Time to talk of other things ...

 Oct 13, 1917: Miracle of the Sun at Fatima     Oct 13 - anniversary of the last apparition of Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima, Portugal, when she asked us to pray:  O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fire of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are most in need.   Our Lady of Fátima appeared to three poor shepherd children,  Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, in Fátima, Portugal from May 1917 through October 1917. The first apparition was on May 13, 1917 with further visions on the 13th of each five following months through October 13, 1917.        The final apparition, on October 13, 1917, is the best known when a large crowd, estimated at around 70,000, gathered at the Cova da Iria, and many reported seeing the sun appear to dance or spin in the sky, an event known as the “Miracle of the Sun.” Lúcia describes three separate visions in her memoirs as follows:    ...

 St Carlo Acutis, Disciple of the Eucharist   Early life  Carlo Acutis, was born May 3, 1991, in London, where his parents, Andrea Acutis and Antonia Salzano, were working, and the family moved to Milan a few months later. Though his parents were not fervent Catholics, Carlo asked to receive First Communion early, at seven, and from then on attended Mass daily. His mother wasn't religious and said she had been to Mass only for her First Communion, her confirmation, and her wedding but young Carlo's unique and unexplained devotion led to her deep conversion. The priest promoting his cause for sainthood noted that Carlo “managed to drag his relatives, his parents to Mass every day. It was not the other way around; it was not his parents bringing the little boy to Mass, but it was he who managed to get himself to Mass and to convince others to receive Communion daily.”   Carlo had a great devotion to Mary and loved to pray the rosary, saying, " The Virgin Mary is the on...

  Saint John Henry Newman   Saint John Henry Newman (not to be confused with St. John Neumann of New York whose feast day is January 5), is widely regarded as the 19th-century’s most important English-speaking Catholic theologian.  Pope Paul VI said Vatican II was "Newman's Council" - that's captures the vast shadow his teachings and writings cast. After spending the first half of his life in generous service to the Church of England which he deeply loved, John Henry Newman spent the second half in the service of the Catholic Church, showing a deep sincerity and unflinching loyalty in searching for the truth rooted in the writings of the Fathers of the Church, which are the common patrimony of all Christians. Lead Kindly Light In 1832–1833, while still an Anglican clergyman at Oxford, Newman took a trip to the Mediterranean to recover his health. While traveling through Sicily, he contracted a life-threatening fever and was bedridden for weeks in Castrogiovanni (moder...

September 30: Feast of St Jerome Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ ~ St Jerome   September 30th is the feast of St Jerome, doctor of the Church and translator of the Holy Bible, and the Church honours him as the patron saint of translators, librarians, and scholars His is an inspiring story of how each step of his life, he is given opportunities that prepare him for the purpose that God made him, which was to bring the Holy Scriptures to the masses. In order to be able to do such work, St Jerome had to first become a polyglot and speak Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldaic (aka Biblical Aramaic that Christ himself spoke; as we will see he was given ample opportunity to prepare himself well. On the basis of the original Greek and Hebrew texts, and thanks to the comparison with previous versions, he revised the four Gospels in Latin, then the Psalter and a large part of the Old Testament. Taking into account the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Septuagint, t...

  September 29: Feast of the Archangels      Today September 29th is the Feast of the Archangels , sometimes called the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael ; or the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels or simply Michaelmas .        The word ‘Archangel’ means ‘high-ranking angel’. The three archangels whom the Roman Catholic Church honours by name are St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. They are also the only three angels who are mentioned by name in Sacred Scripture. Each of the archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides. St. Michael, the protector , is the " Prince of the Heavenly Host ." He is the Guardian of the Church and is usually shown as a strong warrior, dressed in armor and holding a sword while defeating the devil. His name appears in Scripture four times, twice in the Book of Daniel (Dan 10:21 and 2:1), and once each in the Epistle...

 My Kairos Weekend        Thank you all for your prayers and support. Your prayers were heard because we had a most blessed Kairos15 retreat at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, CA from 9/24/26 through 9/27/26. Seeing the face of the Creator       There are some things that defy description, they have to be experienced. The indescribable joy that floods your senses when you first hold your newborn child, bone of bone; flesh of flesh!  Another example is a Kairos Prison retreat, join me for a peek at the face of Jesus ...      Having experienced my very first 72-hour Kairos Prison retreat, I remember the veteran team members telling rookies like me, be prepared to witness the impossible - it was the understatement of the decade.       We've all seen a glorious sunset, one that takes your breath away but also one that soon fades from memory - this is the work our creator; now imagine if you could gl...

 Sep 18 - Feast of St Joseph of Cupertino   A simple, humble and almost illiterate Franciscan friar, known for his mystical experiences, numerous miracles, and above all, for levitating during prayer.    This is Saint Joseph of Cupertino, born Joseph Desa on June 17, 1603, in Copertino, Apulia in southern Italy. He came into the world in extreme poverty, in a stable, and his childhood was marked by hardship, illness and  no access to education.    His father secured an apprenticeship for him with a shoemaker, but he longed to enter religious life but  with little formal education he was rejected by several religious orders.   Finally, he was accepted as a tertiary at the convent of the Conventual Franciscans at La Grottella. His cheerful spirit, willingness to perform humble tasks, and holiness soon convinced his superiors that he was called to religious life. He flourished in his devotion and service, often found engrossed in tasks like gard...

 Sep 15 - The Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows    September 15 is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.    One faithful Mother - the most Blessed Virgin Mary - who suffered immensely but her sorrow was never without faith. She remained with Jesus through Passion, Calvary, the Crucifixion, Death and the Silence of the Tomb.  Let us contemplate the seven moments that profoundly pierced the heart of Mary  1. The Prophecy of Simeon Simeon on blessing the infant Jesus foretold Mary that a sword would pierce her [Lk 2:34-35]   2. The Flight into Egypt   Mary and Joseph flee to exile in Egypt when the life of the infant Jesus was threatened when Herod the Great ordered the Massacre of the Innocents [Mt 2:13-14] 3. The Loss of the Child Jesus at age 12   Returning from Jerusalem, Mary and Joseph cannot find Jesus and return to look for him, finding him three days later in the Temple [Lk 2:43-45] 4. Mary Meets Jesus on the Way to Calvary  Mary...