Oct 11 – Memorial for St John XXIII, Pope
Pope John XXIII born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in 1963. Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was one of thirteen children born to Marianna Mazzola and Giovanni Battista Roncalli in a family of sharecroppers who lived in Sotto il Monte, a village in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy. He was ordained to the priesthood on 10 August 1904 and served in a number of posts, as nuncio in France and a delegate to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. In a consistory on 12 January 1953 Pope Pius XII made Roncalli a cardinal as the Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca in addition to naming him as the Patriarch of Venice. Roncalli was unexpectedly elected pope on 28 October 1958 at age 76 after 11 ballots. Pope John XXIII surprised those who expected him to be a caretaker pope by calling the historic Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), the first session opening on 11 October 1962.
John XXIII made many passionate speeches during his pontificate. His views on equality were summed up in his statement, “We were all made in God’s image, and thus, we are all Godly alike.” He made a major impact on the Catholic Church, opening it up to dramatic unexpected changes promulgated at the Vatican Council and by his own dealings with other churches and nations. In Italian politics, he prohibited bishops from interfering with local elections, and he helped the Christian Democracy to cooperate with the Italian Socialist Party. In international affairs, his “Ostpolitik” engaged in dialogue with the communist countries of Eastern Europe. He especially reached out to the Eastern Orthodox churches. His overall goal was to modernize the Church by emphasizing its pastoral role, and its necessary involvement with affairs of state. He dropped the traditional rule of 70 cardinals, increasing the size to 85. He used the opportunity to name the first cardinals from Africa, Japan, and the Philippines. He promoted ecumenical movements in cooperation with other Christian faiths. In doctrinal matters, he was a traditionalist, but he ended the practice of automatically formulating social and political policies on the basis of old theological propositions
- Wikipedia
Jl 4:12-21
Lk 11:27-28
“Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
In Singapore, it is very common for parents to feel immense pride whenever their children do well in school. This is doubly so when a friend or relative praises the child for having done well. As a parent myself, I can certainly understand that sense of pride when the child that you have been nurturing for so long has done well in some aspect or other.
In today’s Gospel reading, we can see some semblance of this when a woman from the crowd tells Jesus that, “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed”. In other words, blessed is Mary who played the role of earthly mother to Jesus. Interestingly, these words echo the archangel Gabriel’s words at the annunciation; words that also form part of the Hail Mary that we say so frequently.
However in His reply, Jesus instead reminds us that “Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it”. Jesus does not deny that Mary is blessed. That is an indisputable fact. Jesus goes on to include us in that same category of blessedness as Mary, so long as we listen to the word of God.
In doing so, Jesus does two things for us. First, He reminds us that it is the observance of God’s word that defines the goodness of a person and his or her acts. This stands above all that we, or our parents, can do of our own accord. The second thing that Jesus has done is even more important. He reminds us that it is not simply Mary who is blessed, but all of us who choose to listen to God.
So the next time I receive praise for my son, I am not going to bask in parental pride. Rather, I am going to say a quick prayer to God, to thank Him for the gift of my child. And also a prayer to Mary for those times when I get complaints about any mischief that my son may have been up to at school.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Jacob Woo)
Prayer: Lord, we pray for the strength and fortitude to always obey Your word.
Thanksgiving: We thank the Lord for counting us among His holy people, and giving us the chance to receive the blessings that He has showered upon us.
OXYGEN 
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