fatherfladerblog: Recent Episodes
Father John Flader
We are all familiar with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, in which the foolish ones did not take extra oil and were refused entry into the wedding feast. In this meditation we use this parable and texts of Scripture and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how: God has given us our whole […]
St Paul tells the Philippians to “Rejoice in the Lord always”. To be sure, we find our greatest joy, our happiness, when we are closest to God. But we should also communicate our joy to others through our good humour and cheerfulness. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Josemaria, Pope Francis and […]
One of the most endearing truths of our faith is that God is not only almighty, creator of heaven and earth, but our Father. In this meditation, we use texts from Scripture, the Catechism and saints, especially St Josemaria Escriva, to consider how:
In the afternoon of the Resurrection, two discouraged disciples of Jesus left Jerusalem for the nearby town of Emmaus. Christ met them on the way without revealing who he was. He showed them from the Scriptures how he was meant to suffer and die. When they reached Emmaus the disciples begged Jesus to stay with […]
The word “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “Lencten”, meaning springtime. If we live Lent well, we have a true springtime in our spiritual life. In this meditation, we situate our Lenten discipline in the context of three events in Our Lord’s life, each of which teaches us something about Lent:
There are many aspects of life in which we know we are not “in control”: our health, job, financial security, relationships, etc. In these and other areas, often things do not work out as we had planned, and we can become worried and sad. In this meditation we consider ways in which we can deal […]
From the manger in Bethlehem, the infant Jesus has much to teach us. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture to consider seven of his lessons, which are all important for our spiritual life:
The call to holiness is lived out in all circumstances of life, one of the most important of which is marriage and family. When they see their marriage as a path to holiness, couples grow in holiness themselves and they help their children and other families to discover the beauty of their own vocation. In […]
One of the great revelations that Jesus gives us, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, is that God is not just the Supreme Being, the creator of the universe, but truly our loving Father. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture and of St Josemaria Escriva to consider what […]
God has known and loved each one of us from all eternity. Then, in the fulness of time for us, he created us out of love and invited us to enter into a loving relationship with him. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St John Paul II and St Josemaria to […]
We tend to take our faith in God for granted when we find it easy to believe in God, but we should not forget that faith is a great gift that can be lost. In this meditation we use texts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and of Scripture to consider how:
We are all aware of the commandment to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength. But what exactly does this mean? Is it having feelings of love, telling God we love him, having many devotions? In this meditation we use texts from Scripture, St John Paul II, St Josemaria, St Alphonsus Liguori, […]
Our Lord has loved us to the end, to the last drop of his blood and water, and he invites us to love him in return. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, Pope Francis’ encyclical Dilexit nos, St Margaret Mary Alacoque and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how:
In the Annunciation, Our Lady receives a message from the angel Gabriel announcing that she is to have a son through the Holy Spirit. She immediately accepts. We learn from her to be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who acts in us through his seven gifts. In this meditation we consider how: […]
For Easter Sunday 2005, Pope Francis wrote a beautiful homily to be read in the morning Mass in St Peter’s Square by the celebrant, Cardinal Angelo Comastri. Less than 24 hours later, God called Pope Francis to eternal life with him. In this meditation, we use the text of that homily to consider how: Mary […]
Jesus teaches us so much in his suffering and death on the Cross. In this meditation we use the events from his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, through his death on Mount Calvary, to his Resurrection on Easter Sunday to consider some of these lessons: Our weakness, like that of Peter, in denying Christ […]
Lent is an annual opportunity to accompany Jesus in his forty days of prayer and fasting in the desert and in his suffering and death on Mount Calvary to his resurrection on Easter Sunday. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture and of Pope Francis’ Message for Lent 2025 to consider how: Lent symbolises […]
Everyone has issues in life which give rise to uncertainty about the future, to doubts and even anxiety. In this meditation we pray about the virtue which gives reassurance in these situations, the important virtue of hope. We use Pope Francis’ document for the Jubilee Year 2025, Spes non confundit, a beautiful commentary on hope, […]
Everyone wants to be a better person. But what do we mean by this? Who is the standard, the model? It is obviously Christ himself, perfect man as well as perfect God. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture to consider the humanity of Christ and some of the many virtues we can […]
One of the most consoling truths of our faith is the reality of the Communion of Saints – the Church triumphant in heaven, the Church suffering in purgatory, and the Church militant on earth, all helping one another. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture, the Catechism, St Bernard, St Therese of Lisieux and […]
Greetings to you all. You may be interested to know that my popular book Dying to Live – Reflections on Life after Death, is now available as both an audio book and an e-book. You will find them on the web. Enjoy!
One of the most fundamental virtues is humility. Many of the saints, among them St Augustine and St John Vianney, stress how important it is. In this meditation, we use texts of Sacred Scripture, St Augustine, St John Vianney and St Josemaria to consider how: Humility is the foundation of the other virtues Our Lady […]
Athletes go through a rigorous training regime in order to achieve their goal of winning a medal in the Olympic games. Our goal is much higher: eternal life with God in heaven. We too need a training regime. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, especially of St Paul, and of saints like Augustine, […]
The Scriptures invite us to love God above all things. But in an affluent society, where goods abound, it is easy to put our heart more in goods than in God. In this meditation we draw on texts of Scripture, Popes Paul VI and Francis, and Fathers of the Church, to consider how: We must […]
The Holy Spirit is love and, as St Paul writes, love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Since God has loved us first, we should love God with our whole heart, and love one another. In this meditation we use the Scriptures and a letter […]
When the women went at dawn to anoint the body of Christ on Easter Sunday, they didn’t know how they would remove the huge stone that closed the tomb. To their surprise, they found the stone already removed. In this meditation we use the homily of Pope Francis in the Easter Vigil in St Peter’s […]
The resurrection of Christ brings light into a world in darkness. That darkness may be of unbelief, of sin, of lack of hope. In all cases, Christ is the light who can dispel the darkness with the light of his Resurrection. In this meditation we consider how we can respond to this light of Christ […]
Holy Week should be holy not only in its name and in the events we commemorate, but in the way we live it. In this meditation we consider the numerous lessons we can learn from this week and how we can put them into practice. We will consider: Palm Sunday – praising God by our […]
In Lent we prepare for the celebration of our redemption by Christ’s death and resurrection. In this meditation we consider how: We can accompany Our Lord in his forty days of fasting and prayer in the desert by our own greater effort in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Lent is a time for conversion, of starting […]
I was recently interviewed for an hour by TNT digital radio on life after death, with reference to my books Dying to Live and The Final Exam. The interviewer, Jason Olbourne, asked good questions, and if you are interested in seeing the video, here is the link: https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-fvx94-1590b39
The prophet Isaiah announced the coming of one who would be called Prince of Peace. When Christ was born in Bethlehem, the angels announced peace on earth, and Christ later told the apostles that he came to bring peace such as the world cannot give. But when we look around us, we see a great […]
One of the great revelations that Jesus gives us, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, is that God is not just the Supreme Being, the creator of the universe, but truly our loving Father. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture to consider what God’s Fatherhood means for us: Our Father God has […]
Christmas is a time for giving gifts. The wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus, but the first Christmas gift was Jesus himself, a gift from the Father to all of mankind. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture to consider how we can live Advent like Our Lady and St Joseph, the […]
The Church dedicates the month of November to praying for the holy souls in Purgatory. This should be a constant devotion for us, since through the Communion of Saints we can help these souls and they can intercede for us. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and […]
As we love our mothers, so we should naturally love our holy mother the Church. But it can sometimes be difficult to do so, especially when we see the human failings of members of the Church and the many difficulties she faces at the present time. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, Fathers […]
Here is another of my question-and-answer articles, on the topic of devotion to the angels. I hope you enjoy it. We don’t hear much about angels anymore, even though the Church celebrates two feasts in their honour. Is devotion to the angels still important? Devotion to the angels is very important. It has always been. […]
In his Gospel St Luke relates how the friends of a paralytic went to great lengths to take him to Christ, going onto the roof of the house and lowering him down through the opening they had made. We too should do all we can to bring our friends and relatives to Christ. In this […]
Here is another of my recent answers in the Catholic Weekly to a question posed by a reader. With the Synod of Bishops meeting on synodality fast approaching, I have been speaking with a group of friends and none of us is clear as to what the term synodality actually means. Can you help us? […]
Since St Joseph was so close to Our Lady and so holy, is it possible that he too was assumed body and soul into heaven when he died? Although we cannot be absolutely sure, there is a strong possibility that St Joseph too was assumed into heaven. As you say, he was very close […]
Greetings. Although over the years I have used this blog mainly to post meditations, I thought it would be worthwhile adding some of my weekly columns on matters of faith published in my question-and-answer column in Sydney’s The Catholic Weekly. Hence I now post an article on the ancient tradition that Our Lady was assumed […]
Our Lord’s Transfiguration on Mount Tabor can teach us many lessons. In this meditation, we use passages from Scripture to consider some of them: The climbing of the mountain calls to mind the difficulties in our own life in climbing the mountain of holiness Seeing Christ transfigured in his divinity is a reminder that we […]
We tend to think that only priests and religious have a vocation. But we all have a calling from God, a vocation, to carry out a particular mission in life. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture, Pope Francis, St John Henry Newman and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how: God has created every […]
The Holy Spirit, whom St Josemaria called “The Great Unknown”, dwells in our soul as its “sweet guest”. Yet we seldom think of him, and could hardly call him our friend. In this meditation we strive to grow in devotion to the Holy Spirit, considering three of his principal roles in our life. The Holy […]
Before he died on the Cross, Jesus said to St John and to all of us: “Behold your Mother.” Mary is truly the mother of everyone. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Bernard and St Josemaria to consider how: In conceiving Jesus in her womb, and later giving birth to him in […]
Jesus’ passion and death teach us many lessons. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture and St Thomas Aquinas to consider some of the many virtues Christ teaches us from the Cross: Charity Humility Patience Obedience Fortitude Perseverance Joy
Lent is a time when we follow Christ more closely, accompanying him along the way of the Cross over Mount Calvary to the Resurrection. In this meditation we consider how: Christ spent forty days praying and fasting in the desert to prepare for his public life. We accompany him in Lent by intensifying our own […]
Pope Gregory XVI, who was Pope from 1831 to 1846, instituted the custom of dedicating the seven Sundays preceding the feast of St Joseph on March 19 to that great saint, and of meditating especially on his seven sorrows and joys. In this meditation we use the Gospels of Matthew and Luke to consider these […]
When Christ was born in Bethlehem the angels announced peace on earth, and Christ himself came to bring peace such as the world cannot give. But when we look around us, we see a great lack of peace. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Josemaria, Blessed Alvaro del Portillo and St John […]
The Nativity of our Lord The life of Mary and Joseph, from their betrothal to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, has much in common with our own. In this meditation, we use the Gospels of Matthew and Luke to consider the various moments in their journey, with the joys and sorrows, the good times […]
In Advent, we prepare for the coming of Christ in history, which we celebrate at Christmas, and for his coming in glory at the end of time. We can also prepare for his coming daily into our hearts and for his coming at the end of our life to call us to our eternal home. […]
November is the month in which the Church traditionally intensifies her prayers for the souls in Purgatory. But every day should be for us a day of prayer for the holy souls. There are many souls there now suffering greatly but at the same time exceedingly happy. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture, […]
Through Baptism we become members of the Mystical Body of Christ. We become one with him. He lives in us and we live in him. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St John Eudes, St Josemaria Escriva and St John Paul II to consider how: We can ask Jesus to let us see […]
The encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well teaches us many lessons. In this meditation we use the passage related by St John to consider how: Jesus in his Providence arranged for the meeting to take place so that he could reveal himself to the Samaritan woman Jesus begins his conversation not […]
The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph spent thirty years doing ordinary tasks in the home of Nazareth to teach us the sanctifying value of ordinary things. In this meditation we pray about how we too can find God in our day-to-day activities. We use texts of St Josemaria Escriva, the Second Vatican Council […]
Our Lady’s Assumption into heaven teaches us many lessons. In this meditation we use a text from the book of Revelation to consider some of these lessons: Mary sanctified herself in her ordinary life in the home, as we do She is the new Ark of the Covenant, bringing the very Word of God into […]
I thought you might be interested to read this interview with me on my book Dying to Live – Reflections on Life After Death, which was published earlier this year and is selling very well. By the way, I am now writing a sequel to it, with the idea of helping the reader to prepare well for […]
The parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector praying in the temple has much to tell us. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Augustine, St John Chrysostom and St Josemaria to reflect on how: We too should endeavour to pray before the Blessed Sacrament whenever possible The Pharisee’s pride and self-righteousness […]
Our Lord has loved us to the last drop of his blood and water, and he invites us to love him in return. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Margaret Mary Alacoque and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how: St John writes in his Gospel that Jesus has loved us “to the […]
The prophet Isaiah introduces us to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are very important helps in living our spiritual life to the full. In this meditation we use texts of Sacred Scripture to consider: The nature and role of the gifts How they differ from the virtues How each one of the seven […]
From the moment she conceived Jesus in her womb, Mary became the mother of his Mystical Body, the Church, and of all of us. In this meditation we use texts from Sacred Scripture, Pope St John Paul II, Pope St Paul VI, St Josemaria Escriva and St Bernard to consider how: Mary gave birth to […]
In his account of the Last Supper, St John tells us that Christ loved his disciples “to the end”. After washing the apostles’ feet, Our Lord gave them the new commandment to “love one another as I have loved you.” In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Josemaria Escriva and Mother Teresa of […]
Our Lord invites us, if we would be his disciples, to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow him. We do this especially in Lent but we should do it throughout the year. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture and of St Josemaria Escriva to consider how: Jesus Christ, out of […]
Christ spent forty days praying and fasting in the desert before beginning his public ministry and he prayed intensely in Gethsemane on beginning his Passion. In this meditation we use these examples of Our Lord and texts of St Josemaria Escriva to consider: How and why we should be souls of prayer The different forms […]
We all experience temptations. They are a consequence of original sin and of our being subject to the world, the flesh and the devil. But in addition to being sources of sin, temptations can also be sources of sanctity. In this meditation we consider: Christ’s temptations in the desert, which are very similar to our […]
Lent presents a splendid opportunity to grow closer to God spiritually, to accompany Our Lord through the Cross to the Resurrection. In this meditation we consider how: Lent symbolises our life on earth with its trials and tribulations and Easter symbolises the joy of our life with God in heaven In Lent we quicken the […]
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us the eight Beatitudes, eight attitudes or dispositions that should characterise every follower of Christ, of whom they are a portrait. In this meditation we consider how: The Beatitudes should characterise every Christian They contrast notably with the ways of the world If we live them well […]
After many months of work, I am happy to announce the proximate publication of my latest book, “Dying to Live – Reflections on Life after Death”. As you will see by clicking on the title, the book has been written primarily for people who don’t know what awaits them when they die. It begins by […]
At the beginning of another year, we use texts of Scripture and St Josemaria Escriva to pray about what our goals and resolutions might be, especially that most important goal of growing in holiness so as to deserve eternal life with God in heaven. We consider: The very reason for our existence is to know, […]
The birth of Christ in the stable of Bethlehem has much to teach us. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture to consider seven lessons which the infant Jesus teaches us from the manger: Love Spiritual childhood Contemplation Humility Detachment from comforts Zeal for souls Peace and joy
The first Christmas gift was Jesus Christ himself: “So much did God love the world that he sent his only-begotten Son.” In this meditation we use Mary’s visitation to her kinswoman Elizabeth and other texts of Scripture to consider how we can respond to that gift by: Giving ourselves to God through our life of […]
In Advent, we prepare for the coming of Christ in history, which we celebrate at Christmas, and for his coming in glory at the end of time. We can also prepare for his coming daily into our hearts and for his coming at the end of our life to call us to our eternal home. […]
One of the most consoling truths of our faith is the reality of the Communion of Saints – the Church triumphant in heaven, the Church suffering in purgatory, and the Church militant on earth, all helping one another. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture, the Catechism, St Bernard, St Thomas More, St Therese […]
Purgatory is a reality but because we cannot see the souls being purified there we tend to forget them. In this meditation we pray about the importance of having great devotion to the holy souls. Using texts of Scripture, the Catechism, Pope Benedict XVI, St Thomas More, St Josemaria, St Augustine and others, we consider […]
The Rosary, which developed out of Christian piety over the centuries, has shown itself to be a very powerful prayer. In this meditation we consider how: The Rosary gradually developed over the centuries St Dominic used the Rosary to win over the heretics of his day The Rosary has been credited with winning military battles, […]
Angels are real. They appear throughout the Bible, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelation. Because we can’t see them, we can easily forget them. In this meditation we pray about how to increase our devotion to the angels, using texts of Scripture, St Josemaria Escriva and St John Vianney, to consider: […]
In the parable of the talents, one servant received five talents, another two and another one. So too, we have all received many, and different, talents from God, for which we will give an account at the end of our life. In this meditation we consider how: We have all received many talents from God: […]
As we go through life we often find ourselves tossed on the stormy seas and we can become discouraged, sad, and even depressed. The Covid pandemic adds to those troubles. In a situation like this, we need an attitude not of pessimism and sadness but of optimism and happiness. In this meditation we consider how: […]
Our Lord invited us, if we would be his disciples, to take up our cross and follow him. A few days later he manifested his divinity to three of his apostles in the Transfiguration, as we will see him in his glory in heaven. In this meditation, using texts from Scripture, St Josemaria and St […]
Athletes go through a rigorous training regime in order to achieve their goal of competing, or winning a medal, in the Olympic games. The goal of Christians is much higher: eternal life with God in heaven, and we too need a training regime. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Augustine and St […]
Christ gives us the parable of the sower, who sows seed on different types of soil, yielding different results. In this meditation we consider how we can all be, at times, each of the different types of soil: The path, when we turn a deaf ear to Christ’s promptings The rocky ground, when we begin […]
Our Lord has loved us to the last drop of his blood and water, and he invites us to love him more in return. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Margaret Mary Alacoque and St Josemaria Escriva to consider that: St John writes in his Gospel that Jesus has loved us “to […]
From the moment she conceived Jesus in her womb, Mary became the mother of his Mystical Body, the Church, and of all of us. In this meditation we use texts from Sacred Scripture, Pope St Paul VI, St Josemaria Escriva and St Bernard to consider how: Mary gave birth to Jesus and to the […]
The Second Vatican Council called Our Lady “model of the virtues” and we can learn so much from her. In this meditation we go to her as “teacher of prayer” to learn how to pray better. Using texts from Scripture and St Josemaria Escriva we consider how: In the Annunciation Mary listens to what God […]
The Resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday fills us with faith and joy. In this meditation we consider: The sadness and sorrow of Christ’s disciples after his death on the Cross The various accounts in the Gospels of Christ’s appearances after his Resurrection The faith and joy of the holy women and the apostles when […]
Jesus Christ loved us so much that he suffered and died on the Cross to redeem us, to reconcile us with the Father after the original sin of Adam and Eve. In this meditation we follow the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary to see how Christ has loved us “to the end” and how we […]
St Teresa of Avila called St Joseph “a master who teaches [us] how to pray. In this meditation we consider how: St Joseph prayed in all moments and events of his life We can learn from him how to find God in our work, family life, travel, recreation, etc. We will benefit from having regular […]
St Josemaria Escriva calls St Joseph “our father and lord”. We can learn much from this great saint and entrust all our needs to him. In this meditation we consider how: St Joseph was chosen by God from all eternity to be the spiritual father of Jesus and the guardian of the Holy Family God […]
The word Lent comes from the ancient word Lencten, meaning springtime. If we live Lent well we have a true springtime, with new growth in our spiritual life. In this meditation we consider how: In Lent we accompany Jesus in his forty days of prayer and fasting in the desert. We respond to his […]
In the Nicene Creed we profess our belief that the Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. In this meditation we pray about the first of these four “marks of the Church”, its unity. We consider that: Christ founded only one Church He prayed in the Last Supper for the unity of the Church The […]
One of St Joseph’s remarkable qualities was his docility to the will of God. In this meditation we consider: How St Joseph responded to God’s will in various moments Comments of Pope Francis, St Josemaria Escriva and St John Chrysostom on St Joseph’s docility How we come to know the will of God in our […]
We all face difficulties in life: sickness and pain, the loss of loved ones, problems in work and in relationships, financial worries, temptations to sin, etc. Our tendency is to complain about them and thus lose their great value. In this meditation we consider how: St Joseph faced many difficulties St Josemaria Escriva dealt […]
In the lead-up to Christmas, the liturgy reminds us repeatedly of the important role of St John the Baptist, the precursor of Jesus in preparing the people to receive him. In this meditation we consider: The similarities between the annunciations by the archangel Gabriel to Zechariah and Mary of the birth of a child The […]
In this season of Advent we accompany Our Lady and St Joseph as they make their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem. In this meditation we learn from the many aspects of their journey and from their preparations for Jesus’ birth in the stable in Bethlehem how we can live Advent […]
We all love the parable of the Good Samaritan, but how well do we live out its message? In this meditation we use Pope Francis’ commentary on the parable in his encyclical Fratelli tutti to see the many lessons it contains and to suggest practical ways of putting these lessons into practice.
With God and Christian values being pushed more and more out of our laws, culture and lives, people agree that the world is not in a good place. But what can be done to change this? In this meditation we use texts of the Second Vatican Council, St John Paul II, St Josemaria and […]
One of the most powerful and most loved devotions is the Rosary. In this meditation we use St John Paul II’s Apostolic Letter “Rosarium Virginis Mariae”, by which he introduced the Luminous Mysteries in 2002, to come to a deeper understanding of the Rosary so that we can say it better. We consider how: The […]
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to pray to God our Father, giving us, among other things, the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father. In this meditation we reflect on how we are to pray to our loving Father God, using texts from Scripture, St Augustine, St John Vianney and St Josemaria Escriva. […]
The Canaanite woman who begged Christ to free her daughter from a demon, only to meet with apparent rejection, shows us how to pray. In this meditation we use the text of the gospel of St Matthew plus quotations of St John Chrysostom, St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas, St John Vianney and others to consider […]
St Matthew relates in his gospel how Christ, after multiplying the loaves and fish to feed the multitude, went up onto the hillside to pray. Before dawn the following day he walked on the water to the apostles who were in the boat and calmed the storm. In this meditation we consider how: Prayer is […]
When Christ multiplied the loaves and fish to feed a vast throng, he asked the apostles to bring the loaves and fish to him and to distribute them to the people. Today too, he wants to feed the people of our generation, who are hungry for his word, and he needs us to help him. […]
We all have situations in which we find it difficult to be patient. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture and St Josemaria Escriva’s book The Way to consider: How patience is part of the virtue of fortitude How there are degrees of patience How difficulties in life can help sanctify us How love for […]
Christ chose his apostles and gave them the mission to go out and bear fruit, fruit that would abide. He warned them that they would be persecuted as he was. After his ascension into heaven they went to the upper room to pray. We too have been sent out, into a very damaged world, and […]
Jesus has loved us “to the end” and we should love him in return, but in spite of our good intentions we all sin. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture, St Augustine, St John Vianney and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how: We cannot avoid sinning For a sin to be mortal […]
On the feast of the Sacred Heart we honour Jesus in his self-giving love for mankind. In this meditation we consider that: The blood and water that flowed from Jesus’ open side on the cross symbolise his love for us “to the end” God loves us with both “eros” and “agape” Jesus explained to St […]
Pope Francis has given us the new feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost. In this meditation we pray about the background of the feast, considering: Passages of Scripture on Mary, Mother of the Church Texts of Fathers of the Church and Popes on this teaching Proclamation of the […]
The Second Vatican Council called Our Lady “model of the virtues”. In this meditation we use texts from the New Testament to consider how Mary teaches us various aspects of the virtue of charity: In the Annunciation, her love for God moves her to say yes and to bring the God who is Love into […]
When we go through difficult times, as the whole world is at present with the coronavirus crisis, we find great comfort in entrusting ourselves and our loved ones into the hands of our loving mother Mary. In this meditation we use texts of St Josemaria, St John Paul II and St Bernard […]
In the Last Supper, Christ instituted the Eucharist and gave the apostles his Body and Blood as Holy Communion for the first time. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, the Catechism, St Josemaria Escriva and St John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, to consider how: In Holy Communion we receive the living […]
On Holy Thursday we celebrated the institution of the Eucharist by Christ in the Last Supper, in what was his last celebration of the Passover. Even though In these extraordinary times of a pandemic most of us are unable to attend Mass, we can still be very united to the Masses being celebrated and so […]
As we celebrate the important events of this most holy week of the year, we pray in this meditation about the significance of the events and how we can use them to grow in holiness ourselves. We consider: Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday The institution of the Eucharist on […]
On 27 March 2020 at St Peter’s Basilica in Rome Pope Francis conducted an hour of prayer broadcast around the world to pray for God’s help in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the world. He based his homily on that occasion on the Gospel passage of Christ calming the storm on the […]
When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in the Annunciation, he invited her to welcome the Son of God into her womb and into the world. She said yes and our redemption was at hand. In this meditation we ponder this great event as related by St Luke and consider that: Because of the […]
With the Covid-19 pandemic rapidly spreading around the world, many people are worried and anxious. How should they react in the face of growing restrictions on their movement and activities and the uncertainties created when around them many are becoming sick and some are dying? In this meditation we use texts of St Augustine, St […]
Prayer is one of the three principal focuses of our Lenten discipline, along with fasting and almsgiving. In this meditation we consider how: Christ himself gives us an example of fervent and assiduous prayer Prayer unites us with Christ and helps us become true friends with him Prayer can take four forms Prayer requires effort […]
Our Lord fasted and prayed for forty days before beginning his public life of preaching the Gospel. In Lent we accompany him in prayer, fasting and almsgiving to prepare for the great feast of Easter. In this meditation we consider how: Inspired by Christ’s example, our prayer and fasting will help us overcome the […]
It has often been said that the quality of our interior life is the quality of our prayer. In this meditation we use especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church and St Josemaria’s book The Way to consider how we can improve our personal conversation with God in mental prayer through such means […]
Everyone loves Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. In this meditation we use the Catechism of the Catholic Church and texts of St Josemaria to pray about why God became man and the consequences this has for us. According to the Catechism, God became man for four reasons: to save […]
Pope Francis called the Communion of Saints one of the most consoling truths of our faith. Indeed it is. In this meditation we use texts of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, St Bernard, St Therese of Lisieux, St Josemaria, Pope Francis and Kimberly Hahn to pray about this union of the saints in heaven, […]
Jesus warned his followers on one occasion that they would be hated and persecuted for the sake of his name. Today this is happening on a grand scale, in part because the Catholic Church is the largest single religion in the world and in part because the Church stands firmly for what the world is […]
We all have situations in which we wish something were different but we are not in a position to change it by ourselves: our job, finances, health, relationships, etc. In these circumstances we can sometimes become discouraged. It is then that we need to grow in hope, to trust more in God. In this meditation […]
Jesus told the apostles in the Last Supper that they had not chosen him, but that he had chosen them for a particular mission: to go out and bear fruit. God has created each individual for a purpose: to fulfil some definite part of his plan for the salvation of all souls. In this meditation […]
The sacrament of Penance is truly a sacrament of joy, a sacrament of mercy. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St John Paul II, Pope Francis and St John Vianney to consider how: Christ gave the sacrament of penance to the Church on the very evening of his Resurrection The sacrament corresponds […]
St Paul tells us that the greatest of the virtues is charity. If we are to live this virtue well, we must first grow in love for God so that his love fills us and overflows into those around us. In this meditation we consider how: The more we love God, the easier […]
We all sin, but how much true sorrow do we have? In this meditation we use texts of St Augustine, the Roman Catechism, St John Vianney and St Josemaria Escriva to consider three aspects of penance: the virtue of penance, or sorrow for our sins, the sacrament of penance and the acts of […]
Our Lord loved us “to the end” and he gives us the New Commandment to love one another as he has loved us. In this meditation we consider how: The saints, including St Josemaria, truly poured out love because they themselves were in love with God If we are going to love our neighbour […]
When he was about to die on the Cross Jesus gave Our Lady to St John as his mother. The tradition of the Church has always seen in St John the whole Church, and indeed all mankind. In this meditation we consider: How Mary is truly our mother How Our Lady’s suffering at the Cross […]
At the same time as I wish you all the blessings and joys of the Easter season, I wish to let you know that my latest meditations have been posted on SoundCloud, where you will find them readily accessible. Over time I will also post there many of the older meditations. Enjoy!
In the afternoon of the Resurrection, two discouraged disciples of Jesus left Jerusalem for the nearby town of Emmaus. Christ met them on the way and engaged them in conversation, showing them from the Scriptures how the Messiah was meant to suffer and die. When they reached Emmaus the discipes begged Jesus to stay with […]
Jesus’ passion and death give us many lessons. In this meditation we use texts from St Thomas Aquinas and St Josemaria Escriva to consider some of the many virtues Christ teaches us from the Cross: Charity and patience Humility and obedience Detachment and fortitude Joy
Fasting is one of the three focuses of Lent, along with prayer and almsgiving. But how much fasting should we do? The Church asks very little: only to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In this meditation we pray about this important topic, considering: How much Our Lord suffered for us and how we […]
To prepare for his public life, Our Lord spent forty days in prayer and fasting. This is the origin of the forty days of Lent in preparation for Easter, to be spent in prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In this meditation we consider how: After forty days in the desert Christ rejected the […]
The Second Vatican Council, using some words of St Josemaria Escriva, called the Mass the centre and root of the interior life. If we make the Mass our centre and root, we will attend it better and we will unite all our acitivities with it. In this meditation we consider how: The […]
Christ sent the apostles out to the whole world to teach all nations. They went out and in just over three hundred years, amidst bitter persecution of Christians, the Roman Empire declared itself officially Christian. Christendom, a Europe with Christian laws and customs, would last for over a thousand years, and from Europe the faith […]
Our Lord’s first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana has much to teach us. In this meditation we use texts of St Josemaria, Tertullian and St John Vianney to consider some of these lessons: The beauty of Christian marriage The importance of inviting Jesus to our wedding Our Lady’s motherly concern at Cana and […]
In the words of St John Paul II “The history of mankind, the history of salvation, passes by way of the family”. Yet the family today is under attack in many ways. If it is to fulfil its mission, the family can turn to the Holy Family of Nazareth for inspiration and strength. In […]
At Christmas we have the wonderful custom of giving gifts to others. But the first Christmas gift came from God himself, who so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son to dwell amongst us and redeem us by his death on the Cross. In this meditation we consider: The Gospel passage […]
In Advent we look with hope and expectation towards the celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas and his second coming at the end of time. But we can also prepare for his daily coming into our soul in prayer and Holy Communion and his coming at the end of our life to welcome us […]
One day God will call each of us through the gateway of death into the next life where, after a particular judgment, we will enter into heaven, either immediately or through the purification of purgatory, or we will go to eternal damnation in hell. Meditating on these realities helps us to focus our lives so […]
The Church dedicates the month of November to praying for the holy souls in Purgatory. This is important since many souls in that state have no one to pray for them. In this meditation we consider: Why Purgatory exists The pains experienced by the holy souls, along with the love and joy they experience That […]
God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, and Jesus loved us so much that he suffered and died on the cross for us. Jesus invites us to love him in return but we so often show him by our sins that we love him too little. In this meditation […]
In the ups and downs of life there are many events which are not in our control, where we can only put our hope in God. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture and Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Saved by hope to put our life on a sure foundation. We consider that: The […]
God is calling all of us to “go out and bear fruit”, to bring the truth and love of Christ into the world. In a word, to change the world for the better. But it is not easy. It is hard enough to change ourselves. For this reason we need the virtue of fortitude, which […]
The Church has been under fierce attack in recent months with news of widespread sexual abuse by clergy and cover ups by the hierarchy, leading many people to become discouraged and critical of the Church. In this meditation we look at the situation with eyes of faith, considering how: In the history of the […]
They used to joke that the role of the laity was “to pray, pay and obey”! In this meditation we use the words of Our Lord in the Last Supper, the Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen gentium and St John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution Christifideles laici to consider the great mission of the lay […]
St Josemaria taught that all Christians can be contemplatives in the middle of the world: that they can find God and be aware of his presence in every activity. This is within the reach of all but it requires effort on our part. In this meditation we will consider how: Jesus promised the […]
Many people receive Holy Communion regularly but it is easy to fall into routine in doing so. If we remember Who it is that we are receiving we can receive it better, with the “purity, humility and devotion” with which Our Lady received it, in the words of the Spiritual Communion taught by St Josemaria. […]
We are called to live out our faith and share it with others, to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. To do this effectively in a society which is increasingly ignorant of and even hostile to Christian values we need formation. In this meditation we consider how: Christ […]
Anyone who wants to achieve an important goal has a plan of daily activities to reach it: the athlete, the student, the business person. Our goal is the most important of all: eternal salvation, heaven. Our happiness here and hereafter depends on it. In this meditation we consider how: We are called to love […]
We pray to the one God and we sometimes relate to each of the divine Persons individually but how often do we consider the great mystery of the three Persons in one God, the Blessed Trinity? In this meditation we consider: An argument of Fray Luis of Granada on how God communicates his infinite goodness […]
When we have exhausted all the human means to solve our problems and we don’t know where else to turn, we can pray to Our Lady, whom we call “our hope” in the Hail, Holy Queen. She is all powerful in her intercession before God and she fills us with confidence when we pray to […]
Pope Francis has given the Church the Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (“Rejoice and be glad”) on the call to holiness in today’s world. Today’s world is very much in need of holiness as it distances itself ever more from God, and the Pope proposes a way of holiness for everyone, for the “middle class”. In this […]
The Gospels relate the joy of the disciples and the holy women when they saw Our Lord after his Resurrection. That joy can be ours too when we discover Our Lord in the ordinary circumstances of our life and we come to love him. In this meditation we use passages from the Scriptures, from Pope […]
When we consider the passion and death of Christ on the Cross we tend to overlook the enormous suffering of his mother Mary. Because of her great love for Jesus, Mary suffered unspeakably. In this meditation we use texts from the Stabat Mater, St Josemaria and St Bernard to consider how: Mary was always united with Jesus, […]
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments abound in references to God as “ever rich in mercy.” It is good to remember this, especially when we are discouraged by our sinfulness or tempted to despair of our eternal salvation. In this meditation we consider: Our Lord’s incarnation and his suffering and death for […]
St John begins his account of Christ’s Passion saying that “having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Our Lord goes on to give his disciples the “new commandment” to love one another as he has loved us. We too are called to love “to the end”, beyond […]
In Lent we accompany Our Lord in his forty days of prayer and fasting in the desert before beginning his public life and in carrying the cross to Calvary before the Resurrection. In his Lenten Message for 2018 Pope Francis quotes Our Lord saying that false prophets would appear and the love of many would […]
We all offend God many times a day, yet we do not express our sorrow as we should. In this meditation we pray about how we can foster true contrition, sorrow of love, for our sins and failings. We consider: That God truly loves each of us more than all the mothers in the world […]
Everyone wants to have friends, but sometimes they choose the wrong friends and are led astray by them. We can all be the good friends others are looking for. In this meditation we consider how: Christ entered into a relationship of friendship with the apostles and he called them – and us – his friends. […]
Christmas is a time of great joy, joy because we celebrate the entry of Christ into the world as our Saviour. But in a real sense, everyday is Christmas because Christ is always with us. In this meditation we consider the importance of being always cheerful, of radiating our joy to others. We consider: Texts […]
For more and more people, Christmas is about giving gifts, bringing the family together, having parties and going on holidays. But it is not about the birth of Christ. In this meditation we pray about how we can put Christ in the centre of our life and grow in friendship with him. We consider: Who […]
Some 150,000 people die each day and it is likely that most of them go to purgatory, where they are purified before entering heaven. They suffer greatly at the same time as they are very happy, since they are assured of heaven. We can help them by our prayers and good works. In this meditation […]
In this meditation we continue our journey through the Last Things, praying today about hell. Hell is a reality and if we pray about it from time to time we are most unlikely to end up there. But God needs us to help others avoid hell too. In this meditation we use texts from […]
In the moment of our death we will undergo a particular judgment which will decide whether we go to hell, purgatory or immediately to heaven. The judge will be Jesus himself, the Son of Man and his judgment will be just as well as merciful. In this meditation we consider how: we should not care […]
We can sometimes take our priests for granted, or even complain about them. In this meditation we look at what our priests do for us and how we can help them. We consider: Jesus Christ, the eternal high priest, instituted the priesthood to continue his priestly ministry […]
Our Lady asked the children at Fatima in 1917 to pray the rosary each day. We would all do well to heed that request, if only because it pleases our Mother. But we benefit too from praying the rosary, which is a very powerful prayer. In this meditation we consider how: The rosary arose out […]