“I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who present the prayers of the saints and enter into the presence of the glory of the Holy One…And now give thanks to God, for I am ascending to him who sent me”. Then they stood up; but they saw him no more. So they confessed[…]
Year: 2022
Turn to Mary and Fight Like Heaven
The Feast (Memorial) of Our Lady of Sorrows came on a Thursday this year and I celebrated Mass that day at St. Ursula church, one of the five Catholic churches in Chatham, Ontario that I serve, along with two other priests and a very dedicated staff. Not long before this Mass I came across an[…]
Hilary Mantel’s Reformation Revisionism
Hilary Mantel, English novelist died last week at the age of 70. Her fame – or infamy, depending on one’s perspective – rests largely upon her ‘Wolf Hall’ sagas of the Reformation period, made even more popular by their being produced as a lush film series by the BBC back in 2009. According to reviews,[…]
All beginnings are somewhat strange; but we must have patience, and little by little, we shall find things, which at first were obscure, becoming clearer. (Saint Vincent de Paul, +1660)
How I grieve, my God, that you are not known, that this savage country is not yet wholly converted to faith in you, that sin is not yet blotted out! (Saint John de Brébeuf, +1649)
A Few Lessons from Padre Pio’s Wisdom
Padre Pio’s feast day last Friday stirred in me the desire to appreciate this great fellow Capuchin saint. His Spirit-given wisdom offers to us a wide range of possibilities to let our spirit be united with Our Lord. Hence, the lessons learnt from what he wrote and said are myriad. Padre Pio teach me what[…]
The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort (Saint Pio of Pieterclina)
Saint Ignazio da Santhià, A Wise Companion for Holiness
September 22nd is the feast day of Saint Ignazio da Santhià. Who was this Capuchin saint? Ignazio Bevisotti was born in Santhià (Vercelli) on 5 June 1686. When he was baptized he was named Lorenzo Maurizio. The little boy attended the diocesan seminary. After much preparation he was ordained as a diocesan priest at the[…]
But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, `I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. (Mt 9:12-13)
Our Lady of La Salette
Today marks the anniversary of the visions of Our Lady of La Salette, when, in 1846, the Virgin appeared, in maternal form, to two children, Maximin Guiraud and Melanie Calvat. She offered some dire warnings, all the result of sin, and some hopeful promises, all the result of repentance. If we would but turn from[…]