Today, August 26, is the memorial of Blessed Jacques Retouret. Carmelite priest and martyr. Born to a family of merchants in Limoges (France) in 1746, Jacques was an educated man and was known as a lover of books. He joined the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance (O.Carm.) at age 15. He was a priest, whose …
Jesus said to his disciples:“Stay awake!For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.Be sure of this: if the master of the househad known the hour of night when the thief was coming,he would have stayed awakeand not let his house be broken into.So too, you also must be prepared,for at an …
Today, August 25, is the memorial of Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified. Carmelite nun. Mariam Baouardy was born at Abellin in Galilee in 1846 to very poor and devoted Greek-rite Catholic parents. She became an orphan at three years old when both her parents died of natural causes days apart. An uncle adopted Mariam and …
Jesus said,“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth.Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You build …
Today, August 24, is the feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle. Bartholomew was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, and is usually identified with Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel according to John as being introduced to Christ by Philip, who would also become an Apostle. A popular tradition holds that he was skinned …
Philip found Nathanael and told him,“We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law,and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”But Nathanael said to him,“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”Philip said to him, “Come and see.”Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,“Here is a true child of …
Today, August 23, is the memorial of Saint Rose of Lima. Secondary patroness of the Philippines. Born in 1586, Rose was a beautiful girl and devoted daughter. She was so devoted to her vow of chastity that she used pepper and lye to ruin her complexion so she would not be attractive. In emulation of …
Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.You do not enter yourselves,nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You traverse sea and land to make one convert,and when that happens …
Memorial Today we celebrate the Queenship of our Blessed Mother, a recognition of the announcement of Gabriel to Mary when he said that her Son will be given by God, the Most High, the throne of David and his Kingdom with have no end (Luke 1:32,33). In the early years of the Church the queenship …
Many of Jesus’ disciples who were listening said,“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this,he said to them, “Does this shock you?What if you were to see the Son of Man ascendingto where he was before?It is the spirit that gives life,while the flesh is of …