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
Num 20:1-13
Mt 16:13-23
“Who do people say the Son of Man is?…But you, who do you say I am?”
We are all familiar with the reading from the Gospel today and recognize it as the great commission where Jesus established Peter as the first Pope, and the subsequent Papacy to lead Christ’s body – the Church. For the historians out there, we could go into detail about the Seat of Peter, but that is not the aim of this reflection.
In fact, I am intrigued by Jesus’ question to His disciples, and indeed to us. When Jesus asked the disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”; their responses were varied. ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets’. I suppose these are the views of the people who have heard about Jesus but did not have an in depth understanding of Jesus. Yet, when Jesus asked the question, “But you, who do you say I am?”, the disciples fell silent. They didn’t know how to answer that question. It wasn’t until Peter spoke up, yes, our soon to be first pope, answered: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.’ Curiously, Jesus said that Peter is “a happy man, because it was not flesh and blood that revealed it to you but my Father in Heaven.”
Similarly in today’s cultures, if you ask people who do they think Jesus is, you will get varied answers. Some would say He is a philosopher, a self-help guru, a delusional person with a god-complex, and of course, some would say He is the Son of God. But the question remains, who do you say that Jesus is?
The fact that you are reading this reflection, it wouldn’t be surprising that you know who Christ is and who the world claims Christ to be. But do you really know? I mean really know, in your heart, and your mind, who Jesus is to you? Is He a God that is remote and distant — one that you only turn to in times of need? Or someone like a casual friend with whom you only check in once in a while? Or is He a really loved one that you would talk with every day, checking in often and spending precious time with?
It is so easy to say who Jesus is to me; yet I do not behave in the way that signifies His true significance. I say I love Jesus, but I do not behave as if I love Him at times. Every time I deny Jesus by not spending even a few minutes of my day in prayer, by doing the exact opposite of what He would like me to do knowingly, by using His name in vain or not stopping others, and the list goes on — I am truly denying that He matters to me. Dwelling on that, I am ashamed and remorseful, thinking how it would have hurt my Lord, who died on the Cross for the love of me. How could I, then turn and be so dismissive about His importance to me in my daily life?
In any development of a meaningful relationship, both parties have to be invested; it cannot be one-sided. Our Lord is fully vested in developing a personal relationship with all of us. It is up to us to respond and decide which way the relationship will head. Of any treasured relationships, of which, our relationship with God is of the utmost importance; because it not only lasts a lifetime, it is in terms of eternity.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Winnie Kung)
Prayer: My most precious Lord, please give us the grace of truly understanding Your significance in my life, and help me to put You in the centre of my life.
Thanksgiving: Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us and wanting a personal relationship with each and every one of us.
OXYGEN 
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