The impact of Covid-19 on the formation House was immense! Students returned at the end of February for a new term to discover that all classes would be online. The students, Jude and I have spent the last three months together in the house every day!
May 26, 2020
When I was in the Philippines, I was assigned to two parishes, St. Peter Parish, Shrine of Leaders during my first term and Shrine of our Lady of Mercy during my second one. As both are Shrines, there were lots of pilgrims visiting those two places every day, so there were six Masses on weekdays and more than 16 Masses were held on weekends. Since more than 80 per cent of the population is Catholic in the Philippines, every Mass was filled with parishioners and pilgrims, and even, many of them stood outside the church door to attend Mass. On the way around the mission area,
May 26, 2020
Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God,
with God, and for God.
Draw me after you, Holy Mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy,
pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, Holy Mother of God,
be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress,
come to our aid, O Mary.
May 25, 2020
One of the many joys of being a Columban lay missionary is the joy of entering into a new culture and sharing my faith and experience with the people, while at the same time learning so much more from them in return.
May 25, 2020
O God, who glorified Your Church
by the learning of blessed Bede,
Your Confessor and Doctor,
mercifully grant to Your servants
to be enlightened by his wisdom,
and helped by his merits.
Through Lord Jesus Christ,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
world without end.
Amen.
May 24, 2020
O my God,
relying on your almighty power
and infinite mercy and promises,
I hope to obtain pardon of my sins,
the help of your grace,
and life everlasting
through the merits of Jesus Christ,
my Lord and Redeemer.
May 23, 2020
The seeds we plant seem dry and dead,
but with the combined wonders of rain and sun,
and the powers of the earth,
they rise from their death-like sleep
and grow green and beautiful in our fields.
The trees, too, that stood so stark and lifeless
through the winter are now bright with living green.
May 22, 2020
O God, who to St. Rita you gave
the great grace to love her enemies
in very truth, and both in her heart
and on her brow to bear the stigmata
of Your Passion, have regard, we ask You,
to her merits and her prayers,
and grant that we may wisely
show mercy to our enemies,
and so meditate on the pains of Your Passion
May 21, 2020
O Lord Jesus Christ,
who ascended into heaven in glory,
I adore You and praise You
and beg You to ask Your Heavenly Father
to look down in mercy upon us
who still struggle here on earth.
Amen.
May 20, 2020
“Why did you choose to join the Columban missionaries and not some other missionary organization?” is a question that I’m often asked. My simple response is, “A letter from God!,” which generally leads to the other person becoming even more inquisitive.
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.