Jun 27 – Memorial for St. Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and Doctor of the Church
Cyril (376–444) was the nephew of Theophilus the Patriarch. He was a monk and a priest who became Bishop of Alexandria, Egypt in 412, and later the Patriarch of Alexandria. He suppressed the Novatians. He worked at the Council of Ephesus. He fought against Nestorius who taught the heresy that there were two persons in Christ.
He was a catechetical writer, and wrote a book opposing Julian the Apostate. He is a Greek Father of the Church and is a Doctor of the Church.
- Patron Saint Index
2 Tim 4:1-5
Mt 5:13-19
“You are the light of the world.”
Two weeks ago, I served at a youth and young adult retreat – HOPE – at my centre. I was blessed to serve in a role that was relatively new to me and, during the retreat, was also asked to perform other tasks which would normally be done by members from other ministries. But, because the support team was so lean, many of us had to ‘double’ (or even ‘triple’) hat.
From the name of the retreat, I am quite sure you can guess what the team behind it were offering to the retreatants – most of whom were in the late teens to late 20s. And from some of the one-on-one conversations we companions had, I can only say that hope is something we need to keep offering to our youth. They are truly having a tough time out there.
As I sat in some of the sessions and mused on how tough things might be for the two coordinators – J and M – I could only pray for them and ask for the Lord to sustain them through the weekend. The retreat culminated in a closing mass where family members and friends of all those involved also attended.
During the retreat, there were testimonies of hope – from a former member of the community who had to deal with various business decisions that left him, and his then family of 7 (incl his wife and five young kids), with only $200 left in their account. L’s testimony resonated with me because it truly demonstrated how God provides for all of us – as long as we keep faith and trust in Him. And the only way? Through regular prayer. It is how we maintain our relationship with Him.
And, brothers and sisters, it is how we keep the light shining within us. We all have been through our fair share of challenges in life, and while these are all relative to our own circumstances, we must always hold firm in our belief that no matter how deep in the morass we find ourselves, God also provides us with a way forward (not ‘out’, but forward). Because ultimately, He leaves it to us if we want to take those first tenuous steps toward salvation.
At the end of the retreat, as we sang the closing song after hearing a few testimonies from the retreatants, all I could do was to look at the young families gathered – L had brought his entire brood (now with a newborn no 6) – and the retreat team (volunteers who are mostly in their 30s, some with their own young children) who had put it all together, and I could only marvel at the hope that filled the auditorium. God is indeed good…all the time.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: St Michael the Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray and do thou O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God cast aside satan, and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Abba Father, for your unceasing provision for all of us and for those who pray unceasingly for others.
OXYGEN 
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