Anton Nichols, Jerome Nichols, Father Richard, Matthew Goodman
Father Richard Saksons,
O.Praem., has been our chaplain since January 2007.
Father Richard lives a semi-eremitical form the the religious life
in the grounds of the Priory. He writes for Catholic websites
and gives online spiritual direction to housebound Catholics in the
USA where he spent seven years (1995-2002) as a parish priest in the
Pacific Northwest. He assists the local parochial clergy as
needed and looks after our website.
HOMILY ARCHIVE
Audio files are in 'wma' format and will open and play on the
Windows Media Player already installed on your computer
Contemplation of God doesn’t have to take us out of our everyday life - there are always things to be done. Rather, it should provide us with a new perspective of that life. True contemplation allows us to live the seemingly paradoxical ‘mixed’ life of being active in the world while remaining focused firmly on the “one thing only that is required”.
Wednesday of the 17th Week in Ordinary Time
When we were baptised we became
adopted children of God , and this adoption is never lost even
though it may be covered over by years of neglect, by lack of
understanding, even by human frailty and sin.
Memorial to the Martyrs of Lancaster in Lancaster Cathedral
Blessed John Finch (died 1548), Blessed
Robert Nutter (1600), Blessed Edward Thwing (1600), Blessed Thurstan
Hunt (1601), Blessed Robert Middleton (1601), Venerable Lawrence
Bailey (1604), Blessed John Thules (1616), Blessed Roger Wrenno
(1616), Saint Edmund Arrowsmith (1628), Blessed Richard Hurst
(1628), Saint Ambrose Barlow (1641), Blessed John Woodcock (1646),
Blessed Thomas Whittaker (1646), Blessed Edward Bamber (1646)
Martyrs of England, pray for us
Ss. Joachim and Anne
Parents of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
God asks us for our fidelity and our love. It’s all he asked of Ss. Joachim and Anne. If we are faithful in this, then we will inherit everything He has promised, and we will see Him face-to-face for all eternity.
The 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
We don’t have to change our personality or our character in order to pray effectively. We are to come before God just as we are, warts and all. And if we are open and honest with God, then we will change after we have prayed, but such a transformation will be God’s doing more than ours.
Saturday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time
The Holy Spirit speaks to us dynamically through Scripture and
through the teachings of the Church.
He wants to bring theological doctrines and ancient writings
to life, making them into sources of light and hope for all people.
Saint Bridget of Sweden
Patron of Europe
In a world given over almost entirely to secularism and materialism it is in the quality of our witness to this truth that we will touch the lives of others.
Saint Mary Magdalene
Secondary Patron of the
Order of Preachers
Mary Magdalene had the honour of being the ‘apostle to the apostles’ - the first witness and the first herald of the resurrection.
Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time
When we are tempted to doubt or despair, we need to remember that
seeds sown by God can yield surprising results.
Tuesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time
As spiritual siblings of his, we are bound by a divine relationship.
And that relationship bears a compelling responsibility to
act as Our Lord did.
Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time
Like the Israelites we too can learn that the promise of the
Covenant is most often fulfilled in the day-to-day details of living
it out.
The 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Hospitality is worth thinking about because it’s a form of charity and as such it’s something we ought to foster in our lives and in our community. And not only that, Our Lord tells us that our hospitality is one of the things we will be judged on. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome.
Saturday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
At Mass the Word of God we hear proclaimed and the Eucharist we
receive will help us to identify and reinforce the virtues that will
make us whole.
Friday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
There are so many blessings to thank God for.
Fixing our hearts on these
can bring unity far more effectively than looking for trouble.
After all,
‘the Son of Man is Lord of the
Sabbath’. It is his job,
not ours, to be concerned with the conscience of each person he has
made.
Today we
celebrate the feast of Saint Bonaventure.
He joined the Franciscans
and studied in Paris where he became the friend of St. Thomas
Aquinas. He was nominated
Archbishop of York by Pope Clement IV, but he refused the
appointment. Later Pope
Gregory X persuaded him to become a Cardinal and Bishop of Albano.
He died on 15th
July 1274. St.
Bonaventure was one of the leading philosophers and theologians of
his time and the Church honours him as a Doctor of the Church.
Wednesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
May we follow Our Lord’s example and
become like little children in the presence of our heavenly Father.
Tuesday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
How can we “stand firm in faith”
when we are faced with troubling situations? How can we use God’s
truth to guide and inform our responses? The first step is to
decide to believe what God says, even when confronted by what seems
to be evidence to the contrary. God will use our resolve, raise it
up, and fill it with his own power and grace.
Monday of the 15th Week in Ordinary Time
We don’t worship God with the hope of buying him off.
Rather we worship God because he is deserving of it.
The Mass must be the expression of our unselfish love for
God.
The 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The more we follow our conscience, the more will the love of Christ take a deeper hold of us: a love which will transform us in this life and forever in the life to come.
Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
The majestic account of Isaiah’s
call can help us to explore our own vocation when we were called to
be priest, prophet and king.
Saint John of Cologne and the Martyrs of Gorkum
Today we
honour the memory of the Dominican priest Saint John of Cologne who
along with 18 other priests and religious, including two
Premonstratensians, are known as the Martyrs of Gorkum.
In 1572 the Dutch town of Gorkum was taken over by
Protestants who rounded up all the known Catholic clergy and
religious in the area.
St. John, who was the parish priest near Gorkum, was lured out of
his house in the middle of the night on the pretence of
administering the sacraments to a dying man.
St. John, together with Franciscans, Premonstratensians and
Augustinians were held in the prison at Gorkum where they were
abused and tortured and compelled to abandon their belief in the
Blessed Sacrament and in the supremacy of the Pope.
They persevered in their faith and were hanged on 9 July
1572. The Martyrs of
Gorkum were canonised by Pope Pius IX in 1867.
Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
Month's Mind for Miriam Cook
Our faith tells us that there is an eternal home waiting for us at
the end of our earthly life. This is why faith is the most
important thing in life. Without it we would be deprived of the
hope of an everlasting home.
Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
There is nothing in all of creation
that is so big or so horrible that it can separate us from God’s
unconditional love and mercy. There is no need for lingering guilt
or shame—and certainly no need to despair for our lives. God knows
our weakness but he loves us anyway.
Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
God became a man like us in all
things but sin—the living, breathing, physical image of the
invisible God.
Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time
God knows exactly who we are right
now. But he also sees who he has created us to be—who we can
become. He sees both the reality and the hope, and that combination
stirs his heart to love us even more.
The 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Every time we celebrate the Mass, we remember the promise Our Lord
made on the night before he died,
“I leave you peace, my peace I
give you”. And in
today’s gospel we hear Our Lord command his disciples to offer peace
wherever they go: “Let your
first words be, ‘Peace be to this house’.”
May our lives today and every day reflect that community to which we all belong, and may we always give witness to its strength and truth and, like Saint Thomas the apostle, invite everyone to share in it.
Friday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time
For those who may have discerned a vocation to the priesthood or the
religious life, we should encourage them, like Saint Matthew, to
follow Christ to a life of service to God, the Church and the world.
Saint Oliver Plunkett
Saint Oliver Plunkett – Archbishop of Armagh. The last Catholic to be martyred at Tyburn 1st July 1681. At a kangaroo court in London, the archbishop was found guilty of high treason “for promoting the Catholic Faith” and he was condemned to be hanged, drawn and quartered. The feasts of the apostles and martyrs we celebrate this week remind us that the Catholic Church is built on the witness of the apostles and the blood of the martyrs. A foundation that cannot be shaken by any power.
First Martyrs of the Church of Rome
In July of the year 64, more than half of Rome was destroyed by
fire. Some people blamed the
tragedy on the Roman Emperor Nero, who shifted the blame on to the
Christians in Rome who were rounded up and executed in the first
great persecution of the Church. Wherever
the Good News was preached the Church met with opposition and yet no
power on earth can stop the work of the Holy Spirit.
The witness of the apostles and the blood of the martyrs are
the foundation upon which the Church is built.
We are the heirs of the apostles and martyrs; let us pray for
the grace to witness as they did.
Our Lord sees potential in each of us. Every moment of every day, Our Lord calls us to follow him. Given our many weakness and failings we can only take the apostles Peter and Paul as our examples and models – we must have the humility and the generosity of spirit to accept Our Lord’s call to follow, and then allow his grace to make up what is lacking in our response.
St. Irenaeus suffered a martyr’s death in the year 202. He was a gifted scholar and the Church gave him the title ‘Father of Catholic Theology’ for his writings against Gnosticism which teaches that the world is essentially evil. St. Irenaeus taught that only the churches founded by the apostles can give authentic witness to doctrinal teaching, and that the succession of bishops in those churches guarantees the truth of their doctrine. He upheld the doctrinal unity of the Church and the pre-eminence of the Church of Rome as witness, guardian, and organ of apostolic tradition.
Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
May our hearts be open to God’s
grace so that our conversion will go deeper still. May we learn to
see God more clearly in this life so that we may see him
face-to-face in heaven.
Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lord gives a sample of how we
ought to pray. And it is only a sample. The Lord’s Prayer – the
Our Father isn’t a magic formula to be rattled off; to say our
prayers in this way is to become like the pagans Our Lord
criticised. We should always be wary of saying prayers as a
substitute for true prayer.
Please pray for the repose of
the soul of Miriam Cook whose funeral takes place today. May
her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the
mercy of God, rest in peace.
Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
In contrast to the world’s addiction to pride and celebrity, God is
looking for modesty and selflessness.
Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time
Performing an act of charity can
help put us in touch with the sufferings of others. Fasting can
reveal our spiritual emptiness and show us how deeply we need God in
our lives.
Monday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lord offers each of us grace so
that we can deal with the challenges we face with a spirit of
charity and a heart of generosity.
THE ELEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Christ speaks to us through the pages of Scripture. It is our task to read the Scriptures and especially to listen closely when they are read at Mass. In this way, his life and message will be for us today, as it was two thousand years ago, a completely new revelation.
The Church instituted today’s feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in order to encourage us to always trust in our Blessed Mother as a source of grace and mercy. Our Lady invites us to be pure of heart and free of sin so that we may find it easier to do God’s will. On this feast Our Lady teaches us to love all people with the Heart of Jesus.
THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS
On this the feast of his Most Sacred Heart let us ask Our Lord to give us a glimpse of the love that fills his heart. May the intensity of that love penetrate our own hearts so that we can know how safe we are in his care.
Coming to Mass without really trying to live a life of love for others is in itself a form of minimalism. Worship must be reflected in life.
Wednesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lord asks us to do nothing less
than to rise above our human flaws and weaknesses. He asks us to
show the same kind of love for other people that he has for us. And
he offers us his grace and help to do it, but it’s still up to us to
choose this righteous path.
Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Faith calls us to love and serve God’s people even when it seems
foolish to do so. It calls us
to give up something the world tells us we can’t do without—whether
it’s our time, our money, our talents or some other valuable
resource—and without asking for anything in return.
Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary
Time
We are all capable of living out Our
Lord’s teachings, because the Christian life is one of
transformation. We need to show those who will follow us that it is
entirely possible to become a saint.
The Eucharist is Jesus Christ for real. Under the appearances of bread and wine Jesus Christ is as really present as he will one day, God willing, be present to us in heaven. The only difference is that today we see him in a sign – for that is the human way – but in heaven we will see him face to face.
CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION 2009
Saint Boniface
The Apostle of Germany
Pope Gregory II sent Boniface to evangelise the Germans. As a bishop he was given wide-ranging papal commissions throughout Germany and France. He founded monasteries and established dioceses, presided at synods and liaised with kings. The Church honours Saint Boniface as a determined missionary whose work shaped the future of Europe. Martyred in the Netherlands in 754. Saint Boniface wrote: “In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a ship pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship, but to keep her on course”.
Saint Peter of Verona, O.P.
The First Dominican Martyr
Saint Peter of Verona was the first Dominican martyr. He preached against Catharism which spread through northern Italy and southern France during the 13th century and still exists in various forms today. Catharism teaches that God created the spiritual world and the devil created the material world. Peter was murdered by Cathars in 1252 and Pope Innocent IV canonised him the following year.
The Martyrs of Uganda
Saint Charles Lwanga & Companions
The 22 Martyrs of Uganda who suffered for their faith during a 12 month reign of terror against Catholics. Led by Charles Lwanga a lay catechist who was burned to death on 3 June 1886. Pope Paul VI canonized Saint Charles and his companions in 1964.
Wednesday of the Ninth Week in
Ordinary Time
Like the eyes of a servant on the
hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the Lord our God.
In an age
when the Church sought to keep itself to itself, St. Justin stands
out as a man brave enough to speak the truth boldly and uncompromisingly.
St. Justin wrote several important works which give us first
hand information about the life and worship of the early Church.
Before he was condemned to death Justin was asked,
If you are killed do you
suppose you will go to heaven?
Justin said, I do not
suppose it, but I know and am fully persuaded of it.
St. Justin was beheaded in the year 165 and went gladly to be
with the Truth he had longed for all his life.
THE MOST HOLY AND UNDIVIDED TRINITY
Today we proclaim that we believe that there is only one God. But that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three Persons in one God. We may not ever fully understand this doctrine, but scripture, the teaching of the Church and our own experience help us appreciate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
Saturday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lord wanted the Jewish leaders
to admit that they had been wrong about John the Baptist. He hoped
that reminding them about a shadowy part of their past would spur
them to repentance and to change their position about John—and
perhaps about himself.
Friday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
We may never understand why God
seems to delay answering our prayers. There may be situations in
which he asks us to trust in his wisdom and his timing, believing –
as St. Paul says – that he really will work all things for our good
(Romans 8:28).
Do our prayers reflect our total confidence in the Providence of God? Do we call out daily to be fed in order to “taste and see how good the Lord is”? Do we ask to see with the eyes of faith? Let us pray today and every day for the confidence to know that our needs will be met.
Saint Philip Neri was educated by the Dominicans in Rome. As a layman he established a confraternity to care for the poor and the sick. He considered the life of a hermit but he was ordained a priest in 1551 and became a popular confessor and spiritual director. Pope Gregory XIV tried to make Philip a cardinal but he declined. In 1575 he established the Congregation of the Oratory – a group of priests dedicated to preaching and teaching. Philip died in 1597 and was canonised in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV. Saint Philip is the patron saint of Rome.
Saint Bede - also known as the Venerable Bede - is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He wrote around 40 books mainly dealing with theology and history. His Ecclesiastical History of the English People is still in print today. Saint Bede died quietly in his monastery in Wearmouth on this day - 25 May - in 735.
THE TRANSLATION OF OUR HOLY FATHER DOMINIC
Each night at Compline we are reminded of how our adversary, the devil, walks among us, seeking to devour those who stray from the straight and narrow path that leads to God. May the spirit of our Holy Father Saint Dominic, the champion of truth, live on in all his spiritual sons and daughters today, and in all those who seek the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
At Pentecost Our Lord breathed on the apostles and he said to them: Receive the Holy Spirit. It’s breath that gives life and the Holy Spirit certainly gives us life. We begin to live a new life; we have a new breath in us: the breath of God. We live this new life by doing the things God wants us to do, thinking the thoughts God wants us to think, and by speaking the words that God wants us to speak.
Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter
The powers of darkness know they
cannot stand against Christ and his Church, and they tremble at the
thought of Spirit-filled Christians moving forward in the name of
Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter
Mother Teresa of Calcutta said:
“God did not call me to be successful. He called me to be
faithful.” Not everyone is going to accept our preaching, but
that shouldn’t put us off from planting seeds whenever we can.
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
The resurrection is our greatest
hope and joy, yet the Sadducees, with their limited view of God and
his word, risked missing this wonderful promise. May we never be
like the Sadducees and narrow our horizons.
The Dedication of Saint John's Cathedral, Portsmouth
Diocese of Portsmouth established 1882 +
Cathedral consecrated 1892
We remember in our prayers today the bishop Crispian Hollis with his
clergy, the religious and people of the diocese. May we all remain
true to our vocation and always seek to build up the living Church
of Christ.
Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter
No one can begin to count the number
of books which have been written about the meaning of Christianity,
but in the final analysis the message comes down to a single word,
and that word is love. Love God, love your neighbour.
Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter
For Christians baptism is the most
fundamental event of our lives.
Our principal task as Catholics is to tell the world about Christ and what he achieved and where he is to be found; and particularly to tell everyone that our home is not here on earth but ultimately in heaven.
Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter
We shouldn’t be afraid to ask God
for a miracle. And most of all, we must never lose hope that God
loves us and wants the best for us.
Matthias was chosen to take the place of Judas Iscariot because he was a witness to the public life, death and resurrection of Our Lord.
Penance! Penance! Penance!
Today
let us ask the Holy Spirit to stir the hearts of our Catholic people
and encourage them to be more frequent receivers of the sacraments,
especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist; and that there be
priests willing to hear their people’s confessions and say Mass for
them each day.
Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
We need to take a second look at our
failures. Despite our best efforts, what may seem to be a disaster
at the time could well have a surprising outcome.
Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter
Those who plotted Our Lord’s death
did so out of a false piety by which they pretended to be doing
God’s will.
Saint Antoninus of Florence O.P.
Today we honour the memory of Saint Antoninus of Florence, who when he first applied to join the Dominicans was refused due to his poor health and education. When he persisted, the prior told him he could only enter if he could recite the whole of canon law from memory; a year later he did exactly that and was admitted as a novice. Antoninus went on to become Vicar-General of the Order and later Archbishop of Florence. He wrote a work on moral theology which is still referred to today. He died in 1459 and was canonised in 1523 by Pope Adrian VI.
The greatest lesson the Holy Spirit can teach us is that we can talk to God as his adopted children, we are no longer slaves. Saint Paul tells us that the Spirit of God has been sent into our hearts and that Spirit cries out: “Abba, Father”.
PATRONAGE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OVER THE ORDER OF PREACHERS
The Church esteems Mary because she is Mother of God. Saint Dominic chose her to be Patron of the Order of Preachers. As servant and model of what it means to follow Jesus, Mary gives us all a clear example of what it means to be a disciple in the world, making Christ present through our lives.
Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter
A true friend is one with whom you
can share your innermost thoughts without having to withhold or
disguise anything. One of my favourite saints, the Cistercian Abbot
Aelred of Rievaulx said: ‘To such a friend we can fearlessly entrust
our heart and all its secrets.’
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter
The Mass is the most perfect
manifestation of the nature of the Church. We celebrate the Mass,
not as individuals, but as one people united in faith with fellow
Catholics throughout the world and also back across the centuries to
the time of the apostles themselves.
The Lord Jesus is the Saviour of all people. Ours is truly catholic, that is, universal religion.
On the 4th May 1535 three Carthusian monks were hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn – these were the first of many English Martyrs. Of this number 42 have been canonised and 242 beatified. But many who suffered on the scaffold, or in prison, or suffered harsh persecution for their faith over a 150 year period simply cannot be reckoned. Today we remember them and we honour them for their constancy of faith and tremendous courage in the face of unjust persecution.
As Philip demands one more ‘sign’, one more ‘miracle’ to manifest God’s power, Our Lord says, “Believe in me, or believe because of the works I do.”
By our perseverance through difficulty, we proclaim to the world the splendour and the beauty of the Church. A splendour and beauty found, not so much in magnificent buildings and monuments, but in the hearts of its faithful children.
Saint Joseph the Worker
Working
together for the whole, realizing how interconnected we are and
knowing how each of our decisions will affect the members of our
community, our friends and our families, is an ecological insight we
cannot do without.
Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Saint Peter could have followed Judas Iscariot into despair and
self-destruction, but he chose instead to turn back to Our Lord and
let his heart be healed by God’s mercy.
That’s why he was so transformed on the day of Pentecost.
SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA
1347
- 1380
Dominican Tertiary
Doctor of the Church
Patron of Europe
Saint Catherine of Siena ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1970 Pope Paul VI named her a Doctor of the Church and in 1999 Pope John Paul II proclaimed her a Patron of Europe. The value of her life for us today lies in her recognition of holiness as a goal to be pursued over the course of a lifetime. May we follow her example in this endeavour. Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us.
Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
We can all tell our own stories of the great
harm caused by quarrels and divisions within our communities, our
parishes, our families and our places of work. We have all seen
plans frustrated, resources squandered, goodwill and a united spirit
sacrificed because of pride, hurt feelings, or stubborn insistence
on our own way. Let us take today’s first reading as a call to be
peacemakers, working and praying to heal the divisions that
frustrate the powerful designs of the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter
We need to to discover where God is
at work and how we can fit into what he is doing, and not
vice-versa. Like the early Christians, in the full flush of new
faith, we should be open to the Holy Spirit who draws us closer to
his heart where there is no need for questions or answers.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter
Throughout salvation history we see
how God delights in doing the unexpected. We can’t always foresee
how the Holy Spirit is going to work among us, but we can choose to
cooperate when he does act. God is always ready to pour his Spirit
upon the Church, but how ready are we to receive him?
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Day of Special Prayer for
Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life
God will always provide priests but we have to ask for them and we
have to encourage our own children to be open and responsive to the
call to serve.
Lord Jesus, send us men and women after your own heart; for the
harvest is rich, yet the labourers are few.
The Conversion of Saint Augustine
Augustine became one of the early Church’s worst enemies. For
sixteen years
his mother Monica prayed night and day for her son’s eternal soul.
Miraculously, Augustine had an instantaneous conversion; after which
he became an outstanding defender of the Faith he once rejected.
Saint Augustine and Saint Monica, pray for us
SAINT GEORGE
PATRON OF ENGLAND
We give thanks to God for the inspiration of Saint George; and even
though he was a foreigner who never set foot in England, we honour
him as our patron, and we honour him for his steadfastness in the
Faith of our Fathers. Saint George stood up for what he believed,
he was willing to be counted, and he spoke out against what he saw
as undermining that belief. That witness continues to challenge us
today.
Saint George, Patron of England, pray
for us
Thursday of the Third Week of Easter
Philip represents the Church and all
its wisdom and tradition. The Ethiopian represents any person of
good will who wants to know more about his faith.
Wednesday of the Third Week of Easter
Given Our Lord’s identification with
water, light and vines, should we be surprised that our survival
depends upon our caring for them? Concern for creation is not just
a civic duty, it’s also a spiritual mission.
Saint Agnes of Montepulciano
Dominican Nun and Mystic
1268 - 1317
The Holy Spirit wants to do
for us what he did for Saint Stephen. So let us seek him, listen to
him, and follow his lead. In that way, both our living and our
dying will become something beautiful for God.
Monday of the Third Week of Easter
"Greatness consists in doing small
things with great love"
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Peter’s experience is a lesson for us all. Failure is an essential part of our growth in faith. Trials, difficulties, temptations and periods of sheer weariness are a normal part of Christian living. Through them God is leading us to a more mature, more realistic faith: he is leading us to a greater love of him, and a deepening of our relationship with him.
Saturday of the Second Week of Easter
Our Lord conquered the waters not only by walking over the waves but
also by calming the storm.
This miracle was another step in the gradual revelation of his true
identity as the Son of God.
Friday of the Second Week of Easter
Like the people on the mountainside, may we learn to let Our Lord
fill us with peace and joy as he promises to help us with every one
of our needs.
Thursday of the Second Week of Easter
The apostles were a small group of men but because of courage in
their convictions they helped to transform the world.
We should never think that we can do nothing; because with
God’s grace we can be faithful and loyal to his teachings and we can
influence others by the way we live.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter
God so loved the world that he gave his only
Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but have eternal life
(John 3:16)
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
(Father Vivian Boland OP preached today but
here's the homily I would have preached)
Today the Church announces: this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad. Let us leave Mass today and every day, giving thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.
Friday of Easter Week
In the abundance of the catch, the
disciples recognized the hand of God at work. They found provision
for their needs because they followed and obeyed; and abundance,
beyond what they could ever ask or imagine.
Thursday of Easter Week
Doubt is very much a human reaction.
Even the saints had doubts. The great Dominican Saint Thomas
Aquinas, once prayed to God, “I do not know if you love me, or if I
love you. I do not even know if I live by faith.” The Apostle
Thomas wouldn’t believe Our Lord had risen from the dead unless he
could put his finger into his wounds
(John 20:25).
Wednesday of Easter Week
With each new day Our Lord offers us
the Word of the Scriptures to shine in our hearts and he gives us
his Body and Blood to enliven our hearts. This is something we
should never take for granted.
Tuesday of Easter Week
The Eucharist is the very heart of
our faith. Jesus in the Eucharist does much more than appear in our
presence. He invites us to take him into our being so that he can
give us the gift of lasting life and eternal happiness.
Monday of Easter Week
On the morning of the resurrection
Our Lord greeted the women with the words: “Peace, do not be
afraid!” This is the great Easter message from the Risen Saviour.
EASTER SUNDAY
THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD
Easter matters because we celebrate the greatest moment in human history. And it's not just for Christians, but for everyone; because Easter affects everyone, whether they are Christian or not.
HOLY SATURDAY
THE PASCHAL VIGIL
When they came face-to-face with the risen Lord, the disciples came to see how the resurrection was the climax of God’s great plan of salvation. Everything they had been told was true. Everything Our Lord said and promised was fulfilled.
GOOD FRIDAY
THE PASSION AND DEATH OF
OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST
Listening to the account of Our Lord’s Passion, we know how true are the words, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (John 3:16). Good Friday recalls the greatness of God’s love that He should submit to death for us, that the innocent should redeem the guilty.
MAUNDY THURSDAY
MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER
Let us consider for a moment what Our Lord does for us this evening – if it was not too much for Him to wash the feet of His disciples and make Himself lower than a slave, then tonight He gives Himself to us in the form of bread and wine.
Wednesday of Holy Week
Today, let us follow the eleven
disciples by submitting to Jesus as Lord. As we do, he will make
his presence and power more manifest in our lives. He will create
a new heart in us and give us a peace that surpasses all
understanding.
Tuesday of Holy Week
Lord I believe, help thou my
unbelief
Monday of Holy Week
Our Lord’s suffering, death
and resurrection are meant to do more than restore us to the “good
old days.” They are meant to empower us to create the “even better
days” that lie ahead.
There is not much point in dwelling on the crucifixion of Christ during this solemn week if it remains an isolated event and not linked with the drama of suffering that goes on in our own lives and in the lives of others.
Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent
During Holy Week the liturgy will
give us the opportunity to re-live with Christ his Paschal Mystery.
Let us pray that our union with him this week may bear the fruit of
eternal life.
Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent
We have been redeemed by God
himself. No other work is necessary and nothing and no one can take
it away from us.
Let us also spare a thought and a prayer for those millions of lives that have been cut short through the crime of abortion. Today’s feast of the Annunciation teaches us that life begins at conception, not at birth.
Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
We can refuse to join in gossip. We
can forgive someone who has hurt us. We can lend a helping hand or
perform anonymous acts of service. As often as we do these things,
we are showing the whole world that we have accepted the privilege
of being members of God’s family.
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Like the ancient Hebrews, our own lives today are filled with
challenges and difficulties, trials that call us to a deeper faith
and cooperation with God.
Monday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Face to face with Daniel the two
elders were caught out and they condemned themselves with their own
lying tongues.
Where are your accusers?
Neither do I condemn you.
Go... and sin no more!
Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent
While the intellectuals of Jerusalem
debated and argued about Jesus, the temple guards had the best
response to the question of who he was, they said: “There has
never been anybody who has spoken like him”.
(John 7:46)
THE SOLEMNITY OF SAINT JOSEPH
PATRON OF OUR COMMUNITY
Saint Joseph's story doesn’t take up many pages in the Bible, but he is one of our greatest models of obedience, faithfulness, and surrender to God’s Will. May we be like him as we learn to place all our faith and trust in God.
Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Day in and day out, God manifests
his presence to us in small, subtle ways that we might be too quick
to dismiss. And yet the more we accustom ourselves to spending time
with him—whether through prayerful thoughts, at Mass, in adoration,
or in the Office—the more we will become sensitive to his Spirit.
Like Saint Patrick, let us reach out to people beyond the circle of our own family and friends, walking among them and bringing God’s mercy and reconciliation.
Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent
We believe that by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the whole body
of Christ, the Church itself, comes to life and is sustained as it
continues in this world.
Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent
All during Lent we look forward to
Easter and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. In faith we
must see that Christ’s victory over death is our victory as well.
THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
Laetare Sunday
God’s ways are not our ways. It is human to answer hurt with hurt. It is human to punish, to judge, to seek revenge, even to kill the wrongdoer. God’s way is different. His word is forgiveness: and not a grudging forgiveness which pretends the sin hasn’t happened, but a wholehearted love and acceptance of the sinner; a forgiveness in which the sinner can hold up his head again; a forgiveness which restores life.
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
God loves it when we turn back to
him and admit our sins and our failings—not because he likes to see
us humiliated and ashamed but because he knows how much more
powerfully he can work when we are repentant instead of
self-satisfied. The whole point of Confession is healing and
restoration, not an exercise in crime and punishment.
Friday of the Third Week of Lent
We all know what God can do through
our prayers, especially when we place our complete faith and trust
in him.
Thursday of the Third Week of Lent
One of Satan’s most frequent and
most effective strategies is to sow seeds of doubt in our minds. He
wants us to doubt God’s love so that we might look for love
elsewhere. Satan wants us to doubt God’s provision so that we force
ourselves into an unhealthy sense of self-reliance.
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent
Our Lord wants us to hear his Good News, to observe it and teach it
to others. He came that we
might have life, and have it to the full.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Lent
If we are not trying our best to be
merciful, compassionate, and forgiving, then we will find it very
hard to pray or to know God’s own love and mercy in our lives.
Monday of the Third Week of Lent
We need to remember that the
Sacrament of Reconciliation is about more than the simple pardon for
our sins. Our Lord wants to pour out healing every time we confess.
Like a good doctor, he knows that our healing may require patience
and persistence. After all, not all medicines work immediately.
The annual Lenten invitation to repentance is not merely a call to turn away from evil but a plea to produce in our lives the fruits of good living.
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
God never holds our sins against us.
He is always eagerly waiting for us to turn to him more deeply.
Even now, he is running towards us, longing to put his arms around
us and welcome us home.
Friday of the Second Week of Lent
God always works good for those who
love him. More often than not it’s only with hindsight that we can
see where God has been at work in our lives. If, like Joseph, we
can face the tough times with faith and trust in God’s promises,
then who knows what blessings God has in store for us?
Thursday of the Second Week of Lent
The rich man’s fault was not that he
was rich. Rather, he was selfish – he was so caught up in himself
that he didn’t allow the words of Scripture, or the cry of the poor,
to pierce his heart.
Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent
Christ is present as our food in the
Mass only because he first makes himself present as a victim through
the sacred sign of the consecration.
Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent
The Gospels show that Our Lord had a
fairly high tolerance for human weakness and imperfection.
Encounters with acknowledged sinners inevitably evoke his sympathy,
not his wrath.
Saint David
Patron of Wales
Saint David was endowed with substantial qualities of spiritual leadership and many parishes, monasteries and convents flourished as a result of his leadership and good example. His strong faith and piety is a model for all of us who seek order and form in our own prayer lives.
The account of Our Lord's Transfiguration gives us a glimpse of the glory of the Lord, and that glimpse which was such a source of strength to his disciples, is a source of strength to us as well. Our Lord promises such a transformation for each of us. And have we not already experienced it? When the guilt of sin has been lifted off our backs; when we have made a good confession and heard the words of absolution washing away our sins; then we have known the wonder of the transfiguration and God’s glory begins to shine through in our lives.
Saturday of the First Week of Lent
During the Mass the bread we offer
becomes the Body of Christ and the wine we offer becomes “the blood
of the new and everlasting covenant.” Our Lord will re-present the
sacrificial offering of himself to the Father along with his
absolute fidelity and his total love. Our Lord invites us today to
join with him in this sacrifice by renewing our own covenant with
God.
Friday of the First Week of Lent
We don’t have to be rocket
scientists to understand Our Lord’s teaching. We can’t sow weeds
and expect beautiful flowers to appear. With the judgment you
make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the
measure you get.
Thursday of the First Week of Lent
The next time we find ourselves in a
difficult situation, we should take Esther as our model. As we
follow the path that seems the best to us, we will undoubtedly meet
God along the way.
Wednesday of the First Week of Lent
Like spring, Lent is a time of
renewal and new life, as well as a time to do some spring cleaning.
It’s a perfect opportunity to take a spiritual inventory and clean
out those things that clutter our lives and get in the way of our
relationship with God.
Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
Thy Kingdom Come
Our Lord taught us to ask the
Father that his eternal, unshakable, heavenly kingdom be extended to
our temporal, unstable, earthly lives. Our Lord wants us to
experience the blessings of his kingdom as we go through our
everyday lives here and now.
Where there is Peter, there is the Church
THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Bishop Crispian Hollis preached at Mass today
Saturday after Ash Wednesday
We may have more than one conversion
experience in our lifetime and each one prompts us to turn more and
more towards God, because each conversion experience reveals God in
a new and brighter light.
Friday after Ash Wednesday
Lent is the time when we learn to
surrender our lives and our wills to God, depending on him to work
miracles of transformation in our lives and in the lives of those
around us.
Thursday after Ash Wednesday
God is standing at the door of our
hearts and asking us to choose life over death. God loves us so
much that he has opened the promised land of heaven to us. And not
only that, he offers us a taste of that promised land here and now
as we celebrate this Mass.
The Liturgy today gives us a sober and awesome reminder: “Remember, you are dust and unto dust you shall return”. The way in which we live now will determine our future after death. As we live, so shall we die, and as we die, so shall we be for all eternity.
THE SEASON OF LENT
Tuesday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
The more we give into sinful habits
and attitudes, the more they define us. It’s then we understand the
truth of Saint Paul’s words: “I do not do the good I want, but I
do the evil I do not want.”
(Romans 7:19). If we are not careful,
these sins can destroy us.
Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lord always chose the way of
humility. He knew that he didn’t have to promote himself. He knew
that his mission was to do his Father’s will and to make him known.
In this way, as in so many other ways, he showed himself to be the
“perfect Son.”
THE SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Our Lord isn’t saying to us that to be with him we have to make ourselves poor and miserable in this life. We don’t need to deprive ourselves of a roof over our heads, or to own a TV or a car, or a wardrobe full of clothes, or indeed the occasional treat. Archbishop Helder Camara once said, “Saints may be found in slums, but we cannot retain slums in order to make them the breeding ground of saints.” Our Lord is saying that when we follow him we must, to some degree, suffer as he suffered.
Blessed Jordan succeeded Our Holy Father Dominic as Master of the Order when Saint Dominic died in 1222. He was such a powerful preacher that Saint Albert the Great was moved to join the Dominicans after hearing one of his sermons. Blessed Jordan was an effective promoter of Dominican vocations and is the patron of Dominican vocation work. He died in 1237 when his ship sank en route to the Holy Land.
Blessed Reginald of Orleans O.P.
Friar, teacher, friend of Our Holy
Father Dominic.
Promoter of Dominican vocations.
Our Lady of Lourdes
Day of Prayer for the Sick
Today we observe a Day of Special Prayer for the Sick and this is a perfect opportunity for us to turn to Our Lady of Lourdes and pray to her on behalf of all those in need and ask her to intercede with her Son and to once more bless the people with supernatural interventions. God’s miraculous intervention of grace, mercy and love will once more affirm the words of Our Lady who said, ‘Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.’
Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
How easy it is to fall into the same
trap as the Pharisees. How easy it is to criticize those who don’t
live up to our standards or our definition of holiness.
COMMEMORATION OF OUR DECEASED PARENTS
It has been said that the greatest benefactors of any religious community are the parents of its members. Today we remember in our thoughts and our prayers all our deceased parents and we offer this Mass for the happy repose of their immortal souls.
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Faith means that no longer will we be in control of what is happening to us. Recognising our own weakness we can only rely on the grace of God. Peter, as a fisherman, was at the mercy of the power of nature. Perhaps that’s why he could accept being at the mercy of the power of God. Perhaps that’s why he was chosen to lead the Church.
Saint Paul Miki and Companions
350 years before the Americans dropped an atom bomb on Nagasaki, Saint Paul Miki and 26 companions were crucified for being Catholics. Let us pray that as a result of their example and their witness we may come to appreciate the faith for which they readily laid down their lives.
The only facts we have about Saint
Agatha is that she born in Sicily and died there a martyr. The rest
is legend. And legend tells us that Agatha suffered dreadfully for
her faith and kept firm to the end. She is the heavenly patron of
women who suffer sexual assault and indignity, and we ask her
protection for all women in danger.
Saint Catherine de Ricci O.P. Cloistered Dominican nun. The reputation of her sanctity was well known throughout Italy and she corresponded with several bishops who would later become popes. She knew St. Philip Neri and St. Charles Borromeo. Catherine died on 2 February 1590 and was canonised by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746. St. Catherine is the heavenly patron of those who suffer illness.
Today we celebrate the feast of
Saint Blase who was Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia and suffered
martyrdom under the Roman Emperor Licinius in 324. Before being
martyred, he is said to have healed a boy who was choking. Since
the 8th century St. Blase has been venerated as the patron of those
who suffer from diseases of the throat. The Blessing of St. Blase
is a sign of our faith in God’s protection and his love for us and
for all those who are sick.
THE PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD
Candlemas
Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
It has been said that people have
learned more from their enemies than from their friends. Friends
often overlook our faults and failings, while people who are angry
with us have often shown up our shortcomings. Experiences like
these, unpleasant though they are, can encourage us into new
territories of renewal.
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Let us pray today for our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, our own bishop Crispian Hollis and for all the successors of the apostles that the Holy Spirit will be with them and that they may lead us with courage and conviction and that we, in turn, may have the humility to follow them and to trust in them and so merit eternal life.
Saturday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
As surely as Our Lord brought peace
to the troubled waters, so will the Father, through his Son, bring
peace to the troubled heart of the sinner who repents.
Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
In God’s kingdom the power of love replaces the love of power.
Saint Albert the Great said of his brightest student: We call him the Dumb Ox, but he will bellow in learning as will be heard all over the world. Thomas Aquinas became one of the greatest theologians the Church has ever seen and his writings continue to be studied in seminaries and universities throughout the world. Saint Thomas said that he learned more at the foot of the cross than he did from books.
Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time
In his exhortation On
Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI said: “We wish
to confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people
constitutes the essential mission of the Church. It is a task and
mission which the vast and profound changes of present-day society
make all the more urgent. Evangelizing is in fact the grace and
vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity”
(Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14).
Like us, Saints Timothy and Titus each had their own strengths and weaknesses. But over time, as they cooperated with the Holy Spirit, they witnessed God work wonders in them and through them.
Saint Paul made a great effort to follow Christ faithfully. But above and beyond all of Paul’s effort was the grace and mercy of Almighty God who calls each one of us to be a generous receiver of that grace as Saint Paul himself was.
THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
We need to become a people more devoted to personal prayer and a sacramental life, a people who willingly and generously involve themselves in the life of the Church and the community. Only then can we receive the innumerable graces and blessings which the Lord our God wishes to bestow upon us as members of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, the family of God himself.
Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Our Lord knew the sorrow of being
misunderstood by those he loved, especially those who were for him
family.
Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
It is God who calls men to be kings
just as it is God who calls simple fishermen to be apostles.
Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Agnes, a teenage martyr of the Church who died in the year 305. Having consecrated her virginity to God, Agnes resisted the advances of many prominent suitors. When one rejected suitor exposed her as a Christian, she became a victim of the great persecution started by the Emperor Diocletian. Agnes was beheaded and her body was buried outside the walls of Rome in a cemetery that today is named in her honour.
Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
One of the most important attitudes
we should cultivate is humility. Humility recognises that
everything we are and have comes from God; and this humility in turn
leads to a greater confidence and trust in God. With humility we
can face the difficulties of life with the same confidence David had
when he faced Goliath.
Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
God sent his prophet Samuel to an
insignificant little town called Bethlehem to seek out the most
unlikely successor, the youngest son of a sheep farmer. David
would become the greatest king in the history of the Israelites.
Today we honour the memory of Saint Margaret of Hungary who joined the Dominicans in 1245 and was passionate about her consecration to Christ. Margaret had an unusual approach to the religious life which wouldn’t go down too well today, and yet Margaret was considered a saint in her own lifetime and many miracles have been attributed to her intercession. Her life, extraordinary as it was, gives us an example of the victory we can have over the world and its many attractions. Margaret died on this day in 1270 and was canonized in 1943.
WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
God of compassion, you have loved and forgiven us in Christ, and sought to reconcile the entire human race in that redeeming love. Look with favour upon us, who work and pray for the unity of divided Christian communities. Grant us the experience of being brothers and sisters in your love. May we be one, one in your hand. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever, Amen.
THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
The Lord who turned water into wine also turns wine into his precious blood. The Lord who was done to death is risen again, for us and for our salvation. United in this risen Lord we, his followers, put all our gifts and talents to work in this world.
Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Nothing in the human heart can be
hidden from God’s eyes and he is fully aware of the shame and guilt,
poverty and need we prefer to hide from public view. Yet God
doesn’t shun us just because we have a dark side; rather his arms
open to embrace us as prodigal sons and daughters.
The Dominican Martyrs of China
Saint Francis Fernandez and
Companions
On 1st October 2000, Pope John Paul II canonised 120 Catholics martyred in China between 1648 and 1930. Among them were six Dominicans whom we honour today: Saint Francis Fernandez and his companions. May these saints inspire us to put our Faith into practice in a practical way to benefit the Church, the world and our own salvation.
Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
The small gestures of concern and
friendship we offer to others are God’s own assurance that his
people are as close to him as the person sitting next to us.
Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
We need that silent time to listen as
Samuel did, and as Our Lord did. For what does it profit us if we
get all the activities in and miss the point of it all?
Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Because we belong to God we can rise
above our sin and failure and we can become agents of change and
transformation for those around us.
Monday of the First Week
in Ordinary Time
Our Lord asks Peter, Andrew, James
and John to leave everything behind and invites them to the fullness
of following him.
Through our baptism, we are invited to know closer intimacy with God. On the day of our baptism our true identity was confirmed and we became the adopted sons and daughters of a loving God.
Saturday after the Epiphany
Let us take as our example and our model John the Baptist who was
happy to let go of the things he had achieved so that God’s glory
could be further revealed.
Friday after the Epiphany
Our Lord has ushered in a whole new
way of life for us. The very way we think, the decisions we make,
the way we express our love—all these and more can now be reshaped
by divine logic.
The Dominican Saint Raymond of Penyafort had a profound influence on the life of the Church in that he helped to codify what we know today as the Code of Canon Law. He was the third Master of the Order and refused a bishopric in order to dedicate himself to parish work and help ordinary people with their spiritual lives. Saint Raymond died in 1275 and was canonised in 1601 by Pope Clement VIII. He is the heavenly patron of civil and canon lawyers.
Wednesday after the Epiphany
Our Lord asked us to get into the
boat that is the Church and we did, first through Baptism, then
Confirmation, and later (some of us) by Religious Profession and
Ordination and as often as we recommit ourselves to follow him.
Tuesday after the Epiphany
Saint John tells us how to
demonstrate our love in action. Whenever we get out of ourselves
and focus on others, we are taking the first steps toward loving as
Our Lord loved. And he gave us much more than his word; he gave his
very self. And he continues to do so in the gift of the Eucharist.
The Church honours Saint Zedislava as a faithful wife and a loving mother who raised four children, but her care extended to all those in need, especially the sick and the poor. When the Dominican missionaries St. Hyacinth and Bl. Ceslaus visited Lemberk – in the present day Czech Republic – Zedislava took the opportunity to perform her works of mercy within the Dominican framework, and she became one of the first lay Dominicans. Saint Zedislava died in 1252 and was canonized in 1995 by Pope John Paul II.
20+C+M+B+10
Homage, honour, devotion, worship, respect and dedication: these are all things that seem to be rapidly disappearing from our civilised world and our modern culture. All the more precious, then, is our gift and our example to those around us who badly need to recover their own sense of giving homage and worship to the One who alone can save the world in which we live.
Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nazianzen
“The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; the garment hanging in your wardrobe unused is the garment of him who is naked; the shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of one who is barefoot; money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; the acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.” Saint Basil the Great
SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
In the year 431, at the Council of Ephesus, the Church defined the dogma that Mary is the Mother of God. Theotokos. It was in Mary’s flesh that the expression of God, the Word of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, took on human flesh and became man. This dogma is more of a statement about Mary’s Son than it is about her maternity. And the Word became flesh and lived among us.
SEVENTH DAY OF THE OCTAVE
John the Baptist carried the message
that the light had come into our world. We carry that same light
today through the witness of our lives.
SIXTH DAY OF THE OCTAVE
When Mary and Joseph presented their
child at the Temple, Anna recognised Jesus as the One who would
bring about “the redemption of Jerusalem.”
Today we keep the feast of Saint Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury and Chancellor of England, martyred in his own cathedral in 1170, for protecting the rights of the Church in England in defiance of King Henry II.
God always hears the cry of innocent blood
It is perfectly in order for the Church to present the Holy Family as the model for all families. The roles of each member of the Holy Family can be imitated by our fathers, mothers and children. May all our families be holy families, little churches where God’s love is found.
Saint Stephen's decision to forgive his killers was the fruit of the birth of a baby in a stable in Bethlehem years earlier. Our Lord’s incarnation was the pebble dropped in the pond which is still sending out ripples today, affecting the entire world.
A HAPPY FEASTDAY TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARCHCONFRATERNITY OF SAINT STEPHEN
To worship God is one of the noblest things a human being can do. To pay honour to the Lord above, our creator God, is not just our basic duty, it is our highest privilege.
24th December : Morning Mass
The Messiah came to bring us this
freedom by defeating the foes within us: namely sin and death. Far
from giving us simply an external peace characterized by a lack of
conflict, he came to give us the deeper and more substantial peace
that comes as our internal struggles are calmed and the effects of
sin are healed. These are the real tyrants, for they are the
enemies that give rise to every external conflict we face, both in
our lives and in the world at large.
God is calling us, like John the Baptist, to commit our lives to his will. Let us devote all of our energy to seeking out his call and let us ask the Holy Spirit for the power to carry it out.
Amid the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas let’s spend a few moments focussing upon the words of the Magnificat. Each evening at vespers we should try and make the words our own as we call to mind the particular ways God has “looked with favour” on us and done wonderful things for us. As St. Ambrose wrote: “Let Mary’s soul be in each of you to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in each of you to rejoice in the Lord.”
Today is the 793rd birthday of the Order of Preachers.
On 22nd December 1216, Pope Honorius III gave official
approval to the creation of the Order of Preachers to Our Holy
Father Dominic.
As we look forward to the birth of Our Saviour, we also celebrate
the birth of our Order. The anniversary is still observed in the
Order, but impeded liturgically because of the primacy of these days
before Christmas.
By allowing the Holy Spirit to do his work in us, Christ is born to the world around us in fulfilment of his promises and his plans, both great and small.
+ THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT +
Our waiting for Christmas is almost over now and we reflect today upon how Our Lady prepared for God’s will to be done by being faithful to his promises. As we prepare for God’s will to be done in our own lives we recognise that we have been unfaithful at times. Let us ask for his forgiveness and help, that our faith may be deepened.
After Zechariah was struck dumb, he had time to think things over prayerfully. And this is the purpose of Advent: a time to examine whether we are settling for less than God wants to give. Can we find the humility to stretch our faith and give him room to act?
In Joseph we see a model of humility and openness to God. Like Abraham when asked to sacrifice Isaac, Joseph was willing to follow a new path, even if it didn’t completely make sense. When faced with a radical change in his plans for his life, he took his confusion and distress to God, and he wasn’t disappointed.
In the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas we should spend a little time today thinking about our heritage. Who handed the faith on to us? Who awakened our desire to know God and to become a more deliberate part of his family? We should thank God for our spiritual ancestors.
Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent
Just as Jesus showed John, we can
show our neighbours that they don’t have to wait for someone else.
Jesus really is the Messiah. He really can heal and forgive and
save.
Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent
The Christian life is not just about
what we have to do to become more Christ-like. As we pass the
halfway point of Advent, let us ask God to give us another infusion
of expectation.
Today we honour the memory of
Saint John of the Cross who assisted St. Teresa of Avila in reform
of the Carmelite Order. St. John was a popular preacher and a
prolific writer and several of his spiritual works continue to be
read today and have never gone out of print. He had a special
concern for those who suffered dryness or depression in their
spiritual life
and offered encouragement that
God
loved them and was leading them deeper into faith. St. John himself
suffered from what he called The Dark Night of the Soul and said the
best way to rediscover the light is to pray and worship even when we
feel alone and spiritually dry.
+
THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT +
Just as the glittering commercialism
of this season can blind us to the mystery of Christmas, so the
accelerated pace of life can make it difficult for us to patiently
await the coming of the Lord in our lives. At this time our
attention is centred not only on the fact that Jesus is the Messiah
but on what kind of Messiah he is. Who are you expecting this
Christmas and for what do you hope? As we come together for Mass
this morning we are conscious of the truth that the Lord is coming
into our world and that this must be the principal cause of our
happiness, and not the anticipation of expensive gifts wrapped up in
fancy paper. It’s so easy to lose ourselves in the frenzy of gift
buying and wrapping and to forget the reason why we are celebrating
the season. We forget just how close the Lord is to us.
+
THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT +
In the Mass today we hear John the Baptist proclaiming that our
Saviour is coming. The principal way we are to prepare ourselves
for his coming is by repentance, by turning away from sin and
turning towards him. As we prepare for the coming of Christ in this
Mass let us recall those occasions when we have rejected the Lord by
our attachment to sin. May our repentance be wholehearted and
sincere so that the Lord’s work in us may be complete.
Saturday of the First Week of Advent
As the world around us goes mad today
with the frenzy of Christmas shopping, we should take at least a
little time to reflect on how the gift of faith has been nurtured in
our hearts by other people.
Friday of the First Week of Advent
God is present for us to see
everywhere and especially in the people around us. Every human
person has something of the goodness of God within them. What a
shame it is to close our eyes to God’s presence, to live in darkness
and gloom, when all we have to do is open our eyes in faith to see
him.
Saint Francis Xavier
Patron the the Foreign Missions
Today we honour the memory of
Saint Francis Xavier who, along with Saint Ignatius of Loyola
founded the Society of Jesus. He was canonized in 1622 and
proclaimed patron of all foreign missions by Pope Saint Pius X
Wednesday of the First Week of Advent
It took God six days to create
the world, and then he rested on the seventh. It was a day of
satisfaction and plenty. It was a time to enjoy his creation, a
creation so good and complete that it couldn’t be improved upon.
Tuesday of the First Week of Advent
As we enter this Advent season
we should lift up our hearts and take courage, because Jesus, the
promised Messiah, is our peace and our salvation.
+ Saint Andrew +
Saint Andrew’s hunger for more can be
a powerful example for us. In whatever way Our Lord invites us, we
must, like St. Andrew, respond eagerly, knowing that grace, joy, and
intimacy with God are ours if we do.
+ THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT +
The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by the
Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Saturday of the Thirty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The great prophecy of the triumph of
good over evil was fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Friday of the Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Through Our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, the Holy Spirit has been poured out to prepare us for his
return. And so we should confidently participate in this era of
grace in our prayer, in our commitment to service and evangelism,
and through the sacraments, those special signs that tell us that
God’s kingdom is here.
Thursday of the Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
We have Our Lord’s word for it that
he will return in glory. He will bring judgment upon the sins of
the world. But he will also bring salvation to all who are looking
for him. So we must stay alert, and welcome him into our hearts
today and every day.
Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Secondary Patron of the Order of
Preachers
Our Lord warns us that we may be persecuted
for being his followers but that it will lead to our giving
testimony. We shouldn’t fear or need to rehearse what we might say
to those who oppose us and our values. Our Lord promises: “I myself
shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will
be powerless to resist or refute”.
The Dominican Martyrs of Vietnam
Today the Church honours the memory
of the 117 Martyrs of Vietnam who suffered for their faith in Christ
during the 18th and 19th centuries. These martyrs were recognised
and beatified in four groups during the early 20th century and the
second group beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1906 were all Dominicans
whom we hold in special honour today. This group includes 6
bishops, 20 priests, and 24 catechists and parishioners. The whole
group of 117 were canonised in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
Monday of the Thirty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Our faith may not be tested as
dramatically as Daniel���s was, but when we place getting to know
Jesus at the top of our priorities, we will receive all the grace we
need in order to persevere with our vocation.
+
OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST - UNIVERSAL
KING +
Christ’s kingdom is in the
making, and we are part of it. We will probably not see its
universal and final fulfilment in our lifetime, at least not in our
lifetime in this world. But there is another lifetime that will
last forever, and in that lifetime, if we have made Christ the king
of our hearts, if we have served others as he did, then we will know
that we had our own personal part in it.
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On this Feast of the Presentation of
Our Lady in the Temple we reflect upon the fact that Our Lady was
dedicated to God and dedicated to a lofty ideal. Her entire life
was a total presentation to God and her heart always beat to the
tune of divine inspiration. May we always follow Our Lady’s example
and do the same.
Friday of the Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time
In his Gospel St. Luke guides us to
understand how Our Lord is opposed to the desecration of the sacred
that is taking place in the hearts of the people involved.
Thursday of the Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time
As Our Lord weeps over the city of
Jerusalem, he anguishes over its failure to be open to the message
of salvation, his message of freedom. The message of salvation,
revealed in both the Old and New Testaments, encompasses God’s
incredible love for each of us. Knowing this love gives us
confidence and joy because through it we come to know God.
Wednesday of the Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time
God never promised that we won’t
undergo trials and difficulties, but no matter how difficult things
might get for us, we know that God will care for us. We know that
he will never leave us or forsake us, not even at the end of time.
Tuesday of the Thirty Third Week in Ordinary Time
The story of Zacchaeus teaches us
that no sin can cut us off from God as long as we are willing to
turn to him for forgiveness.
SAINT EDMUND OF ABINGDON
Joint Principal Patron of the Diocese
of Portsmouth
Today the Diocese of Portsmouth observes the Solemnity of Saint Edmund of Abingdon who, in 1222 became a canon and treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral and later Archbishop of Canterbury. Saint Edmund is honoured as a zealous and reforming pastor of the Church. He died exiled in France on this day in 1240, and Pope Innocent IV canonised him just seven years later in 1247.
+
THE THIRTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
TIME +
The great truth of the Gospel
is that God’s love has triumphed over the power of evil. As the
prophet Daniel reminds us, we can look forward to a new world in
which we will 'shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, as
bright as stars for all eternity'. As followers of Christ who
celebrate his victory in our daily lives, we know exactly what
Daniel means.
Saturday of the Thirty Second Week in Ordinary Time
The kind of faith Our Lord is looking
for is the faith of this persistent widow—a faith that is full of
confidence, contentment, and courage.
COMMEMORATION OUR OUR DECEASED
DOMINICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS
We offer the Mass today for the
repose of the souls of our deceased Dominican brothers and sisters:
men and women who have, through the witness of their living and
their dying formed, at least to some extent, those of us who are
still alive. We remember them today with compassion. Some of them
were saints. Some of them were not quite so saintly. And yet their
lives are the foundation stones upon which we now struggle to build
our lives as a community as we seek to be of one mind and heart on
our journey towards God.
Saint Josaphat
Saint Josaphat, an Eastern Rite
bishop, honoured as a martyr to church unity because he died trying
to bring part of the Orthodox Church into union with Rome. He was
canonised in 1867 and became the first member of the Eastern Church
to be formally canonised as a saint of the Latin Church.
Saint Martin of Tours
St. Martin of Tours was a Hungarian
by birth. He was imprisoned as a young man for being a
conscientious objector and refusing to join the Roman army. It's
interesting that his feast falls on the anniversary of Armistice
Day. Martin became a monk in 360 and later established many
monasteries. In 372 Martin was acclaimed bishop of Tours and he is
honoured by the Church for his pastoral zeal. Bishop Martin died in
397 and today is the anniversary of his burial.
Pope Saint Leo the Great
During the fifth century Pope Saint
Leo the Great played a pivotal role in the history of the Church: he
persuaded the Emperor Valentinian to recognize the primacy of the
Bishop of Rome. He was also instrumental in formulating the
doctrine of Our Lord’s Incarnation. He even persuaded Attila the
Hun to turn away his invasion force from the gates of Rome. Pope
Leo died in 461 leaving many letters and writings of great
historical value.
DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA
Today we commemorate more than the
dedication of a building made of bricks and mortar. Rather we
commemorate the continuing dedication of a living structure, a
living temple of God: the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
+
THE THIRTY SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +
Remembrance Day
we pray for those who
gave their lives that we may live better lives.
May their sacrifice not be in vain.
ALL SAINTS OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS
Today we commemorate those
members of the Dominican Order who have survived the period of
trial. And that doesn’t mean just surviving the novitiate! These
Dominicans were faithful, despite their shortcomings and failings,
to their vocation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the
Lamb. They are the ones now who are like Him. They have entered
into God’s glory. These souls are looking at God face-to-face,
bowing down before the throne and giving God glory and honour.
Blessed Alphonsus Navarette and Companions
The Dominican Martyrs of Japan
Today we honour the memory of
the Dominican friar Blessed Alphonsus Navarette and 15 other
Dominican priests and laypeople associated with the Order who were
martyred in Japan. These 16 form part of a much larger group who
suffered for their faith during a five year persecution of Catholics
that took place in Japan during the mid 17th century. The group
were canonised by
Pope John Paul II in 1987.
Thursday of the Thirty First Week in Ordinary Time
The shepherd found his lost sheep.
The woman recovered her coin. And the angels rejoice. But God
himself also rejoices. The Lord of all creation exults. The Holy
Spirit delights over each and every sinner who repents.
Saint Charles Borromeo
When Charles Borromeo was created a
cardinal at the age of 21 as a result of nepotism who would have
thought that he would become one of the foremost reformers in the
history of the Church? This is an example of how the Holy Spirit
can work even in unusual circumstances. Charles Borromeo was a
prime mover during the Council of Trent and after his election as
Archbishop of Milan he was one of the first bishops to open a
seminary for the training of priests. His dedication to Church
reform brought about much opposition and attempts were made on his
life. St. Charles has had a tremendous influence and impact on
Catholic life for the past 400 years. He was canonised in 1610.
Saint Martin de Porres OP
Today we celebrate the feast of the
Dominican Saint Martin de Porres who joined the Order aged 15 and
devoted his life to the care of the sick and the poor, always with
great humility and kindness. He was a friend of Saint Rose of
Lima. Saint Martin died in 1639 and was canonised by Pope John
XXIII in 1962.
COMMEMORATION OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED
The Church, after celebrating
the Solemnity of All Saints yesterday, today prays for all those
souls who, in the purifying suffering of Purgatory, wait for the day
when they too will join the company of the saints in heaven.
During the month of November we offer the fruits of the Mass for all
who have died and especially those known to us, members of our own
family, our community, friends and benefactors.
+
ALL SAINTS +
None of us are perfect and we
all have faults, but as we try to better ourselves in the spirit of
the Beatitudes we can ‘rejoice and be glad’, for our reward will be
great in heaven.
REQUIEM MASS
for the repose of the soul of
ALASTAIR JOHN STUART SHAW
10 April 1946 - 1 September
2009
Blessed Terence O'Brien OP and Blessed Peter Higgins OP
The canonisation of Saint Oliver
Plunkett in 1975 brought an awareness of the other men and women who
died for the Catholic Faith in Ireland during the 16th and 17th
centuries. On 22nd September 1992 Pope John Paul II proclaimed a
representative number of 17 Irish men and women as martyrs and
beatified them. Among them two Dominicans whose feast we celebrate
today – Bishop Terence O’Brien who was hanged, drawn and quartered
in Limerick on this day in 1651 and also Father Peter Higgins who
was hanged in Dublin in 1642.
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
History proves that those who work
for the Kingdom face misunderstanding, estrangement, ridicule,
suspicion and suffering.
SAINT SIMON AND SAINT JUDE
We should be humbled by our heritage
as children of God, because at the
end of the day it is God’s love and grace that holds the Church
together.
Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
When the mustard seed is planted in
the ground, it has no notion of what it is to become. When yeast is
set to work, greedily feeding upon the dough, it doesn’t consciously
labour to produce bread. But the person who sows the seed and
kneads the dough knows what will happen. Our task is to let
ourselves be used as God sees fit and to trust in his purpose.
Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time
Life is full of situations in which
we are tempted to feel neglected or undermined. But dwelling on
these offences is likely to stunt our growth in faith. What’s more,
if we spend our energy justifying these feelings we, like the
synagogue official, risk missing the miracles God is working in our
very midst.
+
THE THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +
To see the real world doesn’t require
sight, it requires insight, it requires faith. This is the world
that counts. This is the world in which we believe. This is the
world which lasts forever. This is the world in which we can be at
one with God. This is the world in which we place all our hope.
Saturday of the Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Repentance has the power to purify
our hearts and our minds. It frees us up so that we can move out
into the world healed and hopeful, ready to serve God and his
people. Whenever we need to wipe our slate clean, the Sacrament of
Penance enables us to confess our sins and let Jesus, the good
gardener, cultivate us so that we can bear fruit wherever we go.
Friday of the Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Ordinary people like us become saints
not by our own efforts but by being open to God’s grace. It is God
who will make all the difference in our lives if only we are willing
to allow him to enter in and do his work within us.
Thursday of the Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
God wants to heal us, but we must be
willing to expose our wounds. He wants to strengthen us, but we
must admit our weakness and ask for his help. He wants to fill us
with his power, but we must first empty ourselves of our pride.
Imagine how much God can do with a heart completely surrendered to
him.
Wednesday of the Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Since Our Lord’s return will astonish
everyone, we might suppose there’s no way to really prepare for it.
But Our Lord’s words tell us that our entire Christian life hinges
on getting ready. We are to take up our cross daily and follow him.
In order to find our life, we have to lose it.
Tuesday of the Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
Adam’s first sin had consequences
that are still with us today, but Our Lord’s complete obedience to
God also has eternal—and even more powerful—consequences for us.
Adam’s sin led to our condemnation, but Our Lord’s obedience can
lead all who believe to eternal life with God.
Monday of the Twenty Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
As we come to the altar to give
thanks to God for all that we have been given, we pray that we may
use our possessions as Our Lord taught, using the things of this
world with respect and reverence and sharing whatever riches we have
with those in greater need.
+
THE TWENTY NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
Like Our Lord, the Church is a
sign of contradiction. Someone said the Church is never popular but
always attractive. And like Our Lord the Church’s preaching demands
conversion, a change of life and submission to the Truth. This is a
requirement which the Catholic Church has faithfully preached
throughout the ages.
Saint Ignatius of Antioch
“The only thing I ask of you is to
allow me to offer the libation of my blood to God. I am the wheat
of the Lord, may I be ground by the teeth of the beasts to become
the immaculate bread of Christ.”
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque
Today we honour of the memory of
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, who with Saint John Eudes and Blessed
Claude la Colombiere are called the ‘Saints of the Sacred Heart’.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart was officially recognised by the Church
in 1765 and approved by Pope Clement XIII. Sister Margaret Mary
died at the age of 43 while being anointed. Her last words were “I
need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus.”
Saint Margaret Mary was canonised in 1920.
Saint Teresa of Avila
Today the Church honours the memory
of Saint Teresa of Ávila, the prominent Spanish mystic, Carmelite
nun and promoter of the Counter Reformation. With Saint John of the
Cross she reformed the Carmelite Order and in 1970 became the first
woman to be named a Doctor of the Church. Saint Teresa is an
outstanding example for us to follow as we persevere in our
Christian vocation.
Wednesday of the Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
It is no easier or more popular today
to speak the truth. Sometimes, while we speak to others, we need
the words to fall back on our own ears just in case we find
ourselves doing the very things we condemn.
Tuesday of the Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
We are all saints in the making. As
St. Catherine of Siena wrote, “If you are what you should be, you
will set the whole world on fire.”
Monday of the Twenty Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The age of miracles is far from
past. Most people today are just blind to the fact that miracles
happen every single day. Our Lord’s body appears upon the altar at
every Mass and is placed right into our hands. His body thrives in
the Church as his faithful followers open their hearts and hands to
one another, ministering his presence more powerfully than the voice
of any single individual.
+
THE TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +
I asked God for strength, that I
might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.
Saturday of the Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
Blessed are those who hear the word
of God and keep it
Saint Louis Beltran O.P.
Today we honour the memory of the
Spanish Dominican Saint Louis Beltràn who worked in South America
where he preached the Gospel in Colombia and Panama. When his
health failed he returned to Spain where he died whilst preaching in
the cathedral at Valencia on 9 October 1581. Saint Louis was
canonized by Pope Clement X in 1671 and he is the patron saint of
Colombia and the patron of Dominican formation personnel and
novitiates.
Thursday of the Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
God doesn’t always jump when we shout
‘jump’
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
The rosary is a chain of living
reflection and action, designed to influence the words and works of
our daily living. The rosary makes real and practical the life,
death, and resurrection of Christ which our lives must reflect. The
rosary should be a living sign in our hands to pray and to plead for
a greater fullness of Christ in our lives through the prayerful help
of his Blessed Mother.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us
Saint Bruno
Today we honour the memory of Saint
Bruno, the founder of the Carthusian Order. It is said of the
Carthusians that the Order never had to be reformed because it was
never deformed. St. Bruno’s distinction as a founder was that he
introduced into the Church a mixed form of the eremitical and
cenobitical traditions. Saint Bruno died on this day in 1101 and was
never formally canonized, because even to this day the Carthusians
are averse to all occasions of publicity. Pope Clement X extended
St. Bruno’s feast to the whole Church in 1674.
Monday of the Twenty Seventh Week in Ordinary Time
We can cultivate an ear for God
through expectant listening and trusting obedience to what we hear.
God is always calling out to us, and he will continue to speak,
waiting patiently for us to hear his call over the busyness of our
daily lives.
+
THE TWENTY SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +
The
Catholic Church is not in the business of issuing condemnations or
heavy judgements; our task is to show a better way.
Our task is to show the way
that Christ teaches, and although this way is difficult it has very
great rewards and it enhances our human dignity and our self-worth.
It is a way of sacrifice,
for some it is the Way of the Cross, but it is also a way to true
happiness and self-fulfilment. It
is the way of holiness.
Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Letter Deus Caritas Est
Saturday of the Twenty Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
As we open our lives to Christ and
allow his words to soak into our hearts and minds, we will find
ourselves moved more deeply by his love and his wisdom and less by a
sense of duty. We who are weak can become strong in him. We who
are poor can become rich. We who are deaf can hear. And we who are
blind can see.
Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian
Today we honour the memory of Ss.
Cosmas and Damian, two brothers martyred for the Faith around the
year 283. They were both doctors by profession who never charged
money for their services and because of their Christian charity
marked them out as objects of persecution by the Roman authorities.
They suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Diocletian. Ss.
Cosmas and Damian are the patron saints of pharmacists.
Friday of the Twenty Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Let us allow God to tear down the old
structures of pride, self-sufficiency, and independence in us, and
rebuild us on the solid rock of Christ.
Our Lady of Walsingham
When we go on pilgrimage to
Walsingham, we each go with our own particular needs and intentions.
We know and believe that when God draws near to us in our need, He
makes all things new, He makes things fresh again. In Jesus Christ,
the Word of God became flesh, and as the fruit of Mary’s womb he
constantly brings us new life.
Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)
Some wise person once said that
‘every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future’. Each one
of us is capable of saying with our Blessed Mother: ‘the Almighty
has done great things for me, Holy is His name’.
(Luke 1:49)
Tuesday of the Twenty Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
God wants to guide all of us into
life-giving relationships so that we are truly free to follow him
and build up his kingdom.
FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW
If we hear Our Lord’s words, “Follow
me”, we should rise up immediately, as Matthew did, and follow
Christ to a life of service to God and the Church.
+
THE TWENTY FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +
These words from the Book of Wisdom
are also a powerful warning to us today, because we can all be
tempted to envy others. No one is immune; and unfortunately many
people seem to give in to this very common temptation without much
of a struggle.
Saturday of the Twenty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Just think of how God is able to use
our times of prayer. We make the minuscule effort of setting aside
a brief amount of time to be with him, and in return, he pours out
blessings far greater than we ever dreamed possible.
Saint John Macias O.P.
Today we honour the memory of the
Dominican Saint John Macias, born in Spain in 1585. He emigrated to
Peru and after some time working on a cattle ranch he became a
Dominican Lay Brother and was the porter in the Friary in Lima for
over 20 years. He is noted for his care for the poor and for his
praying the Rosary offering all his prayers for the release of souls
in Purgatory. Brother John never preached or wrote a word but his
example of a holy life touched so many. He died in 1645 and was
canonised in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.
Thursday of the Twenty Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
In today's gospel we see how Our Lord rewards a humble heart.
He forgave the woman before
she even said a word to him. We
can experience this same intimacy at every Mass if we simply come to
him as she did. If we
understand the great price he paid for us, we will receive him with
love and adoration, and he will pour his healing and mercy into our
hearts.
Saint Cornelius and Saint Cyprian
Pope Cornelius died in exile in September 253. Because he suffered
so much as pope, he is considered a martyr. Bishop Cyprian died
five years later during the persecution of the Emperor Valerian. He
was beheaded at Carthage on 14th September 258. Together they share
a feast day to remind us of the unity that the Church should always
enjoy. Today let us ask Pope St. Cornelius and Bishop St. Cyprian to
help us grow in our love for the Church.
THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
We adore you, O Christ, and we praise you,
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world
If we want eternal life, if we want divine life within our souls then there is only one way and that is to be united with our Bridegroom and to be crucified with Him on the Cross.
+
THE TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
+
Our Lord demands a great deal of us,
but in everything he asks he gives the strength to those who truly
seek him with a sincere heart, he loves those who loves his brothers
and sisters, he rejoices in the one who returns to him, even after
they have failed. And if you do give him your all, he will give you
in return, everything. For he says: if you give up your life for my
sake you will save it.
Saturday of the Twenty Third Week in Ordinary Time
God is genuinely happy to forgive
us. It is precisely the rejoicing in God’s forgiving love that will
be our glory for all eternity. Our eternal happiness will not be
the result of contentment with ourselves. Rather, we will glory in
the cross of Christ that has given us salvation.
Friday of the Twenty Third Week in Ordinary Time
It
is God who first found us; it is God who has poured out on us the
overflowing measure of grace that surrounds us.
Thursday of the Twenty Third Week in Ordinary Time
The feast we spread before us each
day on the altar is all the guarantee we need that we have already
been given more than we can afford to buy: love and forgiveness in
good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.
Wednesday of the Twenty Third Week in Ordinary Time
God has given us the gift of
Confession, as well as the spiritual nourishment of the Eucharist.
We need all the mercy we can get. And we sorely need the strength,
comfort, and grace that come from receiving Our Lord in Holy
Communion.
As he did with Mary, God invites us to accept his call and to follow him. Just as God wanted Mary to respond to him and carry out the unique mission he was giving her, so he wants us to accept our unique mission and to carry it out with all our strength.
Monday of the Twenty Third Week in Ordinary Time
We are all called to be witnesses to
the truth and to be examples of what is right and good. In this way
we continue Our Lord’s work, and we too, at least at times, should
expect to suffer for what is true and right.
+ THE TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME +
What Jesus wants of us is not to be awed by spectacular religion, but rather to be open to God’s word for us. It’s all about having eyes to see and ears to hear what God wants us to be doing.
MASS FOR THE DECEASED RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND BENEFACTORS OF THE ORDER OF PREACHERS
Today we pray that all our deceased friends and benefactors enjoy the vision of God in heaven. We are blessed and grateful that they were and continue to be a part of our lives. They continue to support us and care for us through their prayers and we are united with them in spirit, prayer and charity.
Friday of the Twenty Second Week in Ordinary Time
Taste and see that the Lord is good
Pope Saint Gregory the Great
Apostle of the English
We must always remember that God’s ways are not our ways. St. Paul
was adamant about that, insisting what seems to be nonsense is in
actual fact God’s wisdom and what seems to be weakness is really
God’s strength.
Who are we to tell God how to run the universe?
Wednesday of the Twenty Second Week in Ordinary Time
Sometimes very genuine demands
represent a distraction from what God really wants us to do.
Discerning the difference requires prayerful solitude and silent
listening.
Tuesday of the Twenty Second Week in Ordinary Time
The Word of God is the power that
will admit us into heaven when the Lord will say, “Come, you
blessed, into the kingdom prepared for you.” It is the power
that will enable us to know God Himself and to share in God’s glory
when the Lord says to us, “See me now as I am.”
Audio files are in 'wma'
format and will open and play on the
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Christmas Eve 2009
Anton Nichols, Father Richard, Matthew Goodman
Father Richard with Sam and Matt Goodman
Solemnity of Saint Dominic 2007