Scottish Catholic Observer

Standard

Scotland’s national Catholic newspaper will be free this week in response to the suspension of public Masses in churches throughout the country. The Scottish Catholic Observer, which has been keeping the faithful informed since 1885, has distributed the newspaper to parishes across Scotland, waiving the cover price this week as a goodwill gesture. Continue reading

Prayer to the God of Life in a Time of Illness

Standard

Almighty Father, Look upon us and all of humanity, in this time of illness, as we are affected by this new epidemic of the coronavirus. We confide to you all those who suffer from illness, those who are dying, and the hearts of so many who are stricken with worry and concern for their loved ones, their friends, and for their own well being. Give us the grace of serenity in the face of fear and suffering, so that we can remember you regularly in times of anxiety. You are the God of life and are our hope. Your Son suffered physically and died, and is raised from the dead in the Resurrection. Trusting in you, then, we pray especially for the vulnerable, and those who are ill: protect them and heal them of their illness. We pray also for the dying that their time of passage to you in death may be blessed and that they may find peace with you through union with Jesus Christ. 

We pray also for the medical community, that they be supported and strengthened in this time of trial, and service, and that you come to their aid and grant them wisdom and strength. May they learn from this epidemic and grow in knowledge of how to cure and treat disease, for the greater good of all. 

May we not suffer from this or other new diseases. Free the hearts of your children from anxiety, so that we can serve you in this life with gratitude for your many great gifts, and entrust ourselves to you serenely for the life to come. We make this humble prayer to your goodness as Father, invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of all our patron saints. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Homily for 2nd Sunday of Lent

Standard

“There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as light.”

Why do we have this Gospel this Sunday? We always do; it’s a fixture. Last Sunday’s Gospel makes good Lenten sense: Jesus goes into the desert for 40 days. So do the long Gospels we’ll hear the next three Sundays: the meeting with the Samaritan woman, the cure of the Man born blind, the raising of Lazarus. Their resonances and connections are clear. But, left to ourselves, would we ever have chosen today’s? Yet, it has been there for at least 1500 years. It was there long before a feast of the Transfiguration appeared on 6th August. Continue reading