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 →
20 June, Thursday — Pray from the heart
Thursday of Week 11 in Ordinary Time Sir 48:1-15Mt 6: 7-15 "...your Father knows what you need before you ask him." As a Catholic, I find it challenging to pray from the heart. We are adept at set prayers, but this familiarity can sometimes turn our recitation into a mechanical process. Words flow effortlessly from... Continue Reading →
19 June, Wednesday — True Giving
Jun 19 – St Philip Minh, Priest and Companions, Martyrs St Philip Minh is a Vietnamese martyr. Born in Vietnam, he joined the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris and was ordained a priest with the purpose of working for the Church in Vietnam. Seized by anti-Catholic forces, he was beheaded. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988. Vietnamese Martyrs, also... Continue Reading →
26 May, Sunday — Have mercy on those who doubt.
May 26 -- The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Deu 4:32-34,39-40Rm 8:14-17Mt 28:16-20 When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. In today’s Gospel reading, the eleven disciples journeyed to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When Jesus appeared to them, they worshiped Him, “but... Continue Reading →
11 May, Saturday — Ask Your Father
Saturday of the 6th Week of Eastertide Acts 18:23-28Jn 16:23-28 “…anything you ask for from the Father he will grant in my name.” When I was a child, I was told that if I wanted something badly enough, I had to work for it myself. Trying to manoeuvre from a teenager to emerging adulthood was... Continue Reading →
8 April, Monday — Sacrifices
8 Apr – Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord The annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Gabriel the Archangel, that she was to be the Mother of God (Luke 1), the Word being made flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit. The feast probably originated about the time of the Council of Ephesus... Continue Reading →
14 February, Wednesday — Reconcile
14 Feb -- Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). It falls on a different date each year, because it is dependent on the date of Easter; it can occur as early as Feb 4 or as late as Mar 10. Ash Wednesday gets... Continue Reading →
8 December, Friday — Yes
Dec 8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary On this and the following eight days, the Church celebrates, with particular solemnity, the immaculate conception of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary who, from all eternity, was chosen to be the daughter of the heavenly Father, the spouse of the Holy Ghost, the... Continue Reading →
27 November, Monday — We only have each other to rely on
Monday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Dan 1:1-6,8-20Lk 21:1-4 "... but she from the little she had has put in all that she had to live on." A few years ago, I read in our local newspaper about an elderly 83-year-old man, who lived in a one room rental flat. While busking, Mr. Lee... Continue Reading →
5 October, Thursday — Humility and Perseverance
Oct 5 – Memorial for St. Faustina Kowalska, Virgin, religious, Christian Mystic Maria Faustyna Kowalska (born Helena Kowalska; 25 August 1905 – 5 October 1938), also known as Saint Maria Faustyna Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament and popularly spelled Faustina, was a Polish Roman Catholic nun and mystic. Her apparitions of Jesus Christ inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the Divine Mercy and earned her the title of "Secretary of Divine Mercy". Throughout her... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 