5 Feb – Memorial for St. Agatha, virgin and martyr We have little reliable information about this martyr who has been honoured since ancient times, and whose name is included in the canon of the Mass. Young, beautiful and rich, Agatha (d.250) lived a life consecrated to God. When Decius announced the edicts against Christians,... Continue Reading →
26 November, Tuesday — In the Run Up to Thanksgiving…
Tuesday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Apo 14:14-19Lk 21:5-11 “All these things you are staring at now -- the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed.” We’re heading into the final stretch of Thanksgiving. By now, the pros would’ve already completed most of the... Continue Reading →
25 November, Monday — Faith-filled Wisdom and Grace
Nov 25 – Memorial for St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin, martyr St. Catherine (d. 305) was a noble who was learned in science and oratory. After receiving a vision, she converted to Christianity. At the age of 18, during the persecution of Maximus, she offered to debate the pagan philosophers. Many were converted by her... Continue Reading →
21 November, Thursday — Anger Management
Nov 21 – Memorial for the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Today, we commemorate the presentation of the Blessed Virgin as a child in the Temple where, according to tradition, she was educated. The feast originated in the Orient probably about the seventh century, and is found in the constitution of Manuel Comnenus (1166)... Continue Reading →
20 November, Wednesday — The fear of failure
Wednesday of Week 33 in Ordinary Time Apo 4:1-11Luke 19:11-28 “I put it away safely … for I was afraid of you, for you are an exacting man…” As I write this, we are 2 weeks away from Thanksgiving. Having never grown up in America, my experience of Thanksgiving has been a contentious one. I’ve... Continue Reading →
12 October, Saturday — That Time When Our Power Got Cut…
Saturday of Week 27 in Ordinary Time Gal 3:22-29Lk 11:27-28 …and you are, all of you, sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. The power utility ‘de-energized’ our home two weeks ago. Out of the blue, a warning arrived by email, and two days later, another confirmed the electricity would be disconnected indefinitely while... Continue Reading →
11 October, Friday — On Catholic traditions
Oct 11 – Memorial for St John XXIII, Pope Pope John XXIII born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in 1963. Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was one of thirteen children born to Marianna Mazzola and Giovanni Battista Roncalli in a family of sharecroppers who lived in Sotto il... Continue Reading →
17 August, Saturday — The Immigrant
Saturday of Week 19 in Ordinary Time Eze 18:1-10,13,30-32Mt 19:13-15 …in future, I mean to judge each of you but what he does -- it is the Lord who speaks. Sometime in July 2022, the milestone passed where I’d lived more years abroad than I had spent in the city where I grew up. Going... Continue Reading →
16 August, Friday — Details
Aug 16 – Memorial for St. Stephen of Hungary When he succeeded his father as chief of a group of people, Stephen adopted a policy of Christianisation in Hungary for both political and religious reasons. He suppressed a series of revolts by pagan nobles and welded the Magyars into a strong national group. As king,... Continue Reading →
9 July, Tuesday — On Disunity
Jul 9 – Memorial for St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest, & companions Christianity arrived in China by way of Syria in the 600s. Depending on China’s relations with the outside world, Christianity over the centuries was free to grow or was forced to operate secretly. The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1648 and... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 