Maundy Thursday — Chrism Mass
Isa 61:1-3,6,8-9
Apo 1:5-8
Lk 4:16-21
The spirit of the Lord has been given to me…
In the last few years, I have become more deeply entrenched in the routine of everyday life. I typically wake up between 4am or 5am, and begin my day with coffee and reading the newspapers. Invariably, my mind will turn to my work and reflect on the various aspects. Following that, I would be in the office a little past 7am and leave around seven in the evening. The rest of the evening will typically see me having dinner with the family before retiring.
The First Reading of this Chrism Mass reminds me that I may not be living my life to its full potential. As a follower of God, I am reminded of how much responsibility I have been given to bring good news and liberate the imprisoned.
Yes, there are plenty of responsibilities, but the question that has always troubled me is how we fit all this into our lives amid all our “busyness” and daily activities.
This year, I have been blessed to journey with this lovely couple (V and L), who are getting ready to be baptised during Easter, together with their daughter (M). In the latest session with the group of Elects, we were reflecting on what they expected would happen after their baptism, how they expected to feel, and what their faith journey would look like.
An important point from this discussion was that they would experience ups and downs after baptism. Amid the daily grind, it would be essential to keep grounded with the Lord by connecting with Him through prayer and with the faith community.
Alone and unconnected, we risk becoming ‘cold’ in our faith, like embers fading after being removed from the fireplace. These coals will reignite once they are returned to the burning fireplace. In my life, I have become too busy, most of the time, to pray or reconnect regularly with our Lord. What a wonderful reminder!
Let us all pray and remember to connect regularly with our Lord. Then, we can remember our mission as Christians to the community.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Paul Wee)
Prayer: We pray that we will always remember to turn to You, regardless of what goes on in our lives. Let us not get too caught up in enjoying the gifts that You have given us, instead of being focused on the Giver.
Thanksgiving: We are grateful, Father, for all You provide us. Thank You for the soft promptings of the Holy Spirit as You guide us through life.
The Gift of the Eucharist
Maundy Thursday — Mass of the Lord’s Supper
Exo 12:1-8,11-14
1 Cor 11:23-26
Jn 13:1-15
Until the Lord comes, therefore, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming His death.
I have been a Catholic for almost forty years, from when I was baptised at nineteen. Before that, I had participated in countless masses because I had attended Catholic schools for about twelve years.
Honestly, until my later years, I always felt bored during the masses, especially the Eucharist. During those times, my mind would stray to other thoughts: where we would go for lunch/dinner, what the outstanding ‘to-dos’ were, and other random thoughts. I would check my phone if I received important messages or quietly take a peek at my social media for ‘important updates’.
This was until I learned, through various sources, the significance of the Eucharist.
The first is what St Paul discussed in today’s Second Reading: that “every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are proclaiming His death”! EVERY TIME!
The next was during catechism. My children attended home-based catechism for a few years until they were twelve. One requirement is that parents must be involved, in one way or another, for children to be eligible to participate. I became a Catechist and in one of the sessions, one of the other parents talked about the Eucharist, particularly Eucharistic miracles. In that session, he gave examples of such miracles, where the bread and wine changed into human tissue and were subsequently verified via scientific tests. Interestingly, all the tissue across the various miracles matched a Type B blood type. Consistently!
Finally, the Church discusses the Eucharist in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 1373-1377. Ultimately, I learned that the Eucharist during mass is not just something meant to be done in memory of the Last Supper with our Lord, but is our actual participation in this precious meal with our Lord. The bread and wine change to Christ’s body and blood in ‘Transubstantiation’.
After learning that, I began participating more actively in the Eucharistic celebration. On Maundy Thursday, this appreciation becomes even more meaningful and powerful.
Our Lord died on the cross for our sins. To have to suffer pain and punishment, despite being innocent of the stain of sin, brings home the significance of this Supper and the sacrifice He made for us.
Let us all contemplate this solemn and beautiful day.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Paul Wee)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to grow closer to You as we continue our walk here on Earth. Help us become better Christians.
Thanksgiving: Thank You, Jesus, for suffering and dying on the Cross for us. We are grateful for Your grace showered upon us.
OXYGEN 
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