Nov 16 – Memorial for St. Margaret of Scotland; Memorial for St. Gertrude, virgin St. Margaret (1045–1093)was the granddaughter of King Edmund Ironside of England, and the great-niece of St. Stephen of Hungary. She was born in Hungary, while her family was in exile due to the Danish invasion of England. Even so, she still... Continue Reading →
7 November, Monday — Forgiveness
Monday of Week 32 in Ordinary Time Tit 1:1-9Lk 17:1-6 “And if he wrongs you seven times a day and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I’m sorry’, you must forgive him.” Forgiveness can take you by surprise – especially if you’re the one who is being forgiven. Many years ago, my partner... Continue Reading →
3 November, Thursday — On Coming Home
Nov 3 – Memorial for St. Martin de Porres, religious St. Martin (1579-1639) was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman, Juan, and a young freed black slave, Anna Velasquez. He grew up in poverty and spent part of his youth with a surgeon-barber from whom he learned some medicine and care of the sick.... Continue Reading →
5 September, Monday — On Virtue
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... Continue Reading →
4 September, Sunday — Heavy Crosses
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Wis 9:13-18Phi 9-10,12-17Lk 14:25-33 …for a perishable body presses down the soul, and this tent of clay weighs down the teeming mind. The last line of today’s gospel has always filled me with discouragement. Frankly, I have never understood it. The idea that I might have to renounce my whole... Continue Reading →
16 August, Tuesday — Stewardship
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 →
5 July, Tuesday — On Disunity, Part 2
Jul 5 – Memorial for St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, Priest St. Anthony (1502-1539) studied medicine at Padua, receiving his doctorate at age 22. Working among the poor in Cremona, he felt called to the religious life. He was ordained at age 26; legend says that angels were seen around the altar at his first Mass.... Continue Reading →
4 July, Monday — On Disunity
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 →
9 April, Saturday – On Quarrelling
Saturday of the 5th Week of Lent Eze 37:21-28Jn 11:45-56 “Jesus was going to die for the nation, and not only for the nation, but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.” A few years ago, I was at a church event hosted by a group of women parishioners at my church... Continue Reading →
8 April, Friday – You will know them by their fruits
Friday of the 5th Week of Lent Jer 20:10-13Jn 10:31-42 "...even if you refuse to believe in me, at least believe in the work I do..." The concept of ‘frenemies’ is as old as the days of Christ it seems – false friends who pretend to come to your aid, but who in reality, can’t... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 