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 a... Continue Reading →
14 September, Wednesday — A Father’s love
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... Continue Reading →
8 September, Thursday — A Third of Our Lives
Sep 8 – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced joy and the approaching salvation of a lost world. Mary was brought into the world not like other children of Adam, infected with the contagion of sin, but pure, holy, beautiful, and glorious, adorned with... 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 →
29 August, Monday — Secularism, materialism, individualism and relativism.
Aug 29 – The Beheading of St. John the Baptist To endure temporal agonies for the sake of the truth was not a heavy burden for such men as John; rather it was easily borne and even desirable, for he knew eternal joy would be his reward. Since death was ever at hand, such men considered... Continue Reading →
24 August, Wednesday — More than meets the eye
Aug 24 – Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles. He was probably a close friend of St. Philip, as his name is always mentioned in the gospels in connection with Philip, and it was Philip who brought Bartholomew to Jesus. He may have written a gospel, now lost, as... Continue Reading →
22 August, Monday — Mary, our role model
Aug 22 – Our Lady, Mother and Queen Whoever, therefore, reverences the Queen of heaven and earth – and let no one consider himself exempt from this tribute of a grateful and loving soul – let him invoke the most effective of Queens, the Mediatrix of Peace; let him respect and preserve peace, which is... Continue Reading →
10 August, Wednesday — Dying to ourselves, Living in God
Aug 10 – Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr St. Lawrence was a third-century archdeacon of Rome, a distributor of alms, and “keeper of the treasures of the Church” in a time when Christianity was outlawed. On 6 August 258, by decree of Emperor Valerian, Pope St. Sixtus II and six deacons were beheaded,... Continue Reading →
6 August, Saturday — The mountaintop experience
Aug 6 – Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Today we celebrate the occasion on which Christ revealed Himself in shining splendour to Peter, James, and John. Moses and Elijah were present, and are taken to signify the Law and the Prophets. They testify to Jesus as the promised Messiah. God the Father also... Continue Reading →
25 July, Monday — Confused yet bemused
Jul 25 – Feast of St. James, Apostle St. James (died 44) was the first Apostle to be martyred. He preached in Samaria, Judea, and Spain. His work in Spain, and the housing of his relics there, led to his patronage of the country and all things Spanish. Like all men of renown, many stories... Continue Reading →