Friday of the 1st week of Lent Ez 18:21-28Mt 5:20-26 "If your virtue goes no further than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven." Today's readings have certainly given me much food for thought. Actually, to be honest, what is there to think about? The readings are very clear... Continue Reading →
2 March, Thursday – Allowed and Aloud
Thursday of the 1st week of Lent Est 4:17Mt 7:7-12 "Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you." At first glance, this verse is very comforting. It makes it seem like our prayers will be answered, as long as we make the request. However,... Continue Reading →
1 March, Wednesday — Learning from Jonah and the Ninevites
Wednesday of the 1st Week of Lent Jon 3:1-10Lk 11:29–32 Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. Today’s first reading is from the book of Jonah, which I find an almost tragicomic story in its description of Jonah’s futile attempts to avoid God’s... Continue Reading →
28 February, Tuesday – Beautiful Beginnings
Tuesday of the 1st Week of Lent Isa 55:10-11Mt 6:7-15 "Y"...your Father knows what you need before you ask him." A few years ago, I made the difficult decision to leave a job I enjoyed and a team I loved. It was a decision I came to after considerable discernment – I knew that I... Continue Reading →
27 February, Monday – Love God, Love People
Monday of the 1st Week of Lent Lev 19:1-2,11-18Mt 25:31-46 But love your neighbour as yourself I often hurry into the season of Lent, bent on setting my heart and mind to practice some form of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The priest would be preaching during Ash Wednesday mass and my mind would often be... Continue Reading →
26 February, Sunday — A Greater Gift
1st Sunday of Lent Gen 2:7-9,3:1-7Rm 5:12-19Mt 4:1-11 …but the gift itself considerably outweighed the fall. One activity during training or teambuilding makes use of a white sheet of paper and the facilitator asking people to draw one dot. Immediately, everyone’s attention is on that one dot and it seems as if they have forgotten,... Continue Reading →
25 February, Saturday — Repentance
Today we welcome Andrew Sia, who grew up Catholic since birth. For him, weekly Sunday mass and Christmas was about spending time in church. Then at age 27, he was asked to convert to become a Baptist in order to marry his Protestant girlfriend. Standing before Mother Mary’s altar in the Church of St Francis... Continue Reading →
24 February, Friday — Shout to the Lord
Friday after Ash Wednesday Isa 58:1-9Mt 9:14-15 Shout for all you are worth, raise your voice like a trumpet. I sometimes watch and rewatch episodes of reality talent shows on youtube, where the contestants (usually singers) initially appear on stage looking unsure, nervous, lacking confidence but end up leaving to standing ovations, a ‘golden buzzer’,... Continue Reading →
23 February, Thursday — Follow Me
Thursday after Ash Wednesday Deu 30:15-20Lk 9:22-25 “…let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me.” Since my return from a short pilgrimage to Medjugorje, life has resumed and continues to be challenging on various fronts. But rather than allow these to weigh me down and get flustered, I have... Continue Reading →
22 February, Wednesday — Reconcile
22 Feb -- Ash Wednesday Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays). It falls on a different date each year, because it is dependent on the date of Easter; it can occur as early as Feb 4 or as late as Mar 10. Ash Wednesday gets... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 