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Calling of Peter and Andrew Duccio di Buoninsegna  [ 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 1:14-20 ( New Revised  Standard Version, Anglicised CatholicEdition )   Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,   and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.  As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat men...

Year A The Apostle St Thomas, El Greco  Readings (New American Bible)  Readings (Jerusalem Bible) Gospel John 20:19-31( NRSV, Catholic Ed .) When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and p...

Fr Vincent Batchelor died in Box Hill Hospital in Melbourne on 28 May at around 5:30pm in his 96th year. He had been living in Nazareth Care Camberwell , under the care of the Sisters of Nazareth. Camberwell is a suburb of Melbourne. Father Vincent had a fall after which the staff decided to send him to hospital for observation. The doctor suspected that the fall was brought on by a heart attack. He had been visited by his sister Mary and niece and Fr Ray Scanlon who kept in constant contact with him and with Fr Gary Walker, the Regional Director of the Columbans in Australia and New Zealand, that afternoon. He died shortly after they left. Vincent Batchelor had little interest in money or possessions and once sold his car after a cyclone in Fiji to buy food and essentials for people who had lost everything. He was clear in his desire to be a missionary, always willing to accept whatever appointment was asked of him. He was childlike in the best sense and God’s word was reveale...

November 1-7, 2015 is National Vocation Awareness Week. I'm not sure local bakeries are stocking up on vocation-themed pastries, but that won't stop us from praying! The USCCB has a page dedicated to National Vocation Awareness Week , complete with a news release, homily helps, and prayers from several dozen dioceses to get us going. This is how the USCCB describes the vocation-awareness phenomenon: “National Vocation Awareness Week (NVAW) is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.” But is the USCCB leaving something OUT? Join me at Praying with Grace !

©mocoo/Getty Images Only the best for God I spent most of high school and college assuming I would never marry or have children. God had set me on fire with faith, and I wanted to give him my absolute best. In Catholic terms, as far as I knew, that meant entering religious life. For a couple of years I attended campus ministry meetings for wanna-be nuns and priests, and my weekends were often scheduled with "come and see" retreats at various religious communities. And then I met a guy. . . . This guy, David, was different from others I had dated. He loved life, he loved God, and he knew God wanted him to be a father. Please join me for the rest at Praying with Grace .

From   The Gospel of John   (2003) directed by Philip Saville Today's Gospel, John 10:11-18 [1:19 - 2:30] Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.   The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.   The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.   I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,     just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.     I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.   For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.   No one takes   it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power t...

The Social Media Coordinator of Ascension Press wondered if I would share a video entitled "I Will Follow" to get young men excited about the priesthood. It is part of their larger Mass education program called "Altaration" which they have designed specifically for teens. Ascension has already attracted over 100k views on Facebook for their videos. I loved it. + When I agreed to post it, I was delighted with their Social Media Coordinator's response.I will end this short post with his words ringing in your mind, heart and prayers. Awesome! If we get even one vocation from this project we will consider it a success. Watch  their short film calling young men to consider the priesthood. See why it has already received over 95k views. Learn more about the project at  WillYouFollow.com.    

(Excerpt is reprinted with permission from  All Things Guy: A Guide to Becoming a Man that Matters) Have you ever been in a religion class or in Church and Father asks you to think about a vocation? Do you get the feeling you want to crawl in a hole and disappear, fearing he will ask you to become a priest? A vocation is a call from God. It’s not merely a career choice. Everyone, everyone, everyone has a calling from God! The word vocation refers to three different things:     1.         Vocation comes with baptism. It’s a call to know, love and serve God in your life. 2.       Vocation also means, “state in life,” such as priesthood, religious life, marriage or single life. 3.       Vocation also means a personal relationship you have with Jesus. It’s you, yourself, trying to know, love, and serve God. read more here

St Augustine Washing the Feet of the Redeemer , Guercino Tomorrow I will concelebrate the Chrism Mass in San Sebastian Cathedral, Bacolod City, with Bishop Vicente M. Navarra, whose Golden Jubilee of ordination to the priesthood falls on Holy Saturday. We will celebrate that on Easter Monday in the Cathedral. During the Chrism Mass the priests renew their commitment in the presence of the bishop and of the people. My brother alerted me to a beautiful tribute by rugby correspondent Matt Williams in yesterday's Irish Times to a recently deceased priest-uncle, Fr Brian Ryan of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Let's hear it for the Uncle Brians of this world . Fr Ryan, the son of Irish immigrants, was 85. His death led his nephew to reflect on his uncle's vocation to the priesthood .   The sports section of a daily newspaper is not where you'd expect to find a reflection on the vocation of the priest! You can read my full post here .

St Andrew ,  Francois Duquesnoy, 1629-33 This Sunday is observed in the Philippines as the Feast of the Santo Niño or Holy Child. You can find the Sunday Reflections for that feast here .   Readings  (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)    Gospel  John 1:35-42  (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) As John stood with two of his disciples, Jesus passed, and John stared hard at him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God.’ Hearing this, the two disciples followed Jesus. Jesus turned round, saw them following and said, ‘What do you want?’ They answered, ‘Rabbi,’ – which means Teacher – ‘where do you live?’ ‘Come and see’ he replied; so they went and saw where he lived, and stayed with him the rest of that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of these two who became followers of Jesus after hearing what John had said was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. Early ...

The graves of martyrs in front of the  Pietá in Regina Martyrum (Queen of Martyrs) Church near Plotenzee Prison, Berlin, where many were executed by the Nazis, including   Fr Alfred Delp SJ . Today is the 44th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood in St Mary's Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, my native city. Three days ago I posted about   Fr Alfred Delp SJ , martyred by the Nazis on 2 February 1945. While doing research for that I came across a sermon he gave on the Sacrament of Holy Orders, one of a series on the Seven Sacraments in Munich in the autumn of 1941. I found it on the   website of The Ignatius Press . From the website of The Ignatius Press Here is the text of the sermon with some parts   highlighted  and   [comments]   added. Holy Orders | by Fr. Alfred Delp, S.J. | Preached in Munich, Autumn 1941 "Let the grace that is in you through the laying on of hands be rekindled." (2 Timothy 1:8) ...First: In that great moment of our l...

Fr James Doyle, Fr Brian Doyle OP, Bro Rory Doyle OFMConv The photo above, courtesy of the Irish Dominicans, was taken on Saturday 3 September in Murrintown, County Wexford, in the south-west of Ireland, when Father Brian was ordained priest by Bishop Denis Brennan of Ferns. His brother Father James (Jim) is a priest in the Diocese of Ferns, which includes most of County Wexford, and his twin Brother Rory is also preparing for the priesthood as a Conventual Franciscan. The three brothers are featured in today's Irish Independent : Engineer brothers down tools for life in the priesthood . The twins have doctorates in engineering. Father Jim worked with the Irish agency Concern in Cambodia and Burundi and found his vocation there. Father Brian with his parents Joan and Brian senior ( Irish Dominican Vocations ) Ten years ago I did mission appeals on behalf of the Columbans in the Diocese of Lancaster in the north-west of England. I met two of the three Burns brothers who, like t...

Fr Aedan McGrath On the first Tuesday of September 1961 - the date was the 5th - I and more than 40 other young men entered St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, Navan, about 40 kms north-west of my native Dublin, hoping to be Columban priests one day and heading off to Chile, Fiji, Japan, Korea, Peru or the Philippines about seven years later. As it happened, some were to find their way to Pakistan, which became a Columban mission in 1978 along with Taiwan. I was then 18 but since I was 14 had wanted to be a missionary priest. I decided on the Columbans when I was 16 but had to wait to do my Leaving Certificate. I went to Dalgan Park in Easter Week 1961 to be interviewed and have a medical examination. I was very happy when accepted. Then I had to get a black suit, some white shirts and a black tie, not to mention a black hat, required in those days. One thing was niggling me: what would my parents think if I ever decided to leave? The term 'spoiled priest...

Fr William Doyle SJ 3 March 1873 - 16 August 1917  This account of Father Willie Doyle's death in Ypres/Ieper, Belgium, while serving as a chaplain in the British Army during The Great War is from Father William Doyle S.J. by Professor Alfred O'Rahilly and taken from the blog Remembering Father William Doyle SJ . Fr Doyle was from Dalkey, County Dublin. Fr. Doyle had been engaged from early morning in the front line, cheering and consoling his men, and attending to the many wounded. Soon after 3 p.m. he made his way back to the Regimental Aid Post which was in charge of a Corporal Raitt, the doctor having gone back to the rear some hours before. Whilst here word came in that an officer of the Dublins had been badly hit, and was lying out in an exposed position. Fr. Doyle at once decided to go out to him, and left the Aid Post with his runner, Private Mclnespie, and a Lieutenant Grant. Some twenty minutes later, at about a quarter to four, Mclnespie staggered into the Aid P...

A Priest’s Prayer Loving Father, I praise you, I love you, I adore you. Send your Holy Spirit to enlighten my mind to the truth of your Son, Jesus, Priest and Victim. Through the same Spirit guide my heart to his Sacred Heart, to renew in me a priestly passion that I, too, might lay down my life upon the altar. May your Spirit wash away my impurities and free me from all my transgressions in the Cup of Salvation, Let only your will be done in me. May the Blessed Mother of your dearly beloved Son, wrap her mantle around me and protect me from all evil. May she guide me to do whatever He tells me. May she teach me to have the heart of St. Joseph, her spouse, to protect and care for my bride. And may her pierced heart inspire me to embrace as my own your children who suffer at the foot of the cross. I humbly cry to her: please be my consoling mother, and help me to be a better son. Lord, make me a holy priest, inflamed with the fire of your love, seeking nothing but your greater glory an...