Jan 17 – Memorial for St. Anthony, abbot Following the death of his parents when he was about 20, St. Anthony (251-356) ensured that his sister completed her education, then sold his house, furniture, and the land he owned, gave the proceeds to the poor, joined the anchorites who lived nearby, and moved into an... Continue Reading →
16 January, Friday — Be Careful What You Ask For
Friday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time 1 Sam 8:4-7,10-22Mk 2:1-12 “When that day comes, you will cry out on account of the king you have chosen for yourselves, but on that day God will not answer you.” Just to switch things up, let’s reflect on today’s First Reading instead of the Gospel, as it... Continue Reading →
24 December, Wednesday — Prepare the Way for the Lord
24 December 2 Sam 7:1-5,8-12,14,16Lk 1:67-79 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; for he has visited his people, he has come to their rescue, and he has raised up for us a power for salvation in the House of his servant David.” Merry Christmas! How has your Christmas been so far? Is it... Continue Reading →
23 December, Tuesday — What’s In A Name?
Dec 23 – Memorial for St. John of Kanty, presbyter St. John of Kanty (1390-1473) was a Polish country lad. A brilliant student at the University of Krakow, Poland, he became a priest and professor of theology at the University of Krakow, where he was falsely accused and ousted by university rivals. At the age... Continue Reading →
11 December, Thursday — The Least is The Greatest
Dec 11 – Memorial for St. Damasus I, pope St. Damasus (306-384) was raised in a pious family. His father was a priest in Rome, and Damasus served for a time as deacon in his father’s church, St. Laurence. He was ordained a priest and became assistant to Pope Liberius. He was elected the 37th... Continue Reading →
10 December, Wednesday — Signs of Patience
Dec 10 – Our Lady of Loreto The Basilica della Santa Casa (English: Basilica of the Holy House) is a Marian shrine in Loreto, in the Marches, Italy. The basilica is known for enshrining the house in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is believed by some Catholics to have lived. Pious legends claim the same house was flown over by angelic beings from Nazareth to Tersatto (Trsat in Croatia), then... Continue Reading →
29 November, Saturday — On Vigilance
Saturday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Dan 7:15-27Lk 21:34-36 “Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.” Yesterday, we read about the lesson of the fig tree, and that Heaven and earth will pass away... Continue Reading →
28 November, Friday — Infinity and beyond
Friday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Dan 7:2-14Lk 21:29-33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Have you ever really pondered the concept of eternity? In our everyday language, we speak ever so lightly of ‘always’, ‘forever’, ‘infinity’, ‘endless’, etc. But do we really have an understanding of... Continue Reading →
26 November, Wednesday — Endurance in Adversity
Wednesday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Dan 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28Lk 21:12-19 “You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.” I recall a few years back, when I felt the Catholic church was under attack. From... Continue Reading →
23 October, Thursday — Division
Oct 23 – Memorial for St John of Capistrano, priest John of Capistrano was a Franciscan friar and Catholic priest from the Italian town of Capestrano, Abruzzo. Famous as a preacher, theologian, and inquisitor, he earned himself the nickname "the Soldier Saint" when in 1456 at age 70 he led a Crusade against the invading Ottoman Empire at the siege of Belgrade with the Hungarian military commander John Hunyadi. Elevated to... Continue Reading →