Blessed John Henry Newman, Priest
Blessed John Henry Newman was a fighter, as all the saints were, as you and I are called to be from our Baptism, and by the grace of our Confirmation. ‘A fight [said Newman] is the very mark of a Christian. He is a soldier of Christ; high or low, he is this and...
Tuesday of week 27 in Ordinary Time
The gospel story today about Mary and Martha provides an interesting contrast between the choices made by these two women. Both of the sisters surely love Jesus, but demonstrate it in different ways. Mary expresses her love by taking advantage of the opportunity to be...
Our Lady of the Rosary
Wilderness steppe of Kazakhstan during World War II was a place of struggle for survival. Such dramatic stories also took place in Oziornoje — the parish consisting of several earthen huts. The miracle that occurred there is a testimony that there is no place on earth...
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's gospel story begins with the disciples asking Jesus to increase their faith. It was a reasonable request given the sort of demands that Jesus had made on them. Just before today's story Jesus had instructed them to forgive without attaching conditions. The...
Saturday of week 26 in Ordinary Time
The good news that Jesus announces is that, for those who believe “in his name,” what they’ve always wanted has happened: in Jesus, God can be encountered, can be “seen and “heard.” Do we count ourselves among the blessed? Through the gift of our baptism, our own...
Saint Francis of Assisi
Is there any other saint who enjoys as much popularity as Francis of Assisi? Google his name and over 7 million results become accessible. Many people today falsely think of St. Francis as a sandal-wearing, whose greatest heritage was in gracing birdbaths everywhere....
Saturday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
The Gospel reminds us of something Ignatius repeated: “always remember God’s grace in times of desolation, and remember the difficult prayer times when things are going well.” In today’s short passage from Luke we hear that Jesus’ mission seems to be most successful,...
Saint Pius of Pietrelcina
Our faith, our baptism, has been entrusted to each one of us to keep the flame burning brightly. How do we live our lives as Christians? Pope Francis says about this gospel that the light we find in Jesus’ teachings comes from our love for the poor and for our...
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
There is a story of an old man looking back on his life. One day he sits with his friends in a tea shop telling his story. He says, "When I was young I was fiery. I wanted to awaken everyone. So, I prayed to God to give me the strength to change the world. In...
Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew, the apostle and evangelist. The Gospel According to Matthew masterfully makes that connection between the Old and the New Covenant. Matthew was a “tax collector” a code word for a public sinner. Yet Jesus called Matthew...