Nov 12 – Memorial for St. Josaphat, bishop, religious, martyr John (1580-1623) had a father who was a municipal counsellor, and a mother who was known for her piety. He was raised in the Orthodox Ruthenian Church which, on 23 Nov 1595, in the Union of Brest, united with the Church of Rome. He was... Continue Reading →
5 September, Saturday — Pride and Purpose
Sep 5 – Feast of St. Teresa of Calcutta Mother Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), honoured in the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was born in Skopje (now the capital of North Macedonia), then part of the Kosovo Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire. After living in Skopje for eighteen years, she moved to Ireland and then to India,... Continue Reading →
3 September, Thursday –Overcoming Reluctance
Sep 3 – Memorial for St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor St. Gregory (540-590) collected the melodies and plain chants so associated with him, that they are now known as Gregorian Chants. He was elected by unanimous acclamation for pope. Incidentally, he was also the first monk to be pope. Before his papacy, he turned his home... Continue Reading →
2 September, Wednesday — Following God’s Purpose
Wednesday of Week 22 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 3:1-9Luke 4:38-44 Neither the planter nor the waterer matters: only God, who makes things grow. Two and a half years ago, I took a good look at my life situation and decided to start my own business. I did it for family and personal circumstances... Continue Reading →
4 July, Saturday — New Wine, New Wineskins
Jul 4 – Memorial for St. Elizabeth of Portugal Elizabeth (1271-1336) was a princess with a pious upbringing, who became Queen of Portugal before she was a teenager. Elizabeth suffered through years of her husband’s abuse and adultery, praying all the while for his conversion, and working with the poor and sick. She rode onto... Continue Reading →
2 July, Thursday — The Power of Forgiveness
Thursday of Week 13 in Ordinary Time Amos 7:10-17Mt 9:1-8 “Now, which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? In 2011, StoryCorps – a non-profit project that records short stories of everyday people – released one of its recordings: an interview between a mother who had... Continue Reading →
1 July, Wednesday — Obedience
Wednesday of Week 13 in Ordinary Time Amos 5:14-15, 21-24Mt 8:28-34 “Seek good and not evil so that you may live; and that the Lord, God of Hosts, may really be with you as you claim he is.” As a parent of a preschooler, I find that I (as most preschooler parents do I’m... Continue Reading →
2 May, Saturday — Defending Your Faith
May 2 – Memorial for St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor Athanasius (c. 295) studied the classics and theology in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a deacon, secretary, and student of Bishop Alexander of Alexandria. He attended the Council of Nicaea in 325, where he fought for the defeat of Arianism and the acceptance of the divinity of... Continue Reading →
1 May, Friday — Spiritual Blindness
May 1 – Feast of St. Joseph the Worker Joseph (d. 1st century) was a descendant of the House of David. He was a layman, a builder by trade; traditionally a carpenter, but may have been a stone worker. He was the earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the foster and adoptive father... Continue Reading →
30 April, Thursday — Right Teaching
30 Apr – Memorial for St. Pius V, pope Antonio Ghislieri (1504-1572) was born to impoverished Italian nobility, the son of Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria. He worked as a shepherd as a boy, and received an excellent education in piety and holiness, including a scholastic education from a Dominican friar. He joined the Order... Continue Reading →