Dec 14 – Memorial for St. John of the Cross, priest, religious, doctor of the Church
St. John (1675–1726) was born in poverty. He cared for the poor in the hospital in Medina. He became a lay Carmelite brother in 1563 at age 21, though he lived stricter than their Rule. He studied at Salamanca. He was ordained a Carmelite priest in 1567 at age 25.
He was persuaded by St. Teresa of Avila to begin the Discalced (or barefoot) reform within the Carmelite Order, and took on the name John of the Cross. He was a master of novices, and spiritual director and confessor at St. Teresa’s convent. His reforms did not sit well with some of his brothers, and he was ordered to return to Medina. He refused and was imprisoned at Toledo, Spain, and escaped after nine months.
He was vicar-general of Andalusia. His reforms revitalized the Order. He was a great contemplative and spiritual writer. On Aug 24, 1926, he was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI.
- Patron Saint Index
Is 41:13-20
Mt 11:11-15
“If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!“
I was bored one day whilst taking the train and started counting the number of people plugged in to their earphones. There were only about two or three commuters who were not wearing earphones. It was almost as if they were plugged into another universe – -away from the reality of life. The Gospel of today seems to remind us of the need to be sensitive to the message of God, which is what the season of Advent is about.
John the Baptist came about to proclaim the kingdom of God fearlessly and he was persecuted as a result. The people heard his message and we read in other parts of the Gospel that Herod was touched by the message, but did not act on it because of fear of man. Our hearts must be softened and ready to hear the word of God despite whatever comes along. The important thing to note is that being aware of what God expects from us in our lives and how we can fully respond to this expectation. This is particularly important, because the world requires authentic witnesses to the Word amidst the different challenges in our daily lives.
Jesus will always be here to assist us, as seen in the first reading, where God promised that He would always be there to assist with the people of Israel. Sometimes, we seem defeated and wearied by the struggles of our lives. There are many demands which are made of us and sometimes we forget to put Jesus in the centre of our lives. It is opportunities like this which we can take to God in prayer. Jesus is always with us in the lives we lead. Prayer changes our response because it calms us down. As we continue with the season of Advent, let us make prayer the distinct part of our lives, and let it guide our decisions which we are making.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: Lord, let us remember to keep you close to our hearts.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for all the many people who have come to help us in our spiritual journey.
OXYGEN 
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