3rd Sunday of Advent Isa 35:1-6,10Jas 5:7-10Mt 11:2-11 They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces. We are now in the mid-point of Advent and steeped fully in the season of waiting. This practice of waiting hardly comes easy to most of us -- certainly not me. As I ponder... Continue Reading →
8 September, Monday — Loving Our Mothers, Praising Their Existence
Sep 8 – Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary The birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary announced joy and the approaching salvation of a lost world. Mary was brought into the world not like other children of Adam, infected with the contagion of sin, but pure, holy, beautiful, and glorious, adorned with... Continue Reading →
15 May, Thursday — Love is an act of service
Thursday of the 4th Week of Easter Acts 13:13-25Jn 13:16-20 “…no servant is greater than his master, no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.” Today’s Gospel readings return us to the Last Supper, with Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. In this set of readings, Jesus makes two important points. First,... Continue Reading →
3 January, Friday — My Beloved Daughter and Son
3 Jan – Memorial for the Most Holy Name of Jesus Today’s feast day is a remembrance and celebration of the conferral of the Holy Name of Jesus. A separate votive Mass under this title is found in the revised Roman Missal, and may be used for an annual celebration (e.g. titular of a Church),... Continue Reading →
6 June, Thursday — Living Out Love
Jun 6 – Memorial for St. Norbert, bishop, religious founder St. Norbert (1080-1134) had been born to the nobility and raised around the royal court. There he developed a very worldly view, taking holy orders as a career move when he joined the Benedictines. A narrow escape from death led him to a conversion experience... Continue Reading →
16 April, Tuesday — Christ is Our Daily Bread, Why Wait?
Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Eastertide Acts 7:51-8:1aJohn 6:30-35 “Sir, give us that bread always”… Jesus answered: “I am the bread of life.” The Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. How many of us forget that as practicing Catholics, we have this privilege of receiving Christ in Holy Communion every day? Are we aware that... Continue Reading →
24 February, Saturday — The Story that Matters
Saturday of the 1st Week of Lent Deu 26:16-19Mt 5:43-48 “But I say this to you: love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you…” Of all Jesus’s teachings, I find this one of the hardest ones to swallow: Love your enemies, pray for them. Wait, what…? When I first read that, I was... Continue Reading →
19 February, Monday — Love God, Love People
Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Eastertide Lev 19:1-2,11-18Mt 25:31-46 But love your neighbour as yourself I often hurry into the season of Lent, bent on setting my heart and mind to practice some form of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The priest would be preaching during Ash Wednesday mass and my mind would often be... Continue Reading →
1 February, Thursday — The law of love
Thursday of Week 4 in Ordinary Time 1 Kgs 2:1-4,10-12Mk 6:7-13 “Observe the injunctions of the Lord your God, following his laws, his commandments, his customs and his decrees… so you may be successful in all you do and undertake, so that the Lord may fulfil the promise he made me…” The verse above is... Continue Reading →
10 December, Sunday — How have I responded to God in the past year?
2nd Sunday of Advent Is 40:1-5,9-112 Pet 3:8-14Mk 1:1-8… with the Lord, 'a day' can mean a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not being slow to carry out his promises, as anybody else might be called slow; but he is being patient with you all … It... Continue Reading →