The Last Day Of The Year
At the conclusion of another year, our thoughts go back over the months now engulfed in the past. Tempus fugit irreparabile, goes the saying of the wise man: Time flies away and will never return. So many things to be grateful for, so many things to be sorry for. For those who have made the […]
A Sword Of Sorrow Will Pierce Thy Heart
A sword of sorrow will pierce thy heart. Hardly have we delved into the joys of Christmas, rejoicing with the angels, we are confronted with this painful prophecy of Simeon to Our Lady. Christmas and Presentation are both joyful mysteries, and yet they both contain pain. Mary and Joseph knew only joy on Christmas night, […]
Christmas Day
Today the Word is silent. The only sounds that reach us from His crib are those of a baby suffering from the cold and the bitter sting of poverty. The Eternal Word does not speak to us on this day with words of His mouth. He speaks to us with the deeds of His poverty. […]
Christmas Dawn
Each feast has its special grace. The grace of Christmas is first and foremost that of holy poverty, being divested of all created goods. Our Blessed Lord, the Master of the Universe and its Creator, had all things at His disposal, and yet He chose to put Himself in a position where created goods would […]
Christmas Night
Who is this Babe? He is the Eternal, Omnipotent Creator, who holds all things in His tiny hand. Where is this Babe? He is in a wretched stable for animals, in Bethlehem, that is to say, the City of Bread, for He will one day give Himself to us under the appearance of bread, just […]
Hodie Et Cras
Hodie et cras. Today and tomorrow. These two words occur again and again as it were a leitmotiv in the liturgy of the Vigil of the Nativity. Today, know that the Lord is coming; today, stand firm, be constant; today, be holy, sanctify yourselves; today, be on your guard; today, mortify yourself and have confidence. […]
Make Way For The King
4th Sunday in Advent Parate viam Domini. Make ready the way of the Lord. The season of Advent which is now drawing to a close is, like Lent, paradigmatic for the entire Christian life. Christian history itself is situated between Our Lord’s first coming and His second. We therefore are constantly referring back to that […]
She Was Troubled
Turbata est et cogitabat – She was troubled at his saying and thought with herself. It might surprise us to read that Our Lady, the Most Pure Virgin, was troubled by the visit of the angel. How can that be? Would we not expect her to be so perfectly in harmony with the angelic world […]
The Cause Of Our Joy
Gaudete Sunday Always is always. This is not a one-off recommendation given in a moment of spiritual fervour. Far from it. Rejoice in the Lord, rejoice always. There is therefore no time when we should not rejoice. But why? St John the Baptist, who, in today’s Gospel has the humility to step aside and acknowledge […]