Jun 1 – Memorial for St. Justin, martyr
Justin (c.100–165) was a pagan philosopher who converted at the age of 30 by reading the Scriptures and witnessing the heroism and faith of martyrs. He used his philosophical and oratorial skills to dispute with pagans and explain the faith, becoming one of the first great Christian apologists. He opened a school of public debate in Rome, Italy. All this naturally brought him to the attention of the authorities, and he died a martyr.
- Patron Saint Index
Ecc 42:15-26
Mk 10:46-52
“Son of David, Jesus, have pity on me.”
Today’s readings really spoke to me, especially when I looked at the behaviour of Bartimaeus (which isn’t his name — ‘Bartimaeus’ means “the son of Timaeus”)
I have been struggling in recent weeks.
During this time, my responsibilities at work have increased significantly with a project that I have been working on, and I have found myself running through scenarios to ensure that I had covered as much ground as possible. I found myself sleeping less and thinking a lot more. Without realising it, I had become more troubled.
Then in early May, we lost our dog, Belle, due to old age. She had lived to the ripe old age of 17. We adopted her when she had just turned ten and have experienced nothing but love from her. Honestly, I was surprised by how hard the loss hit me.
Without realising it, I had turned melancholic with these pressures.
I got a ‘Bartimaeus moment’ recently, however, when I watched a Korean movie called “The Divine Fury”, which tells the story of a priest who carries out exorcism rites. Without giving the plot away, one of the scenes hit me hard. The priest, Father Ahn, was facing some critical challenges and was deeply burdened. In that scene, Father Ahn was praying, and he started out his prayer with, “Oh Jesus… I am burdened”.
That hit me.
Watching that made me realise I had been functioning on my strength during this challenging period. I had depended on my own will to face the challenges at work, and I had depended on my resilience to plough through the sadness of losing Belle.
I stopped and prayed, and lifted all these challenges and difficulties to God; and experienced peace that I hadn’t felt in the past few months. Who would have thought watching a horror movie would remind me to turn to my ever-present Father? How powerful a simple prayer like “Oh Jesus… I am burdened” and lifting all these burdens do for us?
Will you be like Bartimaeus and turn to Him?
(Today’s OXYGEN by Paul Wee)
Prayer: Help me Father, to always remember to turn to You. Help me to remember that I never have to be alone to face challenges in life; that I always have You.
Thanksgiving: Thank You, Jesus, for Your constant reminder that You are always journeying with me as I navigate life. Thank you for the moments which reconnect me to You.
OXYGEN 
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