21 September, Monday — On Believing
Sep 21 – Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist St. Matthew was the son of Alphaeus, and he lived at Capernaum on Lake Genesareth. He was a Roman tax collector, a position equated with collaboration with the enemy by those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus’ contemporaries were surprised to see the Christ with…
20 September, Sunday — Save Us Lord, I Call Upon Your Name
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 55:6-9Phi 1:20-24,27Mt 20:1-16 Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more… As I write this, I have cried countless tears for my beloved husband. I have weeped and…
19 September, Saturday — Seeds of Glory
Sep 19 – Memorial for St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr St. Januarius (d. 305) was arrested on account of his profession of the Christian religion during persecution of Christians. He was cast into the fiery furnace, through which he passed wholly unharmed. On the following day, along with a number of fellow martyrs, he was…
18 September, Friday — Knowing Jesus
Friday of Week 24 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 15:12-20Lk 8:1-3 “…and if Christ has not been raised then our preaching is useless and your believing it is useless… And what is more serious, all who have died in Christ have perished.” St Paul continues, almost provocatively, by saying: “If our hope in Christ has…
17 September, Thursday — The Good News
Sep 17 – Memorial for St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor St. Robert (1542-1621) wrote the most complete work of his day to defend Catholicism against Protestant attack. He also wrote a children’s catechism and a catechism for teachers. As cardinal-priest, he gave most of his money to the poor. At one point he used…
16 September, Wednesday — The More Excellent Way
Sep 16 – Memorial for Sts. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr; and Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr St. Cornelius (d. 253) was elected after a year-and-a-half period, during which persecutions were so bad that papal ascension was a quick death sentence. He worked to maintain unity in a time of schism and apostasy. He called a synod…
15 September, Tuesday — Two sides of the same coin
Sep 15 – Memorial for Our Lady of Sorrows Different sorrows of Mary have been honoured in the Church’s history, but since the 14th century, these seven have come to be regarded as the seven ‘dolors’ (sorrows) of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 1. The Prophecy of Simeon2. The Flight into Egypt3. The Loss of the…
14 September, Monday — Nothing but you, Lord
Sep 14 – Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross The feast was celebrated in Rome before the end of the 7th century. Its purpose is to commemorate the recovering of that portion of the Holy Cross which was preserved at Jerusalem, and which had fallen into the hands of the Persians. Emperor Heraclius…
13 September, Sunday — Forgiveness hangs in the balance
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Ecc 27:33–28:9Rm 14:7-9Mt 18:21-35 “…unless you each forgive your brother from your heart.” The greatest act of forgiveness that you have received – the greatest act of forgiveness that you have given – does it come to mind easily? I can think of a time or two I ‘generously’ forgave,…
12 September, Saturday — Praying to Our Lady to place us with Jesus
Sep 12 – Most Holy Name of Mary This feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (January 3); both have the possibility of uniting people easily divided on other matters. The feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary began in Spain in 1513 and, in 1671, was extended…
11 September, Friday — On Regret
Friday of Week 23 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 9:16-19,22-27Lk 6:39-42 “Hypocrite! Take the plank out of your own eye first, and then you will see clearly…” My father-in-law has lost the battle with cancer and dementia. We are gathered as a family, to witness his last few days, and pray for him as he…
10 September, Thursday — On Death
Thursday of Week 23 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 8:1-7,11-13Lk 6:27-38 “…for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate.” My father-in-law is dying. He has been declining since Christmas, battling first dementia and more recently, cancer. I think we were all in denial, which is…
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