As a witness to integrity and the honest truth, John the Baptist lost his life to cunning and violence. But he had to speak, whatever the consequences. God’s word cannot be muzzled. Does the Church – do we – have this courage today? Opening Prayer Lord our God, St. John the Baptist prepared and went the way of your
Some need half of a lifetime to discover that they were wrong – or perhaps to have the courage to be honest enough with themselves and to face God and themselves. Like Augustine. He had a restless heart; he was a seeker. Once he had found this courage and his rest in God, he reflected deeply on
A convinced Christian, Monica was married to a short-tempered, philandering husband. She succeeded in converting both him and her mother-in-law. Her son, Augustine, belonged to the Manichean sect, and his moral conduct caused her much anxiety and shame. Yet Monica could finally win him to the faith by her prayers and penance – and what
It is quite likely that Nathaniel of today’s gospel is the same person as the apostle Bartholomew. If so, he was an open and honest man, “in whom there was no deceit,” as Jesus said. Opening Prayer Lord our God, would that it could be said of each of us: ” There goes an honest person
“From this day on, all generations will call me blessed,” sings Mary. What does it mean to call Mary, the humble virgin, blessed? It means nothing else than to be filled with admiration and to adore the marvel which God worked in her, to read from her that God looks to the humble one and
Pope Pius X is remembered for initiating the liturgical reform, particularly by making the Eucharist more accessible through his decrees on early and frequent communion. Born to poor parents, he remained, also as pope, the pastor he had been throughout his life as a priest. Close to the people, he was aware of their needs
St. Bernard, the famous abbot of Clairvaux in the 12th century, reminded popes, kings and princes of what Christ expected of them, especially in matters of unity and peace, and of a sense of responsibility for their people; he was called the conscience of his time. But he drew the strength for his determined boldness
Mary’s Song Is Also Ours Mass during the Day Greeting Glory and honor to our risen Lord, whose victory over death was shared first by her who was closest to him, his Mother, the Virgin Mary. May her Son, the Lord Jesus, be always with you. R/ And also with you. Introduction by the Celebrant
Maximilian Mary Kolbe became a Franciscan Conventual. He was a great devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was interned in the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz. When the father of a large family was hand-picked for extermination, Fr. Maximilian offered himself to the commander to die in the man’s place. He was starved to
Though of noble birth and well-educated, Clare was attracted by the ideals of poverty of St. Francis of Assisi. Under pressure from her family, she distributed her possessions to the poor and founded the second Franciscan Order of Poor Clares, which dedicates itself to a life of poverty and prayer. Claire understood that poverty makes
