We human beings, with our fallen nature and our limitations, with the uncertainties of our lives and our changing and unstable environment, need a constant and firm foundation for our existence. That meaning of existence is the love of our Father! Read More
Novena to God the Father | Day 2: “Our Father’s heart is wide open”
We human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26). It is rightly said that the heart is the centre of the person. Only those things that we do with our whole heart find their full and integral expression. When we do things with our heart, we put the stamp of our whole identity on them. In this way we act and speak with true conviction. Read More
Novena to God the Father | Day 1: “God is love”
Over the next 9 days we will hear short meditations on our Heavenly Father, interspersed with songs in His honour. Some faithful Catholics celebrate a feast in honour of the Heavenly Father, the Father of all Mankind, every 7th August. This feast dates back to a request He made to Mother Eugenia Ravasio in 1932. This private revelation was carefully examined and approved by the local bishop of the diocese where the events took place. I myself came across this message several years ago and found it very valuable in helping me to deepen my relationship with God the Father. Read More
Humility: precious flower in God’s garden
Eph 4:1-6
Brethren: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. Read More
The Lord weeds out the darnel
Mt 13:24-30
‘Jesus put another parable before them, ‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s labourers went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” He said to them, “Some enemy has done this.” And the labourers said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Read More
Eyes to see and ears to hear
Mt 13:16-17
(Gospel for the Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne)
At that time, Jesus said to his disciples: “Blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. For, amen, I say to you, many prophets and just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them, and to hear the things that you hear and have not heard them”. Read More
Service is the true greatness
Mt 20:20-28
Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and asking something of him. Who said to her: What wilt thou? She saith to him: Say that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom. And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask. Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can. He saith to them: My chalice indeed you shall drink; but to sit on my right or left hand, is not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father. And the ten hearing it, were moved with indignation against the two brethren. Read More
You must go to all to whom I send you
Jer 1:1,4-10
The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests living at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. The word of Yahweh came to me, saying: ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the nations.’ I then said, ‘Ah, ah, ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I am only a child!’ But Yahweh replied, ‘Do not say, “I am only a child,” for you must go to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. Read More
The true parentage of Jesus
Mt 12:46-50
He was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly his mother and his brothers were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. Someone said to him: Your mother and brothers are standing outside and want to speak to you. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.’ Read More
The love of Christ constraineth us
2 Cor 5:14-20
Optional reading for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
For the love of Christ constraineth us when we consider that if one man died for all, then all have died; his purpose in dying for all humanity was that those who live should live not any more for themselves, but for him who died and was raised to life. From now onwards, then, we will not consider anyone by human standards: even if we were once familiar with Christ according to human standards, we do not know him in that way any longer. So for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order is gone and a new being is there to see. Read More