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 →
1 October, Wednesday — Loving Jesus, Following Jesus
Oct 1 – Feast of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor, Patroness of Missions Born to a pious middle-class French family of tradesmen, Francoise-Marie Thérèse Martin (1873–1897) was the daughter of Blessed Louis Martin and Blessed Marie-Azelie Guerin Martin, and all four of her sisters became nuns. Her mother died when Francoise-Marie... Continue Reading →
14 September, Sunday — Climbing the Tree of Life
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 →
12 September, Friday — Baking, Blindness and Becoming
Sep 12 – 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 to... Continue Reading →
8 September, Monday — Loving Our Mothers, Praising Their Existence
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, Friday — Do I want to fast?
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 →
6 August, Wednesday — Deepening Our Desire for Holiness
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, Friday — Being Present
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 →
3 July, Thursday — On Narratives
Jul 3 – Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle Thomas (d. 72) was ready to die with Jesus when Christ went to Jerusalem, but he is best remembered for doubting the Resurrection until allowed to touch Christ’s wounds. He preached in Parthia, Persia and India, though he was so reluctant to start the mission that he... Continue Reading →
30 June, Monday — Holiness is found in the details, the small steps
Jun 30 – First Martyrs of the Church of Rome These holy men and women are also called the “Protomartyrs of Rome”. They were accused of burning Rome by Nero, who burned Rome to cover his own crimes. Some martyrs were burned as living torches at evening banquets, some crucified, and others were fed to... Continue Reading →