Reflection for last Sunday, 5 July 2015

by Shirley

 

 

As I was sitting at St Mary's listening to the readings, 2 things struck me.. The first is in the 2nd reading when Paul said that while he prayed and begged the Lord that the "thorn in his flesh" be removed from him but God replies, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Paul then says he will rather boast gladly of his weakness, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with him, "for when I am weak, then I am strong".

 

It made me think of how our world defines a strong person and a weak person. Very often the aggressor is seen as the strong person whereas the victim is weak. This made me think of what happened when we were watching Minions the other day, when this man who was seated with his wife and kids started turning on the flashlight on his mobile phone 2-3 times, and then this other man with his girlfriend shouted very angrily from across the cinema, "Hey you! Turn that off!" and his girlfriend piped up, "It's very distracting you know!". The Asian couple looked like civilised, working professionals. We were shocked because you could clearly hear the rage in their voices and it is a kids' movie, any normal person would expect distractions in the cinema. The couple probably thought that they are the strong ones, because they voiced out their opinion but my immediate thought when that happened was, my, how ugly they sound, what happened to make them react that way? As for the father who complied and turned off his flashlight, maybe he's the stronger one now for not choosing to pick a fight in front of his family. Aggressors often act that way because that is the only way they know of to solve their problem, or they need to do that in order to feel big about themselves. Having the grace to look like a coward and know when to walk away from a fight reveals more inner strength than choosing to stay and fight.

 

So the reading made me think of being strong in weakness. It doesn't mean that when a person is seen as weak, they do not have strength in them. Circumstances, maturity and time may reveal how much stronger the weak person is and in fact how weak a seemingly strong person actually is. 

 

The 2nd thing that spoke to me was in the gospel, about how when Jesus was in his native place, his own people doubted him and because of their lack of faith, he was not able to perform any mighty deed there. He was present there and yet he was not able to perform many miracles. God could be present in our lives but because we still lack faith, He will not be able to help us. It made me think of my own life, while I believe in God, I still lack faith that my prayers will be answered, and I think I'm unworthy to receive certain blessings. It made me realise that this lack of faith is stopping God from performing miracles in my life. I used to think that I'll just let God lead my life, whatever happens, happens. But that's not true, I need to lead my own life, I need to tell God in prayer, this are my needs, this is how I want my life to be, God by your grace, please answer my prayers, I have faith. I need to believe that I am His child, that I am worthy of His gifts, and that I need to have more faith in Him because He only wants the best for His children. Like the woman who had faith and believed that as long as she touched Jesus' garment, she will be healed, and that faith saved and healed her.

 

 

Daily Reflection, 31 December 2014 - A New Joy

by Jean Nathalia

31 Dec – A New Joy

Dear friends,

As 2014 comes to an end, here's to new adventures and joy in 2015:)

God bless,

Jean

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1 John 2:18-21

Children, these are the last days;

you were told that an Antichrist must come,

and now several antichrists have already appeared;

we know from this that these are the last days.

Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, but they had never really belonged;

if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us;

but they left us, to prove that not one of them

ever belonged to us.

But you have been anointed by the Holy One,

and have all received the knowledge.

It is not because you do not know the truth that I am writing to you

but rather because you know it already

and know that no lie can come from the truth.

_________________

John 1:1-18 

In the beginning was the Word:

and the Word was with God

and the Word was God.

He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things came to be,

not one thing had its being but through him.

All that came to be had life in him

and that life was the light of men,

a light that shines in the dark,

a light that darkness could not overpower.

A man came, sent by God.

His name was John.

He came as a witness,

as a witness to speak for the light,

so that everyone might believe through him.

He was not the light,

only a witness to speak for the light.

The Word was the true light

that enlightens all men;

and he was coming into the world.

He was in the world

that had its being through him,

and the world did not know him.

He came to his own domain

and his own people did not accept him.

But to all who did accept him

he gave power to become children of God,

to all who believe in the name of him

who was born not out of human stock

or urge of the flesh

or will of man

but of God himself.

The Word was made flesh,

he lived among us,

and we saw his glory,

the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father,

full of grace and truth.

John appears as his witness. He proclaims:

‘This is the one of whom I said:

He who comes after me ranks before me

because he existed before me.’

Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received –

yes, grace in return for grace,

since, though the Law was given through Moses,

grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God;

it is the only Son, who is nearest to the Father’s heart,

who has made him known.

_________________

John appears as his witness. He proclaims: ‘This is the one of whom I said”

John is one of the most effective witnesses of Christ that we read about in the bible. His whole life was dedicated to a single purpose: to preach about the coming of Christ. He was faithful to this purpose throughout his life. Faithful to the point that he encouraged his own followers to continue their journey with Christ. It was never about himself but always about God’s will first.

I am not yet a parent but the thought of giving up my energy, my sleep, my free time, my youth, my money, and so much more, for the sake of my future children for the rest of my life is something that I find difficult to swallow. What will I get in return? What if I am abandoned in my old age? What is the point of sacrificing myself? Is it worth it?

According to economical principles, the answer is certainly no. According to self-preservation, no. According to a life of pleasure and luxury, no. But according to God’s plan, yes. Because unlike the world which teaches us to live for only ourselves, God tells us that the greatest joy is in living for another.

If I find it difficult to swallow, it means that I have yet to experience living completely for another. If I have never forgotten myself for the sake of another’s good, then I will never have tasted the joys and the peace that comes with such a life (in spite of the sacrifices that have to be made). Maybe this also explains why I am not looking forward to heaven yet – for I have never been to heaven and therefore do not know a different level of joy and elation can be mine.

I am clinging onto what is familiar to me, as though that is all that I will ever experience. What if life has so much more to offer? What if heaven has much more to offer? What if living for another completely has so much more to offer? What if forgetting myself may bring me the deepest joy that my heart has been seeking? It may not offer the same kind of pleasures and indulgences that self-preservation offers, but it may offer me something that once I taste, I may never want to look back to where I am today.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Nathalia)

_________________

Prayer: Jesus, I am comfortable in my current life, but I want to be open to the possibilities of life and an adventure with you. Open my heart like a child once more.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to our parents for the sacrifices that they have made for us - even if they may not have done so perfectly.

Daily Reflection, 29 December 2014 - Sufferings

by Jean Nathalia

1 John 2:3-11

We can be sure that we know God

only by keeping his commandments.

Anyone who says, ‘I know him’,

and does not keep his commandments,

is a liar,

refusing to admit the truth.

But when anyone does obey what he has said,

God’s love comes to perfection in him.

We can be sure that we are in God

only when the one who claims to be living in him

is living the same kind of life as Christ lived.

My dear people,

this is not a new commandment that I am writing to tell you,

but an old commandment

that you were given from the beginning,

the original commandment which was the message brought to you.

Yet in another way, what I am writing to you,

and what is being carried out in your lives as it was in his,

is a new commandment;

because the night is over

and the real light is already shining.

Anyone who claims to be in the light

but hates his brother

is still in the dark.

But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light

and need not be afraid of stumbling;

unlike the man who hates his brother and is in the darkness,

not knowing where he is going,

because it is too dark to see.

____________________

Luke 2:22-35

When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus 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.’

___________________

A sword will pierce your own soul too – so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare

I recently met an old friend and when I started talking about my worries, he smiled. In his smile, it was like he was saying, “What’s new? You will always find something new to worry about”. I smiled sheepishly and stopped.

Why do worries constantly fill my mind and consume my energies? I know that whenever I worry, I become more self-focused, and unable to be present to the needs of others. When I worry, I am unable to be enjoy life for the many quiet gifts it presents. When I worry, I become more impatient, angry, and I frown. When I worry, I even look uglier – more haggard, less welcoming, less warm, and very tired looking.

What am I actually afraid of?

I think I’ve gotten some clues from reading today’s Gospel. I can never comprehend how Mary accepted her “fate” that a sword would pierce her soul (i.e., she would suffer great pain for the sake of others’ reunion with God). How could she go on in life knowing that she would have to suffer greatly? Was she not fearful? Was she not angry at the “fate” of her call in life?

If I was told that I would suffer greatly in future, I would live in a constant state of fear and desolation. What a miserable life! I do not like to suffer! This may explain why I am always worrying, for I am constantly thinking of ways to prevent future suffering – by hoarding, by calculating, by driving myself to work harder and learn faster so that I will not lose any competitive edge, and so on.

Unlike me, Mary accepted her call in life to suffer in order that great fruits will be born. Maybe she was fearful. Maybe she was afraid that she would not be able to withstand such suffering. But she accepted her cross in hope that her God would carry her through it. Unlike me, she realized that everything was connected – suffering is connected to great fruits, and such great fruits are worth bearing in this world.

Indeed, her suffering has led to a profound change for more than 2000 years. Because she suffered in order to bring Jesus into this world and support Him in His passion and mission, we are now able to speak directly to God as sinners, rather than need to rely on the holiest people to intercede for us. Mary’s suffering has made a profound impact in my life. I am able to have a personal and intimate relationship with God, and not merely look to Him from a distance.

This gives me hope that whatever sufferings life gives me will never be in vain. They will be opportunities for me to have a profound life-changing impact on mine and others’ lives. Though painful, God will never abandon me and will carry me through it.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Nathalia)

__________________

Prayer: Jesus, I do not want to suffer in life. But by avoiding it, I am already suffering a life plagued by worries. I want to embrace my life with grace and dignity. I pray for the grace to accept all future sufferings that will come my way. Give me acceptance and hope in the fruits that will be born from these sufferings.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Mother Mary for considering me worthy for you to suffer for me.

Daily Reflection, 28 December 2014 - Family Heaven and Hell

by Jean Nathalia

28 Dec – Feast of the Holy Family

The Holy Family

We celebrate that Holy Family of Nazareth which is the model for all who fear the Lord and walk in his ways.

- Sunday Missal

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Ecclesiasticus 3:3-7,14-17

The Lord honours the father in his children,
and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons.
Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins,
he who honours his mother is like someone amassing a fortune.
Whoever respects his father will be happy with children of his own,
he shall be heard on the day when he prays.
Long life comes to him who honours his father,
he who sets his mother at ease is showing obedience to the Lord.
My son, support your father in his old age,
do not grieve him during his life.
Even if his mind should fail, show him sympathy,
do not despise him in your health and strength;
for kindness to a father shall not be forgotten
but will serve as reparation for your sins.

________________

Colossians 3:12-21

You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God; and never say or do anything except in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, give way to your husbands, as you should in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and treat them with gentleness. Children, be obedient to your parents always, because that is what will please the Lord. Parents, never drive your children to resentment or you will make them feel frustrated.

________________

Luke 2:22-40

When the day came for them to be purified as laid down by the Law of Moses, the parents of Jesus 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.

_________________

Forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins

Family is one of the most difficult topics to write about because of how private it is. It is easy for me to speak of my family to others when things are going well. I readily share the positive attributes of my family with others. However, when it comes to more challenging struggles, it is not easy for me to share this with others because I fear that others will judge my family members. Only I can think poorly of them, no one else is allowed to.

Such is the strong unexplainable bond that we have with our family members. A bond that goes into the core of our being, giving them the power to be the ones who can make us feel the deepest joys and the deepest sorrows. When things go wrong in my life, comforting words of encouragement from my family member will go deeper into my heart than any form of encouragement that I can find elsewhere. But when there is disharmony within my family, the pain cuts deep and takes me into a fury that no one else has the ability to take me to.

Somehow, family has such power to take us to heaven and to hell in a way that nothing else in the world can. It is scary – such power they have over us, particularly for those of us who have been and/or remain in abusive families (e.g., physical, sexual, emotional abuse). When our family hurts us, ongoing healing is necessary in order to nurse these deep-seated wounds.

Just as they have such power over us, you and I also have the power to take our family members to heaven and hell. Very often, I am sure we start off with the best of intentions, wanting to bless our family members. But a little impatience from them, a sign of being taken for granted, a careless comment, and we find our old wounds pressed on, leading to us condemning them either aloud or in our hearts. With our wounds so easily reopened, how will we ever succeed in taking our family to heaven?

Perhaps the answer really is the most simple: forgive first, before all else. Forgiveness is not saying that people can freely hurt and wrong me. Forgiveness is saying, “I choose our peace first”. If needed, I can and must dialogue about certain issues at a later time. But for now, I choose our peace.

If I want to build heaven in my families, I must build my muscle of forgiveness. It is not an option, it is a necessity for it is impossible to live with people without stepping on each other’s toes. I live in a real world where wrong will be done and hurts will happen. On my own, I will never be able to forgive for this muscle of mine is underdeveloped. I can only pray that God will give me the grace to build this muscle. The more I exercise it, the stronger my muscle will be. May God encourage me on this journey, showing me that all things are possible for those who believe in Him, and that heaven is the greatest reward for choosing to put on the cloak of love.

“Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got” (Author unknown).

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Nathalia)

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Prayer: Jesus, encourage me to be a woman who builds heaven in my families. Encourage me to never stop building the muscle of forgiveness.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks to family members who constantly bring heaven to us by looking beyond our bad behaviours and choosing to live in peace with us. We give thanks for those who have helped us to build heaven within our families. 

Daily Reflection, 18 October 2014 - How God Looks at You

by Jean Nathalia

Ephesians 1: 15-23

Since, then, I heard of this faith of yours in the Lord Jesus and the practical way in which you are expressing it towards fellow-Christians, I thank God continually for you and I never give up praying for you; and this is my prayer. That God, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the all-glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and the insight to know more of him: that you may receive that inner illumination of the spirit which will make you realise how great is the hope to which he is calling you—the magnificence and splendour of the inheritance promised to Christians—and how tremendous is the power available to us who believe in God.

That power is the same divine power which was demonstrated in Christ when he raised him from the dead and gave him the place of supreme honour in Heaven—a place that is infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power or control, and which carries with it a name far beyond any name that could ever be used in this world or the world to come.

God has placed everything under the power of Christ and has set him up as head of everything for the Church. for the Church is his body, and in that body lives fully the one who fills the whole wide universe.

_______________

 

I thank God for you.

 

How do you respond when someone says those five words to you: “I thank God for you”? Do you cringe? Laugh it off? Shift the attention away? Or do you look steadily back at that person and receive his/her spirit of gratitude for you?

 

How would you respond if St Paul actually said those words to you: “I thank God for you”? Would you think that he has mistaken you for someone else? Would you be comfortable with those words or would you feel that these words belonged to another, but not to you?

 

My response to these five words was clear when I read today’s first reading. I skimmed past those words, believing them to belong to some faithful early community of Christ – not to me. How could they belong to me? I have had my moments of doubt in my faith (and will continue to). I have not always pursued holiness. I have not always been courageous. I have not always loved. I have often chosen to rush through my prayers, rather than to be present in them. I have entertained despair, self-doubt, and self-indulgence. I have chosen to be unkind. I have chosen to be impatient. I have thrown tantrums.

 

Yet, in spite of all of that, there is a small tugging in my heart that St Paul is thanking God for me. Perhaps you feel it too. In spite of all of your weaknesses and sins, perhaps there is a small voice telling you that God is pleased with you. You may not believe it, you may run away from it, it may be only a quiet whisper, but it is there.

 

People have told me that I have a gift for writing beautiful words about them. When they tell me this, they also say that they will try to live up to what I have spoken of them. It frustrates me because it is so hard to convey to them that these are not words they must live up to, rather these words describe who they already are in my eyes. Nevertheless, I understand their struggle to receive these truths about them, for I too struggle.

 

It is so much easier to believe in the curses and condemnations spoken of us, than to believe in good things said of us. It is so much easier to believe that the negative words are truths, and the positive words are flattery. Why are we so afraid to believe in our own goodness? Why am I so afraid to believe in my own goodness?

 

I guess I am afraid because I think it means that I have to do more to “deserve” to be seen as good. But even without doing much, God is already pleased with me. Right now, the saints are thanking God for me. Right now God is looking at me, pleased with what He sees. Just as I yearn for my loved ones to see themselves through my eyes, perhaps it is time for me to see myself through God’s eyes. Perhaps it is time for me to listen to that quiet voice that whispers under all the layers of self-condemnation: You are good.

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Nathalia)

_________________

 

Prayer: Father, I want to see myself through Your eyes. Help me to dare to see what You see and not to run from it.

 

Thanksgiving: We give thanks that God, unlike us, is easily pleased and delighted.

Daily Reflection, 17 October 2014 - Worry Worry Worry

by Jean Nathalia

17 Oct – Memorial for St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr 

Ignatius (c. 50–107) was a convert from paganism to Christianity. He succeeded Peter as bishop of Antioch, Syria. He served during persecution of Domitian. During the persecution of Trajan, he was ordered to be taken to Rome to be killed by wild animals. On the way, a journey which took months, he wrote a series of encouraging letters to the churches under his care. He was the first writer to use the term The Catholic Church. He was an apostolic father and a martyr. His name occurs in the Canon of the Mass. Legend says he was the infant that Jesus took into his arms in Mark 9.

- Patron Saint Index

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Ephesians 1:11-14

It is in Christ that we were claimed as God’s own,

chosen from the beginning,

under the predetermined plan of the one who guides all things

as he decides by his own will;

chosen to be,

for his greater glory,

the people who would put their hopes in Christ before he came.

Now you too, in him,

have heard the message of the truth and the good news of your salvation,

and have believed it;

and you too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise,

the pledge of our inheritance

which brings freedom for those whom God has taken for his own, to make his glory praised.

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Luke 12:1-7

The people had gathered in their thousands so that they were treading on one another. And Jesus began to speak, first of all to his disciples. ‘Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees – that is, their hypocrisy. Everything that is now covered will be uncovered, and everything now hidden will be made clear. For this reason, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in hidden places will be proclaimed on the housetops.

‘To you my friends I say: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. I will tell you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has the power to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Can you not buy five sparrows for two pennies? And yet not one is forgotten in God’s sight. Why, every hair on your head has been counted. There is no need to be afraid: you are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.’

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You too have been stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit of the Promise

I recently got married and entered into the working world. Although I am grateful to be married to my husband and to have a job that is meaningful to me, certain worries have begun bubbling within. I feel like I have to start preparing to look after a new family when the time comes to have children and to look after aging parents. As such, greater responsibility falls upon my shoulders to learn to manage my finances, to hold onto my job, and to be savvy. In some sense, I feel like I am no longer able to be a carefree child who can get away with not knowing much. I am now an adult¬¬¬–an identity that carries responsibility.

This scares me. There is so much to learn and so little time. What if something happens to my parents? What if I get sacked? What if something happens to my husband? What if we don’t manage our expenses well enough? What if… what if… what if…

In the midst of all my anxieties and worries, I feel the Lord saying, “I am here”. It is, however, so difficult to surrender my worries. I want to know exactly how everything will work out in the end. I want to be in control. Chasing certainty, however, is a futile chase. As the saying goes, ‘Uncertainty is the only certainty in life’. While we cannot be certain of how things will play out, as children of God, we can be certain that God will be there for us. None of us will ever be forgotten in God’s sight. We have been stamped by our God – a promise that He is always for us, and never against us. A promise that He will be faithful to us.

The reality is that I will not be able to rely on myself to handle all the pressures and demands of life. There will be times when life will require me to humbly depend on the assistance of others, particularly during certain storms. Will I trust that wherever life calls me, God’s grace will be enough to carry me through in that season?

I do trust but my stubbornness means that I also do not want to let go of my chase for certainty. Yet, these two desires cannot coexist. Chasing both will only cause me to bounce from left to right, running forwards and backwards.

I need a new desire: freedom. I know that freedom is an active pursuit. Freedom will not simply fall into my lap. It is something I have to cooperate with God in working towards. He will lead the way to freedom, and I must follow. The first step is to let go of my need for control and to do what I can do for now: to learn the ropes of adulthood at a humane pace, and not to expect to learn everything in one day. Tomorrow will bring different steps towards freedom. Only tomorrow, will I be equipped for tomorrow’s call. Let me respond to the call of today.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jean Nathalia)

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Prayer: Jesus, I choose to trust my life to you again. You are the one who has taken care of me from the time I was conceived in my mother’s womb. You will take care of me through my life. Help me to humble myself to this journey of life and to enter into it with a smile.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks that we have been stamped by the Holy Spirit. We have a Father who will never ever forget and abandon us.

Daily Reflection, 16 October 2014 - Body of Christ

by Jean Nathalia

16 Oct – Memorial for St. Hedwig, Religious; Memorial for St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin

Hedwig (1174–1243) was the daughter of the Duke of Croatia, and aunt of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. She married Prince Henry I of Silesia and Poland in 1186 at the age of 12, and became the mother of seven. She cared for the sick both personally and by founding hospitals. Upon her husband’s death, she gave away her fortune and entered the monastery at Trebnitz.

- Patron Saint Index

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Ephesians 1:1-10

From Paul, appointed by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, to the saints who are faithful to Christ Jesus. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ.

Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ,

to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence,

determining that we should become his adopted sons, through Jesus Christ

for his own kind purposes,

to make us praise the glory of his grace,

his free gift to us in the Beloved,

in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins.

Such is the richness of the grace

which he has showered on us

in all wisdom and insight.

He has let us know the mystery of his purpose,

the hidden plan he so kindly made in Christ from the beginning

to act upon when the times had run their course to the end:

that he would bring everything together under Christ, as head,

everything in the heavens and everything on earth.

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Luke 11:47-54

Jesus said:

‘Alas for you who build the tombs of the prophets, the men your ancestors killed! In this way you both witness what your ancestors did and approve it; they did the killing, you do the building.

‘And that is why the Wisdom of God said, “I will send them prophets and apostles; some they will slaughter and persecute, so that this generation will have to answer for every prophet’s blood that has been shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was murdered between the altar and the sanctuary.” Yes, I tell you, this generation will have to answer for it all.

‘Alas for you lawyers who have taken away the key of knowledge! You have not gone in yourselves, and have prevented others going in who wanted to.’

When he left the house, the scribes and the Pharisees began a furious attack on him and tried to force answers from him on innumerable questions, setting traps to catch him out in something he might say.

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Answer for it

Any form of structure, discipline, rule, law, program, teaching, is to serve man, and to raise him to the dignity that is worthy of him, as he is made in God’s image. This fundamental truth often gets lost among those in leadership. In pursuing what appears to be the “greater good”, leaders can often forget the individual that the program ought to be serving.

That is why Jesus levels a serious allegation against the lawyers. Lawyers have a tendency to measure men mercilessly against the laws, and thereby make human dignity beneath it. Having stated this, it must be reminded that laws serve a purpose. Laws ensure a common denominator of good and right conduct which protect the vulnerable against the truly depraved. But laws, when applied, must serve man (rather than have men serve laws) – this fundamental principle cannot be lost on leaders.

Our Pope has consistently called out for our Church to meet the poor. This is a fresh way of presenting the issue. Instead of focusing on the “greater good” (i.e., guarding the ninety-nine), our Pope believes that it is time to reframe our vision of the Church as one that goes towards the marginalized (i.e., search for the lost sheep). It is time for leaders to hear the voice of the individual–the person whose cries are important, but whose voice can be easily drowned out by the masses. Simply put, our Pope is leading us away from the insistence of hard doctrine so as to meet the individual who needs to be first loved in order to love.

Applying this new vision of loving the individual (i.e., the poor, the marginalized, the voiceless) in every area of our parish life has a transformative effect. To what extent has our rigid insistence on the previous ways of looking at a matter stifled creativity, suffocated novelty, diminished morale and extinguished passion? Perhaps it is time to stop asking the “what”, “why”, or “how” question, and instead ask the more human question: “who”. Who can I love a bit more? Who can the church serve? Who can my community reach out to?

When we ask “who”, a human face emerges: that is the face that needs Christ – the one that is unable to forgive himself, the one who is thirsting from an unfulfilled life, the one who carries self-rejection, the one who hungers for human affection, the one who longs to be healed, the one who is unable to trust, the one who has been emptied by break ups, the one who has been crushed by superiors, the one who has been betrayed, the one who has been abandoned.

When I ask “who”, I start to realize another person’s deep need for Christ. In a profound way, I realize the responsibility that I have. No longer can I simply blame the environment, society, programs, priests, or church workers for any failure to reach out to that individual, for I too am a part of Christ’s body. I too have a responsibility to respond to the cries of those who around me who are struggling and crying out for Christ (whether or not they realize this). In the words of Jesus, I too have a responsibility to “answer for it”.

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Prayer: Jesus, I do not want to take responsibility over anyone else’s life but my own. Yet, it is only when I start to live for more than myself that I realize that the purpose of my life is connected to the lives of others. Help me to stop living an individualistic life and to start seeing that we are all a part of One body and it is only when we are together, loving each other where we are at, that our joy will be multiplied.

Thanksgiving: We give thanks for those who have tasted our joys and pains with us, and in so doing, helped us realize that we are not alone. May we honour them by giving the same gift to another.