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 umemployed.
- Patron Saint Index
Nah 2:1,3:3:1-3,6-7
Mt 16:24-28
It is the Lord who deals death and life.
Two weeks ago, my 78-year-old uncle suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to the ICU ward. Unfortunately, his heart stopped several times in ICU and he fell into a deep coma. As a last resort, he was placed onto a heart lung machine, as his heart was only functioning at 15% capacity.
I rushed to the hospital that night and sat with his family. The heart specialist explained to his wife that his condition was bleak. The family had to decide whether to pursue aggressive intervention or not. His end of life lay in their hands. Three days later at 1pm, family members gathered amidst soft cries and witnessed my uncle’s last breath.
The psalmist proclaims in today’s Responsorial Psalm, “It is the Lord who deals death and life”. Then, in the second verse it reads “See now that I, I am He, and beside me there is no other god. It is I who deal death and life; when I have struck it is I who heal.”
The above verses resonate deeply with me as I think of my uncle’s untimely demise. For I moment, I wondered if it was his family that dealt with his life and death. It was, after all, their decision to stop the machine that ended his life. On deeper reflection, it was not. In truth, he had already passed on shortly after admission, as there was no detectable brain activity. The machine only kept his body ‘alive’ without any consciousness.
Turning to the meaning of the above psalm, I prayed and reflected on the words of the refrain. I discerned that it was to remind the faithful that it is the Lord who determines our eternal salvation upon our earthly death. He is He, and there is no other god who can determine our eternal life.
I now wonder about my late uncle’s soul. He had no religion and lived his life totally without belief in any god. Nevertheless, his family used Buddhist rites based on Chinese customs. When we walked past his coffin one last time, my wife and I prayed the Eternal Rest prayer three times and asked Jesus to have mercy on his soul. He was a good man who worked hard for his family. I also asked Jesus to have mercy on his soul even though he did not believe.
This prompted me to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC). Accordingly, the Church reiterates the psalm refrain — that salvation only comes through Christ and the Catholic Church. However, the grace of salvation is still possible for nonbelievers who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ but who, nevertheless, seek God with a sincere heart and moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will.
I do not know if this grace applies to my uncle. Nevertheless, my wife and I have offered mass for his soul in the month of July. May he have eternal peace.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)
Prayer: Jesus, help me to evangelise my Catholic faith to all peoples as salvation comes to believers.
Thanksgiving: Thanks be to Jesus, who brings eternal hope for all sinners.
OXYGEN 
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