Dear Lord,
This time of pandemic is indeed long.
And the statistics are grim.
Days of social distancing have turned to weeks.
And weeks of near isolation, have become
claustrophobic months.
Like the athletes running the Boston marathon
who named a part of their route ‘heartbreak hill,’
I am struggling and I observe some around me
December 4, 2020
December 3, 2020
Lord God,
by the preaching of St. Francis Xavier
you brought many nations to Yourself.
Give his zeal for the faith to all who believe in You,
that Your Church may rejoice in continued growth
throughout the world.
May this prayer fill us with the same love
that inspired Francis Xavier to work
for the salvation of all.
December 2, 2020
Lord, I have become distracted
by the things of this world.
Guide my steps and lead me
safely back home to you.
Help me to respond to the needs of others
so that I may continue to serve Your will.
December 1, 2020
I first arrived in the Philippines in December 2007 and have been assigned in Mandanao ever since. I am currently engaged in a resettlement project for the victims and survivors of typhoon Sendong (Tropical Storm Washi) that caused catastrophic damage in late 2011, based in the Mother of Divine Mercy Village in the outskirts of Cagayan de Oro.
December 1, 2020
The dawn has broken through
The fears and snares of darkness
Are shattered, scattered, put to rout
Hold your head up high, oh man,
And taste the sweetness of morn.
December 1, 2020
The providence of God gives earth its seasons.
The equinox sun sets glory over the equator
radiates tempering flowers south and colors north
inspiring poets and musicians to celebrate.
December 1, 2020
Lord help me to forgive as I have been forgiven.
Sometimes I glide over the words
of Your prayer the Our Father.
“Forgive us our trespasses as we I forgive
those who trespass against us”.
But often I don’t forgive.
I harbor grudges.
I want revenge.
Maybe I even think I can never forgive
such an insult or injustice.
December 1, 2020
Fr. Peter O’Neill, the Columban Leader in Australia and the Columban Peace, Ecology and Justice Coordinator, visited Timorese workers at the Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in East Warrnambool for Christmas. The workers have been warmly welcomed by the parish priest Fr. Lawrence O’Toole and the local parishioners.
December 1, 2020
The missionary journey of Jorge Juaregui, called Coco for short, and his wife Rosa Ramirez, began when the Columban Fathers assumed responsibility for the rapidly expanding housing estates being built on land that was once part of a large rural hacienda called Santa Rosa near Jorge Chavez International Airport (in Peru).
November 30, 2020
O glorious St. Andrew,
you were the first to recognize
and follow the Lamb of God.
With your friend, St. John,
you remained with Jesus from that first day,
for your entire life,
and now throughout eternity.
As you led your brother, St. Peter, to Christ
and many others after him,
draw us also to Him.
Teach us to lead others to Christ
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.