Liturgy & Church

"Gregory was born about A.D. 540 in Rome, the son of a wealthy senator. Like most of the nobility of his time, he was well educated. But unlike many, he was generous and concerned about those who were poor. One of the four key Fathers of the Western Church, Gregory is sometimes accredited with Gregorian… Read More »Saint Gregory the Great

“The cry of Jesus on the Cross, ‘I thirst’ (Jn 19: 28), expressing the depth of God’s longing for man, penetrated Mother Teresa’s soul and found fertile soil in her heart.” Pope John Paul II, 19 October 2003 Mother Teresa served the poor for 69 years and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.… Read More »Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa)

"When he was 29 years old, Peter left his home in Spain and went to Cartagena (in what is now Colombia), South America. There he continued his studies and was ordained a priest. Cartagena was the main market for the slave trade in the New World. Whenever a ship carrying Africans arrived in port, Peter… Read More »Saint Peter Claver

"The cross is a sign of suffering, a sign of human cruelty at its worst. But by Christ’s love shown in the Paschal Mystery, it has become the sign of triumph and victory, the sign of God, who is love itself."Loyola Press

"Pope John Paul II issued Laborem Exercens to mark the ninetieth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. It is also known by the English title On Human Labour. John Paul II’s own experience as a manual labourer and his personalist philosophical ethics shape this social encyclical. Unemployment and the impact of technology on work are major concerns of this encyclical. As… Read More »1981: Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Laborem Exercens (‘On Human Work’)

Robert Bellarmine was a Jesuit scholar who was eventually made a Cardinal. His major work Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith, helped to discredit the divine right of kings theory. This paved the way for Catholic Social Teaching's contemporary understanding of the Pope's role in temporal affairs, and of the role of the… Read More »Saint Robert Bellarmine

“Love the poor. Honour them, my children, as you would honour Christ himself.” - St Vincent de Paul The St Vincent de Paul Society website explains that as a young man, "St Vincent de Paul ministered to the wealthy and powerful. However an appointment as chaplain to a poor parish, and to galley prisoners, inspired… Read More »Saint Vincent de Paul

The Franciscan Media Saint of the Day website notes that "angels—messengers from God—appear frequently in Scripture, but only Michael, Gabriel and Raphael are named." It goes on to explain that "each of the archangels performs a different mission in Scripture: Michael protects; Gabriel announces; Raphael guides". For reflection: What are the names of some of… Read More »Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels

"Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face is the youngest of all the "Doctors of the Church", but her ardent spiritual journey shows such maturity, and the insights of faith expressed in her writings are so vast and profound that they deserve a place among the great spiritual masters." - Pope John Paul… Read More »Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church