Jul 24 – Memorial for St. Charbel Makhluf, Priest
St. Charbel was a Lebanese monk, born in a small mountain village and ordained in 1858. Devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary, he spent the last twenty three years of his life as a hermit. Despite temptations to wealth and comfort, St. Charbel taught the value of poverty, self-sacrifice and prayer by the way he lived his life.
Jer 1:1,4-10
Mt 13:1-9
“Listen, anyone who has ears!”
I have been in the choir ministry for the last 40 years. I play the violin and love music. I really like the hymn ‘Song of the Young Prophet’. This upbeat, catchy tune is written to the cha cha or rhumba. Without fail, the congregation sings along too.
It’s amazing what good music can do. I am sure most people can sing parts of this song by heart. For me, the lyrics, “before I formed you in the womb, I knew you through and through, I chose you to be mine” are my favourite. It means that God created every person uniquely. Each of us is special. Since God formed us in the womb, life therefore begins at inception. I am glad the Catholic Church is steadfast to oppose all forms of abortion!
For this reflection, I did some research into Prophet Jeremiah. For the first time, I learnt several interesting facts about his life. Known as the young “weeping prophet” for his perpetual doom and gloom prophecies, he was abandoned by his family, rejected by the Hebrews and forbidden by God to marry or engage in any social gathering. Life indeed was extremely tough for him.
God gave him this heavy burden because he was chosen as the last prophet to warn the crumbling apostate southern kingdom of Judah. He was their final chance to repent before they faced destruction from the Babylonians. For all his suffering and sacrifice, he did not succeed. He saw Judah being destroyed and was, himself, exiled to Egypt. Despite all these sorrows, he took solace in God’s promise of a better future. In Jeremiah 29:11, the Lord declares “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
This future is found in Jeremiah 31. God will make a new covenant with the people of Israel. He will be their God and they will be his people. We know that Jesus Christ is the new covenant. He has come to save all of us from sin and give us everlasting life.
Jeremiah is the symbol of the enduring prophet who stayed obedient and faithful to God’s will. Like the chorus in the hymn, as Catholics, we must let the word of our Lord be deep within our mind. Let the word of our Lord, fill our being. Only then can we stay faithful and obedient always!
(Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)
Prayer: I know my faith is still young, please make my faith strong. Help me to fulfil your command to proclaim your word to everyone.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for the gift of good music to worship you and proclaim your Word.
OXYGEN 
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