Aug 2 – Memorial for St. Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop; St Peter Julian Eymard, bishop
Eusebius (283-371) was a priest and lector in Rome, Italy. He was consecrated bishop of Vercelli, Italy in 340, but was exiled to Palestine and Cappadocia due to his struggle against Arianism. He was a friend of St. Athanasius of Alexandria. He was a prolific writer, according to his contemporaries, but none of his works have survived. He was the first bishop to live with and follow the same rule as his priests. He may have been martyred by Arians, but reports vary. Many consider him a martyr as he may have died as a result of his sufferings in exile.
- Patron Saint Index
Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868) had a strong Marian devotion, and travelled to the assorted Marian shrines and apparition sites in France. He organised lay societies under the direction of the Marists, preached and taught, and worked for Eucharistic devotion. He felt a call to found a new religious society, and founded the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament and the lay Servants of the Blessed Sacrament. His work encountered a series of setbacks, including having to close his nascent houses and move twice, and the houses not being able to support themselves financially. However, his vision of priests, deacons, sisters, and lay people dedicated to the spiritual values celebrated in the Mass and prayer before the Blessed Sacrament anticipated many of the renewals brought about by Vatican Councils I and II.
- Patron Saint Index
Exo 34:29-35
Mt 13:44-46
“…like treasure hidden in a field…”
If the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, then woe betide those of us who don’t have ‘treasure seeking’ devices that are working. Because however hard we look, we are never going to find this kingdom unless we find possess the key which unlocks the door — a door which remains elusive to many because it is blocked by way too much baggage.
I have been blessed, of late, to have had the pleasure of meeting and journeying with people who have shown me the doors to what I perceive as pathways to God’s kingdom. Some have gone through much suffering and loss; some have been blessed with gifts which I can only admire and wish I had; some others, a countenance that I marvel at and wonder ‘How does he/she do it, in spite of what he/she is going through’? In all cases, these people have shown me what it means to be God-fearing, faithful, committed Christians who are anchored in prayer.
At the same time, I have gone through a relatively long period of soul-searching and discernment — wondering what my next steps should be in my current ‘predicament’. Inevitably, it involves a potentially life-changing decision that will affect my elderly mum and uncle, as well as (as I have recently discerned) set me on a more fulfilling path towards achieving my dream of building something I can finally call my own. Strangely, this realisation came after a healing session in which I was ministering recently. As we were repeating the line ‘Son of God, you reign in majesty’, it struck me that earlier in July, I had ‘picked’ a verse from Galatians 2:20 — ‘…yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me.’
Brothers and sisters, the treasure that we seek is not going to be found after some ‘Indiana Jones’-like quest. For many of us, it is actually laid bare out in the open for us to see. Trouble is, we let pride, envy, anger (and the rest) get in the way. We put on our very ‘human lens’ (some of us call it ‘perspective’) and then it colours everything. It takes a mighty effort indeed to be able to step back, remove all that distortion, and then look hard again at the same situation/person/task with an appreciation of how God wants us to approach it. Only then, will we begin to see all that He has laid before us, for us. Only then can we press ahead, confident in the knowledge that He wants only what is good for us.
As humans, we face the inevitability of things with all manner of emotion — fear, stoicism, anger, anxiety, dread, resignation — but with God in our hearts, things take on a slightly different veneer. With God in our hearts, our trials turn into fulfilling learning journeys — about ourselves and about those around us. With God in our hearts, it is inevitable that we discover something new, and unearth whatever treasure He wants us to find.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: Abba Father, you do what is best for us always, even though we may not understand the processes you bring us through. We pray for an unwavering faith that you only want what is good for us, in spite of ourselves.
Thanksgiving: Lord, thank you immensely, for all that you do for us and all that you grace us with. Help us to see You in our sufferings and in our sorrows. Help us to recognise your light in our lives.
OXYGEN 
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