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From   The Gospel of John   (2003) directed by Philip Saville Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   John 8:1-11 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.  The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them,  they said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery.  Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’  They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.  When they kept on questioning him, he straightened

The Return of the Prodigal Son , Rembrandt  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      Now all the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he told them this parable: ‘There was a man who had two sons.  The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them.  A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.  When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that co

Sometimes we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that we forget the Good News, the Gospel of Christ.  Oh yes, we keep trudging to Mass,  trying  to pray, maybe reading a few lines of a spiritual book before we nod off but we lose sight of the real goal of the Christian life. Holiness I would say the goal of the spiritual life is to cooperate with Grace, and so grow slowly closer to our Beloved through the power of His death and resurrection. In even simpler terms, God changes us so we can freely receive His love and let it flow through us to others. This goal—union with God—is not a fairy tale, not only for the saints of old. As Pope Francis has said in  GAUDETE ET EXSULTATE , holiness is for all, for all states of life, even for modern, busy people. continue

The Holy Night (The Nativity) , Carlo Maratti  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Today, New Year's Day 2019, is the darkest day in the history of the independent Ireland (the Republic of Ireland) that came into being in 1922.  Starting today , it is now legal in Ireland to kill an unborn baby for any reason whatever up to 12 weeks. After that the unborn child may be killed for specific reasons related to the health of the mother or to the perceived chances of a baby being born dead or not likely to live more than 28 days after birth. It will still be a serious crime to take the life of a child after 12 weeks except within the circumstances where the law allows abortion, though not in the case of a woman ending her own pregnancy. Early abortions will be carried out mainly by General Practitioners (GPs) who are willing to do them. Doctors and other medical personnel may refuse to carry out abortions but, as far as I know, doctors will be expected to refer the mother to a doc

The Adoration of the Name of Jesus , El Greco  [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Mark 13:24-32 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition)      Jesus said to his disciples:   ‘But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened,      and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven,      and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory.   Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place,