21 Jan – 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.... Continue Reading →
20 January, Friday — A New Narrative
20 Jan – 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... Continue Reading →
19 January, Thursday – Asking and Taking
Thursday of Week 2 in Ordinary Time Heb 7:25-8:6Mk 3:7-12 He cured many and as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. The scene of our gospel reading today is markedly different from yesterday. Today, we see Jesus mobbed by the crowd, pressed in from all sides, by people... Continue Reading →
18 January, Wednesday — Anger Issues
Wednesday of Week 2 in Ordinary Time Heb 7:1-3,15-17Mk 3:1-6 “…grieved to find them obstinate, he looked angrily round at them…” Do you suffer from anger issues? I know I do. Do you understand what anger is and where it comes from? I thought I did but realised that I didn’t truly understand the passion... Continue Reading →
17 January, Tuesday — God’s Promise
17 Jan – Memorial for St. Anthony, abbot Following the death of his parents when he was about 20, St. Anthony (251-356) ensured that his sister completed her education, then sold his house, furniture, and the land he owned, gave the proceeds to the poor, joined the anchorites who lived nearby, and moved into an... Continue Reading →
16 January, Monday — New Wine, New Wineskins
Monday of Week 2 in Ordinary Time Heb 5:1-10Mk 2:18-22 “And nobody puts new wine into old wineskins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins too. No! New wine, fresh skins!” As we settle into the new year, both Liturgical and Gregorian, how are you... Continue Reading →
15 January, Sunday — Bearing Witness
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 49:3,5-61 Cor 1:1-3Jn 1:29-34 “May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ send you grace and peace.” Amidst the festivities of Christmastide and merrymaking of ushering in the New Year, some of us may have made new year resolutions. This annual tradition helps us take stock of what... Continue Reading →
14 January, Saturday – Come Dine With Me
Saturday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time Heb 4:12-16Mk 2:13-17 When Jesus heard this he said to them: "It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners." If I remember correctly, one of the first things Pope Francis said in the early... Continue Reading →
13 January, Friday – With A Little Help From My Friends
13 Jan – 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... Continue Reading →
12 January, Thursday — Faith
Thursday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time Heb 3:7-14Mk 1:40-45 A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: “If you want to,” he said, “you can cure me.” I have been writing for Oxygen for probably ten years or more now. Sometimes, reflections don’t come easily; you’ve really got to dig deep into... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 