Wednesday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time Apo 15:1-4Lk 21:12-19 "Your endurance will win you your lives." I always feel slightly unsettled by the readings at mass every November as the liturgical year draws to an end, especially with the passages from the book of Revelations. The nightmarish images of frightening beasts and destroying angels... Continue Reading →
4 October, Friday — Job’s faith
Oct 4 – Memorial for St. Francis of Assisi Francis Bernardone (1181–1226) was the son of Pietro Bernadone, a rich cloth merchant. Though he had a good education and became part of his father’s business, he also had a somewhat misspent youth. He was a street brawler and some-time soldier. He was captured during a... Continue Reading →
29 September, Sunday — He is speaking to me
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Num 11:25-29Jas 5:1-6Mk 9:38-43,45,47,48 cut it off….cut it off… The words spoken by Jesus in the gospel today don’t really fit the Jesus2024 that the mainstream media portrays at all. As Dr. Peter Kreeft points out, here we find the most kind, loving, generous, compassionate, forgiving, merciful man who ever lived... Continue Reading →
19 September, Thursday — A leap of faith
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 →
14 September, Saturday – Sign for our times
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 →
11 September, Wednesday — “Rich Man, Poor Man.”
Wednesday of Week 23 in Ordinary Time 1 Cor 7:25-31Lk 6:20-26 “How happy are you who are poor…” “Do you want to be rich and be condemned or be poor and have eternal life in Heaven?” As Christians, I wonder what our answer would be. For those of us that didn’t have very much when... Continue Reading →
3 September, Tuesday — Recognising God’s Hand
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 →
23 August, Friday — Valley of Dry Faith
Aug 23 – Memorial for St. Rose of Lima, virgin A beautiful girl and devoted daughter, Rose (1586-1617) was so devoted to her vow of chastity, she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be attractive. She lived and meditated in a garden, raising vegetables and making embroidered items to... Continue Reading →
25 June, Tuesday — Turning to our God
Tuesday of Week 12 in Ordinary Time 2 Kgs 19:9-11,14-21,31-36Mt 7:6,12-14 ‘Give ear, Lord, and listen. Open your eyes, Lord, and see’ In today's first reading, we read about the mind games played by Sennacherib, King of the Assyrians, with Hezekiah, the King of Judah. With a strong track record of exterminating her enemies, Sennacherib... Continue Reading →
11 June, Tuesday — Answering God’s call
Jun 11 – Feast of St. Barnabas, apostle St. Barnabas (martyred 61) founded the Church in Antioch. He was a Levite Jewish convert, coming to the faith soon after Pentecost. Barnabas is mentioned frequently in the Acts of the Apostles, and is included among the prophets and doctors at Antioch. Like Paul, Barnabas believed in... Continue Reading →
OXYGEN 