Aug 21 – Memorial for St. Pius X, pope St. Pius X (1835-1914) encouraged frequent Holy Communion. He reformed the liturgy, promoted clear and simple homilies, and brought Gregorian chant back to services. He also reorganised the Roman curia, the administrative elements of the Church, and worked against the modern antagonism of the state against... Continue Reading →
20 August, Wednesday — Favourites
Aug 20 – Memorial for St. Bernard, abbot, doctor St. Bernard (1090-1153) founded and led a monastery which had over 700 monks and 160 daughter houses. He revised and reformed the Cistercians, and was advisor to, and admonisher of, King Louis the Fat and King Louis the Young, and spiritual advisor to Pope Eugenius III,... Continue Reading →
19 August, Tuesday — The Lord is Peace
Tuesday of Week 20 in Ordinary TimeJgs 6:11-24Mt 19:23-30 “Peace be with you; have no fear…” In the Old Testament, people often feared encountering God directly. In His presence, the awareness of His overwhelming holiness, coupled with their own human sinfulness, created a natural sense of dread. The belief that a direct encounter with God... Continue Reading →
18 August, Monday — Be Contented With Imperfection
Monday of Week 20 in Ordinary Time Jgs 2:11-19Mt 19:16-22 “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven...” In the gospel of Matthew, the concept of perfection mentioned by Jesus does not necessarily mean flawlessness, or without... Continue Reading →
17 August, Sunday — Never Lose Sight of Jesus
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Jer 38:4-6,8-10Heb 12:1-4Lk 12:49-53 Let us not lose sight of Jesus… Every day, we are beset with issues and problems. Some days the problems can be big and some days – by the grace of God – the problems are smaller, and easier to handle. When these problems overwhelm us,... Continue Reading →
16 August, Saturday — Undivided attention on Jesus
Saturday of Week 19 in Ordinary Time Jos 24:14-29Mk 19:13-15 “It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we will obey. Military and political leaders often have to take an oath of office when they assume a new position. There is often the intent to uphold certain ethos... Continue Reading →
15 August, Friday — Magnificent Love and Sacrifice
Aug 15 -- Solemnity of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The commemoration of the death of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Dormition, or falling asleep, as it was known in the East) is known as the Assumption because of the tradition that her body did not decay but that she was raised up,... Continue Reading →
14 August, Thursday — Seventy-Seven
Thursday of Week 19 in Ordinary Time Jos 3:7-10,11,13-17Mt 18:21-19:1 Jesus answered, “Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.” In the Bible, the number seven often symbolizes completion, perfection, and divine wholeness. It signifies a sense of fullness and is used to highlight key ideas and themes throughout both the Old and New Testament.... Continue Reading →
13 August, Wednesday — The First Step
Aug 13 – Memorial for St. Pontian, pope, martyr, and St. Hippolytus, priest, martyr Pontian was among the first victims of an anti-Christian new emperor. Rounded up with the antipope Hippolytus, Pontian was deported to the labour mines. While imprisoned, Hippolytus reconciled his differences with Pontian and even ordered his followers to bring themselves back... Continue Reading →
12 August, Tuesday — One in a Million
Aug 12 – Memorial for St. Jane Frances de Chantal St. Jane married Baron de Chantal. She restored order in the household, which was on the brink of ruin, and brought back prosperity. During her husband’s absence at the court, or with the army, when reproached for her extremely sober manner of dressing, her reply... Continue Reading →