Dec 14 – Memorial for St. John of the Cross, priest, religious, doctor of the Church St. John (1675–1726) was born in poverty. He cared for the poor in the hospital in Medina. He became a lay Carmelite brother in 1563 at age 21, though he lived stricter than their Rule. He studied at Salamanca.... Continue Reading →
13 December, Friday — Remaining faithful
Dec 13 – Memorial for St. Lucy, virgin, martyr St. Lucy (c. 283) was a rich, young Christian of Greek ancestry. She was raised in a pious family, and vowed her life to Christ. Her Roman father died when she was young. Her mother, Eutychia, arranged a marriage for her. For three years, she managed... Continue Reading →
12 November, Tuesday — Being patient
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 →
11 November, Monday — Recognising God in each of our friends
Nov 11 – Memorial for St. Martin of Tours, bishop St. Martin (316-397) was born to pagan parents. His father was a Roman military officer and tribune. Martin was raised in Pavia, Italy, where he discovered Christianity and became a catechumen in his early teens. He joined the Roman imperia army at the age of... Continue Reading →
10 November, Sunday — Giving all that we have
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 Kgs 17:10-16Heb 9:24-28Mk 12:38-44 "...this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury..." The focus of today's gospel was on the offering of all the possessions which the widow had. It is noteworthy how Jesus valued the generosity of the widow but, in... Continue Reading →
28 October, Monday — Abandoning oneself to God
Oct 28 – Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles St. Simon was an apostle called the Cananean or Zealot because of his zeal for the Jewish law. He was not from Cana, nor a member of the Zealot party. Like all the Apostles, he was a convert, and was trained by St. Peter the... Continue Reading →
7 October, Monday — Praying unceasingly
Oct 7 – Memorial for Our Lady of the Rosary This day was originally observed as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. Its date was chosen to commemorate the European victory at the third naval Battle of Lepanto in 1571. This battle marked the high point of Turkish (Muslim) advance on European soil with... 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 →
2 August, Friday — Surrendering to God’s plan
Friday of Week 17 in Ordinary Time Jer 26:1-9Mt 13:54-58 "In your great love, answer me, O God." I have noticed an increasing number of my close friends facing tremendous amount of stress at work. This has resulted in them engaging in actions and habits to numb this pain. Be it alcohol, tobacco, drugs or... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 