Jul 11 – Memorial for St. Benedict, abbot, religious founder Born to Roman nobility, Benedict (c. 480–547) was the twin brother of St. Scholastica. He studied in Rome, Italy, but was dismayed at the lack of discipline and lackadaisical attitude of his fellow students. He fled to the mountains near Subiaco, living as a hermit in... Continue Reading →
10 July, Friday — Sheep among wolves
Friday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time Hos 14:2-10Mt 10:16-23 “Remember, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves; so be cunning as serpents and yet as harmless as doves.” Once in a while, the Gospel readings surprise me. Sometimes, I can’t believe what I am reading and cannot fathom why our Lord Jesus... Continue Reading →
9 July, Thursday — Unlimited Mercy
Jul 9 – Memorial for St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest, & companions Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China’s relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly. The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and... Continue Reading →
8 July, Wednesday — Seek the Lord
Wednesday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time Hos 10:1-3,7-8,12Mt 10:1-7 Sow integrity for yourselves, reap a harvest of kindness... These are really challenging times. Besides the pandemic, social problems such as racism have come to the forefront, wreaking havoc on an already tenuous situation. Let’s be honest, discrimination of all sorts has always been present,... Continue Reading →
7 July, Tuesday — The compassion of Jesus
Tuesday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time Hos 8:4-7,11-13Mt 9:32-37 ...he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. I am so comforted knowing how compassionate Jesus is. This means he will never leave us to suffer alone or be left “without a shepherd”. He is our eternal shepherd... Continue Reading →
6 July, Monday — Touch and be healed
Jul 6 – Memorial for St. Maria Goretti, Virgin & Martyr Maria Goretti (1890-1902) was a beautiful and pious farm girl, one of six children of Luigi Goretti and Assunta Carlini. In 1896 the family moved to Ferriere di Conca. Soon after, Maria’s father died of malaria, and the family was forced to move onto... Continue Reading →
5 July, Sunday — Carry my cross and shoulder on
14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Zec 9:9-10Rm 8:9,11-13Mt 11:25-30 “I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, … Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.” I used to be a worrywart -- I would worry about every little thing. The years as a journalist were the... Continue Reading →
4 July, Saturday — New Wine, New Wineskins
Jul 4 – Memorial for St. Elizabeth of Portugal Elizabeth (1271-1336) was a princess with a pious upbringing, who became Queen of Portugal before she was a teenager. Elizabeth suffered through years of her husband’s abuse and adultery, praying all the while for his conversion, and working with the poor and sick. She rode onto... Continue Reading →
3 July, Friday — I Forgive Myself
Brothers and sisters, today we welcome Gregory Mathew, who has been contributing to Oxygen for a while now and is adventuring through life with God as his guide. Jul 3 – Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle Thomas (d. 72) was ready to die with Jesus when Christ went to Jerusalem, but he is best remembered... Continue Reading →
2 July, Thursday — The Power of Forgiveness
Thursday of Week 13 in Ordinary Time Amos 7:10-17Mt 9:1-8 “Now, which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? In 2011, StoryCorps – a non-profit project that records short stories of everyday people – released one of its recordings: an interview between a mother who had... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 