Father, to You I raise my whole being,
a vessel emptied of self.
Accept Lord, this my emptiness,
and so fill me with Yourself,
Your Light, Your Love, Your Life,
that these precious gifts may radiate through me
and over-flow the chalice of my heart
into the hearts of all with whom I come in contact this day,
August 30, 2020
August 29, 2020
O God, you raised up St. John the Baptist
to prepare a perfect people for Christ.
Fill Your people with the joy of possessing His grace,
and direct the minds of all faithful in the way
of peace and salvation.
Grant that St. John was martyred for truth and justice,
so we may energetically profess our Faith in You,
August 28, 2020
Lord Jesus, let me know myself and know You,
And desire nothing save only You.
Let me hate myself and love You.
Let me do everything for the sake of You.
Let me humble myself and exalt You.
Let me think of nothing except You.
Let me accept whatever happens as from You.
And ever desire to follow You.
Let me fly from myself and take refuge in You,
August 28, 2020
The Coronavirus pandemic crept up on us like a lion through tall grass. Nobody saw it coming, nor could we have foreseen what a change it would make to our lives. I had only arrived in the parish of Saint Matthias in the middle of March and was just beginning to get to know the parishioners and familiarize myself with the layout of the parish in the poor suburb of Bajos de Mena in Puente Alto when first curfew, then a hard lockdown, were imposed upon us all.
August 27, 2020
Dear St. Monica,
troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime.
Yet, you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence, and profound faith,
you prayed daily for the conversion
of your beloved husband, Patricius,
and your beloved son, Augustine;
your prayers were answered.
August 26, 2020
Merciful Mother, Grant me a holy recollection,
the grace of being aware of Your holy presence,
and the virtue of silence.
Grant me from God the holy virtue
of spiritual and bodily purity;
as well as purity of conscience through humble,
frequent, and sincere confession,
for the greater glory of God.
Obtain for me a heroic faith along with a loving,
August 25, 2020
On Holy Thursday Night, April 9, Fr. John Greene, our Columban Associate priest from Dublin, and I celebrated our last public mass so far in 2020 in the parish of Saint Matthias in the Chapel of Our Lady of Hope (Nuestra Senora de la Esperanza) in Chile. That very night the Chilean Government officially imposed a state of strict quarantine for the whole metropolitan region of Santiago, an area of over 7 million people.
August 25, 2020
Eternal Father, we praise you for sending your Son
to be one of us and to save us.
Look upon your people with mercy,
for we are divided in so many ways,
and give us the Spirit of Jesus to make us one in love.
We ask this gift, loving Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
August 24, 2020
At the entrance to the chapel in the Columban formation house hangs a large picture that shows all the areas where Columban missionaries were martyred, including the photos of the seven priests martyred during the Korean War. A number of those priests are interred in the diocesan cemetery in Chunchon City, Korea.
August 24, 2020
O Eternal God and loving father,
you have given us the glorious Apostle Bartholomew
as our beloved Patron Saint
and powerful advocate in heaven.
We offer you our prayers,
animated by a spirit of confidence
that through the intercession of Saint Bartholomew,
we shall merit your unfailing help and protection
and shall ever remain loyal and devoted
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.