2 Jan – Memorial for Sts Basil the Great & Gregory Nazianzen, bishops St. Basil the Great (329-379) was a noble by birth. His parents and four of his nine siblings were canonized, including St. Gregory of Nyssa. He was the grandson of St. Marcina the Elder. As a youth, he was noted for organizing... Continue Reading →
28 December, Sunday — Family Ties
Dec 28 – Feast of the Holy Family We celebrate the Holy Family of Nazareth which is the model for all who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. the Sunday Missal Ecc 3:2-6,12-14Col 3:12-17Mat 2:13-15,19-2 Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins, he who honours his mother is like someone amassing... Continue Reading →
27 December, Saturday — Seeing and Touching the Word of Life
Dec 27 – Feast of St. John, apostle, evangelist St. John, also known as the ‘beloved disciple’ of Jesus, was the son of Zebedee and Salome, brother of St. James the Great, and was called one of the Sons of Thunder. Before becoming Jesus’ disciple, he was already a disciple of St. John the Baptist,... 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 →
3 December, Wednesday — Answering The Call I Almost Walked Away From
Dec 3 – Feast of St. Francis Xavier, presbyter, religious, missionary (Principal Patron of Foreign Missions) St. Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was a nobleman from the Basque region. He studied and taught philosophy at the University of Paris, and planned a career as a professor. He was a friend of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who convinced... Continue Reading →
23 November, Sunday — Hope amidst grief
Nov 23 – Feast of Christ The King The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, commonly referred to as the Feast of Christ the King, Christ the King Sunday or Reign of Christ Sunday, is a feast in the liturgical year which emphasises the true kingship of Christ. It was meant to respond to the rise of atheism and secularization. For... Continue Reading →
22 November, Saturday — Singing His Praises
Nov 22 – Memorial for St. Cecilia, virgin, martyr St. Cecilia (d. 117) was a cultivated young patrician woman, whose ancestors loomed large in Rome’s history. She vowed her virginity to God, but her parents married her to Valerian of Trastevere. She told her new husband that she was accompanied by an angel, but in... Continue Reading →
9 November — On Regrets
Nov 9 – Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral of the church of Rome and the official ecclesiastical seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is the Pope. It is officially named ‘Archbasilica of the Most Holy Saviour, St. John Baptist and... Continue Reading →
28 October, Tuesday — Leading in the Spirit
Oct 28 – Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles St. Simon was an apostle called the Cananean or Zealot because of his zeal for the Jewish law. He was not from Cana, nor a member of the Zealot party. Like all the Apostles, he was a convert, and was trained by St. Peter the... Continue Reading →
18 October, Saturday — Being unprepared for the journey
Oct 18 – Feast of St. Luke the Evangelist St. Luke (d. 74) was born to pagan Greek parents, and possibly a slave. He was one of the earliest converts, and a physician studying in Antioch and Tarsus. He probably travelled as a ship’s doctor, and many charitable societies of physicians are named after him.... Continue Reading →