Nov 12 – Memorial for St. Josaphat, bishop, religious, martyr John (1580-1623) had a father who was a municipal counsellor, and a mother who was known for her piety. He was raised in the Orthodox Ruthenian Church which, on 23 Nov 1595, in the Union of Brest, united with the Church of Rome. He was... Continue Reading →
11 November, Thursday — Seeking the Kingdom of God
Nov 11 – Memorial for St. Martin of Tours, bishop St. Martin (316-397) was born to pagan parents. His father was a Roman military officer and tribune. Martin was raised in Pavia, Italy, where he discovered Christianity and became a catechumen in his early teens. He joined the Roman imperia army at the age of 15,... Continue Reading →
10 November, Wednesday — Full Circle
Nov 10 – Memorial for St. Leo the Great, pope, doctor St. Leo (c.400 – 461) was born of Italian nobility. He was a strong student, especially in scripture and theology. As a priest, he was an eloquent writer and homilist. He was pope from 440-461 during the time of the invasion of Attila the Hun.... Continue Reading →
21 October, Thursday – On Fire
Thursday of Week 29 in Ordinary Time Rm 6:19-23Lk 12:49-53 I have come to set the earth on fire I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about my purpose in life. I have thought about it before, as a restless 20-something, fresh out of university, wondering what I should do in a world... Continue Reading →
12 October, Tuesday – Wisdom
Tuesday of Week 28 in Ordinary Time Rm 1:16-25Lk 11:37-41 The more they called themselves philosophers, the more stupid they grew... I’d like to touch on a very real trait that is well-known in Singapore society -- ‘kiasu-ism’. The Hokkien term ‘kiasu’ denotes someone who is afraid to lose and would literally do anything to... Continue Reading →
25 September, Saturday — Hidden Meanings
Saturday of Week 25 in Ordinary Time Zec 2:5-9,14-15Lk 9:43-45 But they did not understand him when he said this; it was hidden from them so that they should not see the meaning of it, and they were afraid to ask him about what he had just said. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Common... Continue Reading →
24 September, Friday — Who Do You Say You Are?
Friday of Week 25 in Ordinary Time Hag 1:15,2:9Lk 9:18-22 “But you,” he said “who do you say I am?”” I have been filling up personal detail forms all my life, ticking boxes and filling in blanks, each form asking me for details about myself: gender, race, religion, age group, occupation and so on.... Continue Reading →
23 September, Thursday — “Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry”
Sep 23 – Memorial for St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), Priest St. Pio (1887-1968) was ordained when he was 22. He founded the House for the Relief of Suffering in 1956, a hospital that serves 60,000 a year. In the 1920s, he started a series of prayer groups that continue today with over 400,000 members worldwide. His... Continue Reading →
21 August, Saturday – Titles & Positions
Aug 21 – Memorial for St. Pius X, pope St. Pius X (1835-1914) encouraged frequent Holy Communion. He reformed the liturgy, promoted clear and simple homilies, and brought Gregorian chant back to services. He also reorganised the Roman curia, the administrative elements of the Church, and worked against the modern antagonism of the state against... Continue Reading →
11 May, Tuesday – “I Am Here”
Tuesday of the 6th Week of Eastertide Acts 16:22-34Jn 16:5-11 But Paul shouted...“Don’t do yourself any harm; We are all here!” We have been in lockdown mode for more than a year now, with no end in sight. Just when we thought things were slowly returning to normal, we read about countries like India,... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 