Aug 21 – Memorial for St. Pius X, pope
St. Pius X (1835-1914) encouraged frequent Holy Communion. He reformed the liturgy, promoted clear and simple homilies, and brought Gregorian chant back to services. He also reorganised the Roman curia, the administrative elements of the Church, and worked against the modern antagonism of the state against the Church. His other contributions to the Church included: initiating the codification of canon law, promoting Bible reading by all the faithful, and supporting foreign missions. His will read: “I was born poor; I lived poor; I wish to die poor.”
- Patron Saint Index
Jgs 2:11-19
Mt 19:16-22
“If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven…”
In the gospel of Matthew, the concept of perfection mentioned by Jesus does not necessarily mean flawlessness, or without error, in an absolute sense. Rather, it is about striving for spiritual maturity, moral integrity and a deep relationship with God. Jesus is calling whoever who wants to follow him to live according to God’s standards of love and righteousness. In this context, being ‘perfect’ involves a continuous effort to align one’s life and actions with God’s will, growing in faith, love and obedience.
Interestingly, when the young man asked Jesus to specify which commandments he should keep, Jesus only mentioned six of the commandments before being interrupted by the self-righteous behaviour of the young man. Obviously, the young man considered himself to be faultless according to the Law, which is the point that Jesus challenges. Contrary to what the young man believes, righteousness and eternal life isn’t something to be pursued and attained via one’s efforts alone. Jesus’ intention of telling the young man to keep the commandments wasn’t meant to imply that salvation could be attained in that manner; rather, Jesus was emphasising the Law as God’s perfect standard. In refusing to give up his wealth to follow the Lord, the man wasn’t keeping to the commandments of loving God with all his heart and loving his neighbour as himself. In the greed that he harboured and the pride of accomplishment he had claimed, he was, in fact, as much of a sinner like everyone else. And if he didn’t love God as much as he had asserted, then why would he want to be in a place where he had to face God for eternity?
This brings me to a point where I pondered about my own desires for heaven and the eternal life. As Christians, we have been catechised to strive for heaven as the ultimate goal. But how many of us really desires heaven as the greatest joy of life? Given how little and vague the image of heaven is painted in the bible, I’ve always questioned about the prospect of living above white clouds surrounded by blinding whiteness, celestial mansions and angels singing hymns all day. It certainly doesn’t hold much of an appeal at this point in time, especially if heaven didn’t turn out to be enhanced forms of the earthly things that we enjoy most now. However, my mental approach to eternity is more pragmatic, like purchasing a hedge or insurance of sorts. The greatest misery I see is that life ends as we know it when death arrives, and everything we have strived for in this life comes to a full stop. By believing that there is life after death, and one which the bible promises to be a place where our deepest desires will be fulfilled, it is foolhardy to live purely in the moment now, without having God in the equation. This goes to show how far off from the ideal I am right now in my faith journey.
In summary, today’s gospel serves to highlight that humans are inherently flawed and incapable of achieving absolute perfection on our own. This understanding is rooted in the doctrine of original sin, which recognises the fallen nature of humanity, due to disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. However, through faith, discipleship and the continuous process of sanctification, we can aim to grow in holiness and become more Christ-like in our character and actions through the work of the Holy Spirit.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Dylan Tan)
Prayer: Dear Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, help me to walk by faith, not sight. I have depended on my strength and understanding but failed every single time. Therefore, lead me by faith and grant me the courage to surrender my heart unto You this day; work on my faith and build it to Your taste so that I can please You in all things. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Father, for being with us every single moment of our lives and guiding us to open ourselves to change for the better.
OXYGEN 
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