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Staff

FROM THE DIOCESE AND AROUND THE WORLD

Daily Reflections: Daily Mass Readings Podcasts

https://bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio 

The Osservatore Romano. The Vatican News Paper

https://www.osservatoreromano.va/en.html

“How God Guides Us”

Universalis

Wed 1 October

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin, DoctorOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | MassSaint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (1873 - 1897)

Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin was born in Alençon, in France, on 2 January 1873. Her mother, who already had breast cancer, died when Thérèse was four, and the family moved to Lisieux. Thérèse became a nun at the Carmelite convent there at the age of 15, after a long battle against the superior, who insisted that 16, or even 21, would be a more sensible age. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 24, and that was that. Another forgotten nun, you could easily say: “born, was good, died”. Holy, no doubt; but nothing much to write home about.But in 1895 Mother Agnès of Jesus, the prioress, had commanded Thérèse to write her memoirs. Writing “not to produce a literary work, but under obedience,” Thérèse took a year to fill six exercise books. She presented them to the prioress, who put them in a drawer unread. A year after Thérèse’s death, the memoirs were published in a small edition of 2,000. This was the first spark that ignited a “storm of glory” that swept the world. Miracles started to happen: conversions, cures, even apparitions. “We must lose no time in crowning the little saint with glory,” said the Prefect of the Congregation of Rites, “if we do not want the voice of the people to anticipate us.” The beatification process opened thirteen years after Thérèse’s death. She was canonized in 1925, the Pope having suspended the rule that forbids canonization less than 50 years after someone’s death. Her parents, Louis and Zélie Martin, were canonized by Pope Francis on 18 October 2015. Their feast day is 12 July.When Thérèse was 17, she confided to a visiting Jesuit her hope of becoming a great saint and to love God as much as the Carmelite Saint Teresa of Ávila. The Jesuit thought he found traces of pride and presumption and advised her to moderate her desires. “Why, Father?” asked Thérèse, “since our Lord has said, Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” 100 years after Thérèse’s death, Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church, joining St Catherine of Siena and St Teresa of Ávila.The very storm of glory that propelled Thérèse into sainthood makes her a difficult saint for many of us to stomach. That is the fault of the period, not the saint. The late 19th century was a highly sentimental time, and much of the literature about Thérèse has taken that quality and made it sweeter and sicklier still. But there are antidotes. One is to read Thérèse herself: The Story of a Soul is still in print in most languages. Another is a clear and astringent biography such as that by Guy Gaucher, Bishop of Meaux (which may be hard to find but is worth looking for).What makes St Thérèse so special?We have grown used to the idea that just as there are people with talents for sport or scholarship, and the rest of us can only admire them without trying to keep up, so there are people with a talent for holiness and heroic virtue, and the rest of us can only bumble along as best we can. We can’t do better because we’re not designed to do better, so there’s no point in trying. We sink into a consoling mediocrity.Thérèse wrecks this. She was physically weak and psychologically vulnerable. For her the great saints were giants, they were inaccessible mountains, and she was only an “obscure grain of sand;” but she was not discouraged. St John of the Cross taught her that God can never inspire desires that cannot be fulfilled. The Book of Proverbs told her, “If anyone is a very little one, let him come to me.” If you only look, Scripture is permeated with images of our littleness and weakness with respect to God, and of his care for us in our insignificance. Thérèse’s “Little Way” means taking God at his word and letting his love for us wash away our sins and imperfections. When a priest told her that her falling asleep during prayer was due to a want of fervour and fidelity and she should be desolate over it, she wrote “I am not desolate. I remember that little children are just as pleasing to their parents when they are asleep as when they are awake.”We can’t all hug lepers or go off and become missionaries and martyrs. But we all do have daily opportunities of grace. Some of them may be too small to see, but the more we love God, the more we will see them. If we can’t advance to Heaven in giant strides, we can do it in tiny little steps. Our weakness is no excuse for mediocrity.

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Tue 23 September

Saint Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), PriestOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | MassSt Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

He was born in the small village of Pietrelcina in southern Italy, and joined the Capuchin friars at the age of 16. He became a priest seven years later, and spent fifty years at the monastery of San Giovanni Rotondo, where he was very much sought after as a spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor. Many miracles were popularly ascribed to him during his lifetime. He died a few days after the fiftieth anniversary of his receiving the stigmata, and over 100,000 people attended his funeral.(Saint Adomnan of Iona (627/8 - 704))

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Wed 24 September

Wednesday of week 25 in Ordinary TimeOffice of Readings | Morning Prayer | Evening Prayer | Night Prayer | Mass(Our Lady of Ransom)

(St Stephanie)

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ST JOSEPH CHURCH ROOF COMPLETED

We give thanks and praise to God for all the blessings He has bestowed on us, especially for giving us the strength and the resources to complete the roofing of the Church Building at St Joseph.

Also, I would like to thank you all for your various and generous contributions in ensuring the completion of this project.

May God bless you all.

Fr Arivu.

New Roofs Fund Raiser Video

Mass Times

1st NOVEMBER UNTIL APRIL 30
SATURDAYS
St Joseph Church Confessions 3:30PM; Mass 4:00PM
SUNDAYS
St Joseph Church Mass 8:00AM
St Kevin Church Confessions 09:45AM;
Mass 10:00AM

1 MAY UNTIL OCTOBER 31
SATURDAYS
St Joseph Church Confessions 3:30PM;
Mass 4:00PM
SUNDAYS
St Kevin Church Confessions 7:40AM; Mass 8:00AM
St Joseph Church Mass 10:00AM

Office Hours

Hours Tues-Thurs
St Joseph Church
10:00AM to 4:30PM

Friday
St Kevin Church
2:00PM to 5:00PM
(Spring to Fall)

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Publications


  • Sun, Sep 28th

  • Sun, Sep 21st

My Church Online

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Calendar

 

Welcome

  • St Joseph Church, Black River Falls
  • St Kevin Church, Melrose

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