Time to talk of other things ...

  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...

 Sep 12 - Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary   The most BVM is credited with helping stem the Ottoman Turks who attacked Europe  The first time was when Pope Pius V urged the faithful to pray the Rosary for victory at the Battle of Lepanto (October 7, 1571) when a large fleet of roughly 230+ Ottoman galleys led by Admiral Müezzinzade Ali Pasha were routed by 200 galleys of the European fleet led by Don John of Austria that were larger and more heavily armed.  Continue reading for details about the second time at the Battle of Vienna in 1693 - after a shocking victory over the Ottomans on September 12th Historical reasons for the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary          To understand why September 12th was chosen by Pope Innocent XI as the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary, one must go back to July 1683 when a massive army of 300,000 Ottoman Turks led by the Grand Vizier Kara Mustapha laid a two-month siege to Vienna, the capital of the Habsburg ...