25 Mar – Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord The annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary by Gabriel the archangel that she was to be the Mother of God (Luke 1), the Word being made flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit. The feast probably originated about the time of the Council of... Continue Reading →
20 March, Monday — Immediately
20 Mar – Solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. Joseph is a descendant of the house of David. A layman and a carpenter, he was the earthly spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and foster and adoptive father of Jesus Christ. He was a visionary who was visited by angels,... Continue Reading →
1 January, Sunday — Learning from the first Christian
1 Jan – Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is celebrated on Jan 1, the Octave Day of Christmas (i.e. 8th day after Christmas). It is a celebration of Mary’s motherhood of Jesus. The title ‘Mother of God’ is a western derivation from the Greek... Continue Reading →
25 December, Sunday — His compassion saved us
Dec 25 – Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Mass at Dawn) The name ‘Christmas’ was derived from Old English: ‘Cristes Maesse’ -- Christ’s Mass. It is a celebration of the anniversary of the birth of our Lord. In the earliest days of the Church, there was no such feast; the Saviour’s birth was... Continue Reading →
8 December, Thursday — Let us be humble and surrender to Him!
Dec 8 – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary On this and the following eight days, the Church celebrates, with particular solemnity, the immaculate conception of the ever-blessed Virgin Mary who, from all eternity, was chosen to be the daughter of the heavenly Father, the spouse of the Holy Ghost, the... Continue Reading →
20 November, Sunday — Seeking Jesus
Nov 20 – Solemnity of Christ The King Christ The King is a title of Jesus based on several passages of scripture and used by all Christians. The name is found in various forms in scripture: King Eternal (1 Timothy 1:17), King of Israel (John 1:49), King of the Jews (Matthew 27:11), King of kings... Continue Reading →
1 November, Tuesday — Saints in the making
Nov 1 – Solemnity of All Saints All Saints’ Day is celebrated in honour of all the saints, known and unknown. In terms of Roman Catholic theology, the feast commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in heaven. The beatific vision is the eternal and direct perception of God enjoyed by those who... Continue Reading →
15 August, Monday — Saved Through Christ
Aug 15 – Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mary is taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven, and with God and in God she is Queen of Heaven and earth. And is she really so remote from us? The contrary is true. Precisely because she is with God... Continue Reading →
29 June, Wednesday – Courage in Life’s Uncertainty
June 29 – Solemnity of Saints. Peter and Paul, Apostles Peter (c.1–64) was a professional fisherman. He was the brother of St. Andrew the Apostle, the man who led him to Christ. Given the name Simon, he was renamed “Peter” (rock) by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the... Continue Reading →
25 June, Saturday — Heart of a Mother
June 25 -- Solemnity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary As early as 1643, St. John Eudes and his followers observed 8 February as the feast of the Heart of Mary.[4] In 1799 Pius VI, then in captivity in Florence, granted the Bishop of Palermo the feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary for some of the churches in his diocese.... Continue Reading →