FEASTS OF THE WEEK
Friday 28th August : St. Augustine
The prayers of his mother (St. Monica) and the preaching of St. Ambrose led to his conversion from a former life of wicked living and false beliefs. Bishop of Hippo (Annaba, Algeria), where he lived with a community until his death. His theological influence has been most significant in the Church, especially on the understanding of God's grace. Patron of theologians.
Saturday 29th August : Passion of St. John the Baptist
The Mass Preface lists the favours shown to St. John the Baptist and the vocation given him. He is found worthy of the martyr's death, his last and greatest act of witness to Christ.
Sunday 30th August : 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
As the day of resurrection, Sunday is not only a remembrance of a past event; it is a celebration of the living presence of the risen Lord in the midst of his own people. For this presence to be properly proclaimed it is important that the disciples of Christ, saved as the People of God, come together to express fully the very identity of the Church.
Monday 31st August : St. Aidan (St. Aidan of Lindisfarne)
He was of Irish descent and was a monk of Iona. When Oswald, the exiled king of Northumbria who had fled for refuge to Iona, returned to his throne in 634, he invited Aidan to come to reconvert his people. Aidan made his headquarters at Lindisfarne. With the aide of the king as interpreter he was very successful in his mission. He died in the year 651.
Tuesday 1st September : World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
Today offers to individual believers and to the community a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the marvellous works that He has entrusted to our care, invoking his help for the protection of creation and his mercy for the sine committed against the world in which we live. The celebration of the day on the same date as the Orthodox Church will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our orthodox brothers. We live in a time where all Christians are faced with identical and important challenges and we must give common replies to these in order to appear more credible and effective.
Pope Francis
Tuesday 1st September : St. Vibiana
Patroness of Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Thursday 3rd September : St. Gregory the Great
A Roman noble who was Prefect of the City before becoming a monk. As Pope he established a pattern for the papacy in years to come, calling himself "Servus servorum Dei" (servant of the servants of Christ). He sent missions to Lombardy Sardinia and England. Patron of musicians.
Friday 4th September : St. Mac Nissi
Oengus Mac Nissi took his name from his mother Cnes or Ness. It is claimed that Patrick baptised him and taught him the psalms. He chose the district of Connor for his hermitage, but later became bishop of his clan. He died early in the sixth century.
Saturday 5th September : St. Teresa of Calcutta
Anjeze Gonxhë Bojaxhiu was born 26 August 1910 in Skopje, Albania (now North Macedonia) and at 18 years of age, came to Dublin to become a Sister of Loreto with the singular desire to be a missionary in India. She went to India the following year, 1929. She taught English in Darjeeling and then for 20 years in Calcutta, working as a teacher, always with a great desire to be a missionary to the poorest of the poor. Taking the religious name Teresa, after St. Thérèse of Lisieux, patron of the missions and in the style of the Sisters of Loreto at the time she was titled Mother, and became known as Mother Teresa. Later leaving teaching and her religious congregation, she founded in 1950 the Missionaries of Charity to serve the hungry, the unwanted and the dying. Often her faith was tested, her words and actions criticised, yet she was always certain in remaining a servant of Christ who reaches out to the poor. She returned to Calcutta and spent her final weeks receiving visitors and instructing her Sisters. She died there on 5th September 1997. She was canonised o 4th September 2016 by Pope Francis.
Let every action of mine be something beautiful for God ....
Peace begins with a smile ....
St. Teresa of Calcutta