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Jordan Navor and Louella 'Lala' Vicente I have used the photo above many times, especially to mark  Lala's birthday on 27 September , the feast of St Vincent de Paul. It was taken in  L'Arche  in Cainta, Rizal, part of the Metro Manila sprawl. Jordan, born with multiple disabilities, became part of the community as a child and I met him many times over the years. Lala joined some years later.  Punla , the Tagalog for seedling, is the official name of the community. I was very saddened to learn yesterday of Jordan's death on Wednesday. But my instinctive reaction was a conviction that he is now surely in heaven with God. In the Irish language we have a beautiful expression for someone like Jordan:  duine le Dia  - a person with God. He was someone who was a great grace to those who knew him because he drew out their generosity and love in responding to his needs. The photo at the top shows this beautifully. The photos above and below of Jordan, taken from the  Facebo

Washing of the Feet Giovanni Agostino da Lodi [ Web Gallery of Art ] The greatest among you shall be your servant  (Matthew 23:11; Gospel). Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Matthew 23:1-12  ( English Standard Version Anglicised, India) Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,   “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,   so practise and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practise.   They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.   They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long,   and they love the place of honour at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues   and greetings in the market-places and being called rabbi by others.  

  The video above, with yours truly speaking, was posted last week on the website of the Missionary Society of St Columban in Ireland under the title  Elderly Columban Missionaries Say 'Thanks'! Most of us Columban priests living here in St Columban's, Dalgan Park, Navan, are officially retired, though some of us are still active in various kinds of pastoral work. There are more than sixty of us here, most of us in our 70s, 80s and 90s. When I entered what was then our seminary here in 1961 there were more than 190 studying for the priesthood, spread over seven years.  Please continue at Bangor to Bobbio .

The Resurrection of Christ El Greco [ Web Gallery ofArt ] The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA ) At the Mass during the Day Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings  (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   John 20:1-9     (English Standard Version, Anglicised) Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.   So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”   So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going towards the tomb.   Both of them were running together, but the

The Crucifixion of St Peter Caravaggio [ Web Gallery of Art ] Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.   (John 21:18, today's Gospel). Readings ,  (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Readings ,  (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel ,  John 21:1-19 [1-14] ( English Standard Version Anglicised: India)    After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.   Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.   Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they

Christ Healing the Blind (detail) Lucas van Leyden [ Web Gallery of Art ] Behold, I will bring them from the north country   and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,   among them the blind . . .   (Jeremiah 31:8; First Reading). World Mission Sunday Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 10:46-52   (English Standard Version Anglicised: India) As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.   And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”   And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”   And Jesus stopped and said,  “Call him.”  And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.”   A

  Year A   All Quiet on the Western Front  (1930), ending For you yourselves are fully aware that  the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (1Thess 5:2).   [Second Reading] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Matthew 25:14-30 or 25:14-15, 19-21  [Omit]  ( English Standard Version Anglicised) Jesus told his disciples this parable: “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.   To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.   [ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.   So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.   But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ]   Now

The Good Shepherd Early Italian Christian Sculptor [ Web Gallery of Art ] This Sunday is often called 'Good Shepherd Sunday' and is also World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)             Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   John 10:1-10  ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition, Canada) Jesus said: ‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from hi