Sep 23 – Memorial for St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), Priest St. Pio (1887-1968) was ordained when he was 22. He founded the House for the Relief of Suffering in 1956, a hospital that serves 60,000 a year. In the 1920s he started a series of prayer groups that continue today with over 400,000... Continue Reading →
20 September, Wednesday — Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty
Sept 20 -- Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taejon, Priest, and Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions, Martyrs For centuries, Korea was closed to all outside influences, and all contact with foreigners was forbidden. No missionaries went there. Nevertheless, a number of laymen sought to find out all that they could about the outside world,... Continue Reading →
19 September, Tuesday — Jesus Touches Our Sorrow
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... Continue Reading →
16 September, Saturday — WYSIWYG
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... Continue Reading →
15 September, Friday — Hail, Mother Most Pure
Sep 15 – Memorial for Our Lady of SorrowsDifferent 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 Child... Continue Reading →
13 September, Wednesday — “Rich Man, Poor Man.”
Sep 13 – Memorial for St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor John’s (347-407) father died when he was young, and he was raised by a very pious mother. It was for his sermons that John earned the title ‘Chrysostom’ (golden-mouthed). They were always on point, they explained the scriptures with clarity, and they sometimes went on... Continue Reading →
9 September, Saturday — Sunday Mass — Obligation or Opportunity?
Sep 9 – Memorial for St. Peter Claver, Priest St Peter Claver was born in Catalonia and studied at the University of Barcelona. He became a Jesuit; and while he was studying philosophy in Mallorca, the door-keeper of the college, Alfonso Rodríguez, saw that his true vocation was to evangelize the New World, and encouraged him... Continue Reading →
28 August, Monday — The influence of a prayer
Aug 28 – Memorial for St. Augustine, bishop, doctor After investigating and experimenting with several philosophies, Augustine (354-430) became a Manichaean for several years; it taught of a great struggle between good and evil, and featured a lax moral code. A summation of his thinking at the time comes from his Confessions: “God, give me chastity and... Continue Reading →
27 August, Sunday — The question
21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Isa 22:19-23Rm 11:33-36Mt 16:13-20 "But you, who do you say I am?" That indeed, is THE question that we will each answer for ourselves at the time of our death. Our knowing the answer, I believe, oftentimes begins with prayers from our mother. So today as we recognize St. Monica, the mother... Continue Reading →
25 August, Friday — Focusing on God and our faith
Aug 25 – Memorial for St. Louis of France, married man; Memorial for St. Joseph Calasanz, priest, religious founder As king of France, Louis (1214-1270) made numerous judicial and legislative reforms. He promoted Christianity in France; established religious foundations, aided mendicant orders, propagated synodal decrees of the Church, built leper hospitals, and collected relics. “In prosperity, give thanks... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 