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Showing posts from October, 2016

Commonsense be-attitudes!

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This doodle I did last year came up on my facebook timeline yesterday and I was reminded of these 'be-attitudes. Afterall the Beatitudes are the Gospel's commentary on "attitude." Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves; they will always have entertainment. Blessed are those who can distinguish between a mountain and a molehill; they will save themselves a lot of trouble. Blessed are those who can rest and sleep without looking for excuses; they will become wise. Blessed are those who are intelligent enough not to take themselves too seriously; they will be appreciated. Blessed are you if you can look seriously at small things and peacefully at serious things; you will go far in life. Blessed are you if you can admire a smile and forget a scowl; your path will be sunlit. Blessed are you if you can always interpret the attitudes of others with good will, even when appearances are to the contrary; you may seem naive, but that is the price o

Communicating Jesus Master, the ‘Beauty that saves the world’.

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PDDM Chapel, Dublin A popular quote we hear but may find hard to understand is the phrase “Beauty will save the world.” It was Fydor Dostoyevsky, the Russian novelist, who composed this enigmatic phrase. However, when has it ever happened in the course of history that beauty had saved anyone from anything? Indeed, beauty had provided embellishment or has uplifted but how will it save the world?   In today’s world, t here is huge pressure on people to look perfect and beautiful. From plastic surgery to smoothing skin and erasing wrinkles to enlarging muscles and slimming waists, airbrushing, or "photoshopping,”, the bombardment does not do much for self-esteem. These images don’t reflect reality, yet from a younger and younger age, people are aspiring to these biologically impossible ideals, dangerously so. These are distortions of truth. If only people would realise that for 2000 years, God has been telling each one of us that we are beautiful in His eyes because we are c

Celebrating the liturgical memorial of Blessed Timothy Giaccardo, first Pauline priest of the Pauline Family

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Blessed Timothy Giaccardo On the 19th of October, in the Pauline Family throughout the world, we recall the memorial of Blessed Timothy Giaccardo, first Pauline priest and a powerful intercessor for our Congregation. Up until two years ago, the memorial was on the 22nd of October but an indult was received from the Holy See to move the feast as it was now the day assigned for the memorial of Pope John Paul II.  Back in 1928, the Founder, Father Alberione had set apart several Daughters of St. Paul, the first female Congregation in our religious family  to form the nucleus of a new community, one dedicated solely to contemplation and the liturgical apostolate. Both Fr. Alberione and Fr. Giaccardo realized the importance of contemplative prayer to support and enliven the various works of the Congregations that make up the Pauline Family. However, the Holy See advised that no separation from the Daughters of St. Paul would be allowed. The Founder ordered his vicar general, Father T