Wednesday of Week 18 in Ordinary Time Jer 31:1-7Mt 15:21-28 “Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.” When the woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter, she mentioned that "even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table." It was a real eye-opener for me that even the ‘scraps’... Continue Reading →
1 August, Monday — Little Faith
Aug 1 – Memorial for St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop, religious founder, doctor Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) vowed early to never to waste a moment of his life, and lived that way for over 90 years. As a lawyer, he had his own practice by age 21, and was a leading lawyer in Naples. He never attended... Continue Reading →
28 June, Tuesday — Staying Faithful
Jun 28 – St. Irenaeus, bishop, martyr Irenaeus (c.130–202) was a disciple of St. Polycarp of Smyrna. He was ordained in 177. He was Bishop of Lugdunum, Gaul (modern Lyons, France). He worked and wrote against Gnosticism, basing his arguments on the works of St. John the Apostle, whose gospel is often cited by Gnostics.... Continue Reading →
16 June, Thursday – Figuring out how to pray
Thursday of Week 11 in Ordinary Time Ecc 48:1-15Mt 6:7-15 "In your prayers, do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard." I have a constant struggle with prayer, because I have always found it difficult to maintain the balance between praying in a... Continue Reading →
9 May, Monday – Trust in God
Monday of the 4th Week of Eastertide Acts 11:1-18Jn 10:1-10 I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full I have seen how pet owners take good care of their pets. This is especially so when they are very young and the owner has seen the pet grow up.... Continue Reading →
4 May, Wednesday — Authentic Faith and Love
Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Eastertide Acts 8:1-8Jn 6:35-40 Those who had escaped went from place to place preaching the Good News. I am sure many of us have faced adversity in our lives, some certainly more than others. I, for one, have thought I had the bad luck to always draw the short... Continue Reading →
30 April, Saturday – Too Good to be True
30 Apr – Memorial for St. Pius V, pope Antonio Ghislieri (1504-1572) was born to impoverished Italian nobility, the son of Paolo Ghislieri and Domenica Augeria. He worked as a shepherd as a boy, and received an excellent education in piety and holiness, including a scholastic education from a Dominican friar. He joined the Order... Continue Reading →
7 April, Thursday – What’s in a name?
Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent Gen 17:3-9Jn 8:51-59 “You shall no longer be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham...” Every year during Easter, our parish confirms about a dozen adults into the Catholic faith. In the run up to this, they spend 9 months learning about being a Catholic and take on... Continue Reading →
6 April, Wednesday – On Discipleship
Wednesday of the 5th Week of Lent Dan 3:14-20,24-25,28John 8:31-42 “If you make my word your home, you will indeed be my disciples...” The thing about being authentic to something is that at some point, your convictions will be tested. It’s only when you are put under duress that you discover the true nature of... Continue Reading →
28 March, Monday — Simple Faith, A Faith beyond Crisis
Monday of the 4th Week of Lent Isa 65:17-21Jn 4:43-54 “So you will not believe unless you see signs and portents!” It is usually easy to take someone familiar for granted. Whether it be a long time friend, family or relative. It is as the gospel reading tells us today: For Jesus himself testified that... Continue Reading →