May 29 — Memorial of St Paul VI, Pope
Pope Paul VI was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in August 1978. Succeeding John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council, which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms. He fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements. In January 1964, he flew to Jordan, the first time a reigning pontiff had left Italy in more than a century.
Paul VI spoke repeatedly to Marian conventions and Mariological meetings, visited Marian shrines and issued three Marian encyclicals. Following Ambrose of Milan, he named Mary as the Mother of the Church during the Second Vatican Council. He described himself as a humble servant of a suffering humanity and demanded significant changes from the rich in North America and Europe in favour of the poor in the Third World. His opposition to birth control in the 1968 encyclical Humanae vitae was strongly contested, especially in Western Europe and North America. The same opposition emerged in reaction to some of his political doctrines.
Pope Benedict XVI, citing his heroic virtue, proclaimed him venerable on 20 December 2012. Pope Francis beatified Paul VI on 19 October 2014, after the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession. His liturgical feast was celebrated on the date of his birth, 26 September, until 2019 when it was changed to the date of his priestly ordination, 29 May. Pope Francis canonised him on 14 October 2018.
- Wikipedia
1 Pet 1:18-25
Mk 10:32-45
All flesh is grass and its glory like the wild flower’s.
“Remember, the ransom that was paid to free you from the useless way of life your ancestors handed down was not paid in anything corruptible, neither in silver nor gold, but in the precious blood of a lamb without spot or stain, namely Christ…” (1 Peter 1:18)
In our lives, we can be unhealthily consumed by many things. These can include addictions of any magnitude: misplaced goals, toxic relationships, and even dreams and desires that do not lead us to seek truth and beauty. We can unwittingly be led down a self-destructive path by any of the trivialities in the world if we are not anchored and tethered to something truly good, eternal, incorruptible.
It is certainly so easy to be misled by the attractive lure of material goods and tangible accolades one can earn and ‘stack up’ in this life. A strategic career jump here, a smart salary negotiation there, and perhaps some well-timed remarks to dismiss a fellow co-worker there — in hopes that one’s performance review still stands out brighter. A snide comment to detested family members, or manipulations amongst siblings in rivalry. There is so much wrong one can do, and relationships are the battlefield of some of the most regrettable mistakes one can make in life!
This is not to say that we can ever be truly spotless or blameless.
In this life, our thoughts, words, deeds can indeed be marred by temptations and our wilful sins. What matters more is our awareness of what does not fade or get destroyed in the final judgement in life. Our relationship with God through the graced redemption of our sins because of the ransom Jesus Christ paid by his death on the cross. What does this really mean? It means that our baptism is not a one and done deal, in terms of our need to be continually cleansed of the stains of our sins.
This is where the gift of the Sacrament of Confession comes in. We are called to purify our souls by sincerely confessing our sins and seeking repentance through Christ’s absolution — even if it is again and again.
It is not hypocrisy but humility to ask God for forgiveness again and again. Hence the examination of conscience before Confession is the altar of our sacrifice to God. It is here we lay bare our egos, sins, and burdens — which are incomparable to the precious blood of Christ which was shed to redeem you and I.
The Apostle Peter reminds us that whatever we have in this world is indeed perishable and corruptible. But our precious salvation ransomed by the holy blood of Christ, the spotless lamb, will not corrupt. It is us who must repent and truly turn our lives around to be worthy of Christ’s holy sacrifice. His mercy flows from our genuine desire.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Debbie Loo)
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray for the courage to really examine our lives and confess to you our sins, seeking forgivness for our errors. We trust wholeheartedly in your unfailing mercy and seek to follow you all the days of our lives.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Jesus, for your incorruptible love and sacrifice for me — that you love me and want to redeem me from my own destructive ways. Though I feel unworthy, I will come back to you with all my heart.
OXYGEN 
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