Wine Springing Forth Virgins
Today is the traditional octave of Corpus Christi and I would like to share some thoughts on the Blessed Sacrament and its importance for the preservation and increase of virtue. Perhaps what sparked these reflections is an invocation in the Litany of the Precious Blood which reads: “Most Precious Blood of Jesus, wine springing for […]
Gratias Tibi, Trinitas
The feast of the Most Holy Trinity, dear the hearts of all Catholics, comes as the crowning achievement of the ineffable mysteries that we have been contemplating since the beginning of Advent. That God would send someone to save us was enough. But He came in person and taught us that God is not alone, […]
The Sacred Heart And The Holy Ghost
June is the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but it is as well the month of the Holy Spirit, as the octave of Pentecost often falls therein. This year, the First Friday of June fell immediately before the vigil of Pentecost, and I was reminded of the fact that St John tells us […]
“Ante Omnia…” The Only Sign
On this Sunday after the Ascension, the last before Pentecost, Holy Mother Church puts before our eyes two power images to incite us to renewed fervour in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. There is first of all that of Our Blessed Lord in the glory of His Father, beckoning to us to […]
Auxilium Christianorum, Ora Pro Nobis
Today is the feast of Mary Help of Christians. The title was inserted in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin by Pope St Pius V after the naval victory of Lepanto which saved Europe from the Turkish invasion in 1571. But it was especially Pope Pius VII, one of the great Benedictine Popes, who after […]
De Maria Numquam Satis
May is the month of Mary, and “of Mary one can never say enough”. It is all the more true when May coincides with paschal tide, as it always does and therefore with the victory of Jesus over death. Yesterday morning at the Priory we celebrated the Saturday Mass of Our Lady, and I pointed out […]
Consecration Of Notre Dame Priory To The Immaculate Heart Of Mary Saturday 13 May 2017 Centenary Of The First Apparitions At Fatima
O Virgin most pure, Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Mother of God and Mother of each one of us. Thou who, at the Wedding Feast of Cana, didst manifest Thy maternal Heart, revealing to us the compassion Thou hast for all our needs, moving us to turn to Jesus, and commanding us to do […]
Holy Land Journal
25 April, 2017 St Mark Greetings from Jerusalem! I arrived, safe and sound, but quite a bit exhausted after about 38 hours of travel. Upon arrival at Christmas Hotel in Jerusalem, I went in search of a place to offer Holy Mass. Fr John had suggested going to the Holy Sepulchre. But on the way […]
Why Me?
About a year ago, my good friend Roy Schoeman invited me to be chaplain for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Me? I must say such a grace always seemed to me to be a dream that would never be realised. And here I was being offered out of the blue a free pilgrimage on […]