Reflection from Friar Nicholas

SUNDAY, TWENTY SEVENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIMEE Isa 5:1-7; Ps 80:9,12-16,19-20; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43 Gifts Beyond Our Prayer God made us for a lofty end: to be God’s temple forever. This original intention of God forms the foundation of our awareness, our knowing, loving, and doing. We had one opportunity to fix our gaze on the Eternal Word of God forever, for God to guide us to the realisation of the divine goal. But we missed the opportunity in our first parents, Adam and Eve, when they followed the temptation of the devil instead of keeping the word that God spoke to them. Since our nature was corrupted in Adam and Eve, we have begun to yearn for what we do not know. Our ignorance of what is truly good for us makes us forage in the world of creatures because we lack the light of God's word. Saint Paul explained that God prepared what has never entered the human mind or heart for those who love him. Saint Augustine further clarified that what God prepared cannot enter the ...

SAINT THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, VIRGIN, DOCTOR Job 42:1-3,5-6,12-17; Ps 119:66,71,75,91,125,130; Lk 10:17-24 The Joy of the Beloved Knowing God's love for us is at the centre of our Christian spirituality and journey. This love is expressed in God the Father’s gift of his Son to be our Saviour, the sacrifice that takes away our sins. The Son’s love for us is evident in his obedience to the Father, accepting to become man in humility, even to the point of accepting death on the cross to save us and join us to himself. The Holy Spirit’s love for us makes him dwell in the Son's humanity and in all of us who believe in his saving death. The whole creation, by the Triune God, shows the same love of God. God made all things for our good and to lead us to comprehend his love and ascend to the divine presence. We have also contemplated God’s love in our celebrations of the angels: the archangels and the guardian angels. All these revelations and celebrations ought to inflame ou...

THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS Job 38:1,12-21,40:3-5; Ps 139:1-3,7-10,13-14; Mt 18:1-5,10 Angels Continually in God’s Presence We celebrate our guardian angels. This celebration complements our celebration of the Archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Today, we celebrate all the angels in their role as our guardian angels. All the holy angels play this role at one time or the other. A guardian angel is an angel assigned to watch over a person or group of people. For example, Saint Michael the Archangel is the guardian angel of the people of God, Israel of old, and the Church as the new people of God. We recall that before the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, the guardian angel of Portugal appeared to the three children to prepare them for the coming of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Especially, we celebrate our personal guardian angels. Each of us has an angel assigned to watch over us, guide us, and protect us every moment of our lives. Today’s celebration of our guardian angels reveal...