27 Jan – Memorial for St. Angela Merici, virgin
St. Angela Merici (1474-1540) became a Franciscan tertiary at the age of 15. She received a vision telling her that she would inspire devout women in their vocation.
In Crete, during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she was struck blind. Her friends wanted to return home, but she insisted on going on, visiting the shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm as if she had her sight. On the way home, while praying before a crucifix, her sight was restored at the same place where it had been lost.
In 1535, she gathered a group of girl students and began what would become the ‘Institute of St. Ursula’ (the Ursuline Sisters), founded to teach children, beginning with religion and later expanding into secular topics; her first schools were in Desenazno and Brescia.
- Patron Saint Index
2 Sam 6:12-15,17-19
Mk 3:31-35
He, the Lord, is the King of Glory.
In today’s gospel reading from Mark, Jesus was speaking to the crowd when his mother and brothers came and stood outside. They asked to speak to him. Then Jesus replied, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hands towards his disciples, he said “Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.”
Jesus obviously knows his mother and relatives. However, he took the opportunity to present an important truth to his listeners. Lineage and family ties alone do not give automatic qualification to the kingdom of God. Instead, it is to do the will of God and to believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
Among Protestants today, this verse in Mk 3 and “I give them eternal life, they will never perish.” (Jn 10:28) are often cited by those who follow the “once saved, always saved’ doctrine. This means Salvation is simple. Be baptised and accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. He is your brother, your kin. That is enough to have eternal life, as Jesus died on the cross to save you from sin and death forever. You will never lose this salvation, even if you sin over and over again. It is eternally secured!
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the most respected theologians of the 20th century, coined the phrase “cheap grace vs costly grace” to reject this doctrine. To him, this is cheap grace, as it removes SIN and the CROSS from the Christian faith. Dietrich emphatically states that the saving grace of God is costly grace, as it originates from the crucifixion of Jesus. He died a gruesome death to take away the sins of the world. The extreme pain and suffering is real. His resurrection then gave mankind the chance, but not the certainty of eternal life. In short, doing the will of the Father means not only to believe that Jesus is the son of God. We must also make real sacrifices in our lives by rejecting sin and seek sincere repentance, over and over again, when we fall short.
On many occasions, my Protestant friends would ask me why Catholics wear the crucifix and not the simple cross. Do we not believe in the Resurrection? Initially, I did not know how to answer them. Now I do. The empty cross emphasizes the Resurrection which Catholics fully believe and celebrate. However, we also insist that it must come with the suffering of Christ. It is costly grace, and the crucifix reminds us of the extreme price of our redemption. Sin caused real death. Reject sin to be worthy of Jesus’s sacrifice.
I want to do the will of my Father. I choose the crucifix!
(Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)
Prayer: Jesus, let your grace be sufficient for me. Help me to remain faithful to the Catholic Church.
Thanksgiving: Thanks be to Jesus, who brings eternal hope for all sinners.
OXYGEN 
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