16th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jer 23:1-6Eph 2:13-18Mk 6:30-34 The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. Have you met a real life shepherd before? I have! In 2014, I was in the West Bank region of Israel. Under nominal Palestinian Authority control, the population lived in very difficult economic circumstances. With... Continue Reading →
20 July, Saturday — Humility at Heart
Jul 20 – Memorial for St. Apollinaris, Bishop & Martyr According to tradition, Apollinaris was a native of Antioch in the Roman Province of Syria. He was made the first Bishop of Ravenna by St. Peter during the persecutions of Emperor Vespasian (or Nero, depending on the source), On his way out of the city,... Continue Reading →
19 July, Friday — Spirit of the Law
Friday of Week 15 in Ordinary Time Isa 38:1-6,21-22,7-8Mt 12:1-8 The Pharisees noticed it and said to him: "Look, your disciples are doing something that is forbidden on the sabbath. But he said to them: "Have you not read what David did when he and his followers were hungry...?" The times we are living in... Continue Reading →
18 July, Thursday — Lay your weary head to rest
Thursday of Week 15 in Ordinary Time Isa 26:7-9,12,16-19Mt 11: 28-30 "Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest." I have always read this verse from Matthew's gospel as being about death. The line "I will give you rest" also appears in the hymn, 'Be not afraid', which... Continue Reading →
17 July, Wednesday — Another element of being child-like
Wednesday of Week 15 in Ordinary Time Is 10:5-7,13–16Mt 11:25-27 “… for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children.” I have always been interested in learning about what it means to be ‘childlike’, since it can easily be confused with the term ‘childish’. Childlike-ness could refer to... Continue Reading →
16 July, Tuesday — Struggling to see with the eyes of faith
Jul 16 – Memorial for Our Lady of Mount Carmel The Church celebrates on this day the feast of the Scapular of Mount Carmel. The scapular, which derives its name from the Latin word scapulæ, meaning shoulders, is a dress which covers the shoulders. It is best known among as the name of two little... Continue Reading →
15 July, Monday — Defending our faith with a sword of love, giving ourselves true peace
Jul 15 – Memorial for St. Bonaventure, bishop, religious, doctor St. Bonaventure (1221-1274) entered the Franciscan Order when he was 22. At the age of 35, he was chosen General of his Order and restored a perfect calm where peace had been disturbed by internal dissensions. He did much for his Order and composed The... Continue Reading →
14 July, Sunday — Trusting in God’s Providence
15th Sunday in Ordinary TimeAmo 7:12-15Eph 1:3-14Mk 6:7-13 …take nothing for the journey… In today’s Gospel, Jesus sends His twelve disciples out in pairs on mission, giving them authority over unclean spirits. He instructs them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—not even a spare... Continue Reading →
13 July, Saturday — Me before you (and your apprehensions)
Jul 13 – Memorial for St. Henry II Henry II (972–1024) was the son of Gisella of Burgundy and Henry II the Quarrelsome, Duke of Bavaria. He was educated at the cathedral school in Hildesheim by Bishop Wolfgang of Regensburg. He became Duke of Bavaria himself in 995 upon his father’s death, which ended Henry’s... Continue Reading →
12 July, Friday — Sheep And Doves
Friday of Week 14 in Ordinary Time Hos 14:2-10Mt 10:16-23 “…I am sending you out like sheep among wolves...” Ever imagined yourself as a sheep and there were hungry wolves staring and grinning at you? That can really be scary. Jesus already foretold to the apostles that they would be facing a very challenging life.... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 