Aug 7 – Memorial for St. Sixtus, pope, martyr, and companions; St. Cajetan, priest
Sixtus (d. 258) was an adult convert to Christianity. In his papacy, he dealt with the controversy concerning Baptism by heretics. He believed that anyone who was baptised with a desire to be a Christian, even if the Baptism was performed by a heretic, was truly baptised into the faith, and that the validity of his faith was based on his own desire and actions, not the errors of the person who performed the sacrament. He was martyred with six deacons and sub-deacons.
Cajetan (1480-1547) was offered governing posts, but turned them down for a religious vocation. He was aware of the need for reformation in the Church and felt called to enter a religious community to serve the sick and poor. With three others, he formed the Congregation of Clerks Regular (Theatines) with the mission of fostering the Church’s mission and reviving the spirit and zeal of the clergy. He also founded a bank to help the poor and offer an alternative to usurers (loan sharks); it later became the Bank of Naples.
St. Cajetan was known for a gentle game he played with parishioners where he would bet prayers, rosaries or devotional candles on whether he would perform some service for them; he always did, and they always had to ‘pay’ by saying the prayers. He is a patron saint of the unemployed.
- Patron Saint Index
Jer 31:1-7
Mt 15:21 – 28
She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’
I was reading today’s Gospel through the Universalis app and the title of today’s Gospel (in bold face) is The Canaanite woman debates with Jesus and saves her daughter. And it got me imagining a young child debating with his parents saying, ‘But mom, dad, why can’t I…?’ For those of you with kids, or if you’ve heard your nephews or nieces start reasoning, it can sometimes be amusing, frustrating, or even amazing. Sometimes, we get awestruck by the wisdom the kids seem to have after giving a thought to what they wanted to debate about.
Do you debate with God in your prayers? I think debating with God can be a really fruitful, spiritual experience. I just want to highlight that we are looking at debating, not complaining. In our prayer, I’d like us to consider three benefits of debating with God:
- I think it brings us to becoming childlike. I think children are the best debaters because they can see things as how they are, without the complexities we adults have introduced. It helps us see the simplicity of things, the beauty of things, the kindness of God, and the love of God. I think children could debate confidently because they know that they will still be loved, whatever they say. They have so much trust in the person they are debating with.
- Debating makes us good listeners. To be able to participate in debates, we’ll have to listen to the other side. I realized that when my prayer was all about a list of things I wish God will provide me with, I was not really listening to him. But whenever I share with God my reasons, my prayer then becomes a dialogue, as it invites me to listen to God so I can respond. It has transformed my prayer as I ended up having a good conversation with God. After all, prayer is conversation with God.
- The last point I’d like to share has something to do with the gift of wisdom. It took me a long time to understand why the woman’s response was full of wisdom and understanding. And I believe that she was able to respond in such a manner because through sticking with God, she was given the gifts of wisdom and understanding. I think debating with God prepares us to receive the gifts of wisdom and understanding. Have you had this feeling when as you were talking to God, you suddenly had this realization, like your eyes were suddenly opened? I think that is what we receive when we struggle and debate with God.
Maybe today, let’s debate with God a bit more. And like the woman in the Gospel, we can retort to God.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Stephanie Villa)
Prayer: Lord, I’d like to start off this prayer by debating with you on this point…
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for giving me the gifts of wisdom and understanding.
OXYGEN 
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