11th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Exo 19:2-6
Rm 5:6-11
Mt 9:36-10:8
“You received without charge, give without charge.”
Recently, my significant other shared with me that one of her close friends asked her, “I don’t know how he does it.” She was referring to my apparent busyness when she heard about how I was keeping up my zeal and active participation in various ministries.
Around the same time, I happened to catch a video of a choir from Africa, who auditioned on America’s Got Talent and received a golden buzzer, because they had been inspired by a previous contestant – she succumbed to cancer midway through the season after herself getting a golden buzzer.
Whenever I have a sliver of time, I watch things like AGT and BGT to catch the ‘goosebump’ performances – those that bring tears to my eyes – because the back stories are usually extremely edifying and heartwarming. I find these life changing moments extremely energising and meaningful; that despite all that is happening in the world, there are positive instances where connections are made simply because someone (or a group of people) decided to ‘give back’ or pay something forward.
Unlike the commercial world, where giving comes at some form of cost, I have been blessed this past year to have been given many opportunities to say ‘Yes’ to offering my time and talent in service to God. And that was my response to G – “As long as I have the time and it involves music or writing, I am more than happy to give back. Because God has a plan for all of us, and you never know who you will encounter along the way.”
Brothers and sisters, when it comes to giving, it is never a zero sum game with God because He simply cannot be outdone in generosity, abundance and love. He GIVES so that we can give to others – whatever we decide is our gift — time, money, talent, knowledge… and His ‘ask’ can come in many, many forms.
A few weeks back, we were both approached by a couple, whom we met on a pilgrimage in 2018, to be godparents to their teenage son. Upon reflecting, I reckon this was His way of affirming our separate decisions to embark on qualifications relating to coaching and counselling – perhaps part of His plan for us to be ‘parents’ in some form. Naturally, I am filled with some trepidation but am approaching the journey with an open heart because I feel that the young man has some issues that he needs someone to unburden to. And if God has put me in the path of J, then I am blessed to be able to share some of my life and faith experiences with him.
Brothers and sisters, from the moment we are conceived, God has already given us His divine love and filled us with His graces. We have all been given a mission by our heavenly Father to fulfil. Many of us spend much time trying to seek answers to what He wants of us, while others seem to have already reconciled His plan and are living it out. Wherever you are on your journeys, remember that He has already given us the ultimate gift…what do we have to give others in return, as His sons and daughters?
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: Abba Father, you flood us with your everlasting love. You gave us your only Son as the ultimate sacrifice of love for humankind. We pray that you give us a heart for others, so that we can truly radiate your love to those around us. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Father, for your love for us. Thank you for your gift of Jesus and the gifts that you shower upon each and every one of us in the form of our talents, our families, our loved ones.
OXYGEN 
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