Aug 13 – Memorial for St. Pontian, pope, martyr, and St. Hippolytus, priest, martyr
Pontian was among the first victims of an anti-Christian new emperor. Rounded up with the antipope Hippolytus, Pontian was deported to the labour mines. While imprisoned, Hippolytus reconciled his differences with Pontian and even ordered his followers to bring themselves back to the Church. Before he succumbed to the harsh treatment of the mines, Hippolytus became a true confessor of Christ. Pontian, in the mines only two months, was brutally beaten to death by his jailers.
- Patron Saint Index
Eze 2:8-3:4
Mt 18:1-5,10,12-14
“…it is never the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost”
Today’s Gospel is not about being lost or getting lost; to me, it is about our Heavenly Father’s desire to win us back. It is easy to get ‘lost’ in our current hectic pace of life. The long hours, the family and social commitments, temptations toward anger, pride, selfishness…the list is endless.
When we stray from God, we are left empty. That is the reality of our humanness. The only way is to come back and allow us to be in communion with our Heavenly Father is by repenting and turning back to our Heavenly Father.
But it is our pride that holds us back. It is difficult to admit that we are wrong. It is difficult to take ownership and responsibility for our actions.
The imagery of today’s Gospel is the rejoicing of the shepherd when he leaves the ninety-nine in search for the lost sheep, and how he rejoices.
I, for my part, agree with the traditional interpretation but I also see it slightly differently.
Today, our son L turns two.
Gosh what a journey it has been. The initial months were filled with nights for my better half in hospital as he fought multiple Urinary Tract Infections (UTI). Already physically and emotionally exhausted, my dear spouse had to deal with comments like “Boys never get UTI! You don’t know how to clean him well.” If a gun was available for purchase in Singapore, I swear I would have shot someone!
With the love and support of a lovely paediatrician in Dr Rhonda, she guided us and led us to deciding to circumcise our son. After that, there were no more infections, but the strong antibiotics have had some impact in eroding the enamel of his baby teeth. Surprisingly, it does not limit his constant demands to eat!
L is a very active child who is very curious and wants to know “why” about everything. He cannot sit still and every Sunday, I spend the entire duration of mass trying to occupy him at the back of, or outside, the church. That’s just me on Sundays. Imagine what my spouse goes through everyday when he comes home from playgroup!!
Many have suggested, “perhaps it is too early to take him for mass” or “you should limit yourself to the ‘Cry Room’ for children and toddlers. Most get a smile and a “No, thank you, I will manage. Catch me on a bad day and the response would be, “Since you are distracted, perhaps you might want to go to the Cry Room”!
Why do I not take him to the Cry Room but try to alternate with him walking around the church and attending short snippets of the mass? Well, it is because what little L gets to attend of the mass makes a difference. Sometimes we last till the reading of the Gospel before he needs to leave the pew, sometimes we barely make it past the singing of the Gloria!
But today, with lots of love and guidance from my spouse, L can sing snippets of Gloria and many other hymns in his baby voice. Yes, we might be in and out of the church, but L does catch short snippets. It is tiring and for a boy with his level of energy, it would be far easier to not take him to church.
But to me, L is now that hundredth sheep. He is probably too young to have committed any serious sin, other than stealing cookies when no one is looking, or taking a few sips of my Coke when I leave it unattended. But I see it as what our Heavenly Father would want of me and my spouse.
My daughter, M, has twenty percent of L’s activeness. My spouse and I did the same for her. We took her for mass despite her being sometimes restless. Today, at 4 years old, she can often sit through the entire mass and sing most hymns. She is slowly beginning to understand the celebration of the Mass.
Neither M nor L are ‘lost’ to sin, but they are not ready to be totally ‘found’. My spouse and I believe that only with effort on our part as our children’s earthy custodians, can they journey towards being part of the total one hundred.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Gerard Francis)
Prayer: We pray for those who struggle with their little ones in church. That we, as a community of faith, encourage them and accord them patience.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks for the gift of faith and the gift of good examples around us. May we work at making that difference to those we encounter.
OXYGEN 
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