Jan 21 – Memorial for St. Agnes, virgin and martyr At the age of 12 or 13, St. Agnes was ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods and lose her virginity by rape. She was taken to a Roman temple to Minerva (Athena), and when led to the altar, she made the Sign of the Cross. She... Continue Reading →
20 January, Wednesday — Your Laws Are For Good
Jan 20 – Memorial for St. Fabian, pope and martyr; Memorial for St. Sebastian, martyr Pope St. Fabian (d. 250) was a layman and a farmer. He came into Rome on a day when a new pope was to be elected. A dove flew in and settled on his head. The gathered clergy and laity took... Continue Reading →
19 January, Tuesday — On Solid Foundations
Jan 19 -- Tuesday of Week 2 in Ordinary Time Heb 6:10-20 Mk 2:23-28 Here we have an anchor for our soul... I was invited recently to address a group of newly-appointed scholars on Zoom. When I asked the scholarships team if they were sure about it, the answer was, “Yes, just give the same... Continue Reading →
18 January, Monday — Of Abstinence and Adventures
Monday of Week 2 in Ordinary Time Heb 5:1-10 Mk 2:18-22 “New wine, fresh skins!” It has been close to two years since I decided to stop consuming alcohol. Well, I do take a sip now and then on social occasions but in relation to the amounts I used to drink in the past, my... Continue Reading →
17 January, Sunday — Caretaker duty
Jan 17 -- 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Sam 3:3-10,191 Cor 6:13-15,17-20Jn 1:35-42 Your body...is the temple of the Holy Spirit... In my late teens and early twenties, I was fit and fab (I reckon most of us were). I went to the gym four times a week, played squash competitively and even earned some... Continue Reading →
16 January, Saturday — Step by Step
Jan 16 -- Saturday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time Heb 4:12-16Mk 2:13-17 “Follow me.” The first week of ordinary time reminds us at every turn to have faith, trust God and act immediately at His voice. When we hesitate to act, we are easily confused at what we hear and what it ‘may have actually’... Continue Reading →
15 January, Friday — Delayed obedience is disobedience
Jan 15 -- Friday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time Heb 4:1-5, 11Mk 2:1-12 Seeing their faith… That which we have faith in gives us the ability to ‘act immediately’. A parent, a teacher, a priest, a policeman, a boss, a commander are positions that usually make most everyone ‘act immediately’. Why? Because we have ‘faith’ that we... Continue Reading →
14 January, Thursday — When we lose God, it is not God who is Lost
Jan 14 -- Thursday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time Heb 3:7-14Mark 1:40-45 …so unbelieving as to turn away from the living God…Why is it so much easier to FALL AWAY than FALL INTO? Falling IN doesn’t seem to be something within our control, it’s something we want but seems to happen almost outside of... Continue Reading →
13 January, Wednesday – Fear Not
Jan 13 -- Memorial for St. Hilary, bishop and doctor of the Church St. Hilary of Poitiers (315-368) was known as Athanasius of the West. He was born to wealthy polytheistic, pagan nobility. His early life was uneventful as he married, had children (one of whom was St. Abra), and studied on his own. Through his... Continue Reading →
12 January, Tuesday – Slow Faith
Tuesday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time Heb 2:5-12Mk 1:21-28 “I know who You are: the Holy One of God!” I have seen many videos and posts on social media, where the creators try hard to get as many people as possible to ‘like’ their posts. Once successful, these creators do get famous, often getting... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 