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
Gal 1:13-24
Lk 10:38-42
…Martha who was distracted with all the serving…
Sunday is the busiest day of my week. The routine starts at 5.40am. I wake up, take 15 minutes to get ready and have my cold pressed juice. I then leave the house at 5.55am. I pick up 4 people in my car from 6.05am till 6.20am, and reach my parish (Church of St Francis Xavier) around 6.25am for choir practice. We sing for the 7.00am Sunday mass. When mass ends, I stay for choir practice and fellowship. I then drive to the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) around 10.00am. I join another choir practice and attend the 11.30am mass there. I play the violin for both masses and do enjoy it. Nevertheless, it is quite tiring!
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus went to the house of Martha and her sister Mary. Many visitors also came to the house to meet Jesus. Being a good host, Martha was busy serving everyone while Mary just sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to him. Overwhelmed, Martha then complained to Jesus about Mary’s inaction and asked the Lord to get Mary to help. Sounds reasonable right? Jesus replied differently.
For every Sunday mass, I am so activity-oriented like Martha. Contrast this with my wife. She also wakes up at 5.30am. Then she does her morning reflection before getting ready to go to church. She leaves the house with her mum at 6.20am and is in SFX by 6.35am. She sits in the pew and does her meditation. Like Mary, she chose the right thing by just praying before mass begins.
Should I change my Sunday routine and follow my wife’s example? Indeed, I have thought about this many times, and it is because of this gospel reading that prompted my reflection. So last year, I used the following action plan to help me be more like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus.
Firstly, I wake up at 6.00am on most weekday mornings. I do my morning reflection by using the Word of God on YouTube. It shares the daily mass readings and gives good reflections on the topic. I take about one hour. Then in the weekday evenings before dinner, I use Dr Brant Pitre’s catholicproductions.com to listen to the upcoming Sunday mass readings, psalms and gospel analysis and reflections. I listen to the same programme from Monday to Friday for about one hour and reflect on his teachings. Come Sunday, I become familiar with all the readings. This helps me pay attention throughout mass.
I am not sure if this is a perfect solution, but it does help me be more like Mary. Once the music stops, I am no different from my wife in the pew. I am listening and focussed!
(Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to pray deeply and discern the gospel readings so that my faith can grow strong.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for giving me my faith in you.
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