Tag Archive for ‘Our Lady’
Becoming Holy
These August days we are surrounded by images of real holiness. We will celebrate this month, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, our first canonised Australian Saint. We also celebrate the Assumption of Mary into heaven. In between these two we celebrate other notable Saints in our weekday liturgies such as St Lawrence, a Roman […]
July
Pilgrimage Places in Aotearoa – New Zealand Some of New Zealand’s pilgrimage destinations: the tomb of New Zealand’s first Catholic Bishop Pompallier at Motuti in the Hokianga; the National Shrine of St Peter Chanel at Russell in the Bay of Islands; Hiruharama (Jerusalem) up the Whanganui River; the statue of Our Lady of Kapiti in […]
Mary, first and perfect disciple
For several years I was the parish priest of La Santisima Trinidad, the principal parish of the town of Sullana, in Northern Peru. The central church could seat around 650 people. Hundreds more would attend each of the 8 or 9 Saturday vigils or Sunday Masses. The church had 10 or so different statues of […]
Friday 11 February
Our Lady of Lourdes (OM) World Day of Prayer for the Sick 1 Kings 11:29-32, 12:19; Psalm 81:10-15; Mark 7:31-37 God’s healing love Sickness and disease are a part of life. We all encounter it at sometime and many live with it constantly. It is part of our weakened human state. Just as at Lourdes, […]
Thursday 7 October
Our Lady of the Rosary (M) Malachi 3:13-20; Psalm 1; Luke 11:5-13 Mysteries of love The Rosary follows the life of Jesus in company with his mother, Mary. She is the witness that never loses faith in her Son, speaking sparingly and only to direct attention to his presence. She pondered deeply the marvels of […]
Wednesday 15 September
Hebrews 5:7-9; Psalm 31; John 19:25-27 or Luke 2:33-35 Our Lady of Sorrows (M) In pain with us His parents took the child Jesus to the temple. A kind, holy man Simeon took Jesus gently in his arms. Simeon looked at Mary and told her that a sword will pierce her heart. Mary will suffer […]
The Story of Two English Shrines
From August this year, New Zealand will have a National Shrine of our Lady; it will be in St Mary of the Angels in Wellington, a beautiful church staffed by Marist priests and a fitting place. We hope and pray that it will become a place of devotion and consolation for all. It is worth […]
Friday 16 July
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OM) Exodus 11:10-12:14, Psalm 116:12-13, 15-18, Matthew 12:1-8 Mary’s discerning heart Harvesting was one of thirty-nine categories of forbidden Sabbath actions. The Pharisees decry Jesus’ disciples for it. Hunger motivates them, not harvesting for profit, and Jesus reminds the Pharisees of David’s actions (1 Sam 21:1-6). They will not condemn […]
Thursday 11 February
Our Lady of Lourdes (OM) World Day of Prayer for the Sick Genesis 2:18-25; Psalm 128:1-5; Mark 7:24-30 A Gentile faith, humility, and love How would you feel if someone called you a dog? The Syrophoenician mother in today’s gospel demonstrated faith, humility and love. She accepted her gentile status of ‘nothing’, as a ‘house […]
Saturday 12 December
Our Lady of Guadalupe (OM) Ecclesiasticus 48:1-4, 9-12; Psalm 80; Matthew 17:10-13 Risking to tell the truth “They did to him whatever they pleased…the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands”. We can hear the pain and anger in Jesus’ words as he remembers the death of his cousin John and foretells […]
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