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Altar of Our Lady, Church of St Nicholas, Überlingen, Germany, Jörg Zurn  Gospel Luke 2:16-21 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed )  The shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. The Adoration of the Name of Jesus, El Greco At the moment I am re-reading Finola Kennedy's Frank Duff: A Life Story published by Burns and Oates in 2011. Frank Duff founded the Legion of Mary on 7 September 1921, though for a very long time he did not consider himself the founder. The biographer rel

Boy ploughing with water buffalo, Laos  Gospel Luke 17:5-10 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed , Canada) The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’” In the summer of 1964, after my third year in the seminary, I spent a couple of weeks working in the Morning Star Hostel in Dublin. It was within walking distance of my home. I had been in the

St Paul in Prison , Rembrandt, 1627 Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart Gospel Luke 14:14:25-33 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed , Canada) Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegati

Baptism, Confirmation and First Holy Communion at Holy Family Home for Girls, Bacolod City Gospel Luke 14:1, 7-14 ( NRSV, Catholic Ed , Canada) On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be

Madonna and Child , Pompeo Batoni, c.1742 Galleria Borghese, Rome   For thus says the   Lord : I will extend prosperity to her like a river,      and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm,      and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child,      so I will comfort you;      you shall be comforted in Jerusalem ( Isaiah 66:12-13 ). From today’s First Reading. Gospel   Luke 10:1-12, 17-20  ( NRSV, Cath olic Ed,) After this the Lord appointed seventy   others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.   He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.     Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.   Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.   Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peac

Young Jew as Christ , Rembrandt, c.1656 Stattliche Museen, Berlin [ Web Gallery of Art ] Gospel   Mark 6:7-13  New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition , Can.  Jesus  called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.   He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts;   but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.   He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.   If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”   So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.   They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them. Green Drove, Pewsey , with the Pewsey White Horse, south of the village Today's gospel reminds me of experiences as a seminarian while on  Peregrinatio

Boy ploughing with water buffalo in Laos   (Luke 17:7) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                                   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Luke 17:5-10  ( Revised StandardVersion – Catholic Edition )  The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" And the Lord said, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this sycamine tree, 'Be rooted up, and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.  "Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down at table? Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also,

Columban Fr Aedan McGrath speaking about his time in solitary confinement in China, 1950-53 Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                                   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Luke 14:1, 7-14  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) One sabbath when Jesus went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him.   Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he marked how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, "When you are invited by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be invited by him; and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, s