God's love for you - 26th February 2023
Webmaster • February 25, 2023
How can Mary help us as our Heavenly Mother? (5)
She is the Hope of sinners
After created the earth, God created two lights: the sun to give light by day, and the moon to give light by night. If the sun represents Jesus Christ, is for the righteous who are living in the daylight of divine grace to rejoice in His light; the moon then represents Mary, so that sinners who are living in the night of sin can be enlightened by her. Therefore if anyone finds that he has lost the light of the sun, by loosing divine grace, thus has fallen into this night of sin; then he should pray to Mary, being the moon, who are so merciful to miserable sinners, and she will give him light to know the misery of his condition, and strength to come forth from it. Since she is the only refuge for those who have offended God, asylum of all those who are tempted and afflicted. This mother of mercy is all kindness and all sweetness, not only with the righteous, but also with sinners and those who are in despair; so that when she sees them turning towards her, and asking for her help with sincerity, she immediately welcomes them, helps them, and obtains their pardon from her Son. She neglects no one, however unworthy they maybe, and refuses nobody her protection; she consoles them all; and as soon as they call upon her, she quickly comes to help them. A Jesuit priest once found a sinner in the hospital, who for fifty-five years had never been to confession, and only practised this little devotion - whenever he saw an image of Mary he saluted it, and prayed to her that he might not die in mortal sin. Then he related to the priest that in a quarrel with an enemy, his sword was broken during the fight, at this critical moment, he turned to Mary, saying: "Alas, I shall be killed and going to hell; oh mother of sinners, help me!" When he said this, he immediately found himself being transported into a secure place, although he did not know how. After he made a general confession with the priest, he died full of confidence.
(Reference: 'The Glories of Mary' by St Alphonsus Liguori)
You can help our neighbours affected by the 24 June earthquakes in Venezuela with emergency shelter, water and food. CAFOD is already working with local Church partners to support people who have lost their homes, but we need your support to help more survivors. Your donation will provide essential supplies and help families rebuild their lives. Donate today: cafod.org.uk/ Venezuela or call 0300 999 0030 or scan the QR code. Please keep our neighbours in Venezuela in your prayers.
Eucharistic Miracles of Buenos Aires, Argentina (Part 1 of 3) In the parish of St Mary, there has been 3 Eucharistic Miracles that occurred in 1992, 1994 and 1996. After the Mass on Friday 1 May 1992, while preparing the Eucharistic reserve, a Eucharistic minister found some pieces of consecrated Host on the corporal. Following what the Church prescribes to do, the Priest put them in a vessel of water, which was then placed in the Tabernacle to wait for them to dissolve. Several Priests went to check it in the following days, but nothing had changed. 7 days later, on 8 May, they opened the Tabernacle and saw that the Host fragments had become a reddish colour that looked like blood. During the two evening Masses on 10 May, several small drops of blood were noticed on the patens with which the Priests distributed Communion. On 24 July 1994, during the children’s Sunday Mass, while the Eucharistic minister took the pix from the Tabernacle, he saw a drop of blood running along its side. On 15 August 1996, a consecrated Host which fell to the ground during the distribution of Communion in Mass, had to be placed again in a vessel of water so it would dissolve. But days later, on the 26th, a Eucharistic minister opened the Tabernacle and saw the Host had transformed into Blood. An Australian lawyer, Ron Tesoriero, who was central to the scientific investigation on the 1996 miracle, gave the account: “…On 21 October 1999, we presented a sample for DNA testing to Forensic Analytical Genetics laboratory in San Francisco. On 1 May 2000, they reported to me that whilst there was the presence of human DNA, no human genetic code could be obtained. This was unusual. Different scientists had different opinions. Who was right? I proceeded to study forensic pathology and cell biology. For more than one year I researched hundreds of histology images and eventually found one that resembled the Buenos Aires case. (Reference: www.miracolieucaristici.org)
By Fr Benny Dennis Travelling to Uganda with our college students for the outreach programme was a grace-filled experience. As a teacher, I was drawn to the classrooms and the eagerness of the children to learn. As a priest, I found myself reflecting on the quiet ways God is present in people's daily lives. We spent much of our time in schools, and what struck me most was not the lack of resources but the abundance of joy. The children welcomed us with smiles that seemed untouched by the hardships they faced. They celebrated life with a simplicity that challenged many of the assumptions I carry from a more comfortable world. One encounter remains particularly vivid in my mind. A young girl came to school carrying her toddler sibling because her parents had gone to work and there was nobody else to care for the child. She sat in class with responsibilities far beyond her years, yet there was a determination in her eyes whenever she engaged with her lessons. In that moment, I was reminded that the desire for education is often strongest among those who have the least access to it. Throughout the visit, I met people who worked tirelessly to provide for their families. Resources were limited, yet I heard little complaint. Instead, I witnessed resilience, generosity, and a strong sense of community. The experience was a humbling reminder of how easily we overlook the blessings that surround us. It deepened my gratitude to God and renewed my appreciation for the dignity and strength that exist within every human person. As I reflect on our time there, my prayer is simple: that these children may continue to find joy amidst their challenges, that education may open doors of opportunity before them, and that the bonds of faith, fellowship, and mutual care that I witnessed among them may continue to flourish. They taught me far more than I could ever have hoped to teach them.
O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Sunday 5th July 2026 3pm Starting from the Lighthouse, Roath Park Lake Colette Jones is our key walker and will walk 11 thousand steps for the 11 million unborn children who have lost their lives under the UK 1967 Abortion Act. Further info or to take part please phone Paul and Diane on 02920 405942
There is a Second Collection this weekend 27/28 June Donating to Peter’s Pence is a concrete gesture of communion with the Holy Father and of solidarity with his mission to bring the Gospel throughout the world. As every year, every offering – large or small – will support the Holy Father in his ministry and in his charitable activities in response to emergencies and needs around the world. Visit: www.obolodisanpietro.va or scan the QR code Join the Pope in His mission of Peace, Hope & Love
Nursery applications for 2027 intake are now open for St Peter's RC Primary School. Families with children born between September 1st 2023, and March 31st 2024, are encouraged to submit their applications via the school's website - www.stpeters.wales . St Peter's has just been rated EXCELLENT in every area of their latest Catholic School Inspectorate Report. Call to arrange to view the fantastic facilities 029 20497847.
What is a Miracle of the Eucharist? Miracles of the Eucharist are miraculous divine interventions that are aimed at the confirming faith in the real presence of the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist. We are familiar with the Catholic doctrine relating to this real presence; with the Words of Consecration, “this is my body” and “this is my blood,” the substance of the bread becomes the body of Christ and the substance of the wine becomes his blood. This awe-inspiring change is known as transubstantiation, in other words, the transition of the substance. Only the appearances, or species, of the bread and wine remain; these are known by the philosophical term “accidents”. The dimensions, colour, flavour and odour remain, as do the nutrients, but the substance, or rather the true reality, does not remain because it has become the body and blood of Christ. Transubstantiation can in no way be experienced by the senses; faith alone makes certain of this miraculous change. Miracles of the Eucharist are intend to confirm this faith, which is based on the words of Christ, according to which what seems like bread is no longer bread, and what seems like wine is no longer wine. Flesh and blood, or one or the other, appear in Miracles of the Eucharist, depending on the case. The aim of miracles such as these is to demonstrate that we should not look at external appearances (bread and wine), but at the substance, at the true reality of things, which is flesh and blood…The Lord carries out these miracles to give a sign that is easy and visible to all, that the real body and blood of Christ are present in the Eucharist. But this real body and this real blood are not those that appear, rather they are substantially contained beneath the species or appearances, species or appearances that were those of the bread and wine before the miracle, and after the miracle are those of flesh and blood. Christ is truly and substantially contained beneath the appearances of flesh and blood, just as he was before the miracle. This is why we can worship Christ in his real presence beneath the species of the flesh and blood. Fr Roberto Coggi O.P.
O God, who on the Solemnity of the Apostles Peter and Paul give us the noble and holy joy of this day, grant, we pray, that your Church may in all things follow the teaching of those through whom she received the beginnings of right religion. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostles’ blood. Let us embrace what they believed, their life, their labors, their sufferings, their preaching, and their confession of faith. ~ Saint Augustine of Hippo Saints Peter and Paul are considered the foundational pillars of the Church. Peter represents the stability of the Church and the office of the Vicar of Christ. Paul represents the mission of evangelization that was entrusted to the Church by Jesus Himself. He was also the Church’s first theologian, which is seen in his numerous letters that expound on the Gospels. Though unlikely, one tradition states that they were both martyred on June 29, in Rome, making them twin martyrs. Their twin martyrdom reminds us that the Church must be both stable and mission-oriented. It must remain grounded in the ancient Truth, yet grow and flower with an ongoing understanding of the mysteries of faith. As we honor these two pillars of the Church, recall the fact that, though they are great saints, they were also ordinary men called to extraordinary vocations. They responded and God used them in ways they could have never imagined. Ponder your own calling in light of theirs and resolve to lay your life down for the Church, joining yourself to these two men so that God can continue their holy mission through you.