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In Sunday’s Gospel we heard Jesus tell his disciples to take nothing for their journey but a walking stick, sandals, and ONE tunic! The homily was about eliminating clutter. This came at an opportune time for me as I pack up my house and office to move. What a lot of stuff I accumulated in the past twenty years, making my sorting and packing job all the more difficult! Why am I saving a box of transparencies when no one uses an overhead anymore?  Why should I keep these size 8 clothes when I’m way past the middle age spread stage? That container of tatting thread? Really, I doubt I’ll be tatting anymore since I’ve taken up crocheting baby blankets. And those letters and greeting cards from years gone by? They only have meaning for me. I don’t think I need to save them as material for my canonization. The packs of paper that I “just might need” someday, I’ve never used. Click to continue

When I studied mystical theology, I discovered how to experience this love, not just in others but in God himself, through Jesus Christ, who, as St John insists, is love - infinite love. This was the beginning of a journey, a lifelong journey.. that I have spent nearly fifty years writing about so that those who want to follow me can have a guide to help them along the way.  read on....

Today marks the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This feast day, in honor of our Blessed Mother, originated in the early 1700’s. It is a day to celebrate the universal church. On this special day, we call on Our Lady to pray for us. We ask for prayers just like when we ask a neighbor to pray for us. Yet, the power of Mary is far greater, as she is the Mother of God. In honor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I found this prayer on catholic.org to share with you: A Prayer to the Most Blessed Virgin, Our Lady of Mount Carmel (State your intention/need) O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein you are my Mother. Read more...

Después del resultado de las elecciones generales en México en julio 2018 y ante la victoria del partido de izquierda socialista MORENA que prometió mucho y antes de una semana ya se ha retract ado de parte, dejando a sus seguidores desencantados, inclusive antes de tomar el poder….. ¿Q u é hacer? Como católicos que dudamos de la viabilidad de sus promesas y de su modo de alcanzar el desarrollo e igualdad que todos queremos pero que siempre hemos creído en las instituciones y las estructuras democráticas para la convivencia civilizada, hemos optado por la paz y la aceptación de los resultados de un ejercicio democrático ejemplar por su asistencia y desarrollo . Este ambiente se siente muy distinto a las reacciones de las fracciones socialistas en las elecciones anteriores, donde la toma de calles por meses fue una de sus tantas manifestaciones invasivas post-electorales. más...  

Christ as Saviour , 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 6:7-13 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) 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.

We enter into solitude first of all to meet our Lord and to be with Him and Him alone. Our journey through life can be compared to a desert scene. We are all standing in a huge, modern, air-conditioned airport, peering anxiously through the plate glass, waiting for a jet plane to fly us over the desert to our oasis. Although we have paced in the lounge for years, a plane never lands for us, never accepts us as passengers. Meanwhile, God keeps trying to get our attention. He does not use the loudspeakers which pump in distracting music all day but whispers in our hearts. continue

Photo by  Greg Rakozy  on  Unsplash I've been feeling restless lately and begging God in prayer to reveal my vocation to me, the direction for the second half of my life. Then I realized something big: What if this is it? What if God wants me here, now, doing just this and there is no big "ah-ha!" moment? A few thoughts from the Salesian perspective on what finding God's will for you, living your vocation, and being who you are - and being that well (to paraphrase St. Francis de Sales). Read my article What if this is it? 

Today is the feast of Saint Benedict of Nursia, Italy. Saint Benedict was a late 5 th , early 6 th  century saint, who founded the Benedictine Order. He is considered the father of monasticism, most notable for building twelve monasteries used to house laity. During this time in history, monasteries were built for housing the religious. However, God had other plans for monasteries! This beloved saint is a great example of how God uses us to work in accordance with His plan, and sometimes we don’t even know it until we look back and see his handiwork. Saint Benedict, the Builder of Monasteries Saint Benedict came from Roman nobility, and could have had a very easy life. Yet, all he wanted was to go into the wilderness, live in a cave, and seek God in prayer, all by himself. So, that is exactly what he did. However, as I said, God had other plans! While Benedict was living in the cave, people would come by seeking his advice. The crowds grew and grew! They wanted to learn all tha

Let’s face it! We live in a crazy mixed up world! With trade wars threatening to plummet us into another Great Depression, and children being separated from their parents while trying to enter the country seeking asylum, we simply carry on. Sometimes, the only way we can cope is to ignore the news. While evil acts seek to destroy us as a society, we carry on with our hope placed in Christ. Yes, we live in a crazy mixed up world, but we don’t have to cave in to the crazy. We can rise above it. When life gets crazy, I enter into some serious prayer time; for I know that some of the messes that we get ourselves into, only God can get us out. I pray for peace (my own and for others), as well as the strength to carry on, and the courage to rise up, when needed, to make a positive difference. And then there are times when all we need is common sense, a little laughter and a dose of kindness. Use your common sense to determine verifiable truth. (Don’t believe everything you hear witho

Keiko Uemura on her First Communion Day, December 1971 Keiko died 27 April 1972, aged 14 Readings (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel   Mark 6:1-6 ( New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition) Jesus left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him.  On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him.  Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’  And he

Fr Daniel Canniffe 3 July 1928 - 28 June 2018 Fr Daniel 'Dan' Canniffe was born on 3 July 1928 in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland. He was an only child as were each of his parents. Educated at Bandon Naotional School, Hamilton High School, Bandon, and St Finbarr's College, Farrenferris, County Cork, he entered St Columban's, Dalgan Park, Navan, in September 1945. Immaculate Conception Church, Bandon   [ Parish FB ] Ordained priest on 21 December 1951 Father Dan was appointed to Japan. He spent seven years there. After language school he was involved in pastoral work in Yakatamachi, Wakayama City. There he was involved in using all the usual techniques to make the Church known. This included posters, street collections for the poor, film shows, lectures by invited speakers, promotion of the Legion of Mary, the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the Young Christian Workers. Those were the years of plenty in post-war Japan when many people entered