Nov 16 – Memorial for St. Margaret of Scotland; Memorial for St. Gertrude, virgin
St. Margaret (1045–1093)was the granddaughter of King Edmund Ironside of England, and the great-niece of St. Stephen of Hungary. She was born in Hungary, while her family was in exile due to the Danish invasion of England. Even so, she still spent much of her youth in the British Isles.
While fleeing the invading army of William the Conqueror in 1066, her family’s ship wrecked on the Scottish coast. They were assisted by King Malcolm III Canmore of Scotland, whom Margaret married in 1070, and became Queen of Scotland. They had eight children, one of whom was St. Maud, wife of Henry I. Margaret founded abbeys and used her position to work for justice and improved conditions for the poor.
- Patron Saint Index
St. Gertrude (1256–1302) may have been an orphan. She was raised in the Benedictine abbey of St. Mary of Helfta, Eiselben, Saxony from the age of five. She was an extremely bright and dedicated student, and she excelled in literature and philosophy. When she was old enough, she became a Benedictine nun.
At age 26, when she had become too enamoured of philosophy, she received a vision of Christ, who reproached her. From then on, she studied the Bible and the works of the Church Fathers. Gertrude received other visions and mystical instruction, which formed the basis of her writings. She helped spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her writings have been greatly praised by St. Teresa and St. Francis de Sales, and continue in print today.
- Patron Saint Index
Wis 7:22-8:1
Lk 17:20-25
“The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed…”
Last year, I watched a Netflix documentary on the life of Bill Gates. It revealed how Bill, in wanting to give back to humanity, was trying to identify what was the most critical thing that the world is in need of and that he could help in, which would make the world a better place. Eventually, he decided on something which would save millions of lives of those living in underdeveloped countries each year – he decided there was a dire need to provide them with loos. Not just any loo – but one which did not require water nor electricity to function and which could recycle human waste instantaneously. And the loo must cost less than US$500 each. If this solution was not found, many millions more would continue to die – painfully, needlessly and without dignity.
It was surprising, unexpected. Perhaps like many others, I was expecting him to get into something a lot more ‘techy’. In fact, it was the reverse – he was looking for a solution that had to be as ‘untechy’ as possible. Yet, what struck me most was how brilliant Bill was in being able to see beyond the obvious and identifying something so basic and fundamental as a working toilet – and how this would save millions of lives. It was surprising that the richest man in the world, a technical and business genius, would care so deeply about people so far removed from his day-to-day reality and to identify an issue so far away from the world of Apple computers. In my opinion, Bill Gates, showed exceptional wisdom and, in his own way, will one day be able to turn the developing world upside down. Thankfully, it will be for the better.
So too when God chooses to turn the world upside down, the power of Wisdom is at its fullest. The greatest revelations of faith, the most poignant moments of truth are the result of the grace when the Wisdom of God chooses to reveal itself to humanity and in the process, revealing just how foolish the ‘wisdom’ of this world really is. Consider this …
· That it is not the self-professed wise and learned to whom God will reveal His kingdom but to mere children. Those who turn to him and accept Him with child-like faith, trust, dependence and obedience.
· Not of the rich and the powerful of this secular world but those given the infinite power and wealth of grace from the Holy Spirit that he calls to true discipleship and apostleship. A bunch of fishermen, manual labourers, shepherds, a converted harlot, a 14 year-old maiden from the poorest tribe of Israel, and that odd tax-collector (someone rejected and hated by society) – these He chose to lay and build the unshakeable and unbreakable foundations of the Christian faith and of the Catholic Church.
· That in sacrifice, the humbleness of the 2 coins given out of authentic love and sacrifice, amounted to infinite treasure in heaven, whereas millions upon millions of excess treasure, given conditionally, arrogantly and in vain-glory, amounts to nothing.
· That prayer, when done ostentatiously at busy street corners for show to gain men’s adulation, does not reach the ears of God not of His heart. Whereas the silent, sincere lifting of one’s soul in the secret place where a soul is united to the soul of God, is heard … and answered.
· That God helps not those who help themselves or who turn to this world for answers, but who have finally come to the wisdom of realising that they are no longer able to help themselves and that only God can help, redeem, heal, provide, protect, comfort and save them. For it is the wounded, the broken, the lost, the sick, the sinful, the helpless that God came to save. The Shepherd was sent not for the 99 sheep that are fine but for that one sheep who is the lost, the least and the last. To all the wolves in this world, a Shepherd is not a friend. Wisdom will also reveal and remind us that the sheep have their Shepherd and the Shepherd is here not for the wolf, but only for His sheep.… those that know his voice and who follow him. Wisdom will also make us ponder if in this earthly life … are we wolves or sheep?
· The folly of us thinking we are in control of our lives and the lives those around us. We try to negotiate, bribe, bargain, threaten, hoodwink, blackmail God into allowing us to have our way when God knows us better than we know ourselves – why we are alive, how we think and what we love. He knows exactly what will make us happiest in this life. And He loves us better than we can ever love ourselves. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom — it is grace personified. The grace of wisdom to know that only in God, all things are possible, and all things come to be according to His will. Not human effort or ‘strength’ or ‘intelligence’ but His will and grace alone. Choose wisdom. It is the difference between whether you choose to be a wolf or a sheep. Only the latter has the privilege to have a Divine Shepherd watching over it. Choose wisely.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Justus Teo)
Prayer: Father help us, in the midst of the distractions, confusion, deceptions and superficiality of this world, we often find ourselves lost and misguided in trying to do the right thing. We put more faith in ourselves thinking we are wise and able to live life without you. We then stumble and fall inside our own folly, often hurting ourselves and others around us.
Thanksgiving: Father, thank you for the times you allowed the truth of your light to penetrate the dark folly of this world and of ourselves.
OXYGEN 
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