for obeying God’s will and empowering St. Paul with conviction in our Lord.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 26 Jan – 2 Timothy 1:1-8 or Titus 1:1-5, Luke 10:1-9; Sts Timothy & Titus, Bishops, Memorials
Tue, 27 Jan – Hebrews 10:1-10.  Mark 3:31-35; St Angela Merici, Virgin
Wed, 28 Jan – Hebrews 10:11-18. Mark 4:1-20; St Thomas Aquinas, priest & Doctor of the Church
Thu, 29 Jan – Hebrews 10:19-25. Mark 4:21-25
Fri, 30 Jan – Herbrews 10:19-25. Mark 4:26-34
Sat, 31 Jan – Hebrews 11:1-2. 8-19, Mark 4:26-34; St John Bosco, priest
Sun, 01 Feb – Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Psalm 94, 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, Mark 1:21-28; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is celebrated on Jan 1, the Octave Day of Christmas (i.e. 8th day after Christmas). It is a celebration of Mary’s motherhood of Jesus. The title “Mother of God” is a western derivation from the Greek term ‘theotokos’, the God-bearer.

The term ‘theotokos’ was adopted at the Council of Ephesus as a way to assert the divinity of Christ, from which it follows that what is declared of Christ is declared of God. So, if Mary is the mother of Jesus, she is the Mother of God. Therefore, the title ‘Mother of God’ and the ‘Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God’, which celebrates her under this title, are at once Mariological and Christological.

- Wikipedia

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Numbers 6:22-27

The Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Say this to Aaron and his sons: “This is how you are to bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”

This is how they are to call down my name on the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.’

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Galatians 4:4-7

When the appointed time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law and to enable us to be adopted as sons. The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.

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Luke 2:16-2

The shepherds hurried away to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds had to say. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; it was exactly as they had been told.

When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

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As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.

I believe that one of the greatest struggles we go through in life is our struggle to be our own gods, and to let God be God. This is the same struggle that Adam and Eve went through when they wanted to be as knowledgeable and wise as God; hence, they ate the forbidden fruit. While it is easy to blame Adam and Eve for the downfall of humankind, haven’t we also intentionally chosen to make mistakes so that we can grow in wisdom and experience?

I once had a friend who told me that she wanted to get into a wrong relationship so that she could then finally experience why such relationships are wrong for her, rather than simply knowing in her head that these relationships are bad for her. While it is not wrong to desire growth in wisdom and experience, intentionally disobeying God to achieve this goal is wrong. What it reveals is our impatience, our need for certainty and an ability to control our lives and our rate of growth.

Unlike us, Mary followed God’s will for her life obediently and patiently. In times when she did not understand, she simply remembered these events and reflection upon them, patiently trying to piece the puzzle together. Though she had the same desire as us (i.e., she wanted to understand), her method for trying to understand differed greatly from us. She obeyed God and trusted in God’s timing. We, on the other hand, become impatient with God’s timing; hence, we run away from God and try to make sense of events in our lives on our own. Simply stated, we choose to become our own gods.

My dear brothers and sisters, remembering that our God is a patient, merciful and loving God, let us seek His forgiveness and ask Him for His help, so that we might be able to deal with uncertainty with patience and trust in Him. Whenever we are tempted to become our own gods, let us look to Mary as a role model and guide in our life, so that we too can deal with uncertainty with patience and complete trust in our Lord. 

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Dear Jesus, the desire in me to gain full control of everything in my life can sometimes overwhelm me. Please help me to surrender myself to you and to always place my trust in your love for me.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to Mother Mary for showing us that it is possible to live with our human tendencies (e.g., desiring to grow in knowledge) while allowing our God to be God. 

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Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 02 Jan – 1 John 2:22-28; John 1:19-28; Weekday before Epiphany; Sts Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops, doctors
Sat, 03 Jan – 1 John 2:29-3:6; John 1:29-34; Weekday before Epiphany; Holy Name of Jesus
Sun, 04 Jan – Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72, Ephesians 3:2-3a. 5-6, Matthew 2:1-12, Epiphany of the the Lord

Today we celebrate a feast in commemoration of the faithful departed in purgatory, that is, the faithful departed who have not yet been purified and reached Heaven. After Abbot Odilo of Cluny instituted it in the monasteries of his congregation in 998, other religious orders took up the observance, and it was adopted by various dioceses and gradually by the whole Church. The Office of the Dead must be recited by the clergy on this day and Pope Benedict XV granted to all priests the privilege of saying three Masses of requiem: one for the souls in purgatory, one for the intention of the Holy Father, one for the priest’s.

- Patron Saint Index

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Daniel 12:1-3

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God,
no torment shall ever touch them.
In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die,
their going looked like a disaster,
their leaving us, like annihilation;
but they are in peace.
If they experienced punishment as men see it,
their hope was rich with immortality;
slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be.
God has put them to the test
and proved them worthy to be with him;
he has tested them like gold in a furnace,
and accepted them as a holocaust.
When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out;
as sparks run through the stubble, so will they.
They shall judge nations, rule over peoples,
and the Lord will be their king for ever.
They who trust in him will understand the truth,
those who are faithful will live with him in love;
for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.

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Romans 6:3-9

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

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John 6:37-40

At that time 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.

‘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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Now the will of him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day.

I had dinner with a friend recently. He shared that his life felt monotonous. He would wake up to work and return home to sleep at night. It would be the same routine every day and he has wondered if there is any meaning to life. I’m sure anyone in this situation would not find the idea of life after death appealing. It would probably be seem to be an extension of the tedious life he/she is already living on earth.

Yet, God loves us and wills that we be with Him. He refuses to lose us and has sent prophets to guide us back to Him, and finally, His Son Jesus to redeem us. Jesus promised that whoever believes in Him will not die but be raised up. He will give us life that is full and life giving, not just a life of weariness. We have entered that new life with Jesus by our baptism. We are free from the slavery of sin.

It is good to remember that we are not only baptised into new life with God but also that we enter the church by our baptism as well. We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always attentive to our prayers, and that when we pray, we are praying with the saints in heaven.

The church offers indulgence for a soul in purgatory by the works of a faithful today.  Going for the sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist and praying for the Pope’s intentions would get a soul out of purgatory and into its destination of eternal life with God. It also helps us to be more open to their prayers.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stella Tan)
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Prayer: We pray for all souls in purgatory, particular __________. May their souls be purified through our prayers, and so enter into eternal life with God where we are destined for.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to God and the Church for reminding us of the intimate communion that we share with all the saints in heaven and the souls in purgatory.

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Upcoming Readings:

Mon, 03 Nov – Philippians 2:1-4, Ps 131, Luke 14:12-14
Tue, 04 Nov – Philippians 2:5-11, Ps 22, Luke 14:15-24
Wed, 05 Nov – Philippians 2:12-18, Ps 27, Luke 14:-25-33
Thu, 06 Nov – Philippians 3:3-8a, Ps 105, Luke 15:1-10
Fri, 07 Nov – Philippians 3:17-4:1, Ps 122, Luke 16:1-8
Sat, 08 Nov – Philippians 4:10-19, Ps 112, Luke 16:9-15
Sun, 09 Nov – Ezekiel 47:1-2. 8-9. 12, Ps 46, 1 Corinthians 3:9-11. 16-17, John 2:13-22; Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
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All Saints’ Day is celebrated in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. In terms of Roman Catholic theology, the feast commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in heaven. The beatific vision is the eternal and direct perception of God enjoyed by those who are in Heaven, imparting supreme happiness and blessedness. St. Thomas Aquinas defined the beatific vision as the ultimate end of human existence after physical death.

The origin of this feast as celebrated in the West dates to 13 May 609 or 610, when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs; the feast of the dedication Sanctae mariae ad Martyres has been celebrated at Rome ever since. The chosen day, May 13, was a pagan observation of great antiquity, the culmination of three days of the Feast of the Lemures, in which the malevolent and restless spirits of the dead were propitiated.

The feast of All Saints, on its current date, is traced to the foundation by Pope Gregory III (731-741) of an oratory in St. Peter’s for the relics “of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors, of all the just made perfect who are at rest throughout the world”, with the day moved to Nov 1.

- Wikipedia

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Revelation 7:2-4. 9-14

Then I saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

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1 John 3:1-3

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God’s children;
and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
we shall be like him
because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope
must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

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Matthew 5:1-12a

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.

Not too long ago, I was quite unhappy at God as I believed that He did not want me to be happy. The prophets in the Old Testament were grumpy and miserable. God’s son was murdered. What if He calls me to be a missionary? I don’t want to break up with my boyfriend or be eaten up be cannibals in Africa or Papua New Guinea.

Was I wrong to place my happiness, self interest and well being before God? Perhaps. However, the desire for happiness has been placed in each of our hearts by God. Sometimes, our happiness depend on riches, or the respect of the people around us, or our health and well being, or even the people close to us (our significant other or our children).

It seems hard to be happy when facing difficult situations in the Beatitudes like the death/suffering of a loved one or the temptation for revenge or a sharp word. When the things we placed our happiness in are threatened, we would naturally be protective, apprehensive and sometimes, resentful.

The Beatitudes confront us with decisive choices concerning these earthly goods; they purify our hearts in order to teach us to love God above all things. Remembering that God loves us and would do what is best for us helps us to believe that the Beatitudes are not meant as additional burdens, but are the keys to happiness and to experiencing God’s kingdom on earth.

They invite us to realign our hearts to God and to live as Jesus lived, to be humble, pure, just and merciful. These would help us to live life free and unencumbered and to experience true peace and joy.

The Beatitudes reveal the goal of human existence, the ultimate end of human acts: God calls us to his own beatitude. This vocation is addressed to each individual personally and also to the Church as a whole.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Stella Tan)
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Prayer: We pray for all who are facing difficult situations, that we may look to the saints in heaven as our role models and strive to be pure in heart and experience the true happiness that only following Jesus can bring us.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for teaching us how to be truly happy.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 02 Nov – Daniel 12:1-3; Romans 6:3-9; John 6:37-40; The Commemoration of All The Faithful Departed (All Souls)
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Today we celebrate the 82nd World Mission Sunday. Pope Benedict XVI wants to point us to St. Paul because this year we are celebrating the 2000th birth anniversary of the Apostle of the nations. He wants us to become familiar with this Apostle whose vocation was to proclaim the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Humanity is in need of liberation and indeed, creation itself is suffering and is waiting to be redeemed. This redemption of our suffering world awaits a new man – the children of God. St. Paul understood well that only in Christ can humanity find redemption and hope. Therefore, he perceived that the missionw as pressing and urgent to proclaim “the promise of life in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 1:1), “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1), so that all peoples could be co-heirs and co-partners in the promise through the Gospel (cf. Eph 3:6).

Paul was aware that without Christ humanity is “without hope and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12). In fact, “anyone who does not know God, even though he may entertain all kinds of hopes, is ultimately without hope, without the great hope that sustains the whole of life (cf. Eph 2:12). It is therefore an urgent duty for everyone to proclaim Christ and his saving message. By looking at the example of Paul, we understand that missionary activity is a response to the love with which God loves us. His love redeems us and prods us to the mission of the Church, and no reason can justify its slackening or stagnation.

Today, there are countless people who are waiting for the proclamation of the Gospel, those who are thirsting for hope and love. Bishops are called to make their whole diocesan community missionary by contributing willingly, according to the possibilities, to sending priests and laypersons to other Churches for the evangelization service. Priests are called to be generous pastors and enthusiastic evangelizers.

Men and women religious are to bring the proclamation of the Gospel to everyone, especially those who are far away, through consistent witness to Christ and radical following of his Gospel. Faithful laity, who act in the different areas of society, are all called to take part in an increasingly important way in spreading the Gospel.

[Summary of Pope Benedict XVI's message for the 82nd World Mission Sunday 2008]

(http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/missions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20080511_world-mission-day-2008_en.html)
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Isaiah 2:1-5

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whom he has taken by his right hand
to subdue nations before him
and strip the loins of kings,
to force gateways before him
that their gates be closed no more:

It is for the sake of my servant Jacob,
of Israel my chosen one,
that I have called you by your name,
conferring a title though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, unrivalled;
there is no other God besides me.
Though you do not know me, I arm you
that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
that, apart from me, all is nothing.
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Ephesians 3:2-12

You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace he meant for you, and that it was by a revelation that I was given the knowledge of the mystery, as I have just described it very shortly. If you read my words, you will have some idea of the depths that I see in the mystery of Christ. This mystery that has now been revealed through the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets was unknown to any men in past generations; it means that pagans now share the same inheritance, that they are parts of the same body, and that the same promise has been made to them in Christ Jesus, through the gospel. I have been made the servant of that gospel by a gift of grace from God who gave it to me by his own power. I, who am less than the least of all the saints, have been entursted with this special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed. Through all the ages, this has been kept hidden in God, the creator of everything. Why? So that the Sovereignties and Powers should learn only now, through the Church, how comprehensive God’s wisdom really is, exactly according to the plan which ahd had from all eternity in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is why we are bold enough to approach God in complete confidence, through our faith in him.
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Mark 16:15-20

Then the Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap him in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’
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I have been made the servant of that gospel by a gift of grace from God who gave it to me by his own power.

In the past (and even now sometimes), I considered evangelization to be work that is meant for the holier and more religious people. Whenever I hear about evangelization, my first reaction would be, “Me? No la. I’m not that strong in my faith yet. Maybe next time. Someone else will do a better job for now.” I not only excuse myself with such ‘reasons’ but even delude myself into thinking that I am being humble by acknowledging that I am not up to the task. Of course, if I am completely honest with myself, I know that many times I am simply too lazy to evangelize.

After all, while we can use words, songs and other mediums to evangelize, the most effective and honest medium remains ourselves: who we are and how we live. This is extremely challenging because to evangelize to others then means that we, too, have to constantly be fed by the word of God, live in His presence and act in ways that will glorify God. For not only must others’ hearts be changed, but our own hearts must be renewed. Not only must we increase others’ desire to know Jesus, but we must constantly increase our own desire to know Christ. Evangelization is, therefore, both an act of helping others have faith and ensuring that we too grow and remain in faith.

Let us remember that although evangelization is a difficult task, we have all been given the grace and responsibility to preach the Good News to others. We may think that we are not competent enough to perform this task; however, Jesus reminds us that He will give us the grace to preach regardless of where we are at in our faith life. Therefore the only thing that stops us from carrying out God’s work is our own laziness and unwillingness to break out of our comfort zone. Will we overcome ourselves and strive towards continual holiness and improvement? Or will we choose to remain where we’re at, never growing and always passing on our responsibilities to others?

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
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Prayer: Lord, please help me to reflect your love through the way I live.

Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for entrusting me with your work even though I am an unworthy sinner.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 20 Oct – Ephesians 2:1-10; Luke 12:13-21; Paul of the Cross, priest, religious founder
Tue, 21 Oct – Ephesians 2:12-22; Luke 12:35-38
Wed, 22 Oct – Ephesians 3:2-12; Luke 12:39-48
Thu, 23 Oct – Ephesians 3:14-21; Luke 12:49-53; John of Capistrano, priest
Fri, 24 Oct – Ephesians 4:1-6; Luke 12:54-59; Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop
Sat, 25 Oct – Ephesians 4:7-16; Luke 13:1-9
Sun, 26 Oct – Ex 22:20-26, 1 Thessolonians 5:10, Matthew 22:34-40; Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Different sorrows of Mary have been honored in the Church’s history, but since the 14th century these seven have come to be regarded as the seven dolors (sorrows) of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

1. The Prophecy of Simeon.

2. The Flight into Egypt.

3. The Loss of the Child Jesus for Three Days.

4. Meeting Jesus on the Way to Calvary.

5. The Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.

6. Jesus Taken Down from the Cross.

7. Jesus Laid in the Tomb.

By commemorating Our Lady of Sorrows, we call to mind the sufferings that Mary endured as part of her vocation as the Mother of the Redeemer. No one is closer to Christ than Mary, consequently no one has participated more intimately in the redemptive suffering of Christ than His Mother Mary.

http://www.catholic.net/RCC/Periodicals/Faith/1998-03-04/sorrows.html

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Hebrews 5:7-9

During his life on earth, he offered up prayer and entreaty, with loud cries and with tears, to the one who had the power to save him from death, and, winning a hearing by his reverence, he learnt obedience, Son though he was, through his sufferings;  when he had been perfected, he became for all who obey him the source of eternal salvation.

OR

1 Cor 11:17-26. 33

For this is what I received from the Lord, and in turn passed on to you: that on the same night that he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and thanked God for it and broke it, and he said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this as a memorial of me.’ In the same way he took the cup after supper, and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Whenever you drink it, do this as a memorial of me.’ Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming his death, So to sum up, my dear brothers, when you meet for the Meal, wait for one another.

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John 19:25-27 or

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

OR

Luke 2:33-35

As the child’s father and mother were wondering at the things that were being said about him,  Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Look, he is destined for the fall and for the rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed-  and a sword will pierce your soul too — so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.’ 

OR

Luke 7:1 – 10

When Jesus had come to the end of all he wanted the people to hear, he went into Capernaum. A centurion there had a servant, a favourite of his, who was sick and near death. Having heard about Jesus he sent some Jewish elders to him to ask him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus they pleaded earnestly with him. ‘He deserves this of you’ they said ‘because he is friendly towards our people; in fact, he is the one who built the synagogue.’

So Jesus went with them, and was not very far from the house when the centurion sent word to him by some friends: ‘Sir,’ he said ‘do not put yourself to trouble; because I am not worthy to have you under my roof; and for this same reason I did not presume to come to you myself; but give the word and let my servant be cured. For I am under authority myself, and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard these words he was astonished at him and, turning round, said to the crowd following him, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found faith like this.’ And when the messengers got back to the house they found the servant in perfect health.

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My dear brothers, when you meet for the Meal, wait for one another

I never fail to be amused when boarding some form of public transport at rush hour, which I do at least five days a week. For example, when a train arrives, people stand right in front of the glass doors so that they can rush in the moment the doors slide open – without a thought for those inside who wish to exit the train! In this way, because they pursue their desire to enter quickly, they are in effect delayed, since a struggle usually ensues between the entering and exiting passengers.

In today’s readings, the followers of Jesus write about brotherly love, agape, and emphasize on the depth of that bond. Agape is an unconditional and holy love, and also refers to the common meal of fellowship at gatherings of the early Christians.  Paul relates the origin of this Christian community meal, and tells the Corinthians the manner in which Jesus gave himself to his friends. The evangelist wished they would imitate the greatest one who divested all he had to those around him. What a difficult commandment to follow! After all, doesn’t human instinct tell us that the fittest survive, and one need only care for himself?

Yet in the gospel Luke tells us an incident in which this brotherly love, together with faith in God, is enacted. Concern for the well-being of others does bear fruit, with benefits for both giver and receiver. A master’s friendship with his servant – a person he was not obliged to worry for – combined with his faith in Jesus, translated into healing.

I believe not only was the servant healed that day, but the centurion too. His act of faith, stepping out into the unknown with a belief that God is powerful and merciful, must have borne the fruits of joy, peace and greater faith upon seeing his servant well again. These fruits are worth much more than a space or seat on the public train, or being the first in the queue for a buffet (see first reading); the inner gains are far more permanent than the exterior ones.

(Today’s sharing by Melissa Chia)

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Prayer: We pray for those who are suffering with illnesses, and for those who are dying, that they may be comforted by brothers and sisters around them. Holy Spirit, stir in the hearts of their carers an unconditional love. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for the patience and kindness of strangers who have left footprints in our lives.

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Upcoming readings:

Tuesday, 16 Sep – 1 Cor 12:12-14. 27-31a; Luke 7:11-17; Cornelius, pope, martyr & Cyprian, bishop, martyr
Wednesday, 17 Sep – 1 Cor 12:31 – 13:13; Luke 7:31-35; Robert Bellarmine, bishop, religious, Doctor
Thursday, 18 Sep – 1 Cor 15:1-11; Luke 7:36-50
Friday, 19 Sep – 1 Cor 15:12-20; Luke 8:1-3
Saturday, 20 Sep – 1 Cor 15:35-2; Luke 8:4-15; Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, Paul Chong Hasang & Companions, Korean Martyrs; Jacques Chastan, Laurent Imbert (Martyrs of General, Penang, Malaysia)

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The feast was celebrated in Rome before the end of the 7th century. Its purpose is to commemorate the recovering of that portion of the Holy Cross which was preserved at Jerusalem, and which had fallen into the hands of the Persians. Emperor Heraclius recovered this precious relic and brought it back to Jerusalem on 3 May 629.

- Patron Saints Index

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Numbers 21: 4-9

They 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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Philippians 2:6-11

Jesus Christ, although he shared God’s nature, did not try to seize equality with God for himself; but emptied himself, took on the form of a slave, and became like a man – not in appearance only, for he humbled himself by accepting death – even death on a cross.

For this, God has raised him high, and given him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bend, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue will proclaim “Jesus Christ is Lord,” to the glory of God the Father.

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John 3:13-17

Jesus said:
‘No one has gone up to heaven
except the one who came down from heaven,
the Son of Man who is in heaven;
and the Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.
For God sent his Son into the world
not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved.’

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We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you

The absence of the corpus or the figure of Jesus on the non-Catholic version of a cross has always been the way in which my friends have distinguished between Catholics and non-Catholics. Yet this seemingly subtle difference belies a deeper gulf in the opinion between the two groups.

The absence of the corpus is because of the emphasis on the Risen Christ where there is great rejoicing over Christ’s triumph over death which is the consequence of sin. However, the Catholic Church teaches that there can be no Resurrection without the Crucifixion. Jesus had to die on the Cross before He could rise up on Easter. St. Paul reminds us that Jesus had to humble himself to accept “death on a cross”. Only then could “God [have] raised him high” and in doing so free Man from the clutches of the Evil one.

The failure to realize that suffering precedes liberation in most situations would result in a fate similar to the Israelites where they grumbled against God. They could not understand that God wanted them to worship Him and rely on His Providence rather than focus on their creature comforts. We commit the same sin every time we fail to accept life’s problems in our stride and with Christian charity, but instead embark on gossip and in the process introduce division in the world.

Our trials and sufferings in this world are temporary and trivial compared to our eternal reward. Patience and forbearance will make us emulate Jesus on his road to Calvary and join in His Passion on the Cross. It is only through suffering that we appreciate the liberation and comfort brought about by prayer and consolation.

(Today’s sharing by Nicholas Chia)

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Prayer: Lord, we pray that we will never be scandalised by your Cross but rather follow it wholeheartedly.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for those who patiently bear their the burden of their cross.

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Upcoming readings:

Monday, 15 Sep – 1 Cor 11:17-26. 33; John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35; Our Lady of Sorrows
Tuesday, 16 Sep – 1 Cor 12:12-14. 27-31a; Luke 7:11-17; Cornelius, pope, martyr & Cyprian, bishop, martyr
Wednesday, 17 Sep – 1 Cor 12:31 – 13:13; Luke 7:31-35; Robert Bellarmine, bishop, religious, Doctor
Thursday, 18 Sep – 1 Cor 15:1-11; Luke 7:36-50
Friday, 19 Sep – 1 Cor 15:12-20; Luke 8:1-3
Saturday, 20 Sep – 1 Cor 15:35-2; Luke 8:4-15; Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, Paul Chong Hasang & Companions, Korean Martyrs; Jacques Chastan, Laurent Imbert (Martyrs of General, Penang, Malaysia)

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The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced joy and the approaching salvation of a lost world. Mary was brought into the world not like other children of Adam, infected with the contagion of sin, but pure, holy, beautiful, and glorious, adorned with all the most precious graces fitting for the one predestined to be the Mother of the Saviour. Never did she have the slightest inclination towards anything other than the absolute and immediate Will of God. She appeared indeed in the weak condition of all mortals, but in the eyes of Heaven she already transcended the highest seraphim in purity, humility, charity, and the richest ornaments of grace. God had created her in the original grace, as in the beginning Adam and Eve had enjoyed that ineffable privilege; after original sin, it was lost for all Adam’s posterity, until the time of the Redemption dawned in Mary. (Cf. I Cor. 15:21-23)

The nations celebrate, often too noisily, the birthdays of the great ones of this earth… How then ought we, Christians, to rejoice in that of the Virgin Mary, Mother of our Salvation, and to present publicly to God the homage of our best praises and thanksgiving for the great mercies He has shown in her, imploring her mediation with her Divine Son! Jesus of Nazareth will not reject the supplications of His most holy Mother, through whom He chose to descend from Heaven; she, the Spouse of the Canticle, is all beautiful and is the one He was pleased to obey while on earth. Her love, care, and tenderness for Him, the title and qualities which she bears, the charity and graces with which she is adorned, and the crown of glory with which she is honored, incline Him readily to receive her recommendations and petitions.

http://www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/09-08.htm

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Micah 5:1-4a

But you (Bethlehem) Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, from you will come for me a future ruler of Israel whose origins go back to the distant past, to the days of old. Hence Yahweh will abandon them only until she who is in labour gives birth, and then those who survive of his race will be reunited to the Israelites. 

He will take his stand and he will shepherd them with the power of Yahweh, with the majesty of the name of his God, and they will be secure, for his greatness will extend henceforth to the most distant parts of the country. 

He himself will be peace!

or

Romans 8:28-30

We know that by turning everything to their good, God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.

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Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23

A genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham:
Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah, Tamar being their mother,
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Ram was the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon was the father of Boaz, Rahab being his mother,
Boaz was the father of Obed, Ruth being his mother,
Obed was the father of Jesse;
and Jesse was the father of King David.

David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Solomon was the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa,
Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,
Joram the father of Azariah,
Azariah was the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah;
and Josiah was the father of Jechoniah and his brothers.
Then the deportation to Babylon took place.

After the deportation to Babylon:
Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Azor was the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Achim,
Achim the father of Eliud,
Eliud was the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob;
and 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.’ Now all this took place to fulfil the words spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and they will call him Emmanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us.’

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Father, the birth of Christ your Son increased the virgin mother’s love for you. May his sharing in our human nature give us courage in our weakness, free us from our sins, and make our offering acceptable. (Prayer over the Gifts)

As we celebrate the birthday of our mother, and Jesus’ mother, Mary, I am drawn to think about what a party for her would be like if she lived in our time. Imagine celebrating her 50^th birthday. There would definitely be the cake with five large candles lit, and perhaps a picture of her and Jesus imprinted in colourful edible sugars on the cake. She would be surrounded by close friends and family. Because it is a big celebration, many others who have been touched by her words and actions in her lifetime would also be present.

So it is in this celebration. Whenever Mary is mentioned, her son is not far away in the picture, because he gives her life’s meaning and she gave him life. At Mass, we are surrounded by those who have been inspired by Mary, those who have been touched by her and who want to celebrate this happy occasion of her coming into the world.

Most importantly, a person’s birthday celebration indicates the fruitfulness his or her life brings to others. That is Mary’s role in the church: to point us to the fullness of life we can have in Christ just as she experienced through obedience to God. As we reflect on Mary’s faithfulness to the Lord, to her husband and to her child, let us strive to emulate her example of sacrificial love, tender patience and powerful perseverance.

(Today’s sharing by Melissa Chia)

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Prayer: We pray for all parents; may they follow in the steps of Mary as she lovingly brought up her child in accordance to God’s will. Amen.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to our Lord for the intercession of our mother, Mary. Her concern for humanity gives us a light in the darkness which shows the way to God.

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Upcoming readings:

Tue, 09 Sep – 1 Cor 6:1-11, Luke 6:12-19; St Peter Claver, religious, priest, missionary
Wed, 10 Sep – 1 Cor 7:25-31, Luke 6:20-26
Thu, 11 Sep – 1 Cor 8:1-7. 11-13, Luke 6:27-38
Friday, 12 Sep – 1 Cor 9:16-19. 22b-27, Luke 6:39-42; Holy Name of Mary
Saturday, 13 Sep – 1 Cor 10:14-22, Luke 6:43-49; St John Chrysostom, Bishop, doctor of the Church

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(Today’s reflection by Daniel Tay)
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Upcoming readings:
24 August, Sunday – Isaiah 22:19-23, Romans 11:33-36, Matthew 16:13-20; Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Mary is taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven, and with God and in God she is Queen of Heaven and earth. And is she really so remote from us? The contrary is true. Precisely because she is with God and in God, she is very close to each one of us. While she lived on this earth she could only be close to a few people. Being in God, who is close to us, actually, “within” all of us, Mary shares in this closeness of God. Being in God and with God, she is close to each one of us, knows our hearts, can hear our prayers, can help us with her motherly kindness and has been given to us, as the Lord said, precisely as a “mother” to whom we can turn at every moment. – Pope Benedict XVI

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2005/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20050815_assunzione-maria_en.html

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Revelation 11:19a. 12:1-6a.10

Then the sanctuary of God in heaven opened and the ark of the covenant could be seen inside it. Then came flashes of lightning, peals of thunder and an earthquake, and violent hail.

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, adorned with the sun, standing on the moon, and with the twelve stars on her head for a crown. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth. Then a second sign appeared in the sky, a huge red dragon which had seven heads and ten horns, and each of the seven heads crowned with a coronet. Its tail dragged a third of the stars from the sky and dropped them to the earth, and the dragon stopped in front of the woman as she was having the child, so that he could eat it as soon as it was born from its mother. The woman brought a male child into the world, the son who was to rule all the nations with an iron sceptre, and the child was taken straight up to God and to his throne, while the woman escaped into the desert, where God had made a place of safety ready, for her to be looked after in the twelve hundred and sixty days.

Then I heard a voice shout from heaven, ‘Victory and power and empire for ever have been won by our God, and all authority for his Christ, now that the persecutor, who accused our brothers day and night before our God, has been brought down.’

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1 Cor 15:20-27

Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep. Death came through one man and in the same way the resurrection of the dead has come through one man. Just as all men die in Adam, so all men will be brought to life in Christ; but all of them in their proper order: Christ as the first-fruits and then, after the coming of Christ, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, having done away with every sovereignty, authority and power. For he must be king until he has put all his enemies under his feet and the last of the enemies to be destroyed is death, for everything is to be put under his feet.

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Luke 1:39-56

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

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

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.

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My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord

While planning a retreat that relied quite a bit on music, I found that I lacked a key resource, namely the songs. I brought this up to one of the senior organizers over internet messaging. He shocked me by saying he would drive over to my place and give me a CD with songs that could be used. It was pretty late on a Sunday night and he had to go to work the next day. He also did not stay near me. Yet he thought nothing of coming all the way to help me out and most of all help God.

Today we celebrate the Assumption of our Lady. This is the reward for the selfless dedication of one lady to God’s cause. By this single person’s devotion was Christ able to begin His earthly life leading to the triumph over sin and death. It was also this love for God that led her, heavy with her own child, to her cousin Elizabeth during her need. She literally brought Christ with her. Through this act John the Baptist, one of our greatest prophets, was sanctified. Just one person made all this difference and for this we honour her.

The Assumption of Mary shows the importance Mary had in the life of Christ and the early Church. Like her we share bond with Christ and are each of us important parts of the Body of Christ. Sisters and brothers, may we be as outward-looking as our Mother and spare no effort in our love for God and for others.

(Today’s reflection by Aloysius Ting)
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Prayer: We pray with Mary that peace be brought to every nation.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for our Blessed Mother.

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Upcoming readings:
16 Aug, Saturday – Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32, Matthew 19:13-15 – St Stephen of Hungary
17 Aug, Sunday – Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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1 Chronicles 15:3-4,15-16,16:1-2

David then summoned all Israel to Jerusalem, to move the ark of Yahweh to the place which he had prepared for it.  David also called the sons of Aaron and the Levites together:  and the Levites carried the ark of God with the shafts on their shoulders, as Moses had ordered in accordance with the word of Yahweh.  David also told the heads of the Levites to appoint their kinsmen as singers with the accompaniment of musical instruments, lyres, harps, and cymbals to play joyfully. 

They brought the ark of God in and put it inside the tent which David had erected for it, and brought burnt offerings and made communion sacrifices in God’s presence. 

And when David had finished making burnt offerings and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh.

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1 Corinthians 15:54-57

And after this perishable nature has put on imperishability and this mortal nature has put on immortality, then will the words of scripture come true:

Death is swallowed up in victory.
Death, where is your victory?
Death, where is your sting? 

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin comes from the Law.  Thank God, then, for giving us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

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Luke 11:27-28

It happened that as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, ‘Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!’ 

But he replied, ‘More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’ 

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He gave us our victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

For the longest time I did not like receiving praise. Whenever a compliment was made about me, I would shrug it off and say it was not anything special. I thought this was being humble. Then someone taught me that true humility was not disregarding praise but accepting it if it was true and thanking the person for it. Finally, there is that humility in which we also direct attention of the praising party to others without whom we would not have succeeded.

We are on the eve of our Lady’s assumption into heaven. It is interesting that Mary is hardly featured at all in the three readings. Even in the Gospel passage she gets a passing reference which Christ seemingly pushes away. Yet that is the very nature of Mary’s place in Christ’s ministry.

Like a beacon guiding people to land and not to itself, she points people to her Son and not to herself. Even after Christ’s ascension to His rightful place, Mary continued to be a perfect Christian model to the early Church, up to the day of her own Assumption. That event is in itself a demonstration of the power and authority of God and the love Jesus has. As Daniel and Peter point out, everything is done in the name of the Lord.

Till this very day, Mary continues to be a source of inspiration for us, drawing many towards Christ. So many Catholics and even non-Christians attend Novena devotions to her. My brothers and sisters, as we give honour to our Mother this day, let us also follow her example in honouring our Brother by keeping His Word and drawing others to him.

(Today’s reflection by Daniel Tay)
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Prayer: We pray with Mary for more people to come to know Christ.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to the Lord for our Blessed Mother.

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Upcoming readings:
15 Aug, Friday – Revelation 11:19a. 12:1-6a.10, 1 Cor 15:20-27, Luke 1:39-56 – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
16 Aug, Saturday – Ezekiel 18:1-10. 13b. 30-32, Matthew 19:13-15 – St Stephen of Hungary
17 August, Sunday – Isaiah 56:1. 6-7, Romans 11:13-15. 29-32, Matthew 15:21-28 – Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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