The month of April is dedicated to The Holy Spirit. The term “Spirit” translates the Hebrew word ruah, which in its primary sense, means breath, air, wind.  After our solemn commemoration of the last days and death of Our Lord we will spend the rest of the month of April celebrating. As Spring breaks forth even nature will join us as buds and blooms begin to surface and we spend this month basking in the joy of the Resurrection.  “Christ is risen, Christ is truly risen.”

 Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.

Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.

Amen. (St. Augustine)

  • For further information please click: HERE
  • 40 Days – Animation based on Jesus’ 40 days in the desert plus Matt Maher song HERE

The Pope’s Prayer Intentions for April

 For Health Care Workers

We pray for health care workers who serve the sick and the elderly, especially in the poorest countries; may they be adequately supported by governments and local communities.

 For further information just click :  HERE

  April 2nd

 The 2022 World Autism Awareness Day observance

This year‘s observance will address inclusive education in the context of SDG 4 – the promise and reality – through a virtual event that will include a moderated panel discussion, along with brief presentations by self-advocates, educators and other experts.

The theme of inclusive education is intrinsically linked with the focus of last year’s WAAD observance, “Inclusion in the Workplace”. Panelists in last year’s event emphasized how crucial it is to foster inclusive quality education for people on the autism spectrum so that they can fulfill their potential and achieve sustainable success in the labour market. In this respect, inclusive education is the key to the transformative promise of the Sustainable Development Goals, to LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND.

The event is organized by the UN Department of Global Communications and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with the support of civil society partners including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Global Autism Project and the Specialisterne Foundation.

 Inclusive Quality Education for All

Virtual Event: Friday, 8 April 2022, 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. EST

Register

April 5th

International Day of Conscience

The International Day of Conscience is a global day of awareness celebrated on April 5, commemorating the importance of the human conscience. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly on July 25, 2019, with the adoption of UN resolution 73/329

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the judgment of a properly formed conscience can never contradict the objective moral truth contained in Sacred Scripture or taught by the magisterium of the Church. The Catechism states: “A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator” (No. 1783).

The binding force of conscience does not depend on a person’s decision to follow it or not. Rather, a properly formed conscience is binding because it accurately reflects the mind and will of God himself. Again, the Catechism states, “When he listens to his conscience, the prudent man can hear God speaking” (No. 1777).

Because this is so, the Church teaches that not only must a person follow the judgment of a well-formed conscience, but his freedom to do so must always be assured and protected. “Man has the right to act in conscience and in freedom so as personally to make moral decisions. ‘He must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience. Nor must he be prevented from acting according to his conscience, especially in religious matters’” (No. 1782).

April 7th

Feast Day of St. John Baptist de La Salle/Lá Fhéile Naomh Eoin Baiste de La Salle
Special Patron of all Christian Educators

 Saint Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (John Baptist de La Salle) (born 30 April 1651 in Reims; died 7 April 1719 in Saint-Yon, Rouen) was a French priest, educational reformer, and founder of an international educational movement.

He dedicated more than forty years of his life to the education of the children of the poor. In the process, he standardized educational practices throughout France, and wrote meditations on the ministry of teaching (along with catechisms, politeness texts, and other resources for teachers and students). He was to influence many other religious congregations dedicated to education that were founded in the 18th and 19th centuries.

De La Salle became involved in education little by little, without ever consciously setting out to do so. In 1679, what began as a charitable effort to establish a school for the poor in De La Salle’s home town gradually became his life’s work. He thereby began a new order, the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools also known as the De La Salle Brothers (in the U.K. Ireland and Australasia).

Prayer to St. John Baptist de la Salle:
O God, who chose Saint John Baptist de la Salle to educate young Christians, raise up, we pray, teachers in your Church ready to devote themselves wholeheartedly to the human and Christian formation of the young. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

 For further resources and a short power point on St. John de La Salle see HERE

  • https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=153 https://www.lasalle.ie/

 April 7th

World Health Day

 One of the goals of World Health Day is to shape a world in which all people have access to good basic health care that does not depend on their wealth. That same hope inspired the founding of Catholic hospitals and nursing orders throughout Christian history. They began with compassion for the poorest of poor people in the conviction that it is the responsibility and privilege of a community to care for its most vulnerable members. Jesuit Social Services belongs to that tradition which recognises the importance of faithful lasting relationships in accompanying vulnerable people.

The importance of communities can easily be lost from sight. This year, though, we have again been forced to recognise that we do not live as individuals, and that for our health and well-being we depend on one another. What happens in a rural Chinese market can affect the health and life of people in Circular Quay and St Kilda. We are reminded that the relationships between people depend on the relationships between people and animals and birds, which depend in turn on the relationship between plants and microorganisms. We are part of our environment and involved in the millions of relationships on which its stability depends.

This year World Health Day poses the larger personal question of what matters most deeply in our lives. When we realise that our good health is not guaranteed, we are led to ask what meaning we might find in illness and death.

(Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ writes for Jesuit Communications and Jesuit Social Services.)

  •  To download posters and social media resources from WHO click HERE
  • To read more from Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ on the issue of world health day click HERE

April 11th

Pope John XXIII, Pacem In Terris April 11th 1963

Pope John XXIII wrote the encyclical Pacem in Terris in April of 1963 to address a world deeply engaged in the Cold War. The Berlin Wall had just gone up and the Cuban Missile Crisis frightened millions as nuclear weapons began to proliferate. 

At a time when Russia is invading Ukraine and media references to nuclear weapons are in the headlines it is opportune to revisit this encyclical when we find ourselves once again at a time in world history marked by powerful new weapons, rivalry, and fear.  It is good to be reminded of how Pope John XXIII sought to reassure not only the Catholic World, but also all people, that peace on earth is possible through the divinely established order.  Some of the key points are as follows:

  • All of humanity was created in God’s own image and likeness (Gen. 1:26.) and endowed with intelligence and freedom and give power over the earth. We were also given free will along with certain rights and duties.
  • Each person has the right to life and the means necessary to live their life. In addition, all of humanity has a natural right to be respected, to worship God, to live their life as they choose, to work and support a family, to form associations, to emigrate, and to take an active role in public life. All people also have the duty to preserve their life, to respect the rights of others, work together for the common good, and maintain an attitude of responsibility.
  • The purpose of the public authority, or government, is to attain the common good. This is best achieved when personal rights and duties are protected. The condition of people is a major consideration when determining the form of government in a country. Government must also never disregard the moral law and justice must be administered impartially.
  • Relations between states ought to also be characterized by truth, justice, willing cooperation, and freedom. Nations who have achieved significant scientific, cultural and economic development shouldn’t exert unjust political domination over other states, but instead ought to use their advances to advance the global common good.
  • Each country has the right to existence, to self development, and the means to achieve their development. Minority groups should be protected and be allowed to live in association with the other peoples within a state. The encyclical continues by discussing relations between races and the issue of political refugees.
  • The world has seen continued economic, scientific, and technological growth. These tremendous advances are examples of “the infinite greatness of God Himself, who created both man and the universe.”

For more information click HERE


Calendar for Holy Week

During Holy Week, the Church celebrates the mysteries of salvation accomplished by Christ in the last days of his life on earth, beginning with his messianic entrance into Jerusalem.  The Lenten season lasts until the Thursday of this week.  The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper.  The days of Holy Week from Monday to Thursday inclusive have precedence over all other celebrations.  We recall the following dates for prayer and reflection. 

To watch a 3 minute clip by Busted Halo on Holy Week please click HERE

10th April – Palm Sunday
14th April – Holy Thursday
15th April – Good Friday
16th April – Holy Saturday
17th April – Easter Sunday
    

April 10th

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified.

It commemorates Christ’s entry into Jerusalem for the completion of the Paschal Mystery. The Palm Sunday procession is formed of Christians who, in the “fullness of faith,” make their own the gesture of the Jews and endow it with its full significance. Following the Jews’ example, we proclaim Christ as a Victor… Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.

Palm Sunday is known as such because the faithful will often receive palm fronds which they use to participate in the re-enactment of Christ’s arrival in Jerusalem. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a young donkey, and to the lavish praise of the townspeople who threw clothes, or possibly palms or small branches, in front of him as a sign of homage. This was a customary practice for people of great respect. Palm branches are widely recognized symbol of peace and victory, hence their preferred use on Palm Sunday.

The use of a donkey instead of a horse is highly symbolic, it represents the humble arrival of someone in peace, as opposed to arriving on a steed in war. A week later, Christ would rise from the dead on the first Easter.

  • Click HERE for more information on Palm Sunday.

 April 13th

“Spy Wednesday”

Wednesday of Holy Week is traditionally called “Spy Wednesday” because Judas bargained with the High Priest to betray Jesus for thirty silver pieces (Matt 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:1-6). This is also the day that Jesus was anointed with an expensive jar of alabaster by the woman at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper (Matt 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-19).

  • For more information click HERE

April 14th

Holy Thursday/ Easter Triduum

Holy Thursday is also known as “Maundy Thursday.” The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation: Mandátum novum do vobis dicit Dóminus, ut diligátis ínvicem, sicut diléxi vos.
“I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. There are only two Masses allowed on Holy Thursday — the Chrism Mass and the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper.
During the evening of Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated. It is celebrated in the evening because the Passover began at sundown. This is a very joyful Mass, as we recall the institution of the Holy Eucharist and the priesthood. The Liturgy of the Mass recalls the Passover, the Last Supper, which includes the Washing of the Feet.

After the Mass, we recall the Agony in the Garden, and the arrest and imprisonment of Jesus. The altar is stripped bare; crosses are removed or covered. The Eucharist has been placed in an altar of repose, and most churches are open for silent adoration, to answer Christ’s invitation “Could you not, then, watch one hour with me?” (Matt 26:40)
During the Chrism Mass all of the priests of the diocese gather together, and during it the Bishop will consecrate the sacred oils used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. Each parish receives its annual supply of these oils at the Chrism Mass.

April 15th

 Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion
 “It is accomplished; and bowing his head he gave up his spirit.”

Today the whole Church mourns the death of our Saviour. This is traditionally a day of sadness, spent in fasting and prayer.

“Celebration of the Lord’s Passion,” is usually celebrated around three o’clock in the afternoon. The altar is completely bare, with no cloths, candles nor cross. The service is divided into three parts: Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion.

In part one, the Liturgy of the Word, we hear the most famous of the Suffering Servant passages from Isaiah (52:13-53:12), a pre-figurement of Christ on Good Friday. Psalm 30 is the Responsorial Psalm “Father, I put my life in your hands.” The Second Reading, or Epistle, is from the letter to the Hebrews, 4:14-16; 5:7-9. The Gospel Reading is the Passion of St. John.

Part two is the Veneration of the Cross. A cross, either veiled or unveiled, is processed through the Church, and then venerated by the congregation. We joyfully venerate and kiss the wooden cross “on which hung the Saviour of the world.”

Part three, Holy Communion, concludes the Celebration of the Lord’s Passion. The altar is covered with a cloth and the ciboriums containing the Blessed Sacrament are brought to the altar from the place of reposition. The Our Father and the Ecce Agnus Dei (“This is the Lamb of God”) are recited. The congregation receives Holy Communion, there is a “Prayer After Communion,” and then a “Prayer Over the People,” and everyone departs in silence.

  • The Passion is definitely worth looking at but it can be a difficult film to watch. In particular the scourging at the pillar is quite emotional.
  • Here also is a link to a powerful testimony by Jim Caviezel’s who describes what it was like playing Jesus and how he suffered in his role. It is a 40 minute video but really worth watching you can see it HERE

April 16th

Holy Saturday-Easter Vigil
On Holy Saturday the Church waits at the Lord’s tomb, meditating on his suffering and death. The altar is left bare, and the sacrifice of the Mass is not celebrated. Only after the solemn vigil during the night, held in anticipation of the resurrection, does the Easter celebration begin, with a spirit of joy that overflows into the following period of fifty days.

The day is and should be the most calm and quiet day of the entire Church year, a day broken by no liturgical function. Christ lies in the grave, the Church sits near and mourns. After the great battle He is resting in peace, but upon Him we see the scars of intense suffering…The mortal wounds on His Body remain visible…Jesus’ enemies are still furious, attempting to obliterate the very memory of the Lord by lies and slander.

  • For further information just click HERE

April 16th

 The feast of St. Bernadette, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Easter liturgy.

Feast Day of St. Bernadette Soubirous

Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age.

There were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette’s initial reports provoked skepticism, her daily visions of “the Lady” brought great crowds of the curious. The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a chapel built on the spot of the visions. There, the people were to come to wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had welled up from the very spot where Bernadette had been instructed to dig.

According to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary was on her right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” It was only when the words were explained to her that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was.

Few visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough investigation, Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862.

During her life, Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five years later, she petitioned to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers. After a period of illness she was able to make the journey from Lourdes and enter the novitiate. But within four months of her arrival she was given the last rites of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35.

Bernadette Soubirous was canonized in 1933.

  • For further information please click here: HERE
  • For the film on St Bernadette, I find the old ones are the best and this is no exception: The Song of Bernadette can be found free on YouTube HERE

April 17th

Easter Sunday
“I rose up and am still with Thee.”

Easter is the feast of feasts, the unalloyed joy and gladness of all Christians. Easter means, then, Redemption obtained — sin destroyed, death overcome, divine life brought back to us, the resurrection of our body which is promised immortality. With such a certitude, we should banish all trace of sadness! “This is the day which the Lord has made.” Christ has promised that He will come again with glory to take us with Him into the kingdom of His Father. Through His Cross He entered into the possession of eternal glory. Christ has gained the crown of victory; through Christ humanity also win their crowns of victory. “He is risen.” The resurrection of Christ is a pledge of our own resurrection. It is the foundation upon which our faith rests. It is the guarantee of our redemption and God’s assurance that our sins are forgiven and that we are called to eternal life. “This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice therein”. Alleluia! Alleluia!

  • A powerful song about the Passion by Kari Jobe can be watched HERE it is 12 minutes long but very uplifting.

April 21st

Feast Day of Saint Anselm

As a young boy in Aosta, Italy, Anselm thought of being a priest. His father, angered by this desire, introduced his son to court life. Anselm forgot about his vocation. But in 1060, Anselm learned of Lanfranc, the leader of monasticism in Normandy, France. Anselm entered Lanfranc’s monastery at Bec. Three years later, Anselm became a prior, or head, and began to publish his writings on the existence of God.

Anselm was unanimously elected abbot in 1070, when Lanfranc was made bishop of Canterbury, England. When Lanfranc died in 1089, the English clergy wanted Anselm as their bishop. But Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror, would not approve. For four years, there was no bishop of Canterbury. Then, Rufus suddenly became mortally ill. In fear of hell, Rufus appointed Anselm archbishop of Canterbury.

Rufus recovered and fell into his former sins: taking Church lands and attempting to appoint his own bishops. Frightened over conflict between the archbishop and the king, the bishops and priests abandoned Anselm. The king then exiled him. In exile, Anselm wrote treatises and took part in the Council of Bari (1098). After the death of Rufus, Anselm returned to England. Henry I, brother of Rufus, was then the king. Like his brother, Henry wanted to appoint bishops. Anselm refused to accept his appointment from the king. Again Anselm was exiled to Rome. Pope Paschal worked out a compromise between the king and the bishop.

Until his death in 1109, Anselm remained in England, defending the faith. Canterbury came to be recognized as the major see in England. In 1720, Anselm was given the title Doctor of the Church and Father of Scholasticism because he analysed and taught the truths of the faith by the aid of reason.

  • For further information click HERE

Suggestions

  • Through Anselm’s efforts, the National Council at Westminster (1102) passed a law prohibiting the sale of people. Discuss what bishops do today to promote social justice.
  • Anselm’s method of teaching used parables drawn from life. Share something from your life that has drawn you closer to God.

April 22nd

 World Earth Day

Earth Day is annually commemorated on April 22. For Catholic health ministries, this is an opportunity to reignite our commitment to stewardship of the resources entrusted to us and to more greatly consider the role of environmental in our justice efforts and as we address the social determinants of health. For this event, CHA is pleased to provide several resources each year, as well as highlighting additional sources of inspiration and education on the topic of environmental responsibility and climate change. Read about the history of Earth Day.

2022 Resources

      Click onto the PDF to download a Lesson Plan on Earth Day 2022 which provides video, discussion questions and finally a template for sustainable ideas.  Excellent resource.

April 24th

 Divine Mercy Sunday

This Sunday is popularly known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Between 1930 and 1938 Christ appeared to Sister Faustina, a Sister of Mercy in Poland who initiated the Divine Mercy devotion. She was canonized on April 30, 2000, the Sunday after Easter, the Feast of Divine Mercy. On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that Blessed Faustina make a special novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through the following Saturday. Jesus also asked that a picture be painted according to the vision of Himself as the fountain of mercy. He gave her a chaplet to be recited and said that it was appropriate to pray the chaplet at three o’clock each afternoon (the Hour of Great Mercy).

  Click here for a link to a PowerPoint presentation (24 slides) on the life of St. Faustina and the call of Jesus to each one of us to trust in Him and His mercy.

  • Even though this youtube link is a trailer on the documentary behind the Divine Mercy Image it gives a great overview of the Image and the history behind it – well worth checking out! It is 4.21 minutes long. Click HERE (If class is interested you can actually rent the full documentary for €6.46 the link in the in description of the video.)

 

      Click the PDF for a lovely lesson plan developed by Waterford & Lismore on Divine Mercy Sunday.

April 25th

Feast Day of St. Mark St. Mark’s Story

 

Most of what we know about Mark comes directly from the New Testament. He is usually identified with the Mark of Acts 12:12. When Saint Peter escaped from prison, he went to the home of Mark’s mother.

Paul and Barnabas took him along on the first missionary journey, but for some reason Mark returned alone to Jerusalem. It is evident, from Paul’s refusal to let Mark accompany him on the second journey despite Barnabas’s insistence, that Mark had displeased Paul. Because Paul later asks Mark to visit him in prison, we may assume the trouble did not last long.

The oldest and the shortest of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus’s rejection by humanity while being God’s triumphant envoy. Probably written for gentile converts in Rome—after the death of Peter and Paul sometime between A.D. 60 and 70—Mark’s Gospel is the gradual manifestation of a “scandal”: a crucified Messiah.    

Like another Gospel writer Luke, Mark was not one of the 12 apostles. We cannot be certain whether he knew Jesus personally. Some scholars feel that the evangelist is speaking of himself when describing the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane: “Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked” (Mark 14:51-52).

Others hold Mark to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Venice, famous for the Piazza San Marco, claims Mark as its patron saint; the large basilica there is believed to contain his remains.

 

A winged lion is Mark’s symbol. The lion derives from Mark’s description of John the Baptist as a “voice of one crying out in the desert” (Mark 1:3), which artists compared to a roaring lion. The wings come from the application of Ezekiel’s vision of four winged creatures to the evangelists.

 

  • For further information please click here: HERE                         
  • Also a short video about St Mark (2.46 mins) can be found here : HERE
  • Also if you get a chance do look at the series The Chosen which provides a unique way of getting to know Jesus through his disciples. The series is free and can be found : HERE

April 29th

 Saint Catherine of Siena      

 The value Catherine makes central in her short life and which sounds clearly and consistently through her experience is complete surrender to Christ. What is most impressive about her is that she learns to view her surrender to her Lord as a goal to be reached through time.

She was the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa and grew up as an intelligent, cheerful, and intensely religious person. Catherine disappointed her mother by cutting off her hair as a protest against being overly encouraged to improve her appearance in order to attract a husband. Her father ordered her to be left in peace, and she was given a room of her own for prayer and meditation.

She entered the Dominican Third Order at 18 and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer, and austerity. Gradually, a group of followers gathered around her—men and women, priests and religious. An active public apostolate grew out of her contemplative life. Her letters, mostly for spiritual instruction and encouragement of her followers, began to take more and more note of public affairs. Opposition and slander resulted from her mixing fearlessly with the world and speaking with the candor and authority of one completely committed to Christ. She was cleared of all charges at the Dominican General Chapter of 1374.

Her public influence reached great heights because of her evident holiness, her membership in the Dominican Third Order, and the deep impression she made on the pope. She worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope.

In 1378, the Great Schism began, splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three, popes and putting even saints on opposing sides. Catherine spent the last two years of her life in Rome, in prayer and pleading on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the Church. She offered herself as a victim for the Church in its agony. She died surrounded by her “children” and was canonized in 1461.

Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1939, she and Francis of Assisi were declared co-patrons of Italy. Pope Paul VI named her and Teresa of Avila doctors of the Church

in 1970. Her spiritual testament is found in The Dialogue.  Consider Catherine’s advice. If you can’t start by being brave about everything, identify one thing. Resolve to spread the light.

  • For further information please click here: HERE

April 30th

Saint Pius V       

Pope Pius V was from a poor Italian family and had entered the Dominican order at age 14. A teacher, a master of novices, a bishop, and finally a cardinal, he was a strict and honest man, as well as a zealous reformer. He wept when he was told in 1566 that he had been elected pope. The 18-year-long Council of Trent had ended 3 years before, and he, as Holy Father, had the task of implementing it.

  • For further information please click here: HERE

 Life is for living. Do it boldly with these 10 verbs.

 With so much advice out there in the world—Franciscan Media bring us ten lovely verbs to live by!

“Life is about living, right? COVID-19, its restrictions, and how it all changed our world has certainly taught us that. But to live and to be fully alive requires action. And that means adding more verbs to our vocabulary”.

 Never stop being curious. Every day offers discovery. Shake off the lethargy and explore the world around you. God can be found everywhere you look.

  1. Life is serious, but living it is supposed to be fun. If the last year has taught us nothing, it’s that we need laughter, joy, and levity to lift our battered spirits. Don’t feel about wanting to feel better.
  2. No one knows everything—thank goodness! Questions are not only OK; they’re the key to learning and growing. Be curious. Ask questions. Never stop moving forward.
  3. It’s often hard to do, but it’s worth the effort. In Ephesians 4:32 it reads: “And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.”
  4. Try. It wasn’t very popular in a galaxy far, far away, but it’s popular with us. If we didn’t try new things, we’d all still be in onesies and kid shoes. God loves our efforts!
  5. Help. It’s easy to feel that there’s too much to do, that there are too many problems to solve. But even the least confident among us can usually agree there’s some way we can help—somebody, something, somewhere.
  6. Create. Making something from scratch—whether it’s a meal or a piece of art or an essay—is essential to a fulfilling life. It’s a participation in God’s work of creation. It keeps us from getting stuck in a rut of living someone else’s story.
  7. Take time on a regular basis to stop whatever you’re busy doing and look at the big picture. Think, pray, write in a journal, talk to a friend. Find one of a hundred ways that works for you.
  8. Gratitude, love, and humility all are intertwined. God, our friends, our family, our co-workers—there is always someone deserving of a “thank you.”
  9. Before we can love someone, we have to know that person. To know someone, we have to listen. And sometimes the best listening we do comes through prayer.
  • For further information please click here: HERE