Sept 20 -- Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taejon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions, Martyrs For centuries, Korea was closed to all outside influences, and all contact with foreigners was forbidden. No missionaries went there. Nevertheless, a number of laymen sought to find out all that they could about the outside world,... Continue Reading →
19 September, Thursday — A leap of faith
Sep 19 – Memorial for St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr St. Januarius (d. 305) was arrested on account of his profession of the Christian religion during persecution of Christians. He was cast into the fiery furnace, through which he passed wholly unharmed. On the following day, along with a number of fellow martyrs, he was... Continue Reading →
18 September, Wednesday — Ambition
Wednesday of Week 24 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 12:31-13:13Lk 7:31-35 Be ambitious for the higher gifts. In my younger years, I was certainly an ambitious person. I wanted it all – that cushy job as a senior creative in an advertising agency; the fame and adulation that came with winning awards for the work... Continue Reading →
17 September, Tuesday — Jesus Touches Our Sorrow
Sep 17 – Memorial for St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor St. Robert (1542-1621) wrote the most complete work of his day to defend Catholicism against Protestant attack. He also wrote a children’s catechism and a catechism for teachers. As cardinal-priest, he gave most of his money to the poor. At one point he used... Continue Reading →
16 September, Monday — “Cos you are worth it!”
Sep 16 – Memorial for Sts. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr; and Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr St. Cornelius (d. 253) was elected after a year-and-a-half period, during which persecutions were so bad that papal ascension was a quick death sentence. He worked to maintain unity in a time of schism and apostasy. He called a synod... Continue Reading →
15 September, Sunday – Two sides of the same coin
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 50:5-9Jas 2:14-18Mk 8:27-35 The Lord is coming to my help, who will dare to condemn me? It is fascinating to observe human behaviour. When some people succeed in life, they often attribute this to their own capabilities but when failure occurs, the blame is put on external sources --... Continue Reading →
14 September, Saturday – Sign for our times
Sep 14 – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross The feast was celebrated in Rome before the end of the 7th century. Its purpose is to commemorate the recovering of that portion of the Holy Cross which was preserved at Jerusalem, and which had fallen into the hands of the Persians. Emperor Heraclius... Continue Reading →
13 September, Friday – Turning a Blind Eye
Sep 13 – Memorial for St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor John’s (347-407) father died when he was young, and he was raised by a very pious mother. It was for his sermons that John earned the title ‘Chrysostom’ (golden-mouthed). They were always on point, they explained the scriptures with clarity, and they sometimes went... Continue Reading →
12 September, Thursday — Thank God for God
Sep 12 – Most Holy Name of Mary This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters. The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and, in 1671, was extended... Continue Reading →
11 September, Wednesday — “Rich Man, Poor Man.”
Wednesday of Week 23 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 7:25-31Lk 6:20-26 “How happy are you who are poor…” “Do you want to be rich and be condemned or be poor and have eternal life in Heaven?” As Christians, I wonder what our answer would be. For those of us that didn’t have very much when... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 