Oct 6 – Memorial for St. Bruno, Priest
St. Bruno (1030–1101) was educated in Paris and Rheims, France. He was ordained in 1055. He taught theology, and one of his students later became Blessed Pope Urban II. He presided over the cathedral school at Rheims from 1057 to 1075. He criticised the worldliness he saw in his fellow clergy. He opposed Manasses, Archbishop of Rheims, because of his laxity and mismanagement. He was chancellor of the Archdiocese of Rheims.
Following a vision he received of a secluded hermitage where he could spend his life becoming closer to God, he retired to a mountain near Chartreuse in Dauphiny in 1084 and, with the help of St. Hugh of Grenoble, he founded what became the first house of the Carthusian Order. He and his brothers supported themselves as manuscript copyists.
He became assistant to Pope Urban in 1090, and supported his efforts at reform. Retiring from public life, he and his companions built a hermitage at Torre where the monastery of Saint Stephen was built in 1095. Bruno combined in the religious life living as a hermit and living in a community; his learning is apparent from his scriptural commentaries.
- Patron Saint Index
Jon 1:1–2:1-2,11
Lk 10:25-37
They knew that he was trying to escape from the Lord
The story of Jonah reminds me of a season in my life several years ago. I was at a crossroads, faced with hard decisions about my future. I had left my corporate job — a place of financial comfort but inner emptiness — and was searching for new meaning and purpose. Like Jonah, I knew in my head what I needed to do, but my heart was unwilling.
Jonah decided to run away from the Lord…
These words echo my own struggle — I, too, tried to resist the direction God was nudging me. I refused to listen nor acknowledge what I needed to do, because it required painful sacrifices.
Leaving the corporate world meant letting go of stability and stepping into uncertainty. It was very hard, as I had become so attached to worldly wants and expectations. Letting go hurt me deeply, and I felt like Jonah inside the belly of the fish — trapped in fear and doubt, unsure of what the future would bring. Yet in that dark place, I found myself crying out to God, just as Jonah prayed: “Out of my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me” (Jon 2:2). Looking back, I see that even in my resistance, God never abandoned me. Instead, He was patient, allowing that season of struggle to become a turning point for my faith and purpose.
The parable of the Good Samaritan also speaks into this journey. When Jesus reminded the lawyer to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart… and love your neighbour as yourself” (Lk 10:27), He pointed to the heart of true discipleship. The Samaritan lived out this commandment by drawing near to the wounded man, “pouring oil and wine over his wounds and bandaging them” (Lk 10:34), while others chose to walk away.
For me, this is a call not to let fear or self-preservation dictate my choices, but to live with a heart open to compassion and obedience. The sacrifices I made in leaving my job, though painful, have taught me to recognize and respond to the wounds of others. They remind me that my own struggles can become a bridge of empathy for those who are hurting, or for those facing tough decisions at the crossroads of their lives.
Just as the Lord gave Jonah a second chance—“The Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land” (Jon 2:10) — I, too, was given a new beginning. God’s purpose was not to harm me, but to redirect me into a life of greater meaning and service.
My prayer is that I may have the courage to continue to say ‘yes’ to God’s call, even when my heart hesitates. To trust that His way, though difficult, leads to life. And to live out His command, following the Samaritan’s example, as Jesus said: “Go and do the same yourself” (Lk 10:37).
(Today’s OXYGEN by Geraldine Nah)
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to always stay close to You. Grant me the courage to follow You, and open the ears of my heart to hear Your voice.
Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for not abandoning me, even when I tried to run from Your call. Thank You for Your patience and love, for seeing me through a season of pain and uncertainty, and for leading me to where I am meant to be. Truly, Your ways are better than mine.
OXYGEN 
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