Nov 30 – Feast of St. Andrew, apostle St. Andrew was the first Apostle of Jesus Christ. He was a fisherman by trade, and the brother of Simon Peter. He was a follower of John the Baptist. Andrew went through life leading people to Jesus, both before and after the Crucifixion. He was a missionary... Continue Reading →
29 November, Wednesday — Endurance in Adversity
Wednesday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Dan 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28Lk 21:12-19 “You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.” I recall a few years back, when I felt the Catholic church was under attack. From... Continue Reading →
28 November, Tuesday — Remembering that all things shall pass
Tuesday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Dan 2:31-45Lk 21:5-11 “...the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.” Today’s readings have a sombre consistency in their focus on how everything will eventually be destroyed. They remind me of a book I read earlier this year,... Continue Reading →
27 November, Monday — We only have each other to rely on
Monday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Dan 1:1-6,8-20Lk 21:1-4 "... but she from the little she had has put in all that she had to live on." A few years ago, I read in our local newspaper about an elderly 83-year-old man, who lived in a one room rental flat. While busking, Mr. Lee... Continue Reading →
26 November, Sunday — Self-sacrificial love
Nov 26 – Solemnity of Christ The King Christ The King is a title of Jesus based on several passages of scripture and used by all Christians. The name is found in various forms in scripture: King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49), King of the Jews (Matthew 27:11), King of kings... Continue Reading →
25 November, Saturday — Together for eternity (or not)
Nov 25 – Memorial for St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin, martyr St. Catherine (d. 305) was a noble who was learned in science and oratory. After receiving a vision, she converted to Christianity. At the age of 18, during the persecution of Maximus, she offered to debate the pagan philosophers. Many were converted by her... Continue Reading →
24 November, Friday — Going to confession
Nov 24 – Memorial for St. Andrew Dung-Lac, priest, martyr, and companions, Martyrs of Vietnam Between the arrival of the first Portuguese missionary in 1533, through the Dominicans and then the Jesuit missions of the 17th century, the politically inspired persecutions of the 19th century, and the Communist-led terrors of the 20th, there have been... Continue Reading →
23 November, Thursday — Embracing Opportunities for Making Peace
Nov 23 – Memorial for St. Clement I, pope, martyr; Memorial for St. Columban, abbot St. Clement (d. 101) was the fourth pope, and an apostolic Father. The Basilica of St. Clement in Rome is one of the earliest parish churches in the city, and is probably built on the site of Clement’s home. He... Continue Reading →
22 November, Wednesday — Not Ours
Nov 22 – Memorial for St. Cecilia, virgin, martyr St. Cecilia (d. 117) was a cultivated young patrician woman, whose ancestors loomed large in Rome’s history. She vowed her virginity to God, but her parents married her to Valerian of Trastevere. She told her new husband that she was accompanied by an angel, but in... Continue Reading →
21 November, Tuesday — On Leadership
Nov 21 – Memorial for the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Today, we commemorate the presentation of the Blessed Virgin as a child in the Temple where, according to tradition, she was educated. The feast originated in the Orient probably about the seventh century, and is found in the constitution of Manuel Comnenus (1166)... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 