St Damien of Molokai - pray for us

Please say a prayer for me and my son on my feast day and his secondary feast day. 

May his prayers and example encourage all of us to reach out to those who are forgotten and rejected bringing the light of Christ and His Church. 

St Damien of Molokai pray for us!

Pope Paul VI to be beatified.

Following the approval of a miracle the beatification of Pope Paul VI is set to take place on October 19th this year. 

The Pope who presided over the lifting of the excommunications of the Greek Orthodox and the releasing of the prophetic Encyclical, Humanae Vitae is therefore set on the course of canonisation. 

Perhaps the soon to be Blessed Paul VI could pray for an end to the widespread liturgical abuses of the 1970s and for a reversal in the falling away of Mass attendance and disbelief in the blessed Sacrament that followed.  

English martyrs, pray for us!

The martyrs of England and Wales, whose feast is celebrated today, 4th May, remind us that we cannot be syncretists. As Catholics we do not believe that every spiritual path leads to God but that the way to God isn't by a variety of routes but by one Person and the Church He founded. 

The millions of Catholics who gave their lives for Christ, from Saint Stephen as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, the martyrs of the Deformation era right up to  the Jesuit priest, Fr Frans Van der Lugt killed in Syria a few weeks back were willing to witness to the Truth. 

May we be inspired by the words, lives and ultimate sacrifice of these martyrs and be prepared to remain steadfast and loyal to Christ and His Church. 

St Joseph the Worker

Today my wife and I celebrated our son's third feast day since being born by visiting his Godparents. 

There is something wonderful about remembering and celebrating one's saint's day. Joseph is especially blessed in having three feast days - including the Holy Family and of course the traditional St Joseph's Day on 19th March 

Although a modern innovation, the feast of St Joseph the Worker is a powerful reminder of how everything we do can be holy if offered for God. It also seems fitting that the month dedicated to Mary, starts with her husband, Joseph. 

St Joseph the worker, pray for us. 

TGIGF

TGIF is a common phrase whereby people celebrate the coming weekend and am end to the working week. 

How about TGIGF? Thanking God it's Good Friday, the day we remember the immensity of His love for us. 

A couple of weeks ago my son was crying and had his fingers in his mouth. I promised him that I would find something to comfort him and later that day had found some teething gel. I had kept the first promise I'd made to him and he now knows that I will comfort him when his gums hurt. 

It's the experience of having a son of my own that gives me a powerful glimpse into how much God loves us. I hate to see him suffer, even momentarily - and yet the Father watched His Son suffer and die - in love for us. 

It is contemplating the true Father that I can begin to realise how precious each person is - grace is freely given but grace was so very costly. 

The Good Friday liturgy is stark, punctuated by solemn silence and gives us a time of mourning. 

Our priest said that Good Friday - rather than Valentine's Day is the real celebration of love. 

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." - John 15:13

"Friend, why are you here?"

Spy Wednesday: we recall Judas' betrayal. 

Christ's words to Judas as he is being betrayed penetrate the soul:

"Friend, why are you here?" (Matt 26:50)

How often have we considered ourselves to be Christians but betrayed Christ by our words, thoughts and actions?

Perhaps these words to Judas are a powerful aid to examining our consciences each day as we allow ourselves to be challenged: 

Are we living as friends to Christ and would these words be welcome if we saw Him face to face tonight?

Happy Saint Joseph's!

I have always been a fan of celebrating saints days and would always find it amusing when my Irish friends would tell me I'm an honorary Irishman on Saint Patrick's Day. I would often reply, whilst imbibing Guinness that like Saint Patrick I'm British and Catholic. 

Today we celebrate Saint Joseph's day - a powerful intercessor for all men but especially fathers, husbands, those struggling to be pure, those seeking work and those looking for a new home. 

It is also my son's feast day - we shall find a way of celebrating his baptism and saints day as he grows older but please spare a prayer for him - on the eve of his 5th month that he may, like Saint Joseph love Our Lord and Our Lady and grow into a man of strength, gentleness, kindness and manly virtue.