Sep 26 – Memorial for Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs Sts. Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers, physicians who accepted no payment. Their charity brought many to Christ. Although they were tortured during the persecutions of Diocletian, the two suffered no injury. Patron Saint Index Job 1:6-22Lk 9:46-50 …and among them was Satan. So the... Continue Reading →
23 September, Friday – A time to decide
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, Tuesday — Faith in action
Sep 20 – Memorial for St. Andrew Kim Taegon and Companions, Korean Martyrs; Memorial for Sts. Laurent Imbert, Bishop Jacques Chastan, Priest (martyrs of College General, Penang, Malaysia) There are 103 martyrs in this group, consisting of priests, missionaries and lay people who died in the early days of the Church in Korea. Most were... Continue Reading →
19 September, Monday — Stewardship – Showing it
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 →
17 September, Saturday — The Richness Within
Sep 17 – Memorial for St. Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor St. Robert (1542-1621) wrote the most complete work of his day to defend Catholicism against Protestant attack. He also wrote a children’s catechism and a catechism for teachers. As cardinal-priest, he gave most of his money to the poor. At one point he used... Continue Reading →
16 September, Friday — The Church Ain’t No Lie
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, Thursday — A mother’s sorrow
Sep 15 – Memorial for Our Lady of Sorrows Different 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... Continue Reading →
13 September, Tuesday — Existence
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... Continue Reading →
9 September, Friday — Blinded
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... Continue Reading →
3 September, Saturday — Strengthening our relationship with Jesus
Sep 3 – Memorial for St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor St. Gregory (540-590) collected the melodies and plain chants so associated with him, that they are now known as Gregorian Chants. He was elected by unanimous acclamation for pope. Incidentally, he was also the first monk to be pope. Before his papacy, he... Continue Reading →