Jul 14 – Memorial for St. Camillus de Lellis, Priest St. Camillus (1550-1614) used to be a gambling addict. He lost so much he had to take a job working construction on a building belonging to the Capuchins; they converted him. Because of a persistent injury, he moved into San Giacomo Hospital for the incurable,... Continue Reading →
13 July, Wednesday — Jesus, You Take Over
Jul 13 – Memorial for St. Henry II Henry II (972–1024) was the son of Gisella of Burgundy and Henry II the Quarrelsome, Duke of Bavaria. He was educated at the cathedral school in Hildesheim by Bishop Wolfgang of Regensburg. He became Duke of Bavaria himself in 995 upon his father’s death, which ended Henry’s... Continue Reading →
29 March, Tuesday — Do You Want to Be Well?
Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent Ez 47:1-9,12Jn 5:1-16 "Wherever the river flows... and flowing into the sea, it makes its waters wholesome... they will bear new fruit every month, because this water comes from the sanctuary." Something struck me reading the words spoken by the ill man who laid near the pool of... Continue Reading →
28 March, Monday — Simple Faith, A Faith beyond Crisis
Monday of the 4th Week of Lent Isa 65:17-21Jn 4:43-54 “So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents!” It is usually easy to take someone familiar for granted. Whether it be a long time friend, family or relative. It is as the gospel reading tells us today: For Jesus himself testified that... Continue Reading →
27 March, Sunday — Reservations and Restoration
4th Sunday of Lent Jos 5:9,10-122 Cor 5:17-21Lk 15:1-3,11-32 “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours." It is not easy to trust. This is why an entire profession is devoted to drafting and securing confident contracts. Written agreements exist in the world of business and commerce to ensure that... Continue Reading →
14 March, Monday – Come Back to Me
Monday of the 2nd Week of Lent Dan 9:4-10Lk 6:36-38 Rescue us for the sake of your name Come back to me with all your heartDon’t let fear keep us apartTrees do bend though straight and tallSo must we to others call Long have I waited forYour coming home to meAnd living deeply our new... Continue Reading →
13 March, Sunday – New Romance
2nd Sunday of Lent Gen 15:5-12,17-18Phi 3:17-4:1Lk 9:28-35 … do not give way but remain faithful in the Lord. How often do we assume that we already know someone very well just because we have known them for long? As the saying goes, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’. Abraham was already 99 years old when God promised... Continue Reading →
5 January, Wednesday – How is Love Perfected?
Wednesday after Epiphany Sunday 1 Jn 4:11-18Mk 6:45-52 …as long as we love one another God will live in us and his love will be complete in us. It is human and expected to have short-term memory. Many of us truly struggle to remember and believe that we are so fully, completely, and unconditionally loved... Continue Reading →
6 December, Monday – God’s Strange Mercy
Dec 6 – Memorial for St. Nicholas, bishop St. Nicholas (d. 346) was a priest and abbot, and the bishop of Myra, Lycia (modern Turkey). He was generous to the poor, and a special protector of the innocent and wrong. Many stories grew up around him prior to his becoming Santa Claus. One story is that... Continue Reading →
5 December, Sunday – Hidden Glory
2nd Sunday of Advent Bar 5:1-9Phi 1:4-6,8-11Lk 3:1-6 Peace through integrity, and honour through devotedness. The words ‘peace through integrity, and honour through devotedness’ in our First Reading of Baruch caught my imagination today. That word ‘integrity’ is used more often these days in referring to honesty and moral principles, especially when we think of... Continue Reading →