Jan 8 — Friday after Epiphany Sunday
1 Jn 5:5-13
Lk 5:12-16
“‘…but he would always go off to some place where he could be alone and pray.”
A friend once told me that I am still searching for my own space, my sanctuary, even though I do have a roof over my head which I share with my mum and my uncle. He said that I feel unsettled because the house I am living in is not truly mine in the sense of its layout and décor. And while I spent 29 years living in the house (not counting the 5 years I spent abroad), it provided a refuge for me when I was younger. But lately, the need to have my own space has been partially satiated.
I think it explains my wanderlust and nomadic nature. I have to get out of the country once in a while just to ‘live like a local’ in another city/town. Back in 2019, when we could all travel freely, I planned three short journeys for three very different reasons. And while the first two may not have been religious in nature, there was some sense of a ‘pilgrimage’ involved.
It is this sense of anticipation that Jesus probably felt when he always went off some place to pray. After all, he wanted to be close to the one true love – God, our Father. So I can understand how whenever the opportunity arose for him to get close to God, He would seize it. What more could anyone ask for than to bask in the warmth of His divine love and to simply be still in His presence.
Over the years, I have found a certain comfort in solitude. I know that I am more than comfortable watching a movie on my own, in an empty cinema hall; walking a trail for 2 to 3 hours without speaking to anyone else; or just eating a simple meal in a hawker centre at lunch (I can’t understand why some colleagues find it strange that I sometimes lunch alone).
Brothers and sisters, ‘me’ time is extremely important if we are to fulfil our mission here on earth. It is time to reflect on God’s love for each and every one of us; to appreciate how He has painstakingly created us, one by one, cell by cell, in His image. It is necessary in order to renew our passion and zest for life each day so that we can get through it relatively unscathed, in order to celebrate another new day when we arise from our sleep.
Do you have a ‘go to’ spot at home, or at work when it gets too overwhelming? Wherever it is, know that you are not alone. Our Father is there too, listening to your prayer.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: Dear Lord, in the silence of our own space, we pray that you be there to whisper to us and to answer our deepest, innermost questions.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for your infinite and gentle love.
OXYGEN 
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