30 Apr – Memorial for St. Pius V, pope Antonio Ghislieri (1504-1572) was born to impoverished Italian nobility, the son of Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria. He worked as a shepherd as a boy, and received an excellent education in piety and holiness, including a scholastic education from a Dominican friar. He joined the Order... Continue Reading →
29 April, Wednesday — Finding Purpose in Dark Times
29 Apr – Memorial for St. Catherine of Siena, virgin & doctor Catherine (1347-1380) was the youngest child in a large family. At the age of six, she had a vision in which Jesus appeared and blessed her. Her parents wanted her to marry, but she became a Dominican tertiary. She was a mystic and... Continue Reading →
28 April, Tuesday – Life without Fear
28 Apr – Memorial for St. Peter Chanel, priest & martyr; Memorial for St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort, priest Peter Chanel (1803-1841) was born to a peasant family and was a shepherd as a boy. He was an excellent student and was ordained at 24. He was assigned to Crozet, a parish in decline; he turned... Continue Reading →
27 April, Monday – True Discipleship
Acts 6:8-15Jn 6:22-29 “…work for food that endures to eternal life…” I have been crazy about watching television programmes and movies since I was a young child. I also enjoy reading stories about the journeys that people take to learn about themselves. I was grateful, therefore, when I learned that in many of these stories... Continue Reading →
26 April, Sunday – Our Personal Emmaus
Acts 2:14,22-331 Pet 1:17-21 Lk 24:13-35 “Their eyes were opened” 2020 has been a pivotal year for our generation. Covid-19 has changed the lives of many around the world. Today’s gospel could not have come at a more opportune time. I often wondered in the past about the experience of the two disciples, as they... Continue Reading →
25 April, Saturday – Blessed Are The Humble
Feast of St. Mark, evangelist St. Mark is believed to be the young man who ran away when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52), and the “John whose other name was Mark” (Acts 12:25). He was a disciple of St. Peter who travelled with him to Rome, and was referred to as “my son Mark” by... Continue Reading →
24 April, Friday – His Love
24 Apr – Memorial for St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest & martyr St. Fidelis Sigmaringen (1577-1622) was a lawyer and teacher of philosophy. Disgusted by the greed, corruption, and lack of interest in justice by his fellow lawyers, Mark Rey abandoned the law, became a priest and a Franciscan friar with his brother George. He... Continue Reading →
23 April, Thursday – The Way, The Truth and The Life
23 Apr – Memorial for St. George, martyr; Memorial for St. Adalbert, bishop & martyr St. George (d. 304) was a soldier who was martyred for his faith. That’s all we know for sure. Several stories have been attached to St. George, the best known of which is the 'Golden Legend'. In it, a dragon... Continue Reading →
22 April, Wednesday – Physical versus Spiritual Captivity
Acts 5:17-26John 3:16-21 “Go… and tell the people all about this new Life.” Amidst this COVID-19 pandemic, the world has been forced into darkness. Fears and anxieties loom across all nations. Countries have closed their borders, economies brought to a standstill and citizens forced to stay home. As I sit down to write today’s reflection,... Continue Reading →
21 April, Tuesday – Knowing the Father
Acts 4:32-37John 3:7-15 "The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes" As I read today’s gospel readings, this line struck me as both very poetic and rather strange. “The wind blows where it wills, and you... Continue Reading →
