THE MEMORIAL OF ST THERESE OF LISIEUX, THE LITTLE FLOWER.
WHERE ARE THE LABORERS FOR THE ABUNDANT HARVEST?
"Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.
"He said to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
"Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
"Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you.
"Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.
"Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
"Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’
"Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.” (Luke 10: 1 - 12).
Thursday 1st October 2026 in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time
is the feast of the Little Flower, St Therese of the Child Jesus, also known as St Therese of Lisieux. (1873 - 1897). French. Carmelite Nun and Doctor of the Church.
St Therese is one of the most beloved saints in the Church. She is a powerful intercessor and her contribution to spirituality can be summarized thus:
#1 Utter simplicity in everything.
#2 Profound trust in Divine Providence.
St Therese you may say was chosen to be St Therese before she was born. At the age of 6, she had a profound faith in the Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and in the Blessed Sacrament. Asked one day how she was so sure of this, her response was disarming and profound: Jesus said: "This is My Body. This is My Blood." Since Jesus is God and Almighty, nothing is impossible for Him. Does this not remind us of the Blessed Virgin Mary? To the word of the Archangel Gabriel that She would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God, she replied: "Be it done to me according to Your word."
Is there a connection between faith and simplicity? Simplicity in thoughts and habits may facilitate the habit of believing.
Saints are mocked for the simplicity of their minds because of the things they believe. For example: Many well-known saints believe in the Holy House of Loreto, etc. But the Lord Jesus said:
"Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18: 3).
Be simple like Jesus and Therese. Dare to Believe.
In our Gospel of today from Luke 10, we read:
"Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit."
Let us read our Gospel of today thus: Jesus appoints you and me to start evangelizing today.
Where? Starting from our family.
How? Being the salt and the light of your family, work place, market, church, etc.
The first step to our evangelization is this:
"So ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest."
Prayer is first step and well be the necessary and most important step.
October is the Month of the Holy Rosary.
Why a special month for the Holy Rosary. Because the Rosary is a very powerful prayer. It is an important prayer in the life of the Church and in the life of individual Christian. You neglect the Rosary at your own peril.
A FAMILY THAT PRAYS THE ROSARY TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER.
Say the Holy Rosary every day in October.
Mary Queen of the Angels, pray for us. Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Pray for us.
For Prayers, Consecration, Litany, Testimony of Jesus about those who pray the Rosary, click the link below:
THE MEMORIAL OF ST JEROME. PRIEST AND DOCTOR OF CHURCH.
THE GOODNEWS:
"As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding on their journey, someone said to him,
“I will follow you wherever you go.”
"Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
"And to another he said, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, let me go first and bury my father.”
But he answered him, “Let the dead bury their dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God.”
"And another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
"Jesus answered him, “No one who sets a hand to the plow and looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9: 57 - 62).
"Blessed indeed is he who ponders the law of the Lord day and night:
he will yield his fruit in due season."
Wednesday 30th September 2026 in the 26th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Jerome: Priest and Doctor of the Church.
St Jerome was born between 342 and 420.
St Jerome was from Dalmatia in former Yugoslavia. He was a Priest and Doctor of the Church.
Jerome translated the Bible into the Latin Vulgate, which became the official version of the Bible for the Church for over 1000 years.
Psalm 1 can aptly be applied to St Jerome.
We chose our key Scripture for today from Psalm 1, the great promise of God for those who love His word and study it season and out of season.
"Blessed is the man who does not walk
in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the way of sinners,
nor sit in company with scoffers.
Rather, the law of the Lord is his joy;
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted near streams of water,
that yields its fruit in season;
Its leaves never wither;
whatever he does prospers."
Note that a similar promise is made to Joshua:
"Do not let this book of the law depart from your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may carefully observe all that is written in it; then you will attain your goal; then you will succeed." (Joshua 1: 8).
If you are still not excited by the promises of investing time and resources in the word of God, consider this:
"When I found your words, I devoured them; your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart." (Jeremiah 15: 16).
When Jeremiah devoured the word of God, what did he find? Incomparable sweetness, happiness and joy.
I too discovered the word of God in a career crisis while working for a large company. The word that was waiting for me to discover was Exodus 14: 13 - 14.
I was blown away by God's utter faithfulness to His gracious promise. I resolved to read the Scriptures everyday from that day.
I am delighted by this quote from St Jerome:
+ "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."
Lord, help us to follow the example of St Jerome in reflecting on Your word day and night. May Your word prepare us to offer You a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving always and everywhere. Amen.
September 30. End of September. The Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of Mary today September 30.
September opened as a month traditionally dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows. While the Church celebrates her liturgical memorial on September 15, the whole month invites us to stand spiritually beside Mary and contemplate the love that remained faithful through every trial.
September With the Sorrowful Mother
September did not begin by asking us to look away from pain. It asks us to bring our pain into the presence of a Mother who understands.
Mary’s life was marked by a great “yes” to God—but that yes did not spare her from sufferingi
At the Presentation in the Temple, Simeon foretold that a sword would pierce her soul (Luke 2:35). From that moment onward, Mary carried the mystery of her Son not only in her arms, but in her heart: the anxiety of fleeing into Egypt, the anguish of losing Jesus in Jerusalem, the agony of seeing Him rejected, condemned, crucified, and laid in the tomb.
Yet Mary did not run from the Cross. The Gospel tells us simply, powerfully: “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother…” (John 19:25). She stood. She remained. She loved.
This is the message of the Sorrowful Mother for us as we end the Month of September.
May the Most Sorrowful Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary obtain for us peace and serenity and prosperity. Amen.
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
FEAST OF SAINTS LAWRENCE RUIZ & CO, MARTYRS & ST WENCESLAUS, MARTYR.
THE GOODNEWS:
"An argument arose among the disciples about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them,
“Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”
"Then John said in reply, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company.”
Jesus said to him, “Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for you.” (Luke 9: 46 - 50).
Monday 28th September 2026 in the 26th week in Ordinary Time is the feast of St Lawrence Ruiz and Companion Martyrs.
Today is also the feast of St Wenceslaus, Martyr.
St. Lawrence Ruiz, also known as Lorenzo Ruiz, was born in Manila around 1600 to a Chinese father and a Filipino mother. Raised in the Catholic faith, he served the Dominicans as an altar boy and became a skilled calligrapher. He married and had three children. His life was rooted in family, work, and prayer—an ordinary life that would lead to an extraordinary witness.
After being accused in connection with a killing, Lawrence sought refuge with Dominican missionaries leaving for Japan.
He did not know their destination until they were at sea. Christianity was being violently persecuted there, and the group was soon arrested and taken to Nagasaki.
Under torture, Lawrence faced a terrible choice: renounce Christ or remain faithful at the cost of his life. He persevered and died a martyr in 1637.
The fifteen companions remembered with him were martyred in and around Nagasaki between 1633 and 1637. They included priests, laypeople, and women of the Dominican Third Order, from both Asia and Europe.
Their shared witness reminds us that holiness belongs to no single nation or way of life.
Pope St. John Paul II canonized the sixteen martyrs in 1987, making Lawrence the first canonized Filipino saint.
Lawrence’s courage did not mean he never felt fear. His story speaks to anyone who must choose fidelity amid uncertainty: grace can strengthen an ordinary person, one decision at a time. As we remember him and his companions, we pray for Christians facing persecution and for the courage to live our faith with steadfast love in daily life.
St. Wenceslaus was born around 907 into the ruling family of Bohemia, in what is now the Czech Republic. His grandmother, St. Ludmila, taught him the Christian faith and helped shape the compassion that would later mark his leadership. After his father died, struggles over religion and power divided the family. Ludmila was murdered, and Wenceslaus eventually became duke.
As ruler, Wenceslaus supported the Church, encouraged the spread of Christianity, and sought peace amid political conflict.
He was remembered for prayer, humility, and care for people in need.
His decisions, however, angered opponents who resisted his religious and political policies.
His younger brother, Boleslaus, joined a plot against him.
On September 28, traditionally dated to 935, Wenceslaus was attacked and killed as he went to church at Stará Boleslav. Though political rivalry played a part in his death, Christians honored him as a martyr because his faith had guided the life and leadership that made him a target.
He became the patron saint of Bohemia.
Wenceslaus is sometimes called “Good King Wenceslaus,”
though he was a duke, not a king. His life reminds us that faith is not confined to private devotion: it can shape how we use authority, pursue peace, and serve others, even when doing so comes at a cost.
After the Twelve heard the Second Prediction of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, we were told that they did not understand what Jesus was talking about.
They did not want to ask Him any questions. They however launched into a worldly competition as to who is the greatest in the Kingdom of God.
"Jesus took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”
True greatness in the eyes of Jesus is: humility, a loving concern for the little ones, the poor and the needy and homeless.
In September, the Church honors the Sorrowful Heart of Mary.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows obtain for us mercies from her Son Jesus.
For Prayers of Consecration to the Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart of Mary, Litany, Promises of Mary to those who say the Holy Rosary, etc click the link below:
