Oct 9 – Memorial for Sts. Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs; Memorial for St. John Leonardi, Priest St. Denis (d. 258) was a missionary to Paris, and its first bishop. His success roused the ire of local pagans, and he was imprisoned by the Roman governor. He was martyred in the persecutions of Valerius with... Continue Reading →
23 August, Friday — Valley of Dry Faith
Aug 23 – Memorial for St. Rose of Lima, virgin A beautiful girl and devoted daughter, Rose (1586-1617) was so devoted to her vow of chastity, she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be attractive. She lived and meditated in a garden, raising vegetables and making embroidered items to... Continue Reading →
22 August, Thursday — Servant and Queen
Aug 22 – Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Whoever, therefore, reverences the Queen of heaven and earth – and let no one consider himself exempt from this tribute of a grateful and loving soul – let him invoke the most effective of Queens, the Mediatrix of Peace; let him respect and preserve peace, which... Continue Reading →
22 May, Wednesday — Impermanence
May 22 – Memorial for St. Rita of Cascia, Religious St. Rita (1386-1457) was the daughter of Antonio and Amata Lotti, a couple known as the Peacemakers of Jesus; they had Rita late in life. From her early youth, Rita visited the Augustinian nuns at Cascia, Italy, and showed interest in a religious life. However,... Continue Reading →
13 May, Monday — Peace Be With You
May 13 – Memorial for Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Fatima is the title given to the vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary that appeared before three shepherd children at Fatima, Portugal on the 13th day of six consecutive months in 1917, starting May 13, the Fatima holiday. The three children were Lucia... Continue Reading →
6 April, Saturday — Speak Up
Easter Saturday Acts 4:13-21Mk 16:9-15 “You must judge whether in God’s eyes it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop proclaiming what we have seen and heard.” Today, we have so much freedom of speech which on the one hand, is a good thing in advocating issues... Continue Reading →
5 April, Friday — Do You Remember?
Easter Friday Acts 4:1-12Jn 21:1-14 Jesus showed himself again to his disciples. This year’s Lent has been a challenging one for me. Each year, Lent brings challenges but this year, I seemed to be more aware of them, and I called out to God a lot more. These were some of the longest days, and... Continue Reading →
5 March, Tuesday — When you can’t forgive
Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Lent Dan 3:25,34-43Mt 18:21-35 Peter went up to Jesus and said, “Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?” Jesus answered, “Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.” What do you do when you cannot forgive someone who has... Continue Reading →
28 February, Wednesday — On God’s Terms
Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Lent Jer 18:18-20Mt 20:17-28 “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus answered. “Can you drink the cup that I am going to drink?” When John and James’ mother approached Jesus with her request that her sons sit at the left and right of Jesus, she (and her... Continue Reading →
24 February, Saturday — The Story that Matters
Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent Deu 26:16-19Mt 5:43-48 “But I say this to you: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you…” Of all Jesus’s teachings, I find this one of the hardest ones to swallow: Love your enemies, pray for them. Wait, what…? When I first read that, I was... Continue Reading →