OXYGEN will now be available on http://thecatholicwriter.com/oxygen/. It may take a while for us to get our feet back on the ground, so please bear with us while we work out the kinks.

See you at our new site!

05 Feb – Memorial for St. Agatha, martyr

St. Agatha (c. 250) was young, beautiful and rich, and lived a life consecrated to God. When the Roman emperor Decius announced the edicts against Christians, the magistrate Quinctianus tried to profit by Agatha’s sanctity; he planned to blackmail her into sex in exchange for not charging her. He handed her over to a brothel, but she refused to accept customers. After rejecting Quinctianus’ advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, and her breasts crushed and cut off. She told the judge, “Cruel man, have you forgotten your mother and the breast that nourished you, that you dare to mutilate me this way?” Imprisoned further, then rolled on live coals, she was near death when an earthquake struck. In the destruction, the magistrate’s friend was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain, and died.

- Patron Saint Index
____________________

2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30 – 19:3

Absalom happened to run into some of David’s followers. Absalom was riding a mule and the mule passed under the thick branches of a great oak. Absalom’s head caught fast in the oak and he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule he was riding went on. Someone saw this and told Joab. “I have just seen Absalom,” he said, “hanging from an oak.” And Joab took three lances in his hand and thrust them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive there in the oak tree.

David was sitting between the two gates. The look-out had gone up to the roof of the gate, on the ramparts; he looked up and saw a man running all by himself. The watch called out to the king and told him. The king said, “Move aside and stand there.” He moved aside and stood waiting.

Then the Cushite arrived. “Good news for my lord the king!” cried the Cushite. “The Lord has vindicated your cause today by ridding you of all who rebelled against you.” “Is all well with young Absalom?” the king asked the Cushite. “May the enemies of my lord the king,” the Cushite answered, “and all who rebelled against you to your hurt, share the lot of that young man.”

The king shuddered. He went up to the room over the gate and burst into tears, and weeping said, “My son Absalom! My son! My son Absalom! Would I had died in your place! Absalom, my son, my son!” Word was brought to Joab, “The king is now weeping and mourning for Absalom.” And the day’s victory was turned to mourning for all the troops, because they learned that the king was grieving for his son. And the troops returned stealthily that day to the town, as troops creep back ashamed when routed in battle.
____________________

Mark 5:21-43

When Jesus had crossed in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered round him and he stayed by the lakeside. Then one of the synagogue officials came up, Jairus by name, and seeing him, fell at his feet and pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is desperately sick. Do come and lay your hand son her to make her better and save her life.” Jesus went with him and a large crowd followed him; they were pressing all round him.

Now there was a woman who had suffered from a haemorrhage for twelve years; after long and painful treatment under various doctors, she had spent all she had without being any the better for it, in fact, she was getting worse. She had heard about Jesus, and she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his cloak. “If I can touch even his clothes,” she had told herself, “I shall be well again.” And the source of the bleeding dried up instantly, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Immediately aware that power had gone out of him, Jesus turned round in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to him, “You see how the crowd is pressing round you and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” But he continued to look all round to see who had done it. Then the woman came forward, frightened and trembling because she knew what had happened to her, and she fell at his feet and told him the whole truth. “My daughter,” he said, “your faith has restored you to health; go in peace and be free from your complaint.”

While he was still speaking some people arrived from the house of the synagogue official to say, “Your daughter is dead: why put the Master to any further trouble?” But Jesus had overheard this remark of theirs and he said to the official, “Do not be afraid; only have faith.” And he allowed no one to go with him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. So they came to the official’s house and Jesus noticed all the commotion, with people weeping and wailing unrestrainedly. He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and crying? The child is not dead, but asleep.” But they laughed at him. So he turned them all out and, taking with him the child’s father and mother and his own companions, he went into the place where the child lay. And taking the child by the hand he said to her, “Talitha, kum!” which means, “Little girl, I tell you to get up.” The little girl got up at once and began to walk about, for she was twelve years old. At this they were overcome with astonishment, and he ordered them strictly not to let anyone know about it, and told them to give her something to eat.
____________________

The relationship between a father and his child is something that is most special in the life of a man. Every father wishes that his son would become like him when he grows up. For a son, his father is the most important man in his life, because it is from this man that the child will learn what it is to be a man. For every daughter, the first love in her life is her father. For a daughter, it is her father that she will come to measure against every man that she will love in future.

In today’s first reading, we see David weeping for his son Absalom, even though Absalom had been trying to kill him. We see the love that a father has for a son in an incredible way, and yet, it is the love that every father should have for his son. In the gospel reading, we see Jairus going all out to find Jesus to cure his daughter. It is the same love that David had for Absalom.

But in the gospel reading, we see another father-child relationship that might not be so obvious. We see Jesus calling the woman who touched him, “Daughter”. This is rather unusual, because Jesus rarely ever called someone “son” or “daughter”. We might wonder: why was it important for Jesus to see the woman who touched him? Perhaps it was important for the woman to see Jesus. We know that Jesus is the full revelation of the Father, and perhaps it is this revelation that Jesus wanted to show the woman – that her heavenly Father loved her.

And indeed it is this relationship between our heavenly Father and us that is today, and has always been, under the greatest attack. Right from the time of Eden, the evil one has been severing the relationship that we have with God our Creator and Father. This relationship is severed through disobedience. Disobedience comes about when we think we know better what is good for ourselves than our heavenly Father does. Similarly, disobedience to our parents comes about when we think we know better what is good for ourselves than our parents do.

This is why when we look at the Ten Commandments, we see that the first commandment that is not directly linked to God is the commandment to honour our father and mother. This commandment comes before other commandments like “You shall not kill”, “You shall not steal”. Why? Because the relationship that we have with our parents, especially our father, is going to set the stage for our relationship with our heavenly Father. If we are disobedient towards our earthly parents, how will we ever be obedient to our heavenly Father?

Today is the last day before the start of Lent. I invite you, my friends, to spend this Lent rediscovering the parent-child relationship between you and God. It is the most important relationship you’re ever going to have.
____________________

Prayer:
Dear Lord, we ask that this coming Lent be a time of rediscovering our relationship with you as your child, and you as our Father. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: A wonderful father.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 06 Feb – Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18; Ash Wednesday
Thu, 07 Feb – Deuteronomy 30: 15-20; Luke 9:22-25; Weekday after Ash Wednesday
Fri, 08 Feb – Isaiah 58:1-9a; Matthew 9:14-15; Friday after Ash Wednesday
Sat, 09 Feb – Isaiah 58:9b-14; Luke 5:27-32; Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Sun, 10 Feb – Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11; First Sunday of Lent
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04 Feb

Dear OXYGEN reader,

We, the contributors of this daily devotional email have a gift for you this Lent and Easter. We will be providing daily reflections for these two liturgical seasons in advance to those who request for it. If you are interested in receiving them, please leave a comment at this post.

For those who have already requested it, you will receive the first batch of reflections tomorrow.

Peace,
Daniel
on behalf of the OXYGEN team now consisting of
Nicholas Chia, Regina Xie, Aloysius Ting, Gerardine Yee, and Sister Jean-Marie Andrews, FMDM
____________________

2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13

A messenger came to tell David, “The hearts of the men of Israel are now with Absalom.” So David said to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let us be off, let us fly, or we shall never escape from Absalom. Leave as quickly as you can in case he mounts a surprise attack and worsts us and puts the city to the sword.”

David then made his way up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, his head covered and his feet bare. And all the people with him had their heads covered and made their way up, weeping as they went.

As David was reaching Bahurim, out came a man of the same clan as Saul’s family. His name was Shimei son of Gera, and as he came he uttered curse after curse and threw stones at David and at all King David’s officers, though the whole army and all the champions flanked the king right and left. The words of his curse were these, “Be off, be off, man of blood, scoundrel! The Lord has brought on you all the blood of the House of Saul whose sovereignty you have usurped; and the Lord has transferred that same sovereignty to Absalom your son. Now your doom has overtaken you, man of blood that you are.” Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Is this dead dog to curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut his head off.” But the king replied, “What business is it of mine and yours, son of Zeruiah? Let him curse. If the Lord said to him, ‘Curse David’, what right has anyone to say, ‘Why have you done this?’” David said to Abishai and all his officers, “Why, my own son, sprung from my body, is now seeking my life; so now how much the more this Benjaminite? Let him curse on if the Lord has told him so. Perhaps the Lord will look on my misery and repay me with good for his curse today.” So David and his men went on their way.
____________________

Mark 5:1-20

Jesus and his disciples reached the country of the Gerasenes on the other side of the lake, and no sooner had he left the boat than a man with an unclean spirit came out from the tombs towards him. The man lived in the tombs and no one could secure him any more, even with a chain, because he had often been secured with fetters and chains but had snapped the chains and broken the fetters, and no one had the strength to control him. All night and all day, among the tombs and in the mountains, he would howl and gash himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and fell at his feet and shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, son of the Most High God? Swear by God you will not torture me!” – For Jesus had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit.” “What is your name?” Jesus asked. “My name is legion,” he answered, “for there are many of us.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the district. Now there was there on the mountainside a great herd of pigs feeding, and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us to the pigs, let us go into them.” So he gave them leave. With that, the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of two thousand pigs charged down the cliff into the lake, and there they were drowned. The swineherds ran off and told their story in the town and in the country round about; and the people came to see what had really happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his full senses – the very man who had had the legion in him before – and they were afraid. And those who had witnessed it reported what had happened to the demoniac and what had become of the pigs. Then they began to implore Jesus to leave the neighbourhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed begged to be allowed to stay with him. Jesus would not let him but said to him, “Go home to your people and tell them all that the Lord in his mercy has done for you.” So the man went off and proceeded to spread throughout the Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.
____________________

In a book I just read last month titled “Secrets of a Millionaire Mind”, author T. Harv Eker writes that everyone experiences problems. How big a problem appears to a person depends on how big the person is. For example, a Level Two person facing a Level Five problem might see before him a very big problem, but a Level Ten person seeing the same Level Five problem might not even see a problem. It might appear to him an everyday occurrence as common as brushing his teeth.

In the first reading, we see David coming across a guy who was cursing and ranting at him. Is this man a problem for David? Abishai – the guy who was with David when he stood in Saul’s tent and had the opportunity to kill his predecessor – apparently thought so, and asked David for permission to kill the guy – same as with Abishai did with Saul. But to David, the ranting and raving guy was not a problem. David recognised that although the man was cursing him, he wasn’t a big problem for him nor could David really solve the problem, so he just walked away from it and let things be.

Often we like to try and solve problems that are not ours to solve, and sometimes we end up making things worse, or we end up frustrated because we can’t solve the problem. I know I’ve done it many times before, and I guess I’ve got to learn from David to just walk away if it isn’t a big problem, and not try to be a busybody and try to solve a problem that I have the solution to.

In the gospel reading, we see another raving lunatic. The trouble with raving lunatics is that they rant and rave at everyone, and eventually end up in isolation. No one wants to be around the lunatic who raves constantly. The people saw the lunatic as a problem so they cast him out the community and into the hillside where he could rave to himself all he wanted. They didn’t actually solve the problem of the raving guy, but they did with him what David did with his own raving problem – they just ignored it.

Come Jesus into the picture and he doesn’t ignore the problem; he goes on to solve it, because:

1. He has the power to solve it;
2. He knows the root of the problem – an unclean spirit;
3. It is his problem to solve.

So, my friends, before we set out to solve problems, we must be sure that we have the power to solve it, that we know the root cause of the problem, and that it’s our problem to solve. Otherwise, we might just end up making things worse, and end up frustrated. If we are lacking in any of these, then just walk away, and ask the Lord to send someone else to solve the problem.
____________________

Prayer:
Dear Lord, grant us the humility to realize that we can’t solve all the world’s problems by ourselves, and to remember that discretion is the better part of valour. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: A lesson learnt in humility.

Upcoming Readings:
Tue, 05 Feb – 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30 – 19:3; Mark 5:21-43; Memorial for St. Agatha, martyr
Wed, 06 Feb – Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18; Ash Wednesday
Thu, 07 Feb – Deuteronomy 30: 15-20; Luke 9:22-25; Weekday after Ash Wednesday
Fri, 08 Feb – Isaiah 58:1-9a; Matthew 9:14-15; Friday after Ash Wednesday
Sat, 09 Feb – Isaiah 58:9b-14; Luke 5:27-32; Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Sun, 10 Feb – Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11; First Sunday of Lent
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03 Feb – Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Give Thanks to the Lord for: The Beatitudes, which bring meaning to suffering.

Upcoming Readings:
Mon, 04 Feb – 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13; Mark 5:1-20
Tue, 05 Feb – 2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14b, 24-25a, 30 – 19:3; Mark 5:21-43; Memorial for St. Agatha, martyr
Wed, 06 Feb – Joel 2:12-18; 2 Corinthians 5:20 – 6:2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18; Ash Wednesday
Thu, 07 Feb – Deuteronomy 30: 15-20; Luke 9:22-25; Weekday after Ash Wednesday
Fri, 08 Feb – Isaiah 58:1-9a; Matthew 9:14-15; Friday after Ash Wednesday
Sat, 09 Feb – Isaiah 58:9b-14; Luke 5:27-32; Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Sun, 10 Feb – Genesis 2:7-9, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11; First Sunday of Lent

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OXYGEN is also available at:
http://godismyoxygen.wordpress.com/

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Disclaimer: I have no control over what Yahoo! advertises in this email, and endorse none of them. 

02 Feb – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is also called the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, and Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. This Church feast of February 2 is in honour of the purification of the Virgin Mary, and commemorates the offering of the infant Jesus in the Temple. Popular in centuries past, candles were blessed and carried in procession, signifying the entry of Jesus as the light of the world.

- Patron Saint Index
___________________

Malachi 3:1-4

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.
___________________

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

And when the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, – observing what stands written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord – and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to Israel’s comforting and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord Prompted by the Spirit he came to the Temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the Law required, he took him into his arms and blessed God; and he said:

‘Now, Master, you can let your servant go in peace,
just as you promised;
because my eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared for all the nations to see,
a light to enlighten the pagans
and the glory of your people Israel’.

As the child’s father and mother stood there wondering at the things that were being said about him, Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘You see this child: he is destined for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is rejected – and a sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare’.

There was a prophetess also, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well on in years. Her days of girlhood over, she had been married for seven years before becoming a widow. She was now eighty-four years old and never left the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. She came by just at that moment and began to praise God; and she spoke of the child to all who looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem.

When they had done everything the Law of the Lord required, they went back to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. Meanwhile the child grew to maturity, and he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favour was with him.
____________________

I read from the testimonies of those that have near death experiences of the bright light that they experience in the darkness they witness as they hover in a dark void. This light is warm and draws them towards it. In the same way, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord is like this light that has been made manifest throughout the whole world.

The light that Christ may seem warm and welcoming but after experiencing it at some length; it begins to cut our hearts deeply for it cannot stand the darkness present in our hearts. It will force us to make the difficult decision to choose either God or the way of the world, resulting in the “secret thoughts of many [being] laid bare”. We read in the first reading that the Lord’s coming is similar to the refiner’s fire and fuller’s alkali. These fire and alkali are intense and concentrated substances that are meant to purify the impure metal ores. It is an analogy to the light of Christ who purifies our heart intensely to make it worthy to worship God.

This light was required to deliver Israel because it was stuck in the state of sin. Whilst economically prosperous, it was nevertheless suffering from spiritual decay because the worship offered to God was ritualistic with the incorrect intentions. God requires us to make a total and unconditional commitment towards him. When we ask Him to enter into our lives, we agree to let Him take over entirely and not partially. I invite the reader to examine in their hearts whether they have been guilty of committing this sin of indifference and lack of reverence and to ask the Lord to pierce their hearts so as to lay bare their secret thoughts to Him.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Nick Chia)
____________________

Prayer:
Lord, we pray for the courage to face up to our sins and allow us to offer them up to you when we are incapable of solving them. Amen.

We give thanks to the Lord for: The many people that bring light into our souls.

Upcoming Readings:
Sun, 03 Feb – Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12a; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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01 Feb

Hi everyone!

My name is Jean Cheng and I am a new volunteer writer for OXYGEN. =) Some background information on myself, I have recently graduated from the University of Melbourne with two majors in Psychology and Media Communications, but am going back to continue my Honours in Psychology. Besides that I also enjoy reading, singing, dancing, watching TV, eating, … and I think that’s more information than what Daniel requested for.

On a more serious side, I volunteered to write for OXYGEN because I want to spend more time reflecting on scriptures and deepen my walk with Christ. I also hope that I can encourage you in your spiritual journey through my reflections and sharings.

Thanks everyone for giving me a chance to be a part of this ministry! I will do my best. =)

God bless,
Jean
____________________

2 Samuel 11:1-4a

The following spring, at the time of the year when kings usually go to war, David sent out Joab with his officers and the Israelite army; they defeated the Ammonities and besieged the city of Rabbah. But David himself stayed in Jerusalem. One day, late in the afternoon, David got up from his nap and went to the palace roof. As he walked around up there, he saw a woman taking a bath in her house. She was very beautiful. So he sent a messenger to find out who she was, and learned that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. David sent messengers to get her; they brought her to him and he made love to her.

Afterward she discovered that she was pregnant and sent a message to David to tell him. David then sent a message to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. When Uriah arrived, David asked him if Joab and the troops were well, and how the fighting was going. Then he said to Uriah, “Go on home and rest a while.” Uriah left, and David had a present sent to his home. But Uriah did not go home; instead he slept at the palace gate with the king’s guards. David was told that Uriah had not gone home.

The next day, David invited him to supper and got him drunk. But again that night Uriah did not go home; instead he slept on his blanket in the palace guardroom. The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. He wrote: “Put Uriah in the front line, where the fighting is heaviest, then retreat and let him be killed.” So while Joab was besieging the city, he sent Uriah to a place where he knew the enemy was strong. The enemy troops came out of the city and ought Joab’s forces; some of David’s officers were killed, and so was Uriah.
____________________

Mark 4:26-34

Jesus went on to say, “The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field. He sleeps at night, is up and about during the day, and all the while the seeds are sprouting and growing. Yet he does not know how it happens. The soil itself makes the plants grow and bear fruit; first the tender stalk appears, then the head, and finally the head full of grain. When the grain is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.

“What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” asked Jesus. “What parable shall we use to explain it? It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. After a while it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds come and make their nests in its shade.”

Jesus preached his message to the people, using many other parables like these; he told them as much as they could understand. He would not speak to them without using parables, but when he was along with his disciples, he would explain everything to them.
_____________________

In the first reading, we see that David has sinned when he committed adultery. However, instead of repenting, he committed a greater sin when he had Uriah, a righteous man, killed. This warns us of what can happen when we fail to repent: we can end up committing greater sins.

While we may end up committing greater sins for the purpose of covering up our previous sins, there may be another reason to us sinning further. In psychology, we learn that human beings have a need to seek consistency in their self-image. What this means is that we want to know who we are and we will tend to do things to confirm our view of who we think we are. For example, ‘messy children’ will tend to be messy because they have accepted this as their self-image.

What is the implication of this theory? If we sin and fail to repent, we can easily accept ourselves as “bad” and “condemned” and give up on the hope that we can change. We retain a negative self-image and continue – consciously or subconsciously – to commit more sins to sustain this image of ourselves. However, if we repent of our sins and ask God to help us change, we not only allow our slates to be cleansed by God but we are also refusing any negative self-images of ourselves to form or be perpetuated.

While some of us may struggle with repenting, I think many of us may struggle more with finding ourselves sinning despite our prayer life. Sinning after we have repented/prayed can make us feel disheartened and we may be tempted to lose the hope of ever becoming better individuals.

Personally, I struggle a lot with my prayer life because even after I pray, I continue to find myself committing the same sins. This frustrates me, makes me doubt the power of prayers and even makes me wonder if God truly exists.

Yet, when I look back on my life and recall the day I decided to make time for daily prayer (or at least, I try my best to), I realize that I have grown: I am committing fewer of my old sins and moving away from my old habits. Ironically, while I am moving away from old sins and habits, I am becoming increasingly aware of other sins and bad habits. As such, I can never stop repenting and asking for Jesus’ mercy and grace.

Perhaps the journey of repentance and prayer is never ending for Jesus wants to make us like Him (1 John 3:2). Instead of complaining about the never-ending list of sins I need to repent of, I must learn to thank God for consistently revealing my weaknesses to me so that I keep growing in His image.

If you are feeling impatient or upset that your prayer life seems to have stagnated, do not lose hope but hold on to Jesus’ promise in today’s Gospel: Even with faith as small as a mustard seed, we can become Jesus’ most outstanding disciples. Whether or not we are aware, we are already growing and building our foundations to become completely like Christ.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Cheng)
___________________

Prayer:
Dear Lord, we pray that you will help us to be patient with our growth and to hold on to your promise that we will become completely like you.

Give thanks to the Lord for: Calling us His precious children, no matter how small our faith is.

Upcoming Readings:
Sat, 02 Feb – Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40; Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Sun, 03 Feb – Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12a; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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31 Jan – Memorial for St. John Bosco, priest

St. John Bosco (1815-1888) was the son of Venerable Margaret Bosco. His father died when he was just two years old, and as soon as he was old enough to do odd jobs, he did so for extra money for his family. Bosco would go to circuses, fairs, and carnivals, practise the tricks he saw the magicians perform, and then present one-boy shows. After his performance, while he still had an audience of boys, he would repeat the homily he had heard earlier in church.

He worked as a tailor, baker, shoemaker, and carpenter while attending college and the seminary. He was ordained in 1841. He was a teacher, and he worked with youth, finding places where they could meet, play and pray. He taught catechism to orphans and apprentices, and was chaplain in a hospice for girls.

He wrote short treatises aimed at explaining the faith to children, and then taught children how to print them. He was a friend of St. Joseph Cafasson, whose biography he wrote. He was confessor to Blessed Joseph Allamano. He founded the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) in 1859, a community of priests who work with and educate boys, under the protection of Our Lady, Help of Christians, and St. Francis de Sales. He founded the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians, in 1872, and the Union of Cooperator Salesians in 1875.

- Patron Saint Index
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2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29

After Nathan had spoken to David, the King went in and, seated before the Lord, said:

‘Who am I, Lord, and what is my House, that you have led me as far as this? Yet in your sight, Lord, this is still not far enough, and you make your promises extend to the House of your servant for a far-distant future. You have constituted your people Israel to be your own people for ever; and you, Lord, have become their God. Now, Lord, always keep the promise you have made your servant and his House, and do as you have said. Your name will be exalted for ever and men will say, “The Lord of hosts is God over Israel.” The House of your servant David will be made secure in your presence, since you yourself, Lord of hosts, God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, “I will build you a House;” hence you are God indeed, your words are true and you have made this fair promise to your servant. Be pleased, then, to bless the House of your servant, that it may continue for ever in your presence; for you, Lord, have spoken; and with your blessing the House of your servant will be for ever blessed.’
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Mark 4:21-25

Jesus said to the crowd: ‘Would you bring in a lamp to put it under the tub or under the bed? Surely you will put it on the lamp-stand? For there is nothing hidden but it must be disclosed, nothing kept secret except to be brought to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to this.’

He also said to them, ‘Take notice of what you are hearing. The amount you measure out is the amount you will be given – and more besides; for the man who has will be given more; from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’
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In an interview I had years ago, one of the panel asked me how I would explain the concept of division to someone in Primary 1. Being the biology geek that I was (and still am), I said I would tell use cell division as an example; how a cell grows bigger and it divides so one cell becomes two. They never commented on my answer beyond the cursory “thank you” but I doubt they were too impressed. I wouldn’t be. That was a lousy way of explaining a concept. To use a more advanced topic like cells to teach a basic subject like division complicates matters beyond necessity. Better it would have been to have used a simple everyday analogy like sharing a $2 equally between two people.

Communication and spreading and sharing of knowledge requires unambiguity. God is clearly aware of this. We read in the Bible that when God speaks, He never confounds those that listen. Yesterday’s first reading had Nathan conveying the message that God had for David with regards to the temple the king wanted to build for the Lord. The words of God through the prophet were clear. Through analogies and events that David could relate to, God told him that He had a bigger plan in mind. David’s response today shows that he understood the message. He acknowledged his position and blessed God for the blessing that was given him.

Christ tells us that the light we carry in us, which is His message of love is to be put out in the open, for all to see and to see by. It is our mission and one to be proud of. I am sure though we have all heard of instances where people are put off by strong-armed evangelism. Why should this be the case? This happens because such evangelists do as David did and attempt to share about God in the way they best understand. Yet others either do not have the knowledge they have or understand differently. When this happens, the lamp is placed under the bed, under the tub. Just like me and cell division. Brothers and sisters, why do we do so when things could be much simpler? Telling others about God works best when others can relate to what we are talking about. Let’s share God the way we would share $2.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Aloysius Ting)
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Prayer: Lord, help us to clearly see, comprehend and disseminate Your message for us.

Give thanks to the Lord for: Teachers and educators.

Upcoming Readings:
Fri, 01 Feb – 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Mark 4:26-34
Sat, 02 Feb – Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40; Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Sun, 03 Feb – Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12a; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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30 Jan

St. Francis’ Spirit

Shortly after his priestly ordination, Francis Xavier was assigned to work in a hospital in Venice. The hospital was crowded with people suffering from incurable diseases. One of these was the dreaded “French disease” or syphilis, the body of the patients covered with sores full of pus causing a nauseating stench.

One day a syphilis patient whom Francis was tending asked the saint to scratch his back. Suddenly, a crippling fear seized Francis. What if he became infected with the disease from the pus? For a moment, Francis remained frozen. In a flash, he thought of Jesus and the commitment he had made to Him. Any job done to fulfil His mission would entail risks. Francis plucked up courage. He not merely scratched the patient’s back, but when the task was done, he put his fingers into his own mouth and sucked them.

That night, he dreamed that he had been infected with the sickness in his throat and kept coughing and spitting the whole night. The following day he realised that there was no sign of any sickness. From then on he lost his sense of repugnance and fear of contagion.

- What thoughts, feelings, occurred to you while you went through the story?
- What do you think is the ‘moral’ of the story?

- taken from “Persons Are Gifts”, by Hedwig Lewis, SJ
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2 Samuel 7:4-17

The word of the Lord came to Nathan:

‘Go and tell my servant David, “Thus the Lord speaks: Are you the man to build me a house to dwell in? I have never stayed in a house from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today, but have always led a wanderer’s life in a tent. In all my journeying with the whole people of Israel, did I say to any one of the judges of Israel, whom I had appointed as shepherds of Israel my people: Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” This is what you must say to my servant David, “The Lord of hosts says this: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader of my people Israel; I have been with you on all your expeditions; I have cut off all your enemies before you. I will give you fame as great as the fame of the greatest on earth. I will provide a place for my people Israel; I will plant them there and they shall dwell in that place and never be disturbed again; nor shall the wicked continue to oppress them as they did, in the days when I appointed judges over my people Israel; I will give them rest from all their enemies. The Lord will make you great; the Lord will make you a House. And when your days are ended and you are laid to rest with your ancestors, I will preserve the offspring of your body after you and make his sovereignty secure. (It is he who shall build a house for my name, and I will make his royal throne secure for ever.) I will be a father to him and he a son to me; if he does evil, I will punish him with the rod such as men use, with strokes such as mankind gives. Yet I will not withdraw my favour from him, as I withdrew it from your predecessor. Your House and your sovereignty will always stand secure before me and your throne be established for ever.”’

Nathan related all these words to David and this whole revelation.
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Mark 4:1-20

Jesus began to teach by the lakeside, but such a huge crowd gathered round him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there. The people were all along the shore, at the water’s edge. He taught them many things in parables, and in the course of his teaching he said to them, ‘Listen! Imagine a sower going out to sow. Now it happened that, as he sowed, some of the seed fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground where it found little soil and sprang up straightaway, because there was no depth of earth; and when the sun came up it was scorched and, not having any roots, it withered away. Some seed fell into thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. And some seed fell into rich soil and, growing tall and strong, produced crop; and yielded thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear.’

When he was alone, the Twelve, together with the others who formed his company, asked what the parables meant. He told them, ‘The secret of the kingdom of God is given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may see and see again, but not perceive; may hear and hear again, but not understand; otherwise they might be converted and be forgiven.’

He said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? What the sower is sowing is the word. Those on the edge of the path where the word is sown are people who have no sooner heard it than Satan comes and carries away the word that was sown in them. Similarly, those who receive the seed on patches of rock are people who, when first they hear the word, welcome it at once with joy. But they have no root in them, they do not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, they fall away at once. Then there are others who receive the seed in thorns. These have heard the word, but the worries of this world, the lure of riches and all the other passions come in to choke the word, and so it produces nothing. And there are those who have received the seed in rich soil: they hear the word and accept it and yield a harvest, thirty and sixty and a hundred fold.’
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When Jesus came, He came to build a house – a kingdom in which He reigns. His kingdom is His house with all of us in it.

In the Gospel reading, we can also see our hearts as houses for seeds that are the word of God. Can our hearts allow these seeds to grow and produce fruit for His kingdom? If not, how can we ensure that they become good environments for these seeds to grow?

God is fruitful. A heart in which He dwells will be fruitful. Thus, to nurture the seed that is the Word, we have to let God into our hearts.

Let us look beyond ourselves. Do we let God into our relationships? God’s Word can also be sown and grown in relationships with friends and family, where He can also be fruitful. Let us ask Jesus to come into our hearts and relationships today, so that our lives and the lives of others are fruitful.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Regina Xie)
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Prayer: Lord, come into our hearts to help us bear fruit for Your kingdom.

Give thanks to the Lord for: His sovereignty.

Upcoming Readings:
Thu, 31 Jan – 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29; Mark 4:21-25; Memorial for St. John Bosco, priest, religious founder
Fri, 01 Feb – 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Mark 4:26-34
Sat, 02 Feb – Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40; Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Sun, 03 Feb – Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12a; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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29 Jan

The Beggar’s Joy

When Norman Vincent Peale, the famous pastor, speaker and author, was very young, he learned a lesson for life from his father. The elder Peale, a clergyman, was a large-hearted person who made no distinction between people. He had respect and esteem for every individual, not going by external appearances but looking at people as they really were.

It was Christmas Eve and Norman was out with his father doing some late Christmas shopping, he reveals in his book The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking. He was loaded down with packages and felt tired and irritable. He was thinking how good it would be to get home when a beggar, a bleary-eyed, unshaved, dirty old man came up to him, touched his hand with his and asked for money. Norman recoiled from his soiled hand and rather impatiently brushed him aside.

“You shouldn’t treat a man that way, Norman,” said his father as soon as they were out of earshot.

“But, Dad, he’s nothing but a bum,” replied Norman.

“Bum?” he said. “There’s no such thing as a bum. He is a child of God, my boy. Maybe he hasn’t made the most of himself but he is a child of God, nonetheless. We must always look upon a man with esteem. Now, I want you to go and give him this.” His father pulled out his pocketbook and handed him a dollar, which was all he could afford. “And do exactly the way I tell you. Go up to him, hand him this dollar, and speak to him with respect. Tell him you are giving him this dollar in the name of Christ.”

“Oh,” objected Norman. “I don’t want to do that.”

His father insisted, “Go and do as I tell you.”

So Norman ran after the old man, caught up with him and said, “Excuse me, sir. I give you this dollar in the name of Christ.”

The old man looked at him in absolute surprise. Then a wonderful smile spread over his face. A smile that made the boy forget the beggar was dirty and unshaven. Normal could see the real face of the man through the streaks of grime – his essential nobility. Graciously, with a sort of bow, the beggar said, “I thank you, young sir, in the name of Christ.”

Norman sums up the experience thus: My irritation and annoyance faded like magic. And suddenly I was happy. The very street seemed beautiful. In fact, I believe that in the moment I held that man in full and complete esteem, I came very close to Christ Himself. And that, of course, is one of the most joyful experiences any person can ever have.

- What thoughts, feelings, occurred to you while you went through the story?
- What do you think is the ‘moral’ of the story?

- taken from “Persons Are Gifts”, by Hedwig Lewis, SJ
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2 Samuel 6:12-15, 17-19

David went and brought the ark of God up from Obed-edom’s house to the Citadel of David with great rejoicing. When the bearers of the ark of the Lord had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fat sheep. And David danced whirling round before the Lord with all his might, wearing a linen loincloth round him. Thus David and all the House of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with acclaim and the sound of the horn. They brought the ark of the Lord and pt it in position inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered holocausts before the Lord, and communion sacrifices. And when David had finished offering holocausts and communion sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts. He then distributed among all the people, among the whole multitude of Israelites, men and women, a roll of bread to each, a portion of dates, and a raisin cake. Then they all went away, each to his own house.
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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 my sister and mother.”
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About a year ago, when I had been working in my job for over a year, I was faced with the unfamiliar task of filing my income tax. I had no experience in this at all, and was simply told to check out the IRAS (Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore) website to find out more. I found out that below a certain income level, I did not need to pay income tax. One day, I remarked to my father that I was keeping my income below that level so that I did not have to pay income tax. What he said to me then has left a deep impression on me.

He said: “Don’t worry about having to pay income tax, but be grateful that you have enough money so that you can be taxed.” Since that time, I no longer worried about keeping my income tax below a certain level, because I also came to realise why we have taxes – so that the government who collects the revenue may distribute them fairly. At least that’s the way it’s supposed to work, but sadly is not true in a number of other countries.

This is exactly what David did – as king, he collected the wealth of the people through taxes and later, he distributed the revenue to all people so as to ensure that everyone had a little piece of the pie that was rightfully theirs. In the past, the priest who celebrates Mass used to distribute the offertory collections to all the people, especially to those most in need. This is the beauty of communion – when everyone belongs to the same community, we look out for one another. This is also why tax evaders are punished by the state – because through their selfishness, they harm the good of the community.

Does the Catholic Church have something similar? Yes, we do. We have what is called indulgences. Millions of people do good deeds and pray for the pope and the Church everyday. What happens to these results of these good deeds and prayers? They go into what is called the storehouse of merit, which is kind of like a spiritual treasury, which also ’stores’ the merits that Christ has won for the salvation of all mankind. Hence our merits are united in communion with that of Christ.

These merits are then distributed to those who are in need of it e.g. those who pray for help, etc. (Fortunately for us, it is all automated. I don’t know how it works, perhaps angels have something to do with it.) Wikipedia has a good list of acts for which indulgence is granted, so you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to receive indulgences.

In any case, once in a while, the pope, like David, has the authority to distribute the wealth of the treasury to all who fulfil certain conditions. In the case of David and his people, the people had to be there to receive the shares. In the same way, the pope’s conditions usually require us to be at a certain location in order to receive the shares.

Perhaps the most important part about these indulgences is that they can not only be used for ourselves, but for the souls of others, in particular, the souls in Purgatory who cannot do anything to earn merit, but have to rely on us who are still living to pray for them. They are, as Christ said, our brothers and sisters and our mother because the very fact that they are in Purgatory shows us that they did the will of God and are destined for Heaven. That is why it is such an important duty of Catholics to pray for the souls in Purgatory. It can be equated to charitable works that are done for the poor who likewise can do nothing to get out of their poverty, but are equally our brothers and sisters, as we are all children of God.

Let us make an effort to gain a plenary indulgence for a soul in Purgatory today, by praying the Rosary in a church, in a family, or in a religious community, and by receiving the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion.
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Prayer:
Dear Lord, we pray that more Catholics may come to realise their share in the great spiritual treasury of the Church, to receive from that treasury, and to share their own material and spiritual wealth with those who are lacking in either. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: The spiritual treasury of merits that never runs out.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 30 Jan – 2 Samuel 7:4-17; Mark 4:1-20
Thu, 31 Jan – 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29; Mark 4:21-25; Memorial for St. John Bosco, priest, religious founder
Fri, 01 Feb – 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Mark 4:26-34
Sat, 02 Feb – Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40; Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Sun, 03 Feb – Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12a; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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28 Jan – Memorial for St. Thomas Aquinas, priest, religious, doctor

Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) was the son of the Count of Aquino, and was born in the family castle of Lombardy near Naples. He was educated by Benedictine monks at Monte Cassino, and at the University of Naples. He secretly joined the mendicant Dominican friars in 1244. His noble family kidnapped and imprisoned him for a year to keep him out of sight and to deprogramme him, but he rejoined the order in 1245.

He studied in Paris from 1245-1248 under St. Albert the Great, then accompanied Albertus to Cologne. He was ordained in 1250, then returned to Paris to teach. He taught theology at the University of Paris, and wrote defenses of the mendicant orders, commentaries on Aristotle and Lombard’s Sentences, and some bible-related works, usually by dictating to secretaries. He won his doctorate, and taught in several Italian cities. He was recalled by the king and the university to Paris in 1269, then recalled to Naples in 1272 where he was appointed regent of studies while working on the Summa Theologica.

On Dec 6, 1273, he experienced a divine revelation which so enraptured him that he abandoned the Summa, saying that it and his other writings were so much straw in the wind compared to the reality of the divine glory. He died four months later while en route to the Council of Lyons, overweight an with his health broken by overwork.

His works have been seminal to the thinking of the Church ever since. They systemized her great thoughts and teaching, and combined Greek wisdom and scholarship methods with the truth of Christianity. Pope Leo VIII commanded that his teachings be studied by all theology students. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1567.

- Patron Saint Index
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2 Samuel 5:1-7, 10

All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. “Look,” they said, “we are your own flesh and blood. In days past when Saul was our king, it was you who led Israel in all their exploits; and the Lord said to you, ‘You are the man who shall be shepherd of my people Israel, you shall be the leader of Israel.’” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a pact with them at Hebron in the presence of the Lord, and they anointed David king of Israel.

David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. He reigned in Hebron over Judah for seven years and six months; then he reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel and Judah for thirty-three years.

David and his men marched on Jerusalem against the Jebusites living there. These said to David, “You will not get in here. The blind and the lame will hold you off.” (That is to say: David will never get in here.) But David captured the fortress of Zion, that is, the Citadel of David.

He grew greater and greater, and the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
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Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “Beelzebul is in him” and, “It is through the prince of devils that he casts devils out.” So Jesus called them to him and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot last. And if a household is divided against itself, that household can never stand. Now if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he cannot stand either – it is the end of him. But no one can make his way into a strong man’s house and burgle his property unless he has tied up the strong man first. Only then can he burgle his house.

“I tell you solemnly, all men’s sins will be forgiven, and all their blasphemies; but let anyone blaspheme against the Holy Spirit and he will never have forgiveness: he is guilty of an eternal sin.” This was because they were saying, “An unclean spirit is in him.”
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I’ve just finished reading a book called “When Ministry Is Messy” by Richard C. Brown, Ph.D, and I wonder why such a book is not made known to all Christians who are in ministry. In this book, the author speaks of the three reasons why conflicts in ministry take place – natural personality differences, emotional illness, and sin. And he put forward three ways in which we can resolve or prevent ministry conflict – servanthood (putting the needs of the others above your own); logic (using reason to find out the truth); and loving forgiveness (to resolve hurts).

In today’s readings, we see Jesus dealing precisely with that – conflict in ministry. In his case, the ministry concerned is that of preaching. Jesus’ response in this case was one that used logic, or reason. Using simple reasoning, he showed his accusers that what they were claiming about him was untrue, simply because it didn’t make sense when put to the test.

In the first reading, we see that David’s enemies, the Jebusites, considered their position impregnable, so much so that even cripples could defend it. This pride that the Jebusites had was another area in which conflict in ministry occurs, and it falls under the category of sin. In both cases, logic can be used to address the problem, but the sin of pride also causes the problem of hardness of heart, which Jesus was to point out in another passage in the gospels. This is where logic fails, because in the face of hardness of heart, nothing can be done to help the person see the truth.

This then is the unforgivable sin that Jesus speaks of, for the Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. A person who denies the truth even in the face of rationality is one who acts irrationally. We see this taking place frequently in our ministries, don’t we? Sometimes we hear others (or ourselves) give irrational reasons such as: “This is the right way, because I’m a priest and I say so” or “Do this my way, because I’ve been around far longer than you have”.

It is here that we must apply Jesus’ own solutions to ministry conflict, most importantly, the first thing he said when he was crucified: Forgive them for they know not what they do. Indeed that is all we can do, even as we are being crucified – to pray to our Lord and ask forgiveness for others on their behalf, and to ask the Lord to give them a change of heart.

Take some time to reflect on the people in your ministry who have cause you hurt and whose behaviour have resulted in conflicts in your ministry, and ask the Lord to forgive them.
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Prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray for those who have caused me hurt in my ministry, and I ask you to forgive them for they know not what they do. Help them to have a change of heart, and that they may repent and receive your reign in their hearts. Amen.

Give Thanks to the Lord for: A wonderful present.

Upcoming Readings:
Wed, 30 Jan – 2 Samuel 7:4-17; Mark 4:1-20
Thu, 31 Jan – 2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29; Mark 4:21-25; Memorial for St. John Bosco, priest, religious founder
Fri, 01 Feb – 2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Mark 4:26-34
Sat, 02 Feb – Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18; Luke 2:22-40; Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
Sun, 03 Feb – Zephaniah 2:3, 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12a; Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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